As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 18, 2008

Securities Act File No. 33-24962

Investment Company Act File No. 811-5186

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM   N-1A

 

  Registration Statement under the Securities Act of 1933

Post-Effective Amendment No.   69 x

 

Registration Statement under the Investment Company Act of 1940

Amendment No.   71 x

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

 

Gateway Center Three

100 Mulberry Street

Newark, New Jersey 07102

(Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

 

(203) 926-1888

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

 

Deborah A. Docs

Secretary

Advanced Series   Trust

Gateway Center Three

100 Mulberry Street

Newark, New Jersey 07102

(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

 

Copies to:

Christopher E. Palmer

Goodwin Procter LLP

901 New York Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20001

 

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate space):

 

 

o

immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b).

x

on May 1, 2008 pursuant to paragraph (b) of rule 485.

o

60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1).

o

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1).

o

75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2).

o

on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of rule 485.

o

this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

 

 




Advanced Series Trust

PROSPECTUS

May 1, 2008

The Fund is an investment vehicle for life insurance companies ("Participating Insurance Companies") writing variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies. Each variable annuity contract and variable life insurance policy involves fees and expenses not described in this Prospectus. Please read the Prospectus for the variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy for information regarding the contract or policy, including its fees and expenses.

The Fund has received an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission permitting its Investment Manager, subject to approval by its Board of Trustees, to change subadvisers without shareholder approval. For more information, please see this Prospectus under "How the Fund is Managed."
    
These securities have not been approved or disapproved by the Securities and Exchange Commission nor has the Commission passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 


This prospectus discusses the following Portfolios of the Advanced Series Trust:

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio AST Money Market Portfolio
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST Global Real Estate Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST High Yield Portfolio AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST International Growth Portfolio AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST International Value Portfolio AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST MFS Growth Portfolio




Table of Contents
4 INTRODUCTION
4 About the Fund and its Portfolios
5 RISK/RETURN SUMMARY
5 International & Global Portfolios: Investment Objectives & Principal Strategies
11 Capital Growth Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies
26 Growth and Income Portfolios: Inv Objectives and Principal Strategies
28 Special Equity Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies
31 Asset Allocation Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies
41 Fixed Income Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies
51 Principal Risks
57 Principal Risks: Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios
59 Introduction to Past Performance
60 Past Performance: International & Global Portfolios
65 Past Performance: Capital Growth Portfolios
76 Past Performance: Capital Growth Portfolios (Continued)
83 Past Performance: Growth & Income Portfolios
85 Past Performance: Special Equity Portfolios
88 Past Performance: Asset Allocation Portfolios
100 Past Performance: Fixed Income Portfolios
107 Fees and Expenses of the Portfolios
109 Example
111 MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW THE PORTFOLIOS INVEST
111 Investment Objectives & Policies
192 MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER INVESTMENTS & STRATEGIES USED BY THE PORTFOLIOS
192 Additional Investments & Strategies
196 HOW THE FUND IS MANAGED
196 Board of Trustees
196 Investment Managers
197 Investment Management Fees
199 Investment Subadvisers
204 Portfolio Managers
221 HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES OF THE PORTFOLIOS
221 Purchasing and Redeeming Shares of the Portfolios
221 Redemption in Kind
221 Frequent Purchases or Redemptions of Portfolio Shares
222 Net Asset Value
224 Distributor
225 OTHER INFORMATION
225 Federal Income Taxes
225 Monitoring for Possible Conflicts
225 Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings
226 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
226 Introduction
253 APPENDIX I
253 Target Asset Allocations for Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios
254 APPENDIX II
254 Target Asset Allocations for Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios
255 APPENDIX III
255 Underlying Portfolio Weights for Asset Allocation Portfolios
260 APPENDIX IV
260 Description of Certain Debt Securities Ratings
263 APPENDIX V
263 Underlying Trust Portfolio Weights for Core Investment Categories

 


INTRODUCTION

About the Fund and its Portfolios

This prospectus provides information about the Advanced Series Trust (the Fund), which presently consists of 55 separate portfolios (each, a Portfolio). The Portfolios of the Fund which are discussed in this prospectus are listed on the inside front cover.

The Fund offers one class of shares in each Portfolio. Shares of each Portfolio are sold only to separate accounts of Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company (collectively, Prudential) and Kemper Investors Life Insurance Company as investment options under variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts (the Contracts). (A separate account keeps the assets supporting certain insurance contracts separate from the general assets and liabilities of the insurance company). Not every Portfolio is available under every Contract . The prospectus for each Contract lists the Portfolios currently available through that Contract.

The Risk/Return Summary which follows highlights key information about each Portfolio. Additional information follows this summary and is also provided in the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

 

4

RISK/RETURN SUMMARY

International & Global Portfolios: Investment Objectives & Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST International Growth Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of foreign companies
AST International Value Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of foreign companies
AST JPMorgan International Equity Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of foreign companies
AST MFS Global Equity Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of U.S. and foreign issuers
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Long-term capital appreciation The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of issuers in emerging markets


AST International Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term growth of capital.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of issuers that are economically tied to countries other than the United States. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and other similar depositary receipts and shares. The Portfolio has the flexibility to invest on a worldwide basis in companies and organizations of any size, regardless of country of organization or place of principal business activity. The Portfolio normally invests primarily in securities of issuers from at least five different countries, which may include countries with emerging markets,excluding the United States. Although the Portfolio intends to invest at least 80% of its assets in the securities of issuers located outside the United States, it may at times invest in U.S. issuers and it may at times invest all of its assets in fewer than five countries or even a single country.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of issuers that are economically tied to countries other than the United States, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of long-term growth of capital. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

The Portfolio invests primarily in companies selected for their growth potential. William Blair & Company LLC (William Blair) generally takes a "bottom up" approach to choosing investments for the Portfolio. In other words, William Blair seeks to identify individual companies with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large, regardless of where the companies are organized or where they primarily conduct business. Although themes may emerge, William Blair generally selects securities without regard to any defined allocation among countries, geographic regions or industry sectors, or other similar selection procedure.

In selecting investments for the Portfolio, Marsico uses an approach that combines "top-down" macro-economic analysis with "bottom-up" stock selection.

The "top-down" approach may take into consideration macro-economic factors such as, without limitation, interest rates, inflation, demographics, the regulatory environment, and the global competitive landscape. In addition, Marsico may also examine other factors that may include, without limitation, the most attractive global investment opportunities, industry consolidation, and the sustainability of financial trends observed. As a result of the "top-down" analysis, Marsico seeks to identify sectors, industries and companies that may benefit from the overall trends Marsico has observed.

 

5

Marsico then looks for individual companies or securities with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. In determining whether a particular company or security may be a suitable investment, Marsico may focus on any of a number of different attributes that may include, without limitation, the company's specific market expertise or dominance; its franchise durability and pricing power; solid fundamentals (e.g., a strong balance sheet, improving returns on equity, the ability to generate free cash flow, apparent use of conservative accounting standards, and transparent financial disclosure); strong and ethical management; commitment to shareholder interests; reasonable valuations in the context of projected growth rates; and other indications that a company or security may be an attractive investment prospect. This process is called "bottom-up" stock selection.

As part of this fundamental, "bottom-up" research, Marsico may visit with various levels of a company's management, as well as with its customers and (as relevant) suppliers, distributors, and competitors. Marsico also may prepare detailed earnings and cash flow models of companies. These models may assist Marsico in projecting potential earnings growth, current income and other important company financial characteristics under different scenarios. Each model is typically customized to follow a particular company and is generally intended to replicate and describe a company's past, present and potential future performance. The models may include quantitative information and detailed narratives that reflect updated interpretations of corporate data and company and industry developments.

Marsico may reduce or sell a Fund's investments in portfolio companies if, in the opinion of Marsico, a company's fundamentals change substantially, its stock price appreciates excessively in relation to fundamental earnings growth prospects, the company appears not to realize its growth potential or current income potential, more attractive investment opportunities appear elsewhere, or for other reasons.

The core investments of the portfolio generally may include established companies and securities that offer long-term growth potential. However, the portfolio also may typically include securities of less mature companies, companies or securities with more aggressive growth characteristics, and companies undergoing significant changes such as the introduction of a new product line, the appointment of a new management team, or an acquisition.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by William Blair and Marsico. As of January 31, 2008, William Blair was responsible for managing approximately 69% of the Portfolio's assets, and Marsico was responsible for managing approximately 31% of the Portfolio's assets.

Principal Risks:


AST International Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's investable assets (net assets plus borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity securities. There is a risk that "value" stocks will perform differently from the market as a whole and other types of stocks and can continue to be undervalued by the markets for long periods of time.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

 

6



LSV Asset Management (LSV) uses proprietary quantitative investment models to manage the Portfolio in a bottom-up security selection approach combined with overall portfolio risk management. The primary components of the investment models are: 1) indicators of fundamental undervaluation, such as high dividend yield, low price-to-cash flow ratio or low price-to-earnings ratio, 2) indicators of past negative market sentiment, such as poor past stock price performance, 3) indicators of recent momentum, such as high recent stock price performance, and 4) control of incremental risk relative to the benchmark index. All such indicators are measured relative to the overall universe of non-U.S., developed market equities. This investment strategy can be described as a "contrarian value" approach. The objective of the strategy is to outperform the unhedged U.S. dollar return (net of foreign dividend withholding taxes) of the MSCI EAFE Index.

Thornburg Investment Management (Thornburg) selects securities on a bottom-up basis using traditional fundamental securities analysis. The principal focus is on "basic" value stocks. The Portfolio may include stocks that in Thornburg's opinion provide value in a broader or different context. The relative proportions of these different types of securities will vary over time.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is subadvised by LSV and Thornburg. As of January 31, 2008, LSV is responsible for managing approximately 36% of the Portfolio's assets, and Thornburg is responsible for managing approximately 64% of the Portfolio's assets.

Principal Risks:


AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities. The Portfolio seeks to meet its investment objective by investing its total assets in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of companies located or operating in developed non-U.S. countries and emerging markets of the world. The equity securities will ordinarily be traded on a recognized foreign securities exchange or traded in a foreign over-the-counter market in the country where the issuer is principally based, but may also be traded in other countries including the United States. The subadviser intends to focus on companies with an above-average potential for long-term growth and attractive relative valuations. The subadviser selects companies based on five key factors: growth, valuation, management, risk, and sentiment. In addition, the subadviser looks for companies with the following characteristics: (1) a distinguishable franchise on a local, regional or global basis; (2) a history of effective management demonstrated by expanding revenues and earnings growth; (3) prudent financial and accounting policies; and (4) an ability to capitalize on a changing business environment.

The Portfolio will normally allocate assets among a variety of countries, regions and industry sectors, investing in several countries outside of the United States. In selecting countries, the subadviser considers such factors as economic growth prospects, monetary and fiscal policies, political stability, currency trends and market liquidity. The Portfolio may invest a substantial part of its total assets in any one country and up to 15% of its assets in securities of issuers located and operating primarily in emerging market countries.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is subadvised by JP Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


7


AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities. The Portfolio may invest in the securities of issuers located in the U.S. and foreign countries (including issuers in emerging market countries). The portfolio may invest a relatively high percentage of the fund's assets in a single country, a small number of countries, or a particular geographic region.

In selecting investments for the Portfolio, the subadviser is not constrained to any particular investment style. The Portfolio may invest its assets in the stocks of companies it believes have above average earnings growth potential compared to other companies (growth companies), in the stocks of companies it believes are undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies), or in a combination of growth and value companies. While the Portfolio may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Portfolio generally focuses on companies with large capitalizations.

The subadviser uses a bottom-up investment approach in buying and selling investments for the Portfolio. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of issuers and their potential in light of their current financial condition and industry position, and market, economic, political, and regulatory conditions. Factors considered may include analysis of earnings, cash flows, competitive position, and management ability. Quantitative analysis of these and other factors may also be considered.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is subadvised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company.

Principal Risks:


AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: Long-term capital appreciation

Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of issuers: (i) located in emerging market countries or (ii) included (or considered for inclusion) as emerging market issuers in one or more broad-based market indices.

This 80% policy is not a fundamental policy. The Portfolio will provide 60 day's prior written notice to shareholders of a change in this policy. The Portfolio's investment objective also is not a fundamental investment policy and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.

A company will be considered to be located in an emerging market country if it is domiciled in, or derives more than 50% of its revenues or profits from, emerging market countries. Emerging market countries are countries that are: (i) generally considered to be developing or emerging countries by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly referred to as the World Bank) or the International Finance Corporation; (ii) classified by the United Nations or otherwise regarded by its own authorities as developing; or (iii) identified by Parametric's portfolio managers as emerging market countries on the basis of market capitalization and liquidity. Emerging market countries include countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and the region comprising the former Soviet Union.

 

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The Portfolio may invest without limit in foreign securities. The Portfolio seeks to employ a top-down, disciplined and structured investment process that emphasizes broad exposure and diversification among emerging market countries, economic sectors, and issuers. This investment strategy uses targeted allocation and periodic rebalancing to take advantage of certain quantitative and behavioral characteristics of emerging markets identified by Parametric's portfolio managers. Parametric's portfolio managers select and allocate across countries based on factors such as size, liquidity, level of economic development, local economic diversification, and perceived risk and potential for growth. The Portfolio expects to maintain a bias to broad inclusion; that is Parametric's portfolio managers intend to allocate portfolio holdings among a variety of emerging market countries. Relative to capitalization-weighted country indexes, individual country allocation targets generally emphasize the less represented emerging market countries. The Portfolio's country allocations are rebalanced periodically to their target weights which has the effect of reducing exposure to countries with strong relative performance and increasing exposure to countries that have underperformed. Within each country, the Portfolio seeks to maintain exposure across key economic sectors such as industrial/technology, consumer, utilities, basic industry/resource and financial. Relative to capitalization-weighted country indexes, Parametric's portfolio managers generally target weights to these sectors to emphasize the less represented sectors. Parametric's portfolio managers select individual securities as representative of their respective economic sectors and generally weight them by their relative capitalization within that sector.

No more than 25% of the Portfolio's total assets may be denominated in a single foreign currency. The value of foreign assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. At times, Parametric's portfolio managers may (but are not obligated to) use hedging techniques (including, without limitation, forward contracts and options) to attempt to mitigate adverse effects of foreign currency fluctuations.

The Portfolio may invest in securities of small and new companies. The Portfolio also may invest in privately issued securities, including, without limitation, privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single stock (referred to as "equity-linked securities"). The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in privately issued securities.

The Portfolio also may invest in convertible instruments that generally will not be rated, but will typically be equivalent in credit quality to securities rated below investment grade (i.e., credit quality equivalent to lower than Baa by Moody's Investors Service Inc. (Moody's) and lower than BBB by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P)). Convertible debt securities that are not investment grade are commonly called "junk bonds." The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in these instruments.

As an alternative to holding foreign-traded securities, the Portfolio may invest in dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including, without limitation, all types of depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign securities). The Portfolio's investment in a depositary receipt will satisfy the above-referenced 80% investment policy if the issuer of the depositary receipt is: (i) domiciled in, or derives more than 50% of its revenues or profits from, emerging market countries or (ii) included (or considered for inclusion) as an emerging market issuer in one or more broad-based market indices.

The Portfolio may at times engage in derivatives transactions (including, without limitation, futures contracts and options, covered short sales, and swap agreements) primarily as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities. The Portfolio also may engage in derivatives transactions to protect against price declines or to enhance investment returns. Derivatives are financial instruments whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of something else, such as one or more underlying investments, indexes, or currencies.

Principal Risks:

 

9

 

10

Capital Growth Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST Small-Cap Growth Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of small capitalization companies
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Maximum capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of small capitalization companies included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in the stocks of small companies that are traded on national exchanges, NASDAQ stock exchange and the over-the-counter market
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Long-term capital appreciation The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of small capitalization companies that appear to be undervalued
AST Small-Cap Value Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in stocks and equity-related securities of small capitalization companies that appear to be undervalued
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Maximum capital growth The Portfolio invests primariy in equity securities of small capitalization companies included in the Russell 2000® Value Index
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of medium-sized companies
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of medium capitalization companies
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of medium capitalization companies
AST Mid-Cap Value Capital growth The Portfolio invests primariy in mid-capitalization stocks that appear to be undervalued
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests predominantly in the equity securities of a limited number of large, high-quality U.S. companies
AST MFS Growth Long-term capital growth and future income The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks and related securities
AST Marsico Capital Growth Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks, with the majority of the Portfolio's assets in large capitalization stocks
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Maximum capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of large capitalization companies included in the Russell 1000® Value Index
AST Large-Cap Value Current income and long-term growth of income, as well as capital appreciation The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of large cap companies
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Long-term capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of large capitalization companies that appear to be undervalued
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Long-term capital appreciation The Portfolio invests primarily in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers


AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term capital growth.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small-capitalization companies. Small-capitalization companies are generally defined as stocks of companies with market capitalizations that are within the market

 

11

capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Growth Index. As of January 31, 2008, the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Growth Index was $38 million to $7.9 billion.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of long-term capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. (Neuberger Berman) and Eagle Asset Management (Eagle) each use their own fundamental research, computer models and proprietary measures of growth in determining which stocks to select for the Portfolio. The subadvisers' investment strategies seek to identify stocks of companies which have strong business momentum, earnings growth, and superior management teams, as well as stocks of those companies whose earnings growth potential may not be currently recognized by the market and whose stock may be considered to be underpriced using various financial measurements employed by the subadvisers, such as price-to-earnings ratios.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Neuberger Berman and Eagle. As of January 31, 2008, Neuberger Berman was responsible for managing approximately 42% of the Portfolio's assets, and Eagle was responsible for managing approximately 58% of the Portfolio's assets.

As of April 15, 2008, Eagle was responsible for managing all of the Portfolio's assets, and it is expected that Eagle will become the Portfolio's sole subadviser on or about July 31, 2008.

Principal Risks:


AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio


Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of investors' capital from a portfolio primarily of growth stocks of smaller companies.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by primarily investing in the equity securities of small-sized companies with a total market capitalization within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Index at time of purchase. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. The Portfolio seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies, sectors and industries. As of January 31, 2008, the average market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index was $1.3 billion and the median market capitalization was $541 million. The size of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index will change with market conditions.

The Portfolio Manager employs a disciplined investment strategy when selecting growth stocks. Using fundamental research and quantitative analysis, the Manager looks for fast-growing companies with above-average sales and competitive returns on equity relative to their peers. In doing so, the Portfolio Manager analyzes such factors as:

 

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The Portfolio Manager follows a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a stock when it fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio will pursue its investment objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in the stocks of small companies that are traded on national securities exchanges, NASDAQ stock exchange and the over-the-counter market. Small companies will be defined as companies with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 2000® Index (which had a market capitalization range of $38 million to $7.9 billion as of January 31, 2008) or the Standard & Poor's SmallCap 600 Index (which had a market capitalization range of $59 million to $4.85 billion as of January 31, 2008). Such definition will be applied at the time of investment, and the Portfolio will not be required to sell a stock because the company has grown outside the market capitalization range of small capitalization stocks. Up to 30% of the Portfolio's net assets may be invested in foreign securities, which are typically denominated in foreign currencies. Solely for purposes of complying with this policy an issuer's security will be considered to be a foreign security if the security is denominated in a foreign currency or purchased on a securities exchange outside the United States. Certain securities not included in this definition of foreign securities may still be subject to risks of foreign investing that are described in this prospectus. For example, an issuer that is organized in an offshore jurisdiction but who has its principal place of business or whose securities are traded principally on a securities exchange in the United States will not be considered a foreign security for purposes of this policy but may still be subject to risks associated with foreign securities.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi - manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Manager of the Portfolio determines and allocates a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Manager periodically, and the allocations may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Manager without prior notice. Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, primarily in the stocks of small companies that are traded in national securities exchanges, NASDAQ stock exchange and the over the counter market, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below:

Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania ("Federated Equity") manages a portion of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser is led by the Federated Kaufmann Team ("Kaufmann"). Kaufmann's process for selecting investments is bottom-up and growth oriented. There is an emphasis on individual stock selection rather that trying to time the highs and lows of the market or concentrating in certain industries or sectors. Kaufmann assesses individual companies from the perspective of a long-term investor. Kaufmann seeks to purchase stocks of companies that it believes: are profitable and leaders in the industry; have distinct products and services which address substantial markets; can rapidly grow annual earnings over the next three to five years; or have superior proven management and solid balance sheets.

Federated MDTA LLC manages a portion of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser is led by the Federated MDT Team ("MDT Advisers"). MDT Advisers uses a disciplined quantitative process in its security selection which seeks to maximize compound annual return while controlling risk. This quantitative model seeks to screen its universe of stocks for stocks that meet certain valuation (i.e., price-to-book ratio, price-to-earning ratio) and performance metrics (i.e., earnings momentum or earnings growth) that MDT Advisers believes might be indicative of an attractive investment opportunity. The selection process also factors in trading costs (particularly market impact) by biasing the Fund towards those stocks which have less trading costs. MDT Advisers' process also utilizes diversification constraints which keep the portfolio diversified by business, industry, and sector.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Federated and Federated MDTA. As of January 31, 2008, Federated MDTA was responsible for initially managing approximately 28% of the Portfolio's assets and Federated was responsible for managing 72% of the Portfolio's assets.

 

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Principal Risks:


AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital appreciation.


The Portfolio will seek its objective, under normal circumstances, through investments primarily in equity securities of small capitalization companies that are believed to be undervalued in the marketplace. Typically, in choosing stocks, the subadviser looks for companies using the subadviser's value investment philosophy. The subadviser seeks to identify well-positioned businesses that have attractive returns on capital, sustainable earnings and cash flow, and strong company management focused on long-term returns to shareholders as well as attractive valuation opportunities where the intrinsic value is not reflected in the stock price.

Price and Prospects . All successful investing should thoughtfully weigh two important attributes of a stock: price and prospects. Since most value managers tend to focus almost exclusively on price, they often underestimate the importance of prospects. The subadviser believes a company's prospective ability to generate high cash flow and returns on capital will strongly influence investment success.

Uncertainty creates opportunity . Some stock price declines truly reflect a permanently disadvantaged business model. These stocks are the "value traps" that mire price-oriented investors. Other stock price declines merely reflect near-term market volatility. Through our proprietary research and strong valuation discipline, the subadviser seeks to purchase well-positioned, cash-generating businesses run by shareholder-oriented managements at a price low enough to provide a healthy margin of safety.

Avoiding "value traps." The subadviser believes the key to successful investing in the small cap value space is to avoid the "losers" or "value traps." Academic studies have shown that small cap value has historically outperformed other asset classes, but with higher volatility and less liquidity. By focusing on stock selection within sectors and avoiding the "losers," we believe we can participate in the long-term performance of small cap value with much less risk than other managers.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. The Portfolio generally defines small capitalization companies as stocks of companies with market capitalizations that are within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index. As of January 31, 2008, the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index was $40 million to $5.9 billion. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in foreign securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to provide long-term capital growth by investing primarily in small-capitalization stocks that appear to be undervalued.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. Small capitalization companies are generally defined as stocks of companies with market capitalizations that are within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index. As of January 31, 2008, the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index was $40 million to $5.9 billion. Securities of companies whose market capitalizations no longer meet the definition of small capitalization companies after purchase by the Portfolio will still be considered to be small capitalization companies for purposes of the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by four subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus. Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in small capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of long-term capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below:

J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. ("J.P. Morgan"), as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 50% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser follows a three-step process. First, a rigorous quantitative model is used to evaluate the prospects of each company in the investable universe and rank each company's relative attractiveness within its economic sector based on a number of factors including valuation and improving fundamentals. Next, the results of the quantitative model are reviewed and modified based on the fundamental stock and industry insights of the sector specific research and portfolio management teams. Finally, a disciplined, systematic portfolio construction process is employed to overweight the stocks that are the most attractive and underweight those stocks that are the least attractive, based on the rankings from the first two steps, while trying to minimize uncompensated risks relative to the benchmark.

Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. ("Lee Munder") , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 22% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser seeks the stocks of companies whose current stock prices do not appear to adequately reflect their underlying value as measured by assets, earnings, cash flow or business franchises. The subadviser's research team seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but have good prospects for capital appreciation. In selecting investments, the subadviser generally looks to the following: (1) Low price/earnings, price/book value or total capitalization/cash flow ratios relative to the company's peers; (2) Low stock price relative to a company's underlying asset values; (3) A sound balance sheet and other positive financial characteristics. The subadviser then determines whether there is an emerging catalyst that will focus investor attention on the underlying assets of the company, such as takeover efforts, a change in management, or a plan to improve the business through restructuring or other means.

ClearBridge Advisors, LLC ("ClearBridge") , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 10% of the Portfolio's assets. The subadviser emphasizes individual security selection while spreading the Fund's investments among industries and sectors. The subadviser uses both quantitative and fundamental methods to identify stocks of smaller capitalization companies it believes have a high probability of outperforming other stocks in the same industry or sector. The subadviser uses quantitative parameters to select a universe of smaller capitalized companies that fit the Fund's general investment criteria. In selecting individual securities from within this range, the subadviser looks for "value" attributes, such as low stock price relative to earnings, book value and cash flow and high return on invested capital. The subadviser also uses quantitative methods to identify catalysts and trends that might influence the Portfolio's industry or sector focus, or the subadviser's individual security selection.

Dreman Value Management LLC ("Dreman") , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 18% of the Portfolio's assets. Dreman's investment objective is to provide a total return greater than that of the benchmark over time, to protect client capital during market downturns and to stay consistent in our low price-to-earnings ratio, contrarian value approach to investment management, while taking into consideration dividend yield. Dreman will seek to attain superior returns by using a contrarian value investment approach. Dreman believes that it can attain superior performance by adhering to an investment strategy that is disciplined and has a demonstrated record of success. Dreman's investment strategy emphasizes stocks that offer unique investment values. The criterion used to identify such stocks include below average price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and/or price-to-

 

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cash flow ratios and above average dividend yields. Over the last 25 years, extensive studies, which date as far back as the 1930s, conducted by David Dreman and affiliates of Dreman, have led the Dreman to conclude that consistently applying disciplined value strategies yields superior long-term total returns.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money.

Principal Risks:


AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of investors' capital from a portfolio primarily of value stocks of smaller companies.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The Portfolio pursues its objective by primarily investing in the equity securities of small-sized companies included in the Russell 2000® Value Index. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. The subadviser employs an investment strategy that seeks to maintain a portfolio of equity securities which approximates the market risk of those stocks included in the Russell 2000® Value Index, but which outperforms the Russell 2000® Value Index through active stock selection. As of January 31, 2008, the average market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index was $1.16 billion and the median market capitalization was $519 million. The targeted tracking error of this Portfolio is 4% with a standard deviation of +/- 4%. It is possible that the deviation may be higher. For purposes of this Portfolio, the strategy of attempting to correlate a stock portfolio's market risk with that of a particular index, in this case the Russell 2000® Value Index, while improving upon the return of the same index through active stock selection, is called a "managed alpha" strategy.

The subadviser considers a number of factors in determining whether to invest in a value stock, including earnings growth rate, analysts' estimates of future earnings and industry-relative price multiples. Other factors are net income growth versus cash flow growth as well as earnings and price momentum. In the selection of investments, long-term capital appreciation will take precedence over short range market fluctuations. However, the Portfolio may occasionally make investments for short-term capital appreciation. The subadviser generally takes a "bottom up" approach to building the Portfolio, searching for individual companies that demonstrate the best potential for significant return.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies. The Portfolio pursues its objective by investing primarily in equity securities selected for their growth potential. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks. For purposes of the Portfolio, medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations (measured at the time of investment) fall within the range of companies in the Russell Midcap® Growth Index. As of January 31, 2008, the average weighted market capitalization of the companies in the Russell Midcap® Growth Index was $8.9 billion and the median market capitalization was $7.7 billion. The subadviser generally takes a "bottom up" approach to choosing investments for the Portfolio. In other words, the subadviser seeks to identify individual companies with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. For purposes of the Portfolio, a mid-capitalization company is defined as a company whose market capitalization is within the range of market capitalizations of companies in the Russell Midcap® Index. As of January 31, 2008, the average market capitalization of the companies in the Russell Midcap® Index was $8.6 billion and the median market capitalization was $4 billion. The Portfolio seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies, industries and sectors.

The subadviser employs a disciplined investment strategy when selecting growth stocks. Using fundamental research and quantitative analysis, the subadviser looks for fast-growing companies with above average sales and competitive returns on equity relative to their peers. In doing so, the subadviser analyzes such factors as: financial condition (such as debt to equity ratio); market share and competitive leadership of the company's products; earnings growth relative to competitors; and market valuation in comparison to a stock's own historical norms and the stocks of other mid-cap companies.

The subadviser follows a disciplined selling strategy and may sell a stock when it fails to perform as expected or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies. Companies with equity market capitalizations that fall within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index at the time of investment are considered mid-cap companies for purposes of the Portfolio. The market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index changes constantly, but as of January 31, 2008, the range was from $490 million to $41 billion. Some of the Portfolio's assets may be invested in the securities of large-cap companies as well as in small-cap companies. The Portfolio seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies and industries.

Under the Portfolio's value-oriented investment approach, the subadviser looks for well-managed companies whose stock prices are undervalued and that may rise in price when other investors realize their worth. Factors that the subadviser may use to identify these companies include strong fundamentals, such as a low price-to-earnings ratio, consistent cash flow, and a sound track record through all phases of the market cycle. The subadviser may also look for other characteristics in a company, such as a strong position relative to competitors, a high level of stock ownership among management, or a recent sharp decline in stock price that appears to be the result of a short-term market overreaction to negative news.

The subadviser generally considers selling a stock when it reaches a target price, when it fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.

On or about July 21, 2008, it is expected that LSV Asset Management (LSV) will join Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. as a subadviser to the Portfolio. At that time, the name of the Portfolio will change to the AST Neuberger Berman / LSV Mid-Cap Value Portfolio.

It is currently expected that LSV will be responsible for managing approximately 50% of the Portfolio's assets and Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. will be responsible for managing the remainder of the Portfolio's assets. The division of the Portfolio's assets and daily cash inflows and outflows between the subadvisers will be determined by the Investment Managers in their sole discretion. The Investment Managers may change the allocation of assets between the subadvisers, transfer assets between the subadvisers, or change the allocation of cash inflows or outflows between the subadvisers for any reason and at any time without prior notice.

LSV employs an active investment strategy that utilizes a quantitative investment model to evaluate and recommend investment decisions for its segment of the Portfolio in a bottom-up, contrarian value approach.


Principal Risks:


AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth by investing primarily in mid-capitalization stocks that appear to be undervalued.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of mid-cap companies. For purposes of the Portfolio, mid-capitalization companies are generally those that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, within the range of companies included in the Russell Midcap® Value Index during the previous 12-months based on month-end data. The market capitalization range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index changes constantly, but as of January 31, 2008, the range

 

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was from $490 million to $41 billion.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, 80% of its net assets in the equity securities of mid-cap companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

WEDGE Capital Management, LLP ("WEDGE") was responsible for managing approximately 49% of the Portfolio's assets as of January 31, 2008. This subadviser normally employs a traditional value style, bottom-up investment discipline that is intended to help identify stocks that are undervalued relative to their long term normalized earnings capability. WEDGE first employs two proprietary, fundamentally based screening models, using publicly available data on all eligible companies. The Fundamental Value Model identifies those stocks with the greatest potential for profit, based on projected earnings growth, earnings quality, dividend yield, and forward price/earnings ratios. In an effort to avoid financially unsound companies, WEDGE then employs the Financial Quality Model, which focuses on earnings growth, liquidity, profitability, and leverage factors. Stocks are ranked by both models for relative attractiveness, with approximately 37% of the initial universe becoming eligible for subsequent research.

Finally, WEDGE focuses on those companies that meet its value and financial quality parameters. WEDGE's research analysts employ comprehensive, qualitative, and quantitative analysis to identify stocks with unrecognized value. Areas of emphasis include independent earnings forecasts and financial statement analysis, an evaluation of free cash flow generation and return on invested capital, absolute and relative valuations, industry analysis and competitive positioning along with an in-depth assessment of company management. All potential additions to the Portfolio are reviewed and approved by the firm's Investment Policy Committee. The decision to sell a stock is as highly disciplined as the decision to buy. Stocks are sold when fair valuation is reached, the original investment thesis has materially deteriorated, an upgrade opportunity develops or, with limited flexibility when warranted, the stock's Fundamental Value Model ranking falls to a predetermined level.

EARNEST Partners, LLC ("EARNEST") was responsible for managing approximately 51% of the Portfolio's assets as of January 31, 2008. This subadviser normally employs a fundamental, bottom-up investment process. The first step in EARNEST's investment process is to screen the relevant universe to identify stocks that it believes are likely to outperform based on their financial characteristics and the current environment. Using an approach called Return Pattern Recognition, the subadviser seeks to identify the financial and market characteristics that have been in place when an individual company has produced outstanding performance. These characteristics include valuation measures, market trends, operating trends, growth measures, profitability measures, and macroeconomics. The subadviser screens thousands of companies and selects for an in-depth fundamental review those exhibiting the set of characteristics that it believes indicate outperformance. The screening process allows the subadviser to review thousands of companies and focus on those it considers the best prospects.

Next, the approximately 150 companies identified in the screening process with superior financial and market characteristics are put through a second more rigorous review. In this step, EARNEST develops and tests an investment thesis for each company. The test generally includes conversations with the company's management team and industry specialists, review of the company's financial reports, analysis of industry and company-specific studies, and independent field research. The subadviser eliminates from consideration any company that does not pass its fundamental analysis.

The final step in EARNEST's investment process is to construct a portfolio that includes those stocks it expects to have the best performance and that effectively manages the expected risk of meaningfully underperforming the assigned benchmark. The subadviser uses a statistical approach called downside deviation to measure and then constrain the likelihood of significantly underperforming the benchmark. Using this information, the subadviser selects investments that blend together to manage downside risk. The result is a client portfolio of approximately 60 stocks. This subadviser expects to focus on purchasing companies that have a market capitalization at the time of purchase between $1 and $20 billion, and expects to typically sell holdings whose market capitalizations have grown to more than twice the upper limit for purchase (i.e., whose market capitalization have grown to $40 billion).

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital by investing predominantly in the equity securities of a limited number of large, carefully selected, high-quality U.S. companies that are judged likely to achieve superior earnings growth.

The Portfolio takes a growth approach to investment selection and normally invests at least 80% of its net assets in the common stocks of large companies. A large company is defined as one whose market cap is larger than the median market cap of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index, a widely used benchmark of the largest domestic growth stocks (the median market cap as of January 31, 2008, was $5.3 billion, and is subject to change). The market capitalization of the companies in the Portfolio and the Russell 1000® Growth Index changes over time; the Portfolio will not automatically sell or cease to purchase stock of a company it already owns just because the company's market capitalization falls below this level. The subadviser generally looks for companies with an above-average rate of earnings and cash flow growth and a lucrative niche in the economy that gives them the ability to sustain earnings momentum even during times of slow economic growth.

While most assets will be invested in U.S. common stocks, other securities may also be purchased, including foreign stocks, futures, and options, in keeping with the Portfolio's objectives.

The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses, or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio's management has the discretion to purchase some securities that do not meet its normal investment criteria, as described above, when it perceives an unusual opportunity for gain. These special situations might arise when the Portfolio's management believes a security could increase in value for a variety of reasons, including a change in management, an extraordinary corporate event, or a temporary imbalance in the supply of or demand for the securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST MFS Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital and future, rather than current, income.

The Portfolio invests, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks and related securities, such as preferred stocks, convertible securities and depositary receipts, of companies that the subadviser believes offer better than average prospects for long-term growth. The subadviser focuses on investing the portfolio's assets in the stock of companies it believes to have

 

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above average earnings growth potential compared to other companies (growth companies). Growth companies tend to have stock prices that are high relative to their earnings, dividends, book value, or other financial measures.

While the Portfolio may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Portfolio generally focuses on companies with large capitalizations.

The subadviser uses a bottom-up investment approach in buying and selling investments for the Portfolio. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of issuers and their potential in light of their current financial condition and industry position, and market, economic, political, and regulatory conditions. Factors considered may include analysis of earnings, cash flows, competitive position, and management ability. Quantitative analysis of these and other factors may also be considered.

The Portfolio may invest up to 35% of its net assets in foreign securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Massachusetts Financial Services Company.

Principal Risks:


AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth. Income is not an investment objective and any income realized on the Portfolio's investments, therefore, will be incidental to the Portfolio's objective.

The AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio invests primarily in the common stocks of large capitalization companies that are selected for their growth potential. The Portfolio generally defines large capitalization companies as stocks of companies with market capitalizations within the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index. As of February 29, 2008, the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index was $305 million to $490.151 billion. The Portfolio will normally hold a core position of between 35 and 50 common stocks. The Portfolio may hold a limited number of additional common stocks at times when the portfolio manager is accumulating new positions, phasing out and replacing existing positions, or responding to exceptional market conditions. This Portfolio is advised by Marsico Capital Management, LLC (Marsico).

In selecting investments for the Portfolio, Marsico uses an approach that combines "top-down" macro-economic analysis with "bottom-up" stock selection. The "top-down" approach may take into consideration macro-economic factors such as, without limitation, interest rates, inflation, demographics, the regulatory environment, and the global competitive landscape. In addition, Marsico may also examine other factors that may include, without limitation, the most attractive global investment opportunities, industry consolidation, and the sustainability of financial trends observed. As a result of the "top-down" analysis, Marsico seeks to identify sectors, industries and companies that may benefit from the overall trends Marsico has observed.

Marsico then looks for individual companies or securities with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. In determining whether a particular company or security may be a suitable investment, Marsico may focus on any of a number of different attributes that may include, without limitation, the company's specific market expertise or dominance; its franchise durability and pricing power; solid fundamentals (e.g., a strong balance sheet, improving returns on equity, the ability to generate free cash flow, apparent use of conservative accounting standards, and transparent financial disclosure); strong and ethical management; commitment to shareholder interests; reasonable valuations in the context of projected growth rates; and other indications that a company or security may be an attractive investment prospect. This process is called "bottom-up" stock selection.

As part of this fundamental, "bottom-up" research, Marsico may visit with various levels of a company's management, as well as with its customers and (as relevant) suppliers, distributors, and competitors. Marsico also may prepare detailed earnings and cash flow models of companies. These models may assist Marsico in projecting potential earnings growth, current income and other important company financial characteristics under different scenarios. Each model is typically customized to follow a particular company and is

 

21

generally intended to replicate and describe a company's past, present and potential future performance. The models may include quantitative information and detailed narratives that reflect updated interpretations of corporate data and company and industry developments.

Marsico may reduce or sell a Fund's investments in portfolio companies if, in the opinion of Marsico, a company's fundamentals change substantially, its stock price appreciates excessively in relation to fundamental earnings growth prospects, the company appears not to realize its growth potential or current income potential, more attractive investment opportunities appear elsewhere, or for other reasons.

The core investments of the Portfolio generally may include established companies and securities that offer long-term growth potential. However, the Portfolio also may typically include securities of less mature companies, companies or securities with more aggressive growth characteristics, and companies undergoing significant changes such as the introduction of a new product line, the appointment of a new management team, or an acquisition.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we cannot guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This portfolio is advised by Marsico Capital Management, LLC.

Principal Risks:


AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: growth of capital.

The Portfolio will pursue its objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks. Investments will be in companies that the subadviser believes have potential to achieve capital appreciation over the long-term. The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, in approximately 30-45 companies that are considered by the subadviser to be positioned for long-term growth.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Principal Risks:


AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of capital by investing primarily in the value stocks of larger companies.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in large capitalization companies. The

 

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Portfolio pursues its investment objective by primarily investing in the equity securities of large sized companies included in the Russell 1000® Value Index. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. The subadviser employs an investment strategy that seeks to maintain a portfolio of equity securities which approximates the market risk of those stocks included in the Russell 1000® Value Index, but which outperforms the Russell 1000® Value Index through active stock selection. As of January 31, 2008, the average market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index was approximately $111 billion and the median market capitalization was approximately $5 billion. The size of the companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index will change with market conditions. The targeted tracking error of this Portfolio is 4% with a normal deviation of +/- 1%. It is possible that the deviation may be higher. For purposes of this Portfolio, the strategy of attempting to correlate a stock portfolio's market risk with that of a particular index, in this case the Russell 1000® Value Index, while improving upon the return of the same index through active stock selection, is called a "managed alpha" strategy.

The subadviser generally takes a "bottom up" approach to building the Portfolio, searching for individual companies that demonstrate the best potential for significant return. The subadviser considers a number of factors in determining whether to invest in a value stock, including earnings growth rate, analysts' estimates of future earnings and industry-relative price multiples. Other factors are net income growth versus cash flow growth as well as earnings and price momentum. In the selection of investments, long-term capital appreciation will take precedence over short range market fluctuations. However, the Portfolio may occasionally make investments for short-term capital appreciation.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek current income and long-term growth of income, as well as capital appreciation.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in large capitalization companies. The Portfolio generally defines large capitalization companies as stocks of companies with market capitalizations within the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Value Index. The 80% requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. As of January 31, 2008, the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Value Index was $490 million to $486.7 billion. Some of these securities may be acquired in initial public offerings (IPOs). In addition to these principal investments, the Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by three subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in large capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of current income and long-term growth of income, as well as capital appreciation. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below:

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC ("Hotchkis and Wiley") , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 21% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser normally focuses on stocks that have a high cash dividend or payout yield relative to the market. Payout yield is defined as dividend yield plus net share repurchases. The subadviser also may invest in stocks that don't pay dividends, but have growth potential unrecognized by the market or changes in business or management that indicate growth potential.

 

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J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. ("J.P. Morgan") , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 46% of the Portfolio's assets. J.P. Morgan seeks to identify relative value within sectors. The analysis is purely fundamental, aided by a valuation tool that helps rank stocks within 18 different sectors by their dividend discount rates (DDRs). J.P. Morgan uses the following parameters when seeking to purchase stocks. Stocks below $1 billion in market cap are not purchased in the Portfolio. If a stock falls below $1 billion after purchase, it will be considered a candidate for sale, but will not be automatically sold. This subadviser will seek to buy a stock when it believes that it has an information advantage around the longer-term earnings prospects or fundamentals of a company relative to the rest of the market, or when it believes there has been a stock price overreaction as a result of incremental news creating a near-term opportunity. J.P. Morgan will seek to sell a stock when its investment thesis has proven correct and the stock price has reacted as expected, it no longer believes its investment thesis will come to fruition, or a better risk-adjusted investment opportunity has been identified within the sector.

Dreman Value Management LLC ("Dreman"), as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 33% of the Portfolio's assets. Dreman's investment objective is to provide a total return greater than that of the benchmark over time, to protect client capital during market downturns and to stay consistent in our low price-to-earnings ratio, contrarian value approach to investment management, while taking into consideration dividend yield. Dreman will seek to attain superior returns by using a contrarian value investment approach.

Dreman believes that it can attain superior performance by adhering to an investment strategy that is disciplined and has a demonstrated record of success. Dreman's investment strategy emphasizes stocks that offer unique investment values. The criterion used to identify such stocks include below average price-to-earnings, price-to-book, price-to-cash flow ratios and above average dividend yields. Over the last 25 years, extensive studies, which date as far back as the 1930s, conducted by David Dreman and affiliates of Dreman, have led the Dreman to conclude that consistently applying disciplined value strategies yields superior long-term total returns.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money.

Principal Risks:


AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term capital growth.

The Portfolio will pursue its objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in common stocks. The subadviser expects that the majority of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in the common stocks of large companies that appear to be undervalued. Among other things, the Portfolio seeks to identify compelling buying opportunities created when companies are undervalued on the basis of investor reactions to near-term problems or circumstances even though their long-term prospects remain sound. The subadviser's investment approach is value-based and price-driven, and it relies on the intensive fundamental and quantitative research of its internal research staff to identify these buying opportunities in the marketplace.

Portfolio investments are selected by the subadviser based upon a model portfolio of 125-175 stocks constructed by the subadviser. In selecting investments for the model portfolio, the subadviser takes a "bottom-up" approach. In other words, the subadvisor seeks to identify individual companies with cash flow potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. The subadviser relates present value of each company's forecasted future cash flow to the current price of its stock. The subadviser ranks companies from the highest expected return to the lowest, with the companies at the top of the ranking being the most undervalued.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by AllianceBernstein L.P.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
(formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio)

Investment Objective: Long-term capital appreciation.

The Portfolio uses a long/short investment strategy in seeking to achieve its investment objective. This means the Portfolio shorts a portion of the Portfolio and use the proceeds of the shorts, or other borrowings, to purchase additional stocks long. The Portfolio normally invests (takes long positions) at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings, if any, for investment purposes in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers. For purposes of this non-fundamental investment policy, U.S. issuers are issuers whose primary listing is on a securities exchange or market inside the United States.

The Portfolio will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of a change in its non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers.

By employing this long/short strategy, the Portfolio will seek to produce returns that exceed those of its benchmark index, the Russell 1000® Index (i.e., the Portfolio seeks additional alpha, often quantified by a fund's excess return above a benchmark index). The Russell 1000® Index is composed of stocks representing more than 90% of the market cap of the U.S. market and includes the largest 1000 securities in the Russell 3000® Index.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Quantitative Management Associates LLC.

Principal Risks:

 

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Growth and Income Portfolios: Inv Objectives and Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST American Century Income & Growth Capital growth and, secondarily, current income The Portfolio invests primarily in stocks of large U.S. companies selected through quantitative investment techniques
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Long-term capital growth and income The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks that are believed to be selling at reasonable valuations in relation to their fundamental business prospects

AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth and, secondarily, current income.

The Portfolio's investment strategy utilizes quantitative management techniques in a two-step process. In the first step, the subadviser ranks stocks, primarily the 1,500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States (measured by the value of the stock), from most attractive to least attractive. This is determined by using a quantitative model that combines measures of at stock's value as well as measures of its growth potential. To measure value, the subadviser uses ratios of stock price to book value and stock price to cash flow, among others. To measure growth, the subadviser uses the rate of growth in a company's earnings and changes in its earnings estimates, as well as other factors.

In the second step, the subadviser uses a technique called portfolio optimization. In portfolio optimization, the subadviser uses a computer to build a portfolio of stocks from the ranking described above that it believes will provide the optimal balance between risk and expected return. The goal is to create a portfolio that provides better returns than its benchmark without taking on significant additional risk. In building the Portfolio, the subadviser also attempts to create a dividend yield that will be greater than that of the S&P 500® Index.

The subadviser generally sells stocks from the Portfolio when it believes:

· a stock becomes less attractive relative to other stock opportunities,
· a stock's risk parameters outweigh its return opportunity,
· more attractive alternatives are identified, and/or
· specific events alter a stock's prospects.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by American Century Investment Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term growth of capital and income.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, in common stocks (and securities convertible into common stocks).

The subadviser will take a value-oriented approach, in that it will try to keep the Portfolio's assets invested in securities that are selling at reasonable valuations in relation to their fundamental business prospects. In doing so, the Portfolio may forgo some opportunities for gains when, in the judgment of the subadviser, they are too risky.

In seeking to achieve its objective, the Portfolio invests primarily in the equity securities of U.S. companies that the subadviser

 

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believes are undervalued. The subadviser believes that, over time, stock prices (of companies in which the Portfolio invests) will come to reflect the companies' intrinsic economic values. The subadviser uses a disciplined investment process to evaluate the companies in its extensive research universe. Through this process, the subadviser seeks to identify the stocks of companies that offer the best combination of value and potential for price appreciation.

The subadviser's analysts prepare their own earnings estimates and financial models for each company followed. The subadviser employs these models to identify equity securities whose current market prices do not reflect what it considers to be their intrinsic economic value. In determining a company's intrinsic economic value, the subadviser takes into account any factors it believes bear on the ability of the company to perform in the future, including earnings growth, prospective cash flows, dividend growth and growth in book value. The subadviser then ranks, at least weekly, each of the companies in its research universe in the relative order of disparity between their stock prices and their intrinsic economic values, with companies with the greatest disparities receiving the highest ranking (i.e., being considered the most undervalued).

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by AllianceBernstein, L.P.

Principal Risks:

 

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Special Equity Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Maximize total return The Portfolio invests primarily in equity securities of real estate companies
AST Global Real Estate Capital appreciation and income The Portfolio invests primarily in equity-related securities of real estate companies
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Capital growth The Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks of companies that own or develop natural resources and other basic commodities


AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

Investment Objective: to maximize total return through investment in real estate securities.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in securities of real estate related issuers. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio will invest substantially all of its assets in the equity securities of real estate companies. Such equity securities will consist of common stocks, rights or warrants to purchase common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks where the conversion feature represents, in the subadviser's view, a significant element of the securities' value, and preferred stocks.

For purposes of the Portfolio's investment policies, a "real estate company" is one that derives at least 50% of its revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of real estate or that has at least 50% of its assets in real estate. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of foreign real estate companies. Real estate companies may include real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). REITs pool investors' funds for investment primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

Investment Objective: Capital appreciation and income

The investment objective of the Portfolio is to seek capital appreciation and income. The Portfolio's investment objective is not a fundamental investment policy and, therefore, may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) without shareholder approval.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio will normally invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity-related securities of real estate companies. This means that the Portfolio will concentrate its investments in companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate or companies that have at least 50% of their assets in these types of real estate-related areas.

 

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The 80% policy is a non-fundamental policy of the Portfolio. The Portfolio will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of a change in this non-fundamental policy.

The Portfolio will invest in equity-related securities of real estate companies on a global basis, which means that the companies may be U.S. companies or foreign companies. There is no limit on the amount of Portfolio assets that may be invested in the securities of foreign companies.

The Portfolio anticipates that its investments in equity-related securities of real estate companies will be primarily in publicly-traded real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs are like corporations, except that they do not pay income taxes if they meet certain Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements. However, while REITs themselves do not pay income taxes, the distributions they make to investors are taxable. REITs invest primarily in real estate (offices, hotels, shopping centers, apartments, malls, factories, etc.) or real estate mortgages and distribute almost all of their income - most of which comes from rents, mortgages and gains on sales of property - to shareholders. The Portfolio may invest without limit in the securities of REITs.

The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in private real-estate. The Portfolio will execute its strategy of acquiring ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in, for example, single member limited liability companies where the Portfolio is the sole member, joint ventures, other equity-linked investments, and mezzanine debt. Investments may include niche property types, such as self storage, medical office, life sciences buildings and small hotels, or may include properties that require development, re-development or other management expertise to create or enhance value. Private real estate-related investments are treated as illiquid investments because they may require a substantial length of time to be sold. As illiquid investments, they may be sold at a substantial discount from comparable investments that are liquid.

Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in securities of issuers not in the real estate industry. These include equity-related securities (i.e., securities that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or the cash value of common stock, known as convertible securities, discussed below), fixed income securities, U.S. Government securities and money market instruments.

Principal Risks:


AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth primarily through the investment in common stocks of companies that own or develop natural resources (such as energy products, precious metals, and forest products) and other basic commodities.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in natural resource companies. The Portfolio also may invest in non-resource companies with the potential for growth. When selecting stocks, the subadviser looks for companies that have the ability to expand production, maintain superior exploration programs and production facilities, and the potential to accumulate new resources. Natural resource companies in which the Portfolio invests generally own, develop, refine, service or transport resources, including energy sources, precious metals, nonferrous metals, forest products, real estate, diversified resources and other basic commodities that can be produced and marketed profitably when both labor costs and prices are rising.

 

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Although at least 50% of Portfolio assets will be invested in U.S. securities, up to 50% of total assets also may be invested in foreign securities. The Portfolio may also purchase futures and options in keeping with its objective. The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or re-deploy assets into more promising opportunities.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio's management has the discretion to purchase some securities that do not meet its normal investment criteria, as described above, when it perceives an unusual opportunity for gain. These special situations might arise when the Portfolio's management believes a security could increase in value for a variety of reasons, including a change in management, an extraordinary corporate event, or a temporary imbalance in the supply of or demand for the securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Principal Risks:

 

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Asset Allocation Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Long-term capital growth with some regular income The Portfolio invests in any type of U.S. or foreign equity or fixed-income security that meets certain fundamental and technical standards
AST Advanced Strategies A high level of absolute return The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portoflio of equity and fixed-income securities
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation A high level of total return The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Maximize total return, consisting of capital appreciation and current income The Portfolio is a multi-asset class fund
AST First Trust Balanced Target Long-term capital growth balanced by current income The Portfolio allocates assets across six investment strategies
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Long-term capital growth The Portfolio allocates assets across six investment strategies
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with a specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of Underlying Portfolios
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with a specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of Underlying Portfolios
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with a specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of Underlying Portfolios
AST Conservative Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with a specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of Underlying Portfolios
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with a specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily in a diversified portfolio of Underlying Portfolios
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance The Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy


AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital growth with some regular income.

The Portfolio's investments will be allocated, under normal circumstances, among the major asset classes as follows: equity securities: 63%, fixed-income or debt securities (bonds): 31%, cash equivalents (money markets): 6%. However, the asset mix of the Portfolio will vary over short-term periods due to differences in asset class performance or prevailing market conditions within the following operating range: equity securities: 53-73%, fixed-income or debt securities (bonds): 21-41%, cash equivalents (money markets): 0-15%.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, in any type of U.S. or foreign equity security that meets certain fundamental and technical standards. The portfolio managers will draw on growth, value, and quantitative investment techniques in managing the equity portion of the Portfolio and diversify the Portfolio's equity investments among small, medium and large companies. The growth strategy uses a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to identify stocks of companies demonstrating business

 

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improvement. Analytical indicators helping to identify signs of business improvement could include accelerating earnings or revenue growth rates, increasing cash flows, or other indicators of the relative strength of a company's business. The primary quantitative management technique the portfolio managers use is portfolio optimization.

The Portfolio also will invest, under normal circumstances, in a variety of debt securities payable in both U.S. and foreign currencies. The Portfolio will primarily invest in investment-grade government, corporate, asset-backed, and similar securities, that is, securities rated in the four highest categories by independent rating organizations; provided, however, that the Portfolio also may invest up to 5% of its assets in nonconvertible debt obligations that are rated below investment-grade (also referred to as "high-yield securities" or "junk bonds"). The Portfolio also may invest in unrated securities based on the portfolio managers' assessment of their credit quality. Under normal market conditions, the weighted average maturity for the fixed-income portion of the Portfolio will be in the three- to 10-year range.

The cash-equivalent portion of the Portfolio, under normal circumstances, may be invested in high-quality money market investments (denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies).

Securities may be sold when the portfolio managers believe they no longer represent attractive investment opportunities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by American Century Investment Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek a high level of absolute return by using traditional and non-traditional investment strategies and by investing equity and fixed-income securities, derivative instruments and exchange-traded funds.

The AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities. In particular, the Investment Managers will allocate the net assets of the Portfolio across different investment categories and different subadvisers. PI will also directly manage a portion of the assets of the Portfolio. Certain investment categories will contain sub-categories. The investment adviser for a category or sub-category will employ a specific investment strategy for that category or sub-category.

The Investment Managers employs a two-tiered approach to allocating Portfolio assets across the various investment categories, sub-categories, and investment advisers. First, the Investment Managers analyzes the macro-economic landscape, the capital markets, and the related implications for investment strategy. Second, the Investment Managers draws on their in-depth understanding of the strategies used by the investment advisers to determine which advisers are expected to perform best under the prevailing macro-economic landscape.

Overall, the Advanced Strategies Portfolio pursues a combination of traditional and non-traditional investment strategies. The asset allocation generally provides for an allotment of 50% of Portfolio assets to a combination of domestic and international equity strategies and an allotment of 50% of Portfolio assets to a combination of U.S. fixed-income, hedged international bond, real return and exchange-traded fund investment strategies. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Mangers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers in their discretion at any time without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to the prospectus. The Portfolio may use derivative instruments to gain exposure to certain commodity and real

 

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estate related indices. The Portfolio may engage in short sales and may invest in fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade by the major ratings services (Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, or Fitch, or, if unrated, considered to be of comparable quality, in connection with these investment strategies. Fixed-income debt obligations rated below investment grade by the major ratings services or, if unrated, considered to be of comparable quality, are commonly referred to as "junk bonds" and are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay principal and interest.

Fixed-income securities in which the Portfolio may invest include:

(1) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises;
(2) corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;
(3) mortgage and other asset-backed securities;
(4) inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations;
(5) structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities, event-linked bonds;
(6) loan participations and assignments;
(7) delayed funding loans and revolving credit securities;
(8) bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances;
(9) repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements;
(10) debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(11) obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(12) derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements;and
(13) obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Marsico Capital Management, LLC, T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., William Blair & Company LLC, LSV Asset Management, and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. Prudential Investments LLC directly manages a portion of the Portfolio's assets.

Principal Risks:


AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek a high level of total return by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income securities.

 

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The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, approximately 60% of its total assets in equity securities and 40% in fixed income securities. This mix may vary over shorter time periods; the equity portion may range between 50-70% and the fixed income portion between 30-50%. The subadviser concentrates common stock investments in larger, more established companies, but the Portfolio may include small and medium-sized companies with good growth prospects. The Portfolio's exposure to smaller companies is not expected to be substantial, and will not constitute more than 30% of the equity portion of the Portfolio. Up to 35% of the equity portion may be invested in foreign (non-U.S. dollar denominated) equity securities. When selecting particular stocks to purchase, the subadviser will examine relative values and prospects among growth and value-oriented stocks, domestic and international stocks, and small-to large-cap stocks. Domestic stocks are drawn from the overall U.S. market while international equities are selected primarily from large companies in developed countries.

The fixed income portion of the Portfolio will be allocated among investment grade securities (50-100% of the fixed income portion); high yield or "junk" bonds (up to 30%); foreign (non-U.S. dollar denominated) high quality debt securities and emerging market securities (up to 30%); and cash reserves (up to 20%). Bond investments are primarily investment grade (top four credit ratings) and are chosen from across the entire government and corporate bond markets. A significant portion of the Portfolio's fixed income investments may be in mortgage-related (including mortgage dollar rolls and derivatives such as collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities) and asset-backed securities. Bank debt and loan participations and assignments may also be purchased. Maturities and duration of the fixed income portion of the portfolio will reflect the subadviser's outlook for interest rates.

The precise mix of equity and fixed income investments will depend on the subadviser's outlook for the markets. The Portfolio's investments in foreign equity and debt securities are intended to provide additional diversification, and the subadviser will normally have at least three different countries represented in both the foreign equity and foreign debt portions of the Portfolio.

The Portfolio may also invest in futures, swaps and other derivatives in keeping with its objective. Securities may be sold for a variety of reasons, such as to effect a change in asset allocation, to secure gains or limit losses, or to re-deploy assets to more promising opportunities.

In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio's management has the discretion to purchase some securities that do not meet its normal investment criteria, as described above, when it perceives an unusual opportunity for gain. These special situations might arise when the Portfolio's management believes a security could increase in value for a variety of reasons, including a change in management, an extraordinary corporate event, or a temporary imbalance in the supply of or demand for the securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return.

The Dynamic Alpha Portfolio attempts to generate positive returns and manage risk through sophisticated asset allocation, currency management techniques, and security selection. These decisions are integrated with analysis of global market and economic conditions.

 

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The Dynamic Alpha Portfolio is a multi asset-class fund. The asset classes in which the Dynamic Alpha Portfolio may invest include, but are not limited to, the following: U.S. equity, non-U.S. equity, emerging market equity, U.S. fixed-income, non-U.S. fixed-income, emerging market debt, U.S. high-yield or "junk bond" fixed-income, and cash equivalents, including global currencies. The Portfolio may invest in issuers located within and outside the United States or in investment companies advised by UBS or its affiliates to gain exposure to these asset classes. The Portfolio will not pay investment management fees or other fund expenses in connection with its investment in the investment companies advised by UBS or an affiliate, but may pay expenses associated with such investments.

Asset allocation decisions are tactical, based upon an assessment by UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. (UBS) of valuations and prevailing market conditions in the U.S. and abroad. Investments also may be made in selected sectors of these asset classes.

The Portfolio may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of the Portfolio's investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies, or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. Examples of derivatives include options, futures, forward agreements, swap agreements (including, but not limited to, interest rate and credit default swaps), and credit-linked securities. The Portfolio may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust the risk profile of the Portfolio, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain markets. In addition, the Portfolio's risk will be carefully monitored with consideration given to the risk generated by individual positions, sector, country, and currency views. To that end, UBS will employ proprietary risk management systems and models that seek to ensure the Portfolio is compensated for the level of risk it assumes at both the security and market levels.

Investments in equity securities may include common stock and preferred stock of issuers in developed nations (including the U.S.) and emerging markets. Equity investments may include large, intermediate, and small capitalization companies. Within the equity portion of the Portfolio, UBS will primarily use value-oriented strategies but also may use growth-oriented strategies from time to time. When using value-oriented equity strategies, UBS seeks to select securities whose fundamental values it believes are greater than their market prices. To invest in growth equities, UBS will seek to invest in companies that possess a dominant market position and franchise, a major technological edge or a unique competitive advantage, in part by using a proprietary quantitative screening system that ranks stocks using a series of growth, valuation and momentum metrics.

Investments in fixed-income securities may include debt securities of governments throughout the world (including the U.S.), their agencies and instrumentalities, debt securities of corporations and supranationals, inflation protected securities, convertible bonds, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, equipment trusts and other collateralized debt securities. Investments in fixed-income securities may include issuers in both developed (including the U.S.) and emerging markets. The Portfolio's fixed income investments may reflect a broad range of investment maturities, qualities and sectors, including convertible debt securities and debt securities rated below investment grade. These lower-rated fixed-income securities are often referred to as "high-yield securities" or "junk bonds."

The Portfolio also may invest in cash or cash equivalent instruments. When political, economic, or market conditions warrant, the Portfolio may invest without limitation in cash equivalents, which may affect its ability to pursue its investment objective.

UBS expects to actively manage the Portfolio. As such, the Portfolio may have high portfolio turnover, which may result in higher costs for brokerage commissions, transaction costs, and taxable gains. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Portfolio's performance.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio
Investment Objective: long-term capital growth balanced by current income.

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term capital growth.

In seeking to achieve their respective investment objectives, each Portfolio allocates its assets across six uniquely specialized investment strategies (five common strategies, plus a different sixth investment strategy for each Portfolio). The allocation across the investment strategies for each Portfolio is set forth in this Prospectus under "More Detailed Information About How the Portfolios Invest." In addition, the overall mix between equity and fixed-income securities will vary for both Portfolios. The AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio will normally invest approximately 65% of its total assets in equity securities and approximately 35% in fixed-income securities as of the security selection date. Depending on market conditions, the equity portion may range between 60-70% and the fixed-income portion between 30-40%. The AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio will normally invest approximately 80% of its total assets in equity securities and approximately 20% in fixed-income securities as of the security selection date. Depending on market conditions, the equity portion may range between 75-85% and the fixed-income portion between 15-25%.

First Trust (as defined below) will select securities for each Portfolio that are identified by a model based on six uniquely specialized investment strategies, as follows:

· Dow Jones Income
· NYSE ® International Target 25
· Global Dividend Target 15
· Value Line ® Target 25
· Target Small-Cap
· The Dow ® Target Dividend (AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio only)
· NASDAQ ® Target 15 (AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio only)

Initially, each Portfolio will invest in securities determined by the model based on its six respective investment strategies. On or about the annual selection date (March 1), each Portfolio will establish both the percentage allocations among the six investment strategies and the percentage allocation of each security's position within each of the five investment strategies that invest primarily in equity securities (each, an "Equity Strategy" and collectively the "Equity Strategies"). First Trust reserves the right to over-weight, under-weight, or exclude certain companies from the holdings of either Portfolio. A more complete description of the investment strategy of each Portfolio is included in this Prospectus under "More Detailed Information About How the Portfolios Invest."

In addition to the principal risks listed below, each Portfolio is also subject to investment model risk due to its policy of investing in securities identified by a model based on six investment strategies. As a result of this policy, securities held by each Portfolio will generally not be bought or sold in response to market fluctuations.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. These Portfolios are advised by First Trust Advisors L.P. ("First Trust")

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios:

AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: The investment objective of each Portfolio is to obtain the highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance.

These Portfolios are "funds of funds." That means that each invests primarily in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy. Other mutual funds in which in which they may invest are collectively referred to as the "Underlying Portfolios." Consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the portfolios, other mutual funds may from time to time may be added to, or removed from, the list of Underlying Portfolios that may be used in connection with the portfolios. Currently, the only Underlying Portfolios in which they invest are other Portfolios of the Trust and certain money market funds advised by an Investment Manager or one of its affiliates.

The asset allocation strategy for each Portfolio is determined by Prudential Investments LLC (PI). As a general matter, PI begins by constructing a neutral allocation for each Portfolio. Each neutral allocation initially divides the assets for the corresponding Portfolio across three broad-based securities benchmark indexes. These three benchmark indexes are the Russell 3000 Index, which generally serves as a proxy for domestic equities markets, the MSCI EAFE Index, which generally serves as a proxy for international equities markets, and the Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index, which generally serves a proxy for the investment-grade domestic bond market. Generally, the neutral allocation for the more aggressive Portfolios will emphasize investments in the equity asset class while the neutral allocation for the more conservative portfolios will emphasize investments in the debt/money market asset class.

The selection of specific combinations of Underlying Portfolios for each portfolio generally will be determined by PI in consultation with Morningstar Associates, LLC (Morningstar). Morningstar will employ various quantitative and qualitative research methods to propose weighted combinations of Underlying Portfolios that are consistent with the neutral allocation for each portfolio. PI will consider these proposals along with its own quantitative and qualitative research methods in setting preliminary weighted combinations of Underlying Portfolios for each Portfolio. Morningstar's consulting role with respect to the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios is expected to terminate during the third or fourth quarter of 2008.

PI will then perform its own forward-looking assessment of macroeconomic, market, financial, security valuation, and other factors. As a result of this assessment, PI will further adjust the neutral allocation and the preliminary Underlying Portfolio weights for each Portfolio based upon its views on certain factors, including, but not limited to, the following:


PI currently expects that any changes to the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights will be effected within certain pre-determined ranges. See the table in the section entitled "More Detailed Information About How the Portfolios Invest" for a description of these ranges. Consistent with each Portfolio's principal investment policies, PI may, however, change the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights both within and beyond such predetermined ranges at any time in its sole discretion. In

 

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addition, PI may, at any time in its sole discretion, rebalance a Portfolio's investments to cause its composition to match the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights.

Although PI and AST Investment Services, Inc. serve as the Investment Managers of the Underlying Portfolios, the day-to-day investment management of the Underlying Portfolios is the responsibility of the subadvisers. Morningstar is not involved in, or responsible for, the management of the Underlying Portfolios. The extent to which Morningstar's recommendations are adopted and implemented is determined in the sole discretion of PI .

These Portfolios are not limited to investing exclusively in shares of the Underlying Portfolios. Each of these portfolios is now permitted under current law to invest in "securities" as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. For these purposes, the term "securities" includes, without limitation, shares of common or preferred stock, warrants, security futures, notes, bonds, debentures, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security or on any group or index of securities, or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to a foreign currency.

Principal Risks :


AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios:

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: The investment objective of each of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios is to obtain the highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance.

The AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, and the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio (collectively, the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios) generally will have a higher level of risk tolerance than the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio (together, the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios) because the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios will tend to have greater exposure to equity securities than the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios. The investment objective and the definition of risk tolerance level are not fundamental policies for any of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios and, therefore, may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board) without shareholder approval. No assurance can be given that any of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios will achieve its investment objective.

The Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios are "funds of funds." That means that each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy. The mutual funds that may be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios include: (i) the other investment portfolios of the Trust that are not operated as "funds-of-funds" (collectively, the Underlying Trust Portfolios); (ii) certain exchange-traded funds (i.e., investment companies that are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act) as open-end funds or unit investment trusts and that have shares that trade intra-day on stock exchanges at market-determined prices) (collectively, the Underlying ETFs); and (iii) registered or non-registered money market funds advised by the Investment Managers or one of their affiliates (collectively, the Underlying Money Market Portfolios). The Underlying Trust Portfolios, the Underlying Money Market Portfolios, and the Underlying ETFs are collectively referred to as the "Underlying Portfolios." Consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, other mutual funds from time to time may be added to, or removed from, the list of Underlying Portfolios that may be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios.

 

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Under normal market conditions, it is expected that the assets of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios will be allocated among the equity and debt/money market asset classes as set forth below.

Asset Allocation Portfolio Percentage of Net Assets Allocated to Equity Asset Class Percentage of Net Assets Allocated to Debt Securities/Money Market Instruments Asset Class
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%) 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%)
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%) 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%)
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)

Under normal circumstances, at least 90% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated across as many as seven different "core" investment categories. The seven "core" investment categories include: (i) domestic large-cap and mid-cap value equity securities; (ii) domestic large-cap and mid-cap growth equity securities; (iii) domestic small-cap value equity securities; (iv) domestic small-cap growth equity securities; (v) international large-cap value equity securities; (vi) international large-cap growth equity securities; and (vii) domestic fixed-income securities, including U.S. Government securities, investment grade corporate, mortgage-backed, and asset-backed securities, and cash/money market instruments. Only Underlying Trust Portfolios selected by PI will be used to gain exposure to these "core" investment categories.

Under normal circumstances, no more than 10% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated to "off-benchmark" investments. "Off-benchmark" investments may result in exposure to asset classes or investment styles that are not covered by, or are sub-sets of, the above-referenced "core" investment categories. Examples of "off-benchmark" investments include, but are not limited to, investments in: (i) equity sectors such as real estate, technology, utilities, financials, or healthcare; (ii) inflation-indexed debt securities; (iii) international debt securities; and (iv)commodities. Only Underlying ETFs will be used to gain exposure to "off-benchmark" investments; provided, however, that leveraged Underlying ETFs and inverse Underlying ETFs (i.e., Underlying ETFs that seek investment results corresponding to the inverse (opposite) of the performance of an assigned index) may not be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios.

CLS Investment Firm, LLC (CLS), Horizon Investments, LLC (Horizon), and Niemann Capital Management, Inc. (Niemann Capital Management) (each, an AA Subadviser and collectively, the AA Subadvisers) will be responsible for constructing the target asset allocations for the relevant Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, subject to certain guidelines established by the Investment Managers. The target asset allocations and the related guidelines for the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios as of November 17, 2007 are set forth in Appendix I to this Prospectus. The target asset allocations and the related guidelines for the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios as of November 17, 2007 are set forth in Appendix II to this Prospectus.

PI will select weighted combinations of Underlying Trust Portfolios for each "core" investment category. This means that all Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio assets that are allocated to a particular "core" investment category by an AA Subadviser will be invested in accordance with the Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for that category as established by PI. As set forth above, at least 90% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets normally will be allocated across the "core" investment categories and the related Underlying Trust Portfolios. Under normal circumstances, the remaining 10% of each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated to "off-benchmark" investments selected by the relevant subadviser. Only Underlying ETFs selected by the subadvisers will be used to gain exposure to "off-benchmark" investments. The Underlying Portfolio investments for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios as of _______ __, 200_ are set forth in Appendix III to this Prospectus.

It is expected that the subadvisers will employ various tactical asset allocation strategies in connection with their establishment of target asset allocations. In general terms, tactical asset allocation involves occasional, short-term, tactical deviations from the base asset class mix in order to capitalize on unusual or exceptional investment opportunities. As described in greater detail above, redemptions of Underlying Trust Portfolio shares will be subject to certain limits established by the Investment Managers from time to time. These limits may adversely affect a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment performance by hindering the AA Subadviser's ability to utilize its tactical asset allocation strategy to capitalize on unusual or exceptional investment opportunities.

Principal Risks:

 

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Fixed Income Portfolios: Investment Objectives and Principal Strategies

Portfolio Investment Goal Primary Investments
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond High current income and capital growth The Portfolio invests in high-quality foreign and U.S. dollar-denominated bonds.
AST High Yield Maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management. The Portfolio invests primarily in high yield fixed-income investments that, at the time of purchase, are rated below investment grade.
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture High current income and the opportunity for capital appreciation to produce a high total return The Portfolio invests primarily in high yield and investment grade debt securities, securities convertible into common stock and preferred stocks.
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management The Portfolio invests primarily in fixed-income securities of varying maturities, so that the Portfolio's expected average duration will be from three to six years.
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management The Portfolio invests primarily in fixed-income securities of varying maturities, so that the Portfolio's expected average duration will be from one to three years.
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Maximize total return, consistent with prudent investment management and liquidity needs The Portfolio invests primarily in a variety of debt and fixed-income securities
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 Highest total return for a specific period of time, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs The Portfolio invests primarily in bonds
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 Highest total return for a specific period of time, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs The Portfolio invests primarily in bonds
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 Highest total return for a specific period of time, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs The Portfolio invests primarily in bonds
AST Investment Grade Bond Maximize total return, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs The Portfolio invests primarily in investment-grade bonds
AST Money Market High current income and maintain high levels of liquidity The Portfolio invests in high-quality, short-term U.S. dollar-denominated instruments.


AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to provide high current income and capital growth by investing in high-quality, foreign and U.S. dollar-denominated bonds.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities. The Portfolio will invest in all types of bonds including those issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments or their agencies and by foreign authorities, provinces and municipalities as well as investment grade corporate bonds, mortgage and asset-backed securities and high-yield bonds of U.S. and foreign issuers. The Portfolio seeks to moderate price fluctuation by actively managing its maturity structure and currency exposure. The subadviser bases its investment decisions on fundamental market factors, currency trends, and credit quality. The Portfolio generally invests in countries where the combination of fixed-income returns and currency exchange rates appears attractive, or, if the currency trend is unfavorable, where the subadviser believes that the currency risk can be minimized through hedging.

The Portfolio is non-diversified for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940, which means that it may invest more than 5% of its assets in the fixed-income securities of a single issuer or individual foreign government.

Although the Portfolio expects to maintain an intermediate-to-long weighted average maturity, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall portfolio or on individual securities. The Portfolio may and frequently does engage in foreign currency transactions such as forward foreign currency exchange contracts, hedging its foreign currency exposure back to the dollar or against other foreign currencies ("cross-hedging"). The subadviser also attempts to reduce currency risks through diversification among foreign securities

 

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and active management of maturities and currency exposures.

The Portfolio may also invest up to 20% of its assets in the aggregate in below investment-grade, high-risk bonds ("junk bonds") and emerging market bonds. Some emerging market bonds, such as Brady Bonds, may be denominated in U.S.dollars. In addition, the Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its assets in mortgage-related (including mortgage dollar rolls and derivatives, such as collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage securities) and asset-backed securities. The Portfolio may invest in futures, swaps and other derivatives, in keeping with its objective.

The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or re-deploy assets into more promising opportunities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by T. Rowe Price International, Inc.

Principal Risks:

AST High Yield Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes in non-investment grade high-yield fixed-income investments, including exposure to credit linked instruments and derivatives. Non-investment grade investments are financial instruments rated Ba or lower by a Moody's Investors Services, Inc. or equivalently rated by Standard Poor's Corporation, or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality. The Portfolio may invest in all types of fixed income securities, including:

1. senior and subordinated corporate debt obligations (such as bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper),
2. fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances,
3. obligations of non-U.S. governments or their sub-divisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises,
4. international agencies or supranational entities,
5. debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises,
6. mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities,
7. structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities and event-linked bonds,
8. loan participations and assignments,
9. convertible and non-convertible corporate debt obligations,
10. custodial receipts,
11. municipal securities,
12 brady bonds,
13. preferred stock,
14. delayed funding loans, and
15. revolving credit facilities

The Portfolio may engage in short sales.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC.

 

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Principal Risks:


AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek high current income and the opportunity for capital appreciation to produce a high total return.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities. The Portfolio allocates its assets principally among fixed income securities in four market sectors: U.S. investment grade securities, U.S. high yield securities, foreign securities (including emerging market securities) and convertible securities. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests in each of the four sectors described above. However, the Portfolio may invest substantially all of its assets in any one sector at any time, subject to the limitation that at least 20% of the Portfolio's net assets must be invested in any combination of investment grade debt securities, U.S. Government securities and cash equivalents.

The subadviser believes that a high total return (current income and capital growth) may be derived from an actively managed, diversified portfolio of investments. Through portfolio diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in interest rates and economic conditions, the subadviser attempts to reduce the Portfolio's risks. The subadviser seeks unusual values, using fundamental, "bottom-up" research (i.e., research on individual companies rather than the economy as a whole) to identify undervalued securities. The Portfolio may find good value in high yield securities, sometimes called "lower-rated bonds" or "junk bonds," and frequently may have more than half of its assets invested in those securities. The Portfolio may also make significant investments in mortgage-backed securities. Although the Portfolio expects to maintain a weighted average maturity in the range of five to twelve years, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall Portfolio or on individual securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC.

Principal Risks:


AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment

 

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management.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in fixed income securities, including:

(1) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises;
(2) corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;
(3) mortgage and other asset-backed securities;
(4) inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations;
(5) structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities and event-linked bonds;
(6) loan participations and assignments;
(7) delayed funding loans and revolving credit securities;
(8) bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances;
(9) repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements;
(10) debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(11) obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(12) derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements; and
(13) obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

Portfolio holdings will be concentrated in areas of the bond market that the subadviser believes to be relatively undervalued. In selecting fixed income securities, the subadviser uses economic forecasting, interest rate anticipation, credit and call risk analysis, foreign currency exchange rate forecasting, and other securities selection techniques. The proportion of the Portfolio's assets committed to investment in securities with particular characteristics (such as maturity, type and coupon rate) will vary based on the subadviser's outlook for the U.S. and foreign economies, the financial markets, and other factors. The management of duration is one of the fundamental tools used by the subadviser.

The Portfolio will invest in fixed-income securities of varying maturities. The average portfolio duration of the Portfolio normally varies within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index which, as of December 31, 2007, was 4.41 years. The Portfolio can and routinely does invest in certain complex fixed income securities (including mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities) and engage in a number of investment practices (including futures, options, swaps and dollar rolls) that many other fixed income funds do not utilize. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its assets in fixed income securities that are rated below investment grade ("junk bonds") (or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality). The Portfolio may engage in short sales.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in fixed income securities, including:

(1) securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises;
(2) corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;
(3) mortgage and other asset-backed securities;
(4) inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations;
(5) structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities and event-linked bonds;
(6) loan participations and assignments;
(7) delayed funding loans and revolving credit securities;
(8) bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances;
(9) repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements;
(10) debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(11) obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
(12) derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements;and
(13) obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

Portfolio holdings will be concentrated in areas of the bond market that the subadviser believes to be relatively undervalued. In selecting fixed income securities, the subadviser uses economic forecasting, interest rate anticipation, credit and call risk analysis, foreign currency exchange rate forecasting, and other securities selection techniques. The proportion of the Portfolio's assets committed to investment in securities with particular characteristics (such as maturity, type and coupon rate) will vary based on the subadviser's outlook for the U.S. and foreign economies, the financial markets, and other factors. The management of duration is one of the fundamental tools used by the subadviser.

The Portfolio will invest in fixed-income securities of varying maturities. The average portfolio duration of the Portfolio normally varies within a one- to three-year time frame based on the subadviser's forecast for interest rates. The Portfolio can and routinely does invest in certain complex fixed income securities (including mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities) and engage in a number of investment practices (including futures, swaps and dollar rolls) that many other fixed income funds do not utilize. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its assets in fixed income securities that are rated below investment grade ("junk bonds") (or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality). The Portfolio may engage in short sales.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: To maximize total return, consistent with prudent investment management and liquidity needs, by investing to obtain the average duration specified for the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

The investment objective and specified average duration figure are not fundamental policies for the Portfolio and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. No assurance can be given that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective. Western Asset Management Company (Western Asset) and Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML) serve as the Subadvisers for the Portfolio.

The Portfolio will invest in a portfolio of fixed-income securities of various maturities and, under normal market conditions, will invest at least 80% of its net assets in debt and fixed-income securities. To achieve its investment objective, the Portfolio may invest in a variety of securities and instruments, including:

(1) U.S. Government Obligations:
(2) corporate obligations ("corporate obligations" include, without limitation, preferred stock, convertible securities, zero coupon securities and pay-in-kind securities);
(3) inflation-indexed securities;
(4) mortgage- and other asset-backed securities;
(5) obligations of non-U.S. issuers, including obligations of non-U.S. governments, international agencies or supranational organizations;
(6) fixed-income securities of non-governmental U.S. or non-U.S. issuers;
(7) taxable municipal obligations;
(8) variable and floating rate debt securities;
(9) commercial paper and other short-term investments;
(10) certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances;
(11) loan participations and assignments;
(12) structured notes; and
(13) repurchase agreements.

Duration refers to the range within which the average modified duration of the Portfolio is expected to fluctuate. Modified duration measures the expected sensitivity of market price to changes in interest rates, taking into account the effects of structural complexities (for example, some bonds can be prepaid by the issuer). The target average modified duration of the Portfolio is expected to range within 30% of the duration of the domestic bond market as a whole (normally three to six years, although this may vary). Therefore, the range within which the average modified duration of the Portfolio is expected to fluctuate is generally 2.5 to 7 years. The Portfolio's average modified duration may fall outside of its expected average modified duration range due to market movements. If this happens, Western Asset and WAML will take action to bring the Portfolio's average modified duration back within the Portfolio's expected average modified duration range within a reasonable period of time.

The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, below investment grade, but at least B-/B3, or if unrated, are determined by Western Asset or WAML to be of comparable quality. For purposes of the foregoing credit quality policy, the Portfolio will consider a security to be rated below investment grade if it is not rated Baa/BBB or above by at least one nationally recognized rating agency (or, if unrated, is determined by Western Asset or WAML to be of comparable quality). Securities rated below investment grade are commonly known as "junk bonds" or "high-yield securities." The continued holding of securities downgraded below investment grade or, if unrated, determined by Western Asset or WAML to be of comparable quality, will be evaluated by Western Asset and WAML on a case-by-case basis. As a result, the Portfolio may from time to time hold debt securities that are rated below investment grade. Information on the ratings issued to debt securities by certain rating agencies is included in Appendix IV to this Prospectus.

The Portfolio also may invest: (i) up to 25% of its total assets in the securities of foreign issuers, including emerging markets issuers, and (ii) up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar denominated securities.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. This Portfolio is advised by Western Asset Management Company and Western Asset Management Company Limited.

Principal Risks:

 

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AST Target Maturity Portfolios:

AST Bond Portfolio 2015
AST Bond Portfolio 2018
AST Bond Portfolio 2019

Investment Objectives: To seek the highest total return for a specific period of time, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs. Total return is comprised of current income and capital appreciation.


AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: To seek to maximize total return, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs. As set forth above, total return is comprised of current income and capital appreciation.

Asset Transfer Programs

Each Portfolio will be used in connection with certain living benefit programs, including, without limitation, certain "guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit" programs and certain "guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit" programs. In order for the participating insurance companies to manage the guarantees offered in connection with these benefit programs, the insurance companies generally: (i) limit the number and types of variable sub-accounts in which contract holders may allocate their account values (referred to in this Prospectus as the Permitted Sub-Accounts) and (ii) require contract holders to participate in certain specialized asset transfer programs. Under these asset transfer programs, the participating insurance companies will monitor each contract owner's account value from time to time and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts between the Permitted Sub-Accounts and the Portfolios as dictated by certain non-discretionary mathematical formulas. These mathematical formulas will generally focus on the amounts guaranteed at specific future dates or the present value of the estimated lifetime payments to be made, as applicable.

As an example of how these asset transfer programs will operate under certain market environments, a downturn in the equity markets (i.e., a reduction in a contract holder's account value within the Permitted Sub-Accounts) and certain market return scenarios involving "flat" returns over a period of time may cause participating insurance companies to transfer some or all of such contract owner's account value to a Portfolio. In general terms, such transfers are designed to ensure that an appropriate percentage of the projected guaranteed amounts are offset by assets in investments like the Portfolios.

Such asset transfers may, however, result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the Portfolios and subject the Portfolios to certain risks. Asset transfer programs are an important part of the guarantees offered in connection with the applicable living benefit programs. Such asset transfers may, however, result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the Portfolios. Such asset transfers could adversely affect a Portfolio's investment performance by requiring the subadviser to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times and by otherwise limiting the subadviser's ability to fully implement the Portfolio's investment strategies. In addition, these asset transfers may result in relatively small asset bases and relatively high operating expense ratios for the Portfolios compared to other similar funds. For more information on the relevant living benefit programs and asset transfer programs, please see your contract prospectus.

Principal Investment Policies of the Target Maturity Portfolios . Under normal market conditions, each Target Maturity Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its investable assets in bonds. For purposes of this 80% policy, bonds include: (i) all debt securities and all fixed-income securities, excluding preferred stock, issued by both government and non-government issuers, and (ii) all derivatives and synthetic instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to such debt securities and such fixed-income securities. The above-described 80% policy is a non-fundamental investment policy of each Target Maturity Portfolio and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. Each Target Maturity Portfolio, however, will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of any change in its 80% policy as described above. As used in this Prospectus, the term "investable assets" refers to a Portfolio's net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes. A Portfolio's investable assets will be less than its total assets to the extent that it has borrowed money for non-investment purposes, such as to meet anticipated redemptions.

Each Target Maturity Portfolio will be managed to mature in the year identified in its name in order to match the related liability under certain living benefit programs. As a result, each Target Maturity Portfolio's duration and weighted average maturity will be different. For example, the AST Bond Portfolio 2019 will have a longer duration and a longer weighted average maturity than the AST Bond Portfolio 2018 and the AST Bond Portfolio 2015. In addition, each Target Maturity Portfolio's duration and weighted average maturity will decline over time as the relevant maturity date approaches. To that end, the subadviser (Prudential Investment Management, Inc.)(PIM) expects to maintain the duration of each Target Maturity Portfolio within +/– 0.50 years of the secondary

 

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benchmark index for that Target Maturity Portfolio. On or about a Target Maturity Portfolio's maturity date, all of the securities held by that Target Maturity Portfolio will be sold and all of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of that Target Maturity Portfolio will be redeemed. Proceeds from that redemption will be reallocated in accordance with the procedures applicable to the contact owner's variable contract.

PIM currently intends to maintain an overall weighted average credit quality rating of A- or better for each Target Maturity Portfolio. This target overall credit quality for each Target Maturity Portfolio will be based on ratings as of the date of purchase. In the event a Target Maturity Portfolio's overall credit quality drops below A- due to downgrades of individual portfolio securities, PIM will take appropriate action based upon the relevant facts and circumstances.

Principal Investment Policies of the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio . Under normal market conditions, the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its investable assets in investment grade bonds. For purposes of this 80% policy, investment grade bonds include: (i) all debt securities and all fixed-income securities, excluding preferred stock, that are issued by both government and non-government issuers and rated BBB or higher by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P), Baa or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's), BBB or higher by Fitch Ratings Ltd. (Fitch) or, if unrated, are determined by PIM to be of comparable quality, and (ii) all derivatives and synthetic instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to debt securities and fixed-income securities with such ratings. All references in this Prospectus to the ratings categories used for determining what constitutes an investment grade bond are without regard to gradations within those categories. PIM currently intends to maintain an overall weighted average credit quality rating of A- or better for the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. This target overall credit quality for the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be based on ratings as of the date of purchase. In the event the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio's overall credit quality drops below A- due to downgrades of individual portfolio securities, PIM will take appropriate action based upon the relevant facts and circumstances.

Although the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio may invest in individual bonds of any maturity, PIM expects to maintain the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio's duration within +/- 0.50 years of its primary benchmark index (i.e., the Lehman Brothers Government/Credit 5-10 Year Index). As of September 30, 2007, the average duration of the Lehman Brothers Government/Credit 5-10 Year Index was approximately six years.

The investment objectives of each Target Maturity Portfolio and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are not fundamental investment policies for the Target Maturity Portfolios and, therefore, may be changed by the Board of Trustees of theFund (the Board) without shareholder approval. While we make every effort to achieve our objectives, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. Each of the Target Maturity Portfolios and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are subadvised by Prudential Investment Management, Inc.

Principal Risks:


AST Money Market Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek high current income and maintain high levels of liquidity.

The Portfolio will invest in high-quality, short-term, U.S. dollar denominated corporate, bank and government obligations. Under the regulatory requirements applicable to money market funds, the Portfolio must maintain a weighted average portfolio maturity of not more than 90 days and invest in securities that have effective maturities of not more than 397 days. In addition, the Portfolio will limit its investments to those securities that, in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Trustees of the Fund, present minimal credit risks. The Portfolio will not purchase any security (other than a United States Government security) unless:

 

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(1) rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories by at least two rating organizations or, if only one rating organization has rated the security, so rated by that rating organization;
(2) rated in one of the three highest long-term rating categories by at least two rating organizations or, if only one rating organization has rated the security, so rated by that rating organization; or
(3) if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund's investment adviser.

While we make every effort to achieve our objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. An investment in the Portfolio is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Although the Portfolio seeks to maintain a net asset value of $1 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in the Portfolio.

This Portfolio is advised by Prudential Investment Management, Inc.

Principal Risks

 

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Principal Risks

Although we try to invest wisely, all investments involve risk. Like any mutual fund, an investment in a Portfolio could lose value, and you could lose money. The principal risks of investing in each Portfolio, as identified in the Risk/Return Summary, are summarized below.

Certain additional principal risks associated with investing in the Asset Allocation Portfolios are discussed separately, in the following section entitled "Principal Risks—Asset Allocation Portfolios"

Certain additional principal risks related to asset transfer programs applicable to the AST Target Maturity Portfolios and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are discussed above in the Risk/Return Summary section dedicated to those particular portfolios.

Asset-backed securities risk. Asset-backed securities are fixed income securities that represent an interest in an underlying pool of assets, such as credit card receivables. Like traditional fixed-income securities, the value of asset-backed securities typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. Certain asset-backed securities may also be subject to the risk of prepayment. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may pay what they owe on the underlying assets more quickly than anticipated. Prepayment reduces the yield to maturity and the average life of the asset-backed securities. In addition, when a Portfolio reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment it may receive a lower interest rate. Asset-backed securities may also be subject to extension risk, that is, the risk that, in a period of rising interest rates, prepayments may occur at a slower rate than expected. As a result, the average duration of the portfolio of a Portfolio may increase. The value of longer-term securities generally changes more in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities.

Borrowing risk. A Portfolio mayborrow money from banks for investment purposes, and invest the proceeds of such loans, as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). Under the 1940 Act, a Portfolio may borrow from a bank up to one-third of its total assets (including the amount borrowed). When a Portfolio borrows money for investment purposes or otherwise leverages its portfolio, any increase or decrease in the Portfolio's NAV is exaggerated by the use of leverage. Leverage risks are described below.

Commodity risk. A Portfolio's investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than investments in traditional equity and debt securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, acts of terrorism, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.

Common and Preferred Stocks risk. Each Portfolio may invest in common and preferred stocks. Common and preferred stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on the company's income for purposes of receiving dividend payments and on the company's assets in the event of liquidation. Common and preferred stocks can experience sharp declines in value over short or extended periods of time, regardless of the success or failure of a company's operations. Stocks can decline for many reasons, including due to adverse economic, financial, or political developments and developments related to the particular company, the industry of which it is a part, or the securities markets generally.

Company risk. The price of the stock of a particular company can vary based on a variety of factors, such as the company's financial performance, changes in management and product trends, and the potential for takeover and acquisition. This is especially true with respect to equity securities of smaller companies, whose prices may go up and down more than equity securities of larger, more established companies. Also, since equity securities of smaller companies may not be traded as often as equity securities of larger, more established companies, it may be difficult or impossible for a Portfolio to sell securities at a desirable price. Foreign securities have additional risks, including exchange rate changes, political and economic upheaval, the relative lack of information about these companies, relatively low market liquidity and the potential lack of strict financial and accounting controls and standards.

Credit risk. Each Portfolio is also subject to credit risk to the extent it invests in fixed-income securities. Debt obligations are generally subject to the risk that the issuer may be unable to make principal and interest payments when they are due. There is also the risk that the securities could lose value because of a loss of confidence in the ability of the borrower to pay back debt. Although debt obligations rated BBB by S&P or Baa by Moody's are regarded as investment-grade, such obligations have speculative characteristics and are riskier than higher-rated securities. Adverse economic developments are more likely to affect the payment of interest and principal on debt obligations rated BBB/Baa than on higher rated debt obligations. Non-investment grade debt— also known as "high-yield bonds" and "junk bonds"— have a higher risk of default and tend to be less liquid than higher-rated securities. Increasing the amount of Portfolio assets allocated lower-rated securities generally will increase the credit risk to which the Portfolio is subject.

Derivatives risk. Certain Portfolios may, but are not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of their investment strategies. Generally, a derivative is a financial contract, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the

 

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value of an underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies, or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. Examples of derivatives (without limitation) include options, futures, forward agreements, swap agreements (including, but not limited to, interest rate and credit default swaps), and credit-linked securities. Portfolios may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust their risk profile, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain markets.

As open-end investment companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission), the Portfolios are subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, related rules, and various Commission and Commission staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, the Portfolios must "set aside" (referred to sometimes as "asset segregation") liquid assets, or engage in other Commission- or staff-approved measures, while the derivative contracts are open. For example, with respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not contractually required to "cash-settle," the Portfolios must covertheir open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts' full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to "cash-settle," however, the Portfolios are permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to such Portfolio's daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., such Portfolio's daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled forward and futures contracts, the Portfolios will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if such Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The Fund reserves the right to modify the asset segregation policies of thePortfolios in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the Commission and its staff.

Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:

Credit Risk. The risk that the counterparty (the party on the other side of the transaction) on a derivative transaction will be unable to honor its financial obligation to the Portfolio.

Currency Risk. The risk that changes in the exchange rate between currencies will adversely affect the value (in U.S. dollar terms) of an investment.

Leverage Risk. The risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies that relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.

Liquidity Risk. The risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently worth.

Additional Risks: Derivatives involve risks different from, and possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other instruments. Derivatives require investment techniques and risk analyses different from those of other investments. If a subadviser incorrectly forecasts the value of securities, currencies, interest rates, or other economic factors in using derivatives, the Portfolio might have been in a better position if the Portfolio had not entered into the derivatives. While some strategies involving derivatives can protect against the risk of loss, the use of derivatives can also reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other Portfolio investments. Derivatives also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation (i.e., the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with the underlying asset, rate, index, or overall securities markets). Gains or losses involving some options, futures, and other derivatives may be substantial (for example, for some derivatives, it is possible for a Portfolio to lose more than the amount the Portfolio invested in the derivatives). Some derivatives tend to be more volatile than other investments, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes.

Certain Portfolios may use derivatives for hedging purposes, including anticipatory hedges. Hedging is a strategy in which such a portfolio uses a derivative to offset the risks associated with its other holdings. While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a manner different from that anticipated by the Portfolio or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Hedging also involves the risk that changes in the value of the derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged as expected by the relevant Portfolio, in which case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced and may be increased. No assurance can be given that any hedging strategy will reduce risk or that hedging transactions will be either available or cost effective. The relevant Portfolio is not required to use hedging and may choose not to do so. Because certain Portfolios may use derivatives to seek to enhance returns, their investments will expose them to the risks outlined above to a greater extent than if they used derivatives solely for hedging purposes. The use of derivatives to seek to enhance returns may be considered speculative.

Foreign investment risk. Investing in foreign securities generally involves more risk than investing in securities of U.S. issuers. Foreign investment risk includes the specific risks described below:

 

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Currency risk. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of foreign securities held by a Portfolio and the amount of income available for distribution. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and affected by, among other factors, the general economic conditions of a country, the actions of the U.S. and non-U.S. governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation. A security may be denominated in a currency that is different from the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. Changes in currency exchange rates may affect the value of foreign securities held by a Portfolio and the amount of income available for distribution. If a foreign currency grows weaker relative to the U.S. dollar, the value of securities denominated in that foreign currency generally decreases in terms of U.S. dollars. If a Portfolio does not correctly anticipate changes in exchange rates, its share price could decline as a result. In addition to the policies described elsewhere in this Prospectus, each Portfolio may from time to time attempt to hedge a portion of their currency risk using a variety of techniques, including currency futures, forwards, and options. However, these instruments may not always work as intended, and in certain cases the Portfolio may be worse off than if it had not used a hedging instrument. For most emerging market currencies, suitable hedging instruments are not available. See "Hedging Risk" below for more information.

Emerging market risk. To the extent that a Portfolio invests in emerging markets to enhance overall returns, it may face higher political, information, and stock market risks. In addition, profound social changes and business practices that depart from norms in developed countries' economies have sometimes hindered the orderly growth of emerging economies and their stock markets in the past. High levels of debt may make emerging economies heavily reliant on foreign capital and vulnerable to capital flight.

Foreign market risk. Foreign markets, especially those in developing countries, tend to be more volatile than U.S. markets and are generally not subject to regulatory requirements comparable to those in the U.S. Because of differences in accounting standards and custody and settlement practices, investing in foreign securities generally involves more risk than investing in securities of U.S. issuers.

Information risk. Financial reporting standards for companies based in foreign markets usually differ from those in the United States. Since the "numbers" themselves sometimes mean different things, each subadviser devotes research effort to understanding and assessing the impact of these differences upon a company's financial conditions and prospects.

Liquidity risk. Stocks that trade less can be more difficult or more costly to buy, or to sell, than more liquid or active stocks. This liquidity risk is a factor of the trading volume of a particular stock, as well as the size and liquidity of the entire local market. On the whole, foreign exchanges are smaller and less liquid than the U.S. market. This can make buying and selling certain shares more difficult and costly. Relatively small transactions in some instances can have a disproportionately large effect on the price and supply of shares. In certain situations, it may become virtually impossible to sell a stock in an orderly fashion at a price that approaches an estimate of its value.

Political developments. Political developments may adversely affect the value of a Portfolio's foreign securities.

Political risk. Some foreign governments have limited the outflow of profits to investors abroad, extended diplomatic disputes to include trade and financial relations, and imposed high taxes on corporate profits.

Regulatory risk. Some foreign governments regulate their exchanges less stringently, and the rights of shareholders may not be as firmly established.

Taxation risk . Many foreign markets are not as open to foreign investors as U.S. markets. Each Portfolio may be required to pay special taxes on gains and distributions that are imposed on foreign investors. Payment of these foreign taxes may reduce the investment performance of a Portfolio.

Growth stock risk. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks typically lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns.

Hedging risk. The decision as to whether and to what extent a Portfolio will engage in hedging transactions to hedge against such risks as credit risk, currency risk, and interest rate risk will depend on a number of factors, including prevailing market conditions, the composition of such portfolio and the availability of suitable transactions. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that a Portfolio will engage in hedging transactions at any given time or from time to time, even under volatile market environments, or that any such strategies, if used, will be successful. Hedging transactions involve costs and may result in losses.

High-yield risk. Portfolios that invest in high yield securities and unrated securities of similar credit quality (commonly known as "junk bonds") may be subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risk than Portfolios that do not invest in such securities. High-yield securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for high-yield securities and reduce a Portfolio's ability to sell its high-yield securities (liquidity risk). In addition, the market for lower-rated

 

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bonds may be thinner and less active than the market for higher-rated bonds, and the prices of lower-rated bonds may fluctuate more than the prices of higher-rated bonds, particularly in times of market stress.

Industry/sector risk. Portfolios that invest in a single market sector or industry can accumulate larger positions in single issuers or an industry sector. As a result, the Portfolio's performance may be tied more directly to the success or failure of a smaller group of portfolio holdings.Interest rate risk. Fixed income securities are subject to the risk that the securities could lose value because of interest rate changes. For example, bonds tend to decrease in value if interest rates rise. Debt obligations with longer maturities sometimes offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price shifts as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities.

Inflation risk. Inflation risk 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 value of a Portfolio's assets can decline as can the value of income received by the Portfolio. Common stock prices may be particularly sensitive to rising interest rates, as the cost of capital rises and borrowing costs increase.

Inflation-indexed securities risk. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, and is generally lower than the interest rate on typical bonds. Over the life of the bond, however, this interest will be paid based on a principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Repayment of the adjusted principal upon maturity may be guaranteed, but the market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. Each Portfolio may have exposure to inflation-indexed bonds that do not provide a repayment guarantee. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to losses.

Initial public offering (IPO) risk. The prices of securities purchased in IPOs can be very volatile. The effect of IPOs on the performance of a Portfolio depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the Portfolio invests in relative to the size of the Portfolio and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value. As a Portfolio's asset base increases, IPOs often have a diminished effect on a Portfolio's performance.

Interest Rate risk. Each Portfolio investing in fixed-income securities is subject to interest rate risk. Interest rate risk is the risk that the rates of interest income generated by the fixed-income investments of a Portfolio may decline due to a decrease in market interest rates and that the market prices of the fixed-income investments of a Portfolio may decline due to an increase in market interest rates. Generally, the longer the maturity of a fixed-income security, the greater is the negative effect on its value when rates increase. As a result, mutual funds with longer durations and longer weighted average maturities generally have more volatile share prices than funds with shorter durations and shorter weighted average maturities. The prices of debt obligations generally move in the opposite direction to that of market interest rates.

Investment Style Risk. Different investment styles tend to shift in and out of favor depending upon market and economic conditions as well as investor sentiment. A Fund may outperform or underperform other funds that employ a different investment style. Examples of different investment styles include growth and value investing. Growth stocks may be more volatile than other stocks because they are more sensitive to investor perceptions of the issuing company's growth of earnings potential. Growth companies are often expected by investors to increase their earnings at a certain rate. When these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately even if earnings showed an absolute increase. Also, since growth companies usually invest a high portion of earnings in their business, growth stocks may lack the dividends of some value stocks that can cushion stock prices in a falling market. Growth oriented funds will typically underperform when value investing is in favor. Value stocks are those that are undervalued in comparison to their peers due to adverse business developments or other factors.

Leveraging risk. Certain transactions may give rise to a form of leverage. Such transactions may include, among others, reverse repurchase agreements, loans of portfolio securities, and the use of when-issued, delayed delivery or forward commitment contracts. The use of derivatives may also create leveraging risks. To mitigate leveraging risk, a sub-adviser can segregate liquid assets or otherwise cover the transactions that may give rise to such risk. The use of leverage may cause a Portfolio to liquidate portfolio positions when it may not be advantageous to do so to satisfy its obligations or to meet segregation requirements. Leverage, including borrowing, may cause a Portfolio to be more volatile than if the Portfolio had not been leveraged. This volatility occurs because leveraging tends to exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of a Portfolio's securities.

License risk. Certain Portfolios rely on licenses from third parties to the relevant subadviser that permit the use of the intellectual property of such parties in connection with the investment strategies for those Portfolios. Such licenses may be terminated by the licensors under certain circumstances, and as a result, a Portfolio may lose its ability to use the licensed name and/or the licensed investment strategy. Accordingly, in the event a license is terminated, it may have a significant effect on the operation of the affected Portfolio.

 

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Liquidity risk. Liquidity risk exists when particular investments are difficult to purchase or sell. A Portfolio's investments in illiquid securities may reduce the returns of the Portfolio, because it may be unable to sell the illiquid securities at an advantageous time or price. Portfolios with principal investment strategies that involve foreign securities, derivatives or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Each Portfolio (other than the Money Market Portfolio) generally may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The Money Market Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its net assets in illiquid securities. The relevant Subadviser will seek to maintain an adequate level of portfolio liquidity, based on all relevant facts and circumstances, with consideration given to the Portfolio's exposure to illiquid securities in the event the market value of such securities exceeds 10% or 15% (as applicable) of the Portfolio's net assets as a result of a decline in the market value of the Portfolio.

Management risk. Actively managed investment portfolios are subject to management risk. Each subadviser will apply investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions for the Portfolios, but there can be no guarantee that these will produce the desired results.

Market risk. Market risk is the risk that the equity and fixed-income markets in which the Portfolios invest will go down in value, including the possibility that a market will go down sharply and unpredictably. Common stocks are subject to market risk stemming from factors independent of any particular security. Investment markets fluctuate. All markets go through cycles, and market risk involves being on the wrong side of a cycle. Factors affecting market risk include political events, broad economic and social changes, and the mood of the investing public. You can see market risk in action during large drops in the stock market. If investor sentiment turns gloomy, the price of all stocks may decline. It may not matter that a particular company has great profits and its stock is selling at a relatively low price. If the overall market is dropping, the values of all stocks are likely to drop. Generally, the stock prices of large companies are more stable than the stock prices of smaller companies, but this is not always the case. Smaller companies often offer a smaller range of products and services than large companies. They may also have limited financial resources and may lack management depth. As a result, stocks issued by smaller companies may fluctuate in value more than the stocks of larger, more established companies.

Market Sector/Industry Concentration risk. Funds that emphasize investments in a particular market sector or industry like real estate are subject to an additional risk factor because they are generally less diversified than most equity funds. Property values may fall due to increasing vacancies or declining rents resulting from economic, demographic or legal developments.

Mortgage risk. Mortgage-backed securities represent the right to receive a portion of principal and/or interest payments made on a pool of residential or commercial mortgage loans and are subject to certain risks. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of mortgage-related securities, making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates. As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, a Portfolio that has exposure to mortgage-related securities may exhibit additional volatility. This is known as extension risk. In addition, mortgage-related securities are subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the returns of a Portfolio because such portfolio will have to reinvest that money at the lower prevailing interest rates.

Non-diversification risk. The chance that a Portfolio's performance may be disproportionately hurt by the performance ofrelatively few securities. A Portfolio which is non-diversified may invest more of its assets in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified Portfolio. Concentrating investments may result in greater potential losses for Portfolios investing in a broader variety of issuers. A Portfolio may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting a single issuer held in its portfolio, and may be more susceptible to greater losses because of these developments.Portfolio turnover risk. A Portfolio's investments may be bought and sold relatively frequently. A high turnover rate may result in higher brokerage commissions and lower returns.

Portfolio turnover risk. A Portfolio may actively and frequently trade its portfolio securities to achieve its investment objective. This may occur due to active portfolio management by the Portfolio's investment subadviser. High portfolio turnover results in higher transaction costs (such as brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups and other transaction-related expenses), which can adversely affect a Portfolio's performance. Each subadviser generally will not consider the length of time a Portfolio has held a particular security in making investment decisions. In fact, each subadviser may engage in active trading on behalf of a Portfolio—that is, frequent trading of its securities—in order to take advantage of new investment opportunities or return differentials. Each Portfolio's turnover rate may be higher than that of other mutual funds due to the subadviser's investment strategies.

In addition, certain Portfolios may be used in connection with certain living benefit programs, including, without limitation, certain "guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit" programs and certain "guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit" programs. In order for the participating insurance companies to manage the guarantees offered in connection with these benefit programs, the insurance companies generally: (i) limit the number and types of variable sub-accounts in which contract holders may allocate their account values and (ii) require contract holders to participate in certain specialized asset transfer programs. The use of these asset transfers may, however, result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the relevant Portfolios. Such asset transfers could adversely affect a Portfolio's investment performance by requiring the relevant investment adviser or subadviser to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times and by otherwise limiting the ability of the relevant investment adviser or subadviser to fully implement the

 

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Portfolio's investment strategies. In addition, these asset transfers may result in relatively small asset bases and relatively high transaction costs and operating expense ratios for a Portfolio compared to other similar funds.

Prepayment risk. A Portfolio that purchases mortgage-related securities or asset-backed securities is subject to additional risks. The underlying mortgages or assets may be prepaid, partially or completely, generally during periods of falling interest rates, which could adversely affect yield to maturity and could require the Portfolio to reinvest in lower yielding securities.

Real estate risk. Certain Portfolios may invest in REITs and real estate-linked derivative instruments. Such on emphasis on these types of investments will subject a Portfolio to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. An investment in a real estate-linked derivative instrument that is linked to the value of a REIT is subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse changes to the tax laws, or failure by the REIT to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property.

Selection risk. The risk that the securities selected by a Portfolio's subadviser will underperform the market, the relevant indices or other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies, or that securities sold short will experience positive price performance.

Short sale risk. A Portfolio that enters into short sales, which involves selling a security it does not own in anticipation that the security's price will decline, exposes the Portfolio to the risk that it will be required to buy the security sold short (also known as "covering" the short position) at a time when the security has appreciated in value, thus resulting in a loss to the Portfolio. Theoretically, the amount of these losses can be unlimited, although for fixed-income securities an interest rate of 0% forms an effective limit on how high a securities' price would be expected to rise. Although certain Portfolios may try to reduce risk by holding both long and short positions at the same time, it is possible that a Portfolio's securities held long will decline in value at the same time that the value of the Portfolio's securities sold short increases, thereby increasing the potential for loss.

Small company risk. The shares of small companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on a Portfolio's ability to sell these securities. Such investments may be more volatile than investments in larger companies, as smaller companies generally experience higher growth and failure rates. The securities of smaller companies may be less liquid than others, which may make it difficult to sell a security at a time or price desired. Changes in the demand for these securities generally have a disproportionate effect on their market price, tending to make prices rise more in response to buying demand and fall more in response to selling pressure. In the case of small cap technology companies, the risks associated with technology company stocks, which tend to be more volatile than other sectors, are magnified.

U.S. government and agency securities risk. In addition to market risk, interest rate risk and credit risk, such securities may limit a Portfolio's potential for capital appreciation. Not all U.S. Government securities are insured or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, some are only insured or guaranteed by the issuing agency, which must rely on its own resources to repay the debt.

Value stock risk. A Portfolio's investments in value stocks carry the risk that the market will not recognize a security's intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock believed to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.

Valuation of Private Real Estate-Related Investments risk. Private real estate-related investments owned by the Global Real Estate Portfolio will be fair valued each day using a methodology set forth in Valuation Policies and Procedures adopted by the Board of the Trust that incorporate periodic independent appraised value of the properties. An appraisal is an estimate of market value. The realizable market value of real estate depends to a great extent on economic and other conditions beyond the control of the Global Real Estate Portfolio.

Value Style risk. Certain stocks purchased by the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio may be undervalued due to adverse economic conditions or other near-term difficulties that cause them not to achieve their expected financial potential. Undervaluation may also arise because companies are misunderstood by investors or because they are out of step with favored market themes.

Yankee obligations risk. Yankee obligations are U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign corporations issued in the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued or guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by governments, quasi-governmental entities, government agencies, and other governmental entities of foreign countries and supranational entities, which securities are issued in the United States. Debt securities of quasi-governmental entities are issued by entities owned by either a national, state, or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that is not backed by the national government's full faith and credit and general taxing powers. Investments in the securities of foreign corporations and governments, even those denominated in U.S. dollars, involve certain risks not typically associated with investments in domestic issuers. The values of the securities of foreign corporations and governments are subject to economic and political developments in the countries and regions

 

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where the issuers operate or are domiciled, such as changes in economic or monetary policies. In addition, Yankee obligations may be less liquid than the debt obligations of U.S. issuers. In general, less information is publicly available about foreign corporations than about U.S. companies. Foreign corporations are generally not subject to the same accounting, auditing, and financial reporting standards as are U.S. companies. Some securities issued by foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies, and instrumentalities may not be backed by the full faith and credit of such governments. Even where a security is backed by the full faith and credit of a foreign government, it may be difficult for the Portfolio to pursue its rights against such government in that country's courts. Some foreign governments have defaulted on principal and interest payments. In addition, a Portfolio's investments in Yankee obligations may be subject to the risk of nationalization or expropriation of a foreign corporation's assets, imposition of currency exchange controls, or restrictions on the repatriation of non-U.S. currency, confiscatory taxation, political or financial instability and adverse diplomatic developments.These risks are heightened in all respects with respect to Yankee obligations issued by foreign corporations and governments located in emerging markets.

Principal Risks: Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios

"Fund of Funds" Structure Description . As previously discussed, each of the Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios (each, an Asset Allocation Portfolio, and collectively, the Asset Allocation Portfolios) is a "fund of funds." Each Asset Allocation Portfolio has its own target asset allocation and will invest in different combinations of Underlying Portfolios. The value of mutual fund shares will fluctuate. As a result, the investment performance of each Asset Allocation Portfolio will depend on how its assets are allocated and reallocated among the Underlying Portfolios. Because each of the Asset Allocation Portfolios invests primarily or exclusively in shares of the Underlying Portfolios under normal circumstances, the risks associated with each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio will be closely related to the risks associated with the securities and other investments held by the relevant Underlying Portfolios. The ability of each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio to achieve its investment objective will depend on the ability of the relevant Underlying Portfolios to achieve their respective investment objectives.

Asset Allocation risk . Asset allocation risk is the risk that an AA Subadviser may allocate assets to an asset class that underperforms other asset classes. For example, a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio may be overweighed in the equity asset class when the stock market is falling and the fixed-income market is rising. Likewise, a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio may be overweighed in the fixed-income asset class when the stock market is falling and the equity markets are rising.

Underlying Portfolio Selection Risk . Underlying Portfolio selection risk is the risk that the Underlying ETFs selected by the AA Subadvisers and the Underlying Trust Portfolios selected by PI will underperform relevant markets, relevant indices, or other mutual funds with similar investment objectives and strategies.

Subadviser Selection Risk for Underlying Trust Portfolios . Under normal circumstances, not less than 90% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be invested in Underlying Trust Portfolios. Subadviser selection risk is the risk that the Investment Managers' decision to select or replace a subadviser for an Underlying Trust Portfolio does not produce the intended result. The Investment Managers, however, are not responsible for the day-to-day management of the Underlying Trust Portfolios or the Underlying ETFs.

Fund of Funds Risk . In addition to the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, the Investment Managers serve as investment manager to other Trust Portfolios that invest primarily in Underlying Trust Portfolios (collectively with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, the Affiliated Funds of Funds). An Underlying Trust Portfolio may experience relatively large purchases or redemptions from one or more Affiliated Funds of Funds. Although the Investment Managers seek to minimize the impact of these transactions by structuring them over a reasonable period of time or through the enforcement of certain limits on redemptions of Underlying Trust Portfolio shares, an Underlying Trust Portfolio may experience increased expenses as it buys and sells securities to respond to transactions initiated by an Affiliated Funds of Funds. An Underlying Trust Portfolio's investment performance also may be adversely affected if it must buy and sell securities at inopportune times to respond to transactions initiated by an Affiliated Funds of Funds. In addition, because the Affiliated Funds of Funds may own a substantial portion of an Underlying Trust Portfolio, a large-scale redemption initiated by one or more Affiliated Funds of Funds could cause an Underlying Trust Portfolio's expense ratio to increase as such portfolio's fixed costs would be spread over a smaller asset base. As a result, these transactions could have an adverse effect on an Affiliated Funds of Funds, including an Asset Allocation Portfolio, that continues to remain invested in such Underlying Trust Portfolios.

 

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Set forth below is a description of certain equity securities and related investment methods that the Asset Allocation Portfolios may indirectly invest in or use through their investments in the Underlying Portfolios, and certain of the primary risks to the Asset Allocation Portfolios associated with such equity securities and investment methods. Because the Aggressive or Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios will tend to have greater exposure to equity securities than the Moderate or Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolios, such risks generally will apply more to the Aggressive or Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios than the Moderate or Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolios. The Asset Allocation Portfolios also invest indirectly in fixed-income securities and are subject to the risks discussed in the previous sections such as Credit Risk and Interest Rate Risk .

Market Risk . Market risk is the risk that the equity markets in which an Underlying Portfolio invests will go down in value, including the possibility that an equity market will go down sharply and unpredictably.

Selection Risk . Selection risk is the risk that the equity securities selected by the investment managers or subadvisers for the relevant Underlying Portfolio will under perform the market, the relevant indices, or other funds with similar investment objectives and investment strategies.

Common and Preferred Stocks Risk . Certain of the Underlying Portfolios also may invest in common and preferred stocks. Common and preferred stocks represent shares of ownership in a company. Generally, preferred stock has a specified dividend and ranks after bonds and before common stocks in its claim on the company's income for purposes of receiving dividend payments and on the company's assets in the event of liquidation. Common and preferred stocks can experience sharp declines in value over short or extended periods of time, regardless of the success or failure of a company's operations. Stocks can decline for many reasons, including due to adverse economic, financial, or political developments and developments related to the particular company, the industry of which it is a part, or the securities markets generally.

Investment Style Risk . An AA Subadviser may emphasize a particular investment style, such as a "growth" or "value" style, when establishing the target asset allocation for a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. Specific investment styles, however, tend to go in and out of favor and may not produce the best results over short or longer time periods. Investors often expect growth companies to increase their earnings at a certain rate. If these expectations are not met, investors can punish the stocks inordinately, even if earnings do increase. In addition, growth stocks typically lack the dividend yield that can cushion stock prices in market downturns. Likewise, a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's exposure to value stocks through its investments in the Underlying Portfolios carries the risk that the market will not recognize a security's intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock believed to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.

Small- and Mid-Capitalization Company Risk . An AA Subadviser may emphasize small-cap equity securities when establishing the target asset allocation for a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. Likewise, PI may emphasize the selection of Underlying Trust Portfolios that invest primarily in medium-capitalization stocks when choosing Underlying Portfolios that are consistent with the then-current target asset allocations for the large-cap and mid-cap value and growth investment categories. The shares of small and medium-sized companies tend to trade less frequently than those of larger, more established companies, which can have an adverse effect on the pricing of these securities and on an Underlying Portfolio's ability to sell these securities. In the case of small cap technology companies, the risks associated with technology company stocks, which tend to be more volatile than other sectors, are magnified.

Market Sector/Industry Risk . Under normal circumstances, up to 10% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated to "off-benchmark" investments selected by the relevant AA Subadviser. "Off-benchmark" investments may result in concentrated exposure to specific market sectors or industries such as real estate, technology, utilities, financials, or healthcare. Underlying Portfolios that emphasize investments in a particular market sector or industry are subject to an additional risk factor because they are generally less diversified than most equity funds. As a result, an Underlying Portfolio could experience sharp price declines when conditions are unfavorable in the market sector or industry in which it invests.

 

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Introduction to Past Performance

A number of factors, including risk, can affect how a Portfolio performs. The bar charts and tables on the following pages demonstrate the risk of investing in each Portfolio by showing how returns can change from year to year and by showing how each Portfolio's average annual returns compare with a stock index and a group of similar mutual funds. Past performance does not mean that a Portfolio will achieve similar results in the future.

The annual returns and average annual returns shown in the charts and tables on the following pages are after deduction of expenses and do not include Contract charges. If Contract charges were included, the returns shown would have been lower than those shown. Consult your Contract prospectus for information about Contract charges. During certain periods shown, fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements may be in effect. Without such fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the returns for a Portfolio would have been lower.

 

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Past Performance: International & Global Portfolios

AST International Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
59.16% (4th quarter of 1999) -21.19% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 19.05% 22.26% 9.53%
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Index (GD)* 11.63% 22.08% 9.04%

*The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index is a weighted, unmanaged index of performance that reflects stock price movements in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. The Portfolio utilizes the MSCI EAFE Index (GD). The ND (net dividends) and GD (gross dividends) versions of the MSCI EAFE Index differ in that ND returns reflect the impact of the maximum withholding taxes on reinvested dividends while the GD version does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST International Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
64.20% (4th quarter of 1999) -22.77% (2nd quarter of 2000)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 17.81% 22.58% 8.61%
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Index (GD)* 11.63% 22.08% 9.04%

*The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index is a weighted, unmanaged index of performance that reflects stock price movements in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. The Portfolio utilizes the MSCI EAFE Index (GD). The ND (net dividends) and GD (gross dividends) versions of the MSCI EAFE Index differ in that ND returns reflect the impact of the maximum withholding taxes on reinvested dividends while the GD version does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
42.51% (4th quarter of 1999) -19.79% (3rd quarter of 1998)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 9.44% 17.94% 7.62%
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Index (GD)* 11.63% 22.08% 9.04%

*The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index is a weighted, unmanaged index of performance that reflects stock price movements in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. The Portfolio utilizes the MSCI EAFE Index (GD). The ND (net dividends) and GD (gross dividends) versions of the MSCI EAFE Index differ in that ND returns reflect the impact of the maximum withholding taxes on reinvested dividends while the GD version does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
15.32% (2nd quarter of 2003) -14.66% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (10/18/99)
Portfolio 9.40% 17.10% 7.30%
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) EAFE Index (GD)* 11.63% 22.08% 7.09%
Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World Index (GD)* 9.57% 17.53% 4.72%

*The Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Europe, Australasia, Far East (EAFE) Index is a weighted, unmanaged index of performance that reflects stock price movements in Europe, Australasia, and the Far East. The MSCI World Index is a weighted index comprised of approximately 1,500 companies listed on the stock exchanges of the U.S., Europe, Australasia and the Far East. The Portfolio utilizes the MSCI EAFE Index (GD) and the MSCI World Index (GD). The ND (net dividends) and GD (gross dividends) versions differ in that ND returns reflect the impact of the maximum withholding taxes on reinvested dividends while the GD versions do not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

No performance history is presented for the AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio, because this Portfolio is new, and therefore does not yet have a full calendar year of performance.

 

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Past Performance: Capital Growth Portfolios

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
79.79% (4th quarter of 1999) -31.21% (4th quarter of 2000)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 7.15% 10.60% 2.80%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 7.08%
Russell 2000 Growth Index** 7.05% 16.50% 4.32%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell 2000 Growth Index consists of those companies in the Russell 2000 Index that have a greater-than-average growth orientation. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
47.63% (4th quarter of 1999) -28.92% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since inception (1/4/99)
Portfolio 18.72% 15.70% 3.35%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 8.21%
Russell 2000 Growth Index** 7.05% 16.50% 4.67%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell 2000 Growth Index consists of those companies in the Russell 2000 Index that have a greater-than-average growth orientation. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
35.55% (2nd quarter of 2003) -32.24% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since inception (10/23/00)
Portfolio 11.21% 23.44% 5.47%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 7.56%
Russell 2000 Growth Index** 7.05% 16.50% 2.33%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell 2000 Growth Index consists of those companies in the Russell 2000 Index that have a greater-than-average growth orientation. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
22.89% (2nd quarter of 1999) -22.12% (3rd quarter of 1998)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (1/2/98)
Portfolio -5.12% 14.64% 11.30%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 7.08%
Russell 2000 Value Index** -9.78% 15.80% 9.06%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.


**The Russell 2000 Value Index measures the performance of Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
19.09% (2nd quarter of 1999) -19.88% (3rd quarter of 1998)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio -5.61% 13.82% 7.34%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 7.08%
Russell 2000 Value Index** -9.78% 15.80% 9.06%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.


**The Russell 2000 Value Index measures the performance of Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST DeAM Small Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
19.87% (2nd quarter of 2003) -21.26% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 year Since Inception (5/1/02)
Portfolio -17.77% 11.82% 5.51%
Russell 2000 Index* -1.57% 16.25% 8.75%
Russell 2000 Value Index** -9.78% 15.80% 8.96%

*The Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.


**The Russell 2000 Value Index measures the performance of Russell 2000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
18.12% (2nd quarter of 2003) -33.07% (4th quarter of 2000)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (5/1/00)
Portfolio 19.35% 15.27% -6.72%
Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index* 7.98% 16.20% 9.06%
Russell Mid Cap Growth Index** 11.43% 17.90% 0.83%

*The Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index)—an unmanaged index of 400 domestic stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation—gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell Mid Cap Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000 Growth index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
49.26% (4th quarter of 1999) -29.71% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 22.21% 19.11% 7.47%
Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index* 7.98% 16.20% 11.20%
Russell Midcap Growth Index** 11.43% 17.90% 7.59%

*The Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index)—an unmanaged index of 400 domestic stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation—gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell Midcap Growth Index consists of those securities in the Russell Midcap Index that have a greater-than-average growth orientation. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
15.95% (4th quarter of 1998) -14.90% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 3.17% 16.48% 9.36%
Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index* 7.98% 16.20% 11.20%
Russell Midcap Value Index** -1.42% 17.92% 10.18%

*The Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's MidCap 400 Index)—an unmanaged index of 400 domestic stocks chosen for market size, liquidity and industry group representation—gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell Midcap Value Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000 Value Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
19.09% (2nd quarter of 2003) -17.80% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (10/23/00)
Portfolio 2.75% 14.16% 5.97%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 2.11%
Russell Midcap Value Index** -1.42% 17.92% 12.08%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell Midcap Value Index measures the performance of those Russell Midcap companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The stocks are also members of the Russell 1000 Value Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
28.30% (4th quarter of 1999) -16.90% (1st quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 8.24% 11.73% 4.19%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Growth Index** 11.81% 12.11% 3.83%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 100 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.



 

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Past Performance: Capital Growth Portfolios (Continued)

AST MFS Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
15.50% (4th quarter of 2001) -22.43% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception
(10/28/99)
Portfolio 15.11% 12.79% 1.00%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 2.59%
Russell 1000 Growth Index** 11.81% 12.11% -1.05%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.


**The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 100 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

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AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
36.36% (4th quarter of 1999) -18.06% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception
(12/22/97)
Portfolio 14.97% 14.95% 9.42%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Growth Index** 11.81% 12.11% 3.83%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.


**The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 100 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

77

AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
33.97% (4th quarter of 1999) -26.71% (1st quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 14.00% 10.97% 3.80%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Growth Index** 11.81% 12.11% 3.83%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell 1000 Growth Index measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

78

AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
15.61% (2nd quarter of 2003) -17.31% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (10/23/00)
Portfolio 1.18% 15.03% 6.64%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 2.11%
Russell 1000 Value Index** -0.17% 14.63% 6.74%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell 1000 Value Index measures measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

79

AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
13.27% (2nd quarter of 2003) -16.19% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio -2.99% 11.12% 5.42%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Value Index** -0.17% 14.63% 7.68%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.


**The Russell 1000 Value Index measures measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

80

AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
15.51% (2nd quarter of 2003) -18.87% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception
(5/1/01)
Portfolio -3.56% 12.53% 7.18%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 4.26%
Russell 1000 Value Index** -0.17% 14.63% 7.29%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Russell 1000 Value Index measures measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

81

AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio)

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
21.58% (4th quarter of 1998) -17.53% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (1/2/98)
Portfolio 2.08% 10.76% 5.35%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%

Note : Prior to May 1, 2008, the Portfolio was known as the AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio and invested (under normal circumstances) at least 80% of its net assets in securities included in the Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index. Pursuant to shareholder approval, the Portfolio adopted a long/short investment strategy and made certain other changes to the Portfolio's investment objective and investment policies. Shareholders also approved an increase in the Portfolio's contractual management fee from 0.60% to 1.00%. Consequently, the investment objective, investment policies, investment strategies and expense structure of the Portfolio are materially different. The performance history furnished above reflects the investment performance, investment operations, investment policies and investment strategies of the former AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio, and does not represent the actual or predicted performance of the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio.

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

82

Past Performance: Growth & Income Portfolios

AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
16.72% (4th quarter of 1998) -17.11% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio -0.11% 12.11% 4.82%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Index** 5.77% 13.43% 6.20%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell 1000 Index consists of the largest 1000 companies in the Russell 3000 Index. The Russell 3000 Index consists of the 3000 largest companies, as determined by market capitalization. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

83

AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
17.89% (2nd quarter of 2003) -18.25% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Porfolio 5.13% 13.68% 7.16%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Russell 1000 Value Index** -0.17% 14.63% 7.68%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (S&P 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Russell 1000 Value Index measures measures the performance of those Russell 1000 companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecasted growth values. The Russell 1000 Index measures the performance of the 1,000 largest companies in the Russell 3000 Index, which represents approximately 92% of the total market capitalization of the Russell 3000 Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

84

Past Performance: Special Equity Portfolios

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
17.44% (4th quarter of 2004) -15.18% (4th quarter of 2007)

Average annual total returns For periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (1/2/98)
Portfolio -19.94% 18.97% 10.56%
NAREIT Equity REIT Index* -15.69% 18.17% 10.49%
Wilshire Reit Index** -17.55% 18.27% N/A

* The NAREIT Equity REIT Index is an unmanaged, capitalization-weighted index of all equity real estate investment trusts. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Wilshire REIT index seeks to provide a broad representation of the U.S. real estate securities markets. In order to be included in the REIT index, a company must be an equity owner and operator of commercial or residential real estate and must generate at least 75% of its revenue from such assets. It also must meet minimum requirements for market capitalization and liquidity. Certain types of securities, such as mortgage REITs, are excluded, as are companies with more than 25% of their assets in direct mortgage investments. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

85

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
19.85% (4th quarter of 2003) -18.58% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 40.51% 30.24% 17.71%
Lipper Variable Underlying Funds Index* 39.08% 29.97% -
Standard & Poor's 500 Index** 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how mid cap stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Lipper Variable Underlying Funds Index consists of an equal dollar-weighted composite of the 10 largest funds in the Lipper VUF Natural Resources fund classification. The index is rebalanced quarterly. Natural Resources funds are defined as funds that invest primarily in the equity securities of domestic and foreign companies engaged in natural resources. The Lipper Variable Underlying Funds Index has been added this year as a supplemental index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

86

AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

No performance history is presented for the AST Global Real Estate Portfolio, because this Portfolio is new, and therefore does not yet have a full calendar year of performance.

 

87

Past Performance: Asset Allocation Portfolios

AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
14.12% (4th quarter of 1998) -8.89% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 8.92% 10.11% 6.44%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Blended Index** 6.85% 11.43% 6.75%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (48%), MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (15%), Citigroup Broad-Investment Grade "BIG" Bond Index (31%), and Three-Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (6%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

88

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
5.47% (4th quarter of 2006) -1.00% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (03/20/06)
Portfolio 9.51% 9.89%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 9.50%
Blended Index** 6.39% 8.99%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (40%), the MSCI EAFE Index (20%), the Lehman Brothers Global Aggregate Bond Index (US$ Hedged) (30%) and the Custom Extended Markets Index (10%). The Custom Extended Markets Index is comprised of equal weightings of the Lehman Brothers US TIPS Index, the Dow Jones AIG Commodity Total Return Index, and the Dow Jones Wilshire REIT Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio

 

89

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
12.45% (2nd quarter of 2003) -10.47% (3rd quarter of 2002)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 6.32% 11.54% 6.76%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 12.82% 5.91%
Blended Index** 6.33% 9.52% 6.29%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (60%) and the Lehman Brothers Government/Credit Index (40%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

90

AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
16.25% (4th quarter of 1999) -12.44% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 1.94% 9.98% 4.59%
Blended Index* 6.79% 10.96% 6.81%

**The Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (48%), the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (40%) and the MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (12%). The ND (net dividends) and GD (gross dividends) versions of the MSCI EAFE Index differ in that ND returns reflect the impact of the maximum withholding taxes on reinvested dividends while the GD version does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

91

AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
5.51% (4th quarter of 2006) -2.51% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (3/20/06)
Portfolio 8.56% 8.87%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 9.50%
Primary Blended Index** 6.34% 9.12%
Secondary Blended Index*** 5.92% 8.09%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index ("Standard & Poor's 500 Index") — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Primary Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (45%), the MSCI EAFE Index (20%), and the Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Bond Index (35%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***The Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (65%) and the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index (35%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

92

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
6.51% (2nd quarter of 2007) -3.70% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (3/20/06)
Portfolio 11.42% 9.89%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 9.50%
Primary Blended Index** 6.72% 9.89%
Secondary Blended Index*** 5.60% 8.32%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index ("Standard & Poor's 500 Index") — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Primary Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (55%), the MSCI EAFE Index (25%) and the Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Bond Index (20%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***The Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (80%) and the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index (20%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

93

AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
8.33% (4th quarter of 2006) -2.27% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (12/5/05)
Portfolio 9.56% 12.18%
Blended Index* 6.44% 12.05%

*Blended Index consists of Russell 3000 Index (80%) and MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (20%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. The GD (gross dividends) version of the MSCI EAFE Index does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. Based on a reccomendation of the Portfolio's Manager, the Board determined that the GD version of the benchmark, which generally reflects higher returns, is a more appropriate benchmark for the Portfolio. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

94

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
7.25% (4th quarter of 2006) -2.10% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (12/5/05)
Portfolio 9.73% 11.37%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 10.09%
Primary Blended Index** 6.68% 10.56%
Secondary Blended Index*** 5.96% 9.10%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**The Primary Blended Index consists of the Russell 3000 Index (60%), the MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (15%) and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (25%). The GD (gross dividends) version of the MSCI EAFE Index does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***The Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (75%) and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (25%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

95

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
6.05% (4th quarter of 2006) -1.73% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (12/5/05)
Portfolio 9.21% 10.26%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 10.09%
Primary Blended Index** 6.76% 9.95%
Secondary Blended Index*** 6.13% 8.69%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**Primary Blended Index consists of Russell 3000 Index (52%), MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (13%), and Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (35%). The GD (gross dividends) version of the MSCI EAFE Index does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (65%) and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (35%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

96

AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
5.31% (4th quarter of 2006) -1.45% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (12/5/05)
Portfolio 9.08% 9.67%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 10.09%
Primary Blended Index** 6.82% 9.34%
Secondary Blended Index*** 6.29% 8.27%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**Primary Blended Index consists of Russell 3000 Index (44%), MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (11%), and Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (45%). The GD (gross dividends) version of the MSCI EAFE Index does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (55%) and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (45%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

97

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
4.11% (3rd quarter of 2007) -1.07% (2nd quarter of 2006)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year Since Inception (12/5/05)
Portfolio 8.72% 8.30%
Standard & Poor's 500 Index* 5.49% 10.09%
Primary Blended Index** 6.91% 8.10%
Secondary Blended Index*** 6.58% 7.43%

*The Standard & Poor's 500 Composite Stock Price Index (Standard & Poor's 500 Index) — an unmanaged index of 500 stocks of large U.S. companies — gives a broad look at how stock prices have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

**Primary Blended Index consists of Russell 3000 Index (28%), MSCI EAFE Index (GD) (7%), and Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (65%). The GD (gross dividends) version of the MSCI EAFE Index does not reflect the impact of withholding taxes on reinvested dividends. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

***Secondary Blended Index consists of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (35%) and the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (65%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses. The "Since Inception" return reflects the closest calendar month-end return to the inception date of the Portfolio.

 

98

AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio


No performance history is presented for the AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, because these portfolios do not yet have a full calendar year of performance.

 

99

Past Performance: Fixed Income Portfolios

AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
7.85% (2nd quarter of 2002) -5.56% (1st quarter of 1999)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 9.65% 6.42% 5.37%
Lehman Brothers Global Aggregate Index* 9.48% 6.51% 6.08%

*The Lehman Brothers Global Aggregate Index provides a broad-based measure of the global investment-grade fixed-rate debt markets. The Global Aggregate Index contains three major components: the U.S. Aggregate Index, the Pan-European Aggregate Index, and the Asian-Pacific Aggregate Index. In addition to securities from these three benchmarks (94.4% of the overall Global Aggregate market value), the Global Aggregate Index includes Global Treasury, Eurodollar, Euro-Yen, Canadian, and Investment-Grade 144A index-eligible securities not already in the three regional aggregate indices. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

100

AST High Yield Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
7.65% (2nd quarter of 2003) -7.35% (4th quarter of 2000)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 2.48% 9.08% 3.87%
Merrill Lynch High Yield Index* 2.17% 10.57% 5.80%
Lehman Brothers High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index** 2.27% 10.74% 5.59%

*The Merrill Lynch High Yield Index is an unmanaged index that tracks the performance of below investment grade U.S. dollar-denominated corporate bonds publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Lehman Brothers U.S. Corporate High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index is an is an unmanaged index of the 2% Issuer Cap component of the Lehman Brothers High Yield Corporate Bond Index, which is a market value-weighted index of fixed rate, non-investment grade debt. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
6.91% (2nd quarter of 2003) -3.24% (3rd quarter of 2001)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years Since Inception (10/23/00)
Portfolio 6.09% 8.49% 6.55%
Merrill Lynch High Yield Market II Index with 2% Issuer constraint* 2.19% 10.76% 7.51%
Blended Index** 3.70% 9.49% 6.84%

*The Merrill Lynch High Yield Master II Constrained Index tracks the performance of below investment grade U.S. dollar denominated corporate bonds publicly issued in the U.S. domestic market. Issuers are capped at 2% of the Index. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

**The Blended Index consists of the Lehman Brothers High Yield 2% Issuer Capped Index (60%), the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index (20%) and the Merrill Lynch All Convertible Index (20%). These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
6.22% (3rd quarter of 2001) -2.13% (2nd quarter of 2004)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 8.31% 4.95% 6.22%
Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index* 6.97% 4.42% 5.97%

*The Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index —an unmanaged index of investment-grade securities issued by the U.S. Government and its agencies and by corporations with between one and ten years remaining to maturity—gives a broad look at how short and intermediate-term bonds have performed. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
3.00% (3rd quarter of 2007) -0.73% (2nd quarter of 2004)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 6.80% 3.50% 4.91%
Merrill Lynch 1-3 Year Treasury Index* 7.32% 3.12% 4.75%

*The Merrill Lynch 1-3 Year Treasury Index is a sub-index of the Merrill Lynch Treasury Master Index. It includes issues in the form of publicly placed, coupon-bearing U.S. Treasury debt. Issues must carry a term to maturity of at least one year. These returns do not include the effect of any investment management expenses. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of these expenses.

 

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AST Money Market Portfolio

Annual Returns

Best Quarter Worst Quarter
1.77% (3rd quarter of 2000) 0.13% (4th quarter of 2003)

Average annual total returns for periods ended 12/31/07
1 year 5 years 10 years
Portfolio 4.90% 2.72% 3.44%
Lipper Variable Insurance Products (VIP) Money Market Funds Average* 4.78% 2.67% 3.46%

*The Lipper Average is calculated by Lipper Analytical Services, Inc. and reflects the return of certain portfolios underlying variable life and annuity products. The returns are net of investment fees and fund expenses but not product charges. These returns would have been lower if they included the effect of product charges.

7-Day Yield (as of 12/31/07)
AST Money Market Portfolio* 4.60%
Average Money Market Fund** 4.12%

*The Portfolio's yield is after deduction of expenses and does not include contract charges.

**Source: iMoneyNet, Inc., as of December 25, 2007, based on the iMoneyNet Prime Retail Universe.

 

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AST Bond Portfolio 2015
AST Bond Portfolio 2018
AST Bond Portfolio 2019
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

No performance history is presented for the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, the AST Bond Portfolio 2018, the AST Bond Portfolio 2019, the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, or the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio, because these portfolios do not yet have a full calendar year of performance.

 

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Fees and Expenses of the Portfolios

The table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Portfolios. Unless otherwise indicated, the fees and expenses shown below are based upon each Portfolio's expenses for the year ended December 31, 2007 and are expressed as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Portfolio.

The table does not include Contract charges. Because Contract charges are not included, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the fees and expenses set forth in the following table. See the accompanying Contract prospectus for more information about Contract charges.


Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses (expenses that are deducted from Portfolio assets, in %)
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) Management Fees 4 Distribution (12b-1) Fees Other Expenses 1 , 5 Acquired Portfolio Fees & Expenses 2 Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses 3
AST International Growth None 1.00 None .11 - 1.11
AST International Value None 1.00 None .12 - 1.12
AST JPMorgan International Equity None .87 None .13 - 1.00
AST MFS Global Equity None 1.00 None .21 - 1.21
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity None 1.10 None .46 - 1.56
AST Small-Cap Growth None .90 None .15 - 1.05
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth None .95 None .12 - 1.07
AST Federated Aggressive Growth None .95 None .11 - 1.06
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value None .95 None .13 - 1.08
AST Small-Cap Value None .90 None .10 - 1.00
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value None .95 None .18 - 1.13
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth None 1.00 None .12 - 1.12
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth None .90 None .10 - 1.00
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value None .89 None .10 - .99
AST Mid-Cap Value None .95 None .14 - 1.09
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth None .88 None .08 - .96
AST MFS Growth None .90 None .12 - 1.02
AST Marsico Capital Growth None .90 None .08 - .98
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth None .90 None .10 - 1.00
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value None .85 None .11 - .96
AST Large-Cap Value None .75 None .08 - .83
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value None .75 None .11 - .86
AST QMA US Equity Alpha None 1.00 None .63 - 1.63
AST American Century Income & Growth None .75 None .11 - .86
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income None .75 None .08 - .83
AST Cohen & Steers Realty None 1.00 None .12 - 1.12
AST Global Real Estate None 1.00 None .30 - 1.30
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources None .90 None .10 - 1.00
AST American Century Strategic Allocation None .85 None .25 - 1.10
AST Advanced Strategies None .85 None .15 .04 1.04
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation None .85 None .12 - .97
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha None 1.00 None .13 .02 1.15
AST First Trust Balanced Target None .85 None .11 - .96
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target None .85 None .11 - .96
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation None .15 None .03 .96 1.14
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation None .15 None .01 .93 1.09
AST Balanced Asset Allocation None .15 None .01 .90 1.06
AST Conservative Asset Allocation None .15 None .02 .87 1.04
AST Preservation Asset Allocation None .15 None .03 .82 1.00
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation None .30 None .36 .99 1.65
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation None .30 None .36 .91 1.57

 

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AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation None .30 None .84 .97 2.11
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation None .30 None .57 .90 1.77
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation None .30 None .50 .96 1.76
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond None .80 None .13 - .93
AST High Yield None .75 None .12 - .87
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture None .80 None .11 - .91
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond None .65 None .09 - .74
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond None .65 None .11 - .76
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond None .70 None .10 .02 .82
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 None .65 None .99 - 1.64
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 None .65 None .99 - 1.64
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 None .65 None .99 - 1.64
AST Investment Grade Bond None .65 None .99 - 1.64
AST Money Market None .50 None .09 - .59

 

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Example

The following Example, which reflects the Portfolio operating expenses listed in the preceding tables, is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. Because the following example does not include the effect of Contract charges, the total fees and expenses that you will incur will be higher than the example set forth in the following table. For more information about Contract charges see the accompanying Contract prospectus. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in a Portfolio for the time periods indicated, that your investment has a 5% return each year, that the Portfolio's total operating expenses remain the same (including the indirect expenses of any acquired portfolios in which the Portfolio invests), and that no expense waivers and reimbursements are in effect. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example
1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years
AST International Growth $113 $353 $612 $1,352
AST International Value 114 356 617 1,363
AST JPMorgan International Equity 102 318 552 1,225
AST MFS Global Equity 123 384 665 1,466
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity 159 493 850 1,856
AST Small-Cap Growth 107 334 579 1,283
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth 109 340 590 1,306
AST Federated Aggressive Growth 108 337 585 1,294
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value 110 343 595 1,317
AST Small-Cap Value 102 318 552 1,225
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value 115 359 622 1,375
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth 114 356 617 1,363
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 102 318 552 1,225
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value 101 315 547 1,213
AST Mid-Cap Value 111 347 601 1,329
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 98 306 531 1,178
AST MFS Growth 104 325 563 1,248
AST Marsico Capital Growth 100 312 542 1,201
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth 102 318 552 1,225
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value 98 306 531 1,178
AST Large-Cap Value 85 265 460 1,025
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value 88 274 477 1,061
AST QMA US Equity Alpha 166 514 887 1,933
AST American Century Income & Growth 88 274 477 1,061
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 85 265 460 1,025
AST Cohen & Steers Realty 114 356 617 1363
AST Global Real Estate 132 412 713 1,568
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources 102 318 552 1,225
AST American Century Strategic Allocation 112 350 606 1,340
AST Advanced Strategies 106 331 574 1,271
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation 99 309 536 1,190
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha 117 365 633 1,398
AST First Trust Balanced Target 98 306 531 1,178
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target 98 306 531 1,178
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation 116 362 628 1,386
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation 111 347 601 1,329
AST Balanced Asset Allocation 108 337 585 1,294
AST Conservative Asset Allocation 106 331 574 1,271
AST Preservation Asset Allocation 102 318 552 1,225
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation 168 520 897 1,955
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation 160 496 855 1,867
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation 214 661 1,134 2,441
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation 180 557 959 2,084
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation 179 554 954 2,073

 

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AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 76 237 411 918
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond 78 243 422 942
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond 95 296 515 1,143
AST High Yield 89 278 482 1,073
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio 93 290 504 1,120
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond 84 262 455 1,014
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 167 517 892 1,944
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 167 517 892 1,944
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 167 517 892 1,944
AST Investment Grade Bond 167 517 892 1,944
AST Money Market 60 189 329 738

1 Shares of the Portfolios are generally purchased through variable insurance products. The Fund has entered into arrangements with the issuers of the variable insurance products offering the Portfolios under which the Fund compensates the issuers 0.10% for providing ongoing services to Portfolio shareholders in lieu of the Fund providing such services directly to shareholders. Amounts paid under these arrangements are included in "Other Expenses." Subject to the expense limitations set forth below, for each Portfolio of the Fund other than the Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, 0.03% of the 0.10% adminstrative services fee is voluntarily waived. The Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios do not directly pay any portion of the 0.10% administrative service fee. The Underlying Portfolios in which the Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios invest, however, are subject to the administrative services fee. With respect to the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio, "Other Expenses" includes dividend expenses on short sales and interest expenses on short sales.

2 Some of the Portfolios invest in other investment companies (the Acquired Portfolios). For example, each Dynamic and Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio invests in shares of other Portfolios of the Fund, and some Portfolios invest in other funds, including the Dryden Core Investment Fund. Investors in a Portfolio indirectly bear the fees and expenses of the Acquired Portfolios. The expenses shown under "Acquired Portfolio Fees and Expenses" represent a weighted average of the expense ratios of the Acquired Portfolios in which each Portfolio invested during the year ended December 31, 2007. The Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios do not pay any transaction fees when purchasing or redeeming shares of the Acquired Portfolios.

When a Portfolio's "Acquired Portfolio Fees and Expenses" are less that 0.01%, such expenses are included in the column titled "Other Expenses." This may cause the Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses to differ from those set forth in the Financial Highlights tables of such Portfolios.

3 Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. have voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of their management fee and/or limit total expenses (expressed as an annual percentage of average daily net assets) for certain Portfolios of the Fund. These arrangements, which are set forth as follows, may be discontinued or otherwise modified at any time. AST American Century Strategic Allocation: 1.25%; AST Cohen & Steers Realty: 1.45%; AST DeAM Small-Cap Value: 1.14%; AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth: 0.86%; AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth: 1.12%; AST High Yield: 0.88%; AST JPMorgan International Equity: 1.01%; AST International Value: 1.50%; AST Large-Cap Value: 1.20%; AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture: 0.88%; AST MFS Global Equity: 1.18%; AST MFS Growth: 1.35%; AST Marsico Capital Growth: 1.35%; AST Mid-Cap Value: 1.45%; AST Money Market: 0.56%; AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth: 1.25%; AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value: 1.25%; AST PIMCO Total Return Bond: contractual Portfolio expense limit 1.05%, which can be discontinued or modified only by amending the contract; AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond: 1.05%; AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation: 1.25%; AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources: 1.35%; AST International Growth: 1.75%.

Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. have voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of their investment management fees and/or reimburse certain expenses for each of the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio so that each Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment management fees plus other expenses (exclusive in all cases of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, distribution fees, extraordinary expenses, and Underlying Portfolio fees and expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets to $100 million; 0.35% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets from $100 million to $200 million; and 0.30% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets over $200 million. The Investment Managers also have voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of their investment management fees and/or reimburse certain expenses for each of the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, and the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio so that each Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment management fees plus other expenses (exclusive in all cases of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, distribution fees, extraordinary expenses, and Underlying Portfolio fees and expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.35% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.30% of such Asset Allocation Portfolio's average daily net assets over $750 million. All of these arrangements are voluntary and may be discontinued or otherwise modified by the Investment Managers at any time without prior notice.

With respect to each of the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019 and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. have voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of their investment management fees and/or reimburse certain expenses for the Portfolios so that each Portfolio's investment management fees plus other expenses (exclusive in all cases of taxes, interest, brokerage commissions, distribution fees, and extraordinary expenses) do not exceed 1.00% of each Portfolio's average daily net assets for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2008. These arrangements are voluntary and may be discontinued or otherwise modified by the Investment Managers at any time without prior notice.

4 The management fee rate shown in the "management fees" column represents the actual fee rate paid by the indicated Portfolio for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, except that the fee rate shown does not reflect the impact of any voluntary management fee waivers that may be applicable and which would result in a reduction in the fee rate paid by the Portfolio. The management fee rate for certain Portfolios may include "breakpoints" which are reduced fee rates that are applicable at specified levels of Portfolio assets; the effective fee rates shown in the table reflect and incorporate any fee "breakpoints" which may be applicable.

5 The Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio and Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio are based on estimated expenses for 2008 and current period average daily net assets. The AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio, AST Global Real Estate Portfolio, AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio, AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019 and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio are based on estimated expenses for 2008 at an estimated asset level.

 

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MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON HOW THE PORTFOLIOS INVEST

Investment Objectives & Policies

We describe each Portfolio's investment objective and policies on the following pages. We describe certain investment instruments that appear below in the section entitled More Detailed Information About Other Investments and Strategies Used by the Portfolios.

Although we make every effort to achieve each Portfolio's objective, we can't guarantee success and it is possible that you could lose money. Unless otherwise stated, each Portfolio's investment objective is a fundamental policy that cannot be changed without shareholder approval. The Board of Trustees can change investment policies that are not fundamental.

An investment in a Portfolio is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency.

 

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AST International Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term growth of capital.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:

The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of issuers that are economically tied to countries other than the United States. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and other similar depositary receipts and shares. The Portfolio has the flexibility to invest on a worldwide basis in companies and organizations of any size, regardless of country of organization or place of principal business activity. The Portfolio normally invests primarily in securities of issuers from at least five different countries, which may include countries with emerging markets,excluding the United States. Although the Portfolio intends to invest at least 80% of its assets in the securities of issuers located outside the United States, it may at times invest in U.S. issuers and it may at times invest all of its assets in fewer than five countries or even a single country.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

This portfolio is advised by William Blair and Marsico. As of January 31, 2008, William Blair is responsible for managing approximately 69% of the Portfolio's assets and Marsico is responsible for managing approximately 31% of the Portfolio's assets.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of issuers that are economically tied to countries other than the United States, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of long-term growth of capital. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio primarily invests in securities of issuers from at least five different countries, which may include countries with emerging markets, excluding the United States. Although the Portfolio intends to invest substantially all of its assets in issuers located outside the United States, it may at times invest in U.S. issuers and it may at times invest all of its assets in fewer than five countries or even a single country. The Portfolio invests primarily in companies selected for their growth potential.

William Blair generally takes a "bottom up" approach to choosing investments for the Portfolio. In other words, William Blair seeks to identify individual companies with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large, regardless of where the companies are organized or where they primarily conduct business. Although themes may emerge, William Blair generally selects securities, without regard to any defined allocation among countries, geographic regions or industry sectors, or other similar selection procedure. Current income is not a significant factor in choosing investments, and any income realized by the Portfolio will be incidental to its objective.

In selecting investments for the Portfolio, Marsico uses an approach that combines "top-down" macro-economic analysis with "bottom-up" stock selection.

The "top-down" approach may take into consideration macro-economic factors such as, without limitation, interest rates, inflation, demographics, the regulatory environment, and the global competitive landscape. In addition, Marsico may also examine other factors that may include, without limitation, the most attractive global investment opportunities, industry consolidation, and the sustainability of financial trends observed. As a result of the "top-down" analysis, Marsico seeks to identify sectors, industries and companies that may benefit from the overall trends Marsico has observed.

Marsico then looks for individual companies or securities with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. In determining whether a particular company or security may be a suitable investment, Marsico may focus on any of a number of different attributes that may include, without limitation, the company's specific market expertise or dominance; its franchise durability and pricing power; solid fundamentals (e.g., a strong balance sheet, improving returns on equity, the ability to generate free cash flow, apparent use of conservative accounting standards, and transparent financial disclosure); strong and ethical management; commitment to shareholder interests; reasonable valuations in the context of projected growth rates; and other indications that a company or security may be an attractive investment prospect. This process is called "bottom-up" stock selection.

As part of this fundamental, "bottom-up" research, Marsico may visit with various levels of a company's management, as well as with its customers and (as relevant) suppliers, distributors, and competitors. Marsico also may prepare detailed earnings and cash flow

 

112

models of companies. These models may assist Marsico in projecting potential earnings growth, current income and other important company financial characteristics under different scenarios. Each model is typically customized to follow a particular company and is generally intended to replicate and describe a company's past, present and potential future performance. The models may include quantitative information and detailed narratives that reflect updated interpretations of corporate data and company and industry developments.

Marsico may reduce or sell a Fund's investments in portfolio companies if, in the opinion of Marsico, a company's fundamentals change substantially, its stock price appreciates excessively in relation to fundamental earnings growth prospects, the company appears not to realize its growth potential or current income potential, more attractive investment opportunities appear elsewhere, or for other reasons.

The core investments of the portfolio generally may include established companies and securities that offer long-term growth potential. However, the portfolio also may typically include securities of less mature companies, companies or securities with more aggressive growth characteristics, and companies undergoing significant changes such as the introduction of a new product line, the appointment of a new management team, or an acquisition.

As with any fund investing primarily in equity securities, the fundamental risk associated with the Portfolio is the risk that the value of the equity securities it holds might decrease. Stock values may fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market and/or economic conditions. As a fund that invests primarily in the securities of foreign issuers, the risk associated with the Portfolio may be greater than a fund investing primarily in domestic securities. For a further discussion of the risks involved in investing in foreign securities, see this Prospectus under "Principal Risks." In addition, the Portfolio may invest to some degree in smaller or newer issuers, which are more likely to realize substantial growth as well as suffer significant losses than larger or more established issuers.

The Portfolio generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investment rather than short-term gains. However, short-term transactions may occur as the result of liquidity needs, securities having reached a desired price or yield, anticipated changes in interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time the investment was made. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may purchase securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains. The Portfolio may also sell one security and simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or securities prices.

Special Situations . The Portfolio may invest in "special situations" from time to time. A special situation arises when, in the opinion of a subadviser, the securities of a particular issuer will be recognized and increase in value due to a specific development with respect to that issuer. Developments creating a special situation might include a new product or process, a technological breakthrough, a management change or other extraordinary corporate event, or differences in market supply of and demand for the security. Investment in special situations may carry an additional risk of loss in the event that the anticipated development does not occur or does not attract the expected attention.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may invest to a lesser degree in debt securities, including bonds rated below investment grade ("junk" bonds), mortgage and asset-backed securities and zero coupon, pay-in-kind and step coupon securities (securities that do not, or may not under certain circumstances, make regular interest payments).

The Portfolio may make short sales "against the box." In addition, the Portfolio may invest in the following types of securities and engage in the following investment techniques:

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may enter into futures contracts on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies and options on such contracts and may invest in options on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies, forward contracts and interest rate swaps and swap-related products (collectively "derivative instruments"). The Portfolio intends to use most derivative instruments primarily to hedge the value of its portfolio against potential adverse movements in securities prices, foreign currency markets or interest rates. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to increase income. The Portfolio may also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk with respect to investments exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.

Index/Structured Securities . The Portfolio may invest in indexed/structured securities, which typically are short-to intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial indicators. Such securities may offer growth potential because of anticipated changes in interest rates, credit standing, currency relationships or other factors

 

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Temporary Investments . When a subadviser believes that market conditions are not favorable for profitable investing or when the subadviser is otherwise unable to locate favorable investment opportunities, the Portfolio's investments may be hedged to a greater degree and/or its cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the Portfolio does not always stay fully invested in stocks and bonds. The Portfolio's cash and similar investments may include high-grade commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and money market funds managed by the subadviser. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of long-term growth of capital will be limited.

This Portfolio is co-managed by William Blair and Marsico. As of January 31, 2008, William Blair is responsible for managing approximately 70% of the Portfolio, and Marsico is responsible for managing approximately 30% of the Portfolio.


AST International Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.


Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities. The 80% requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. Equity securities include common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks and securities having common characteristics or other derivative instruments whose value is based on common stocks such as rights, warrants or options to purchase common stock, preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds, convertible debentures, convertible notes, depository receipts, futures contracts and swaps.

To achieve the Portfolio's investment objective, the Portfolio will invest at least 65% of its net assets in the equity securities of foreign companies in at least three different countries, without limit as to the amount of Portfolio assets that may be invested in any single country. A company is considered to be a foreign company if it satisfies at least one of the following criteria:


The Portfolio may invest anywhere in the world, including North America, Western Europe, the United Kingdom and the Pacific Basin. The companies in which the Portfolio invests may be of any size.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manger structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and the allocations may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus. As of January 31, 2008, LSV is responsible for managing approximately 36% of the Portfolio's assets, and Thornburg is responsible for managing approximately 64% of the Portfolio's assets.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's investment objective of capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

LSV uses proprietary quantitative investment models to manage the Portfolio in a bottom-up security selection approach combined with overall portfolio risk management. The primary components of the investment models are: 1) indicators of fundamental undervaluation, such as high dividend yield, low price-to-cash flow ratio or low price-to-earnings ratio, 2) indicators of past negative market sentiment, such as poor past stock price performance, 3) indicators of recent momentum, such as high recent stock price performance, and 4) control of incremental risk relative to the benchmark index. All such indicators are measured relative to the overall universe of non-U.S., developed market equities. This investment strategy can be described as a "contrarian value" approach. The objective of the strategy is to outperform the unhedged U.S. Dollar total return (net of foreign dividend withholding taxes) of the MSCI EAFE Index. The Portfolio may invest in equity securities from any of the countries comprising the MSCI EAFE Index.

The Portfolio will typically hold at least 100 stocks and LSV will generally align its portion of the Portfolio's country weightings with those of the MSCI EAFE Index. LSV intends to keep its portion of the Portfolio's assets as fully invested in non-U.S. equities as

 

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practicable at all times, except as needed to accommodate the Portfolio's liquidity needs.

Thornburg uses individual company and industry analysis to make investment decisions. The principal focus is on traditional or "basic" value stocks. The portfolio may include stocks that in Thornburg's opinion provide value in a broader or different context. The relative proportions of these different types of securities will vary over time. Stocks are grouped into three categories: Basic Value, Consistent Earners, and Emerging Franchises.

· Basic Value stocks are financially sound companies with well-established businesses that are selling at low valuations relative to the company's net assets or potential earning power.
· Consistent Earners are companies with steady earnings and dividend growth that are selling at attractive valuations and are priced below historical norms.
· Emerging Franchises are value-priced companies in the process of establishing a leading position in a product, service, or market that is expected to grow at an above average rate.

Generally, the majority of the portfolio will be invested in Basic Value and Consistent Earners. Debt securities are considered for investment when Thornburg believes them to be more attractive than equity alternatives.

Among specific factors considered in identifying undervalued securities for inclusion in the portfolio are: price/earnings ratio, price to book value, price/cash flow ratio, debt/capital ratio, dividend yield, dividend history, security and consistency of revenue stream, undervalued assets, relative earnings growth potential, industry growth potential, industry leadership, dividend growth potential, franchise value and potential for favorable developments.

Like all equity securities, the market values of securities held by the Portfolio can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception or general economic or financial market movements. As a fund that invests primarily in the securities of foreign issuers, the risk and degree of share price fluctuation of the Portfolio may be greater than a fund investing primarily in domestic securities.

Investments in foreign securities involve different risks that U.S. investments, including fluctuations in currency exchange rates, unstable political and economic structures, reduced availability of public information, and lack of uniform financial reporting and regulatory practices such as those that apply to U.S. issuers. Foreign investments of the Portfolio may include securities issued by companies locating in developing countries. Developing countries are subject to more economic, political and business risk than major industrialized nations, and the securities they issue are expected to be more volatile and more uncertain as to payment of interest and principal.

For an additional discussion of the risks involved in foreign securities, see this Prospectus under "Principal Risks."

Other Investments:

Options, Financial Futures and Other Derivatives . The Portfolio may deal in options on securities and securities indices, which options may be listed for trading on a national securities exchange or traded over-the-counter. Options transactions may be used to pursue the Portfolio's investment objective and also to hedge against currency and market risks, but are not intended for speculation. The Portfolio may engage in financial futures transactions on commodities exchanges or boards of trade in an attempt to hedge against market risks.

In addition to options and financial futures, the Portfolio may invest in a broad array of other "derivative" instruments, including forward currency transactions and swaps in an effort to manage investment risk, to increase or decrease exposure to an asset class or benchmark (as a hedge or to enhance return), or to create an investment position indirectly. The types of derivatives and techniques used by the Portfolio may change over time as new derivatives and strategies are developed or as regulatory changes occur.

Certain additional information about the other investments that the Portfolio may make and their risks is included below under "More Detailed Information on How the Portfolios Invest."

Temporary Investments . Up to 100% of the assets of the Portfolio may be invested temporarily in cash or cash equivalents in response to extraordinary adverse political, economic or stock market events. Temporary investments may include U.S. or foreign government obligations, commercial paper, bank obligations, and repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth will be limited.

 

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AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.


Principal Investment Objectives and Risks:
The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. Equity securities include common stocks, securities convertible into common stocks and securities having common stock characteristics or other derivative instruments whose value is based on common stocks, such as rights, warrants or options to purchase common stock, preferred stock, convertible preferred stock, convertible bonds, convertible debentures, convertible notes, depository receipts, futures contracts and swaps investments.

The Portfolio seeks to meet its investment objective by normally investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity securities of companies located or operating in developed non-U.S. countries and emerging markets of the world. The equity securities will ordinarily be traded on a recognized foreign securities exchange or traded in a foreign over-the-counter market in the country where the issuer is principally based, but may also be traded in other countries including the United States.

The Portfolio will normally allocate its investments among a variety of countries, regions and industry sectors, investing in several countries outside of the United States. However, the Portfolio may invest a substantial part of its assets in any one country. The Portfolio intends to invest in companies (or governments) in the following countries or regions: the Far East including Japan, Europe including the UK and other countries or areas that the subadviser may select from time to time. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities of issuers located and operating primarily in emerging market countries.

As with any equity fund, the fundamental risk associated with the Portfolio is the risk that the value of the securities it holds might decrease. The prices of equity securities change in response to many factors, including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of its assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity. As a fund that invests primarily in the securities of foreign issuers, the risk and degree of share price fluctuation of the Portfolio may be greater than a fund investing primarily in domestic securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities, which are described in more detail below under "Principal Risks," include political and economic conditions and instability in foreign countries, less available information about foreign companies, lack of strict financial and accounting controls and standards, less liquid and more volatile securities markets, and fluctuations in currency exchange rates. While the Portfolio may engage in transactions intended to hedge its exposure to fluctuations in foreign currencies, it does not normally do so. To the extent the Portfolio invests in securities of issuers in developing countries, the Portfolio may be subject to even greater levels of risk and share price fluctuation. Transaction costs are often higher in developing countries and there may be delays in settlement of transactions.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its total assets in debt or preferred equity securities exchangeable for or convertible into marketable equity securities of foreign companies. In addition, the Portfolio may regularly invest up to 20% of its total assets in high-grade short-term debt securities, including U.S. Government obligations, investment grade corporate bonds or taxable municipal securities, whether denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies. The Portfolio also may purchase and write (sell) covered call and put options on securities and stock indices. The Portfolio may also purchase and sell stock and interest rate futures contracts and options on these futures contracts. The purpose of these transactions is to hedge against changes in the market value of the Portfolio's securities caused by changing interest rates and market conditions, and to close out or offset existing positions in options or futures contracts. The Portfolio may from time to time make short sales "against the box."

Temporary Investments . In addition to regularly investing up to 20% of its total assets in short-term debt securities as noted above, the Portfolio may hold all or a significant portion of its assets in cash, money market instruments, bonds or other debt securities in anticipation of or in response to adverse market conditions or for cash management purposes. While the Portfolio is in such a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth may be limited.

AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. Equity securities represent an ownership interest, or the right to acquire an ownership interest in a company or other issuer. Different types of equity securities provide different voting and dividend rights and priorities in the event of bankruptcy of the issuer. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, securities convertible into stocks, and depository receipts for those securities.

 

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In selecting investments for the Portfolio, the subadviser is not constrained to any particular investment style. The Portfolio may invest its assets in the stocks of companies it believes to have above average earnings growth potential compared to other companies (growth companies), in the stocks of companies it believes are undervalued compared to their perceived worth (value companies), or in a combination of growth and value companies.

While the Portfolio may invest its assets in companies of any size, the Portfolio generally focuses on companies with large capitalizations.

The Portfolio may invest its assets in U.S. and foreign securities, including emerging market securities.

The Portfolio may invest a relatively high percentage of its assets in a single country or a small number of countries, or particular geographic region.

The subadviser uses a bottom-up investment approach in buying and selling investments for the Portfolio. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of issuers and their potential in light of their current financial condition and industry position, and market, economic, political, and regulatory conditions. Factors considered may include analysis of earnings, cash flows, competitive position, and management ability. Quantitative analysis of these and other factors may also be considered.

The subadviser may engage in active and frequent trading in pursuing the portfolio's principal investment strategies.

As a fund that invests primarily in equity stocks, the value of the securities held by the Portfolio may decline, either because of changing economic, political or market conditions, or because of the economic condition of the company that issued the security. As a global fund that invests in both U.S. and foreign securities, the Portfolio's level of risk may be lower than that of many international funds but higher than that of many domestic equity funds. The Portfolio's investments in foreign stocks may cause the risk and degree of share price fluctuation of the Portfolio to be greater than a fund investing primarily in domestic securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities, which are described in more detail in the "Principal Risks" section of the prospectus, include risks relating to political, social and economic conditions abroad, risks resulting from differing regulatory standards in non-U.S. markets, and fluctuations in currency exchange rates. To the extent the Portfolio invests in the securities of issuers in developing countries, the risks relating to investing in foreign securities likely will be accentuated. The Portfolio may also be subject to increased risk if it makes significant investments in securities traded over-the-counter, because such securities are frequently those of smaller companies that generally trade less frequently and are more volatile than the securities of larger companies.

Other Investments:
Although the Portfolio will invest primarily in equity securities, the Portfolio may purchase and sell futures contracts and related options on securities indices, foreign currencies and interest rates for hedging and non-hedging purposes. The Portfolio may also enter into forward contracts for the purchase or sale of foreign currencies for hedging and non-hedging purposes. The Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) options on securities, stock indices and foreign currencies. The Portfolio may also purchase warrants.

Temporary Investments. The Portfolio may depart from its principal investment strategy by temporarily investing for defensive purposes when adverse market, economic or political conditions exist. When investing for defensive purposes, the Portfolio may hold cash or invest in cash equivalents, such as short-term U.S. government securities, commercial paper and bank instruments. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.


AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

Investment Objective: To seek long-term capital appreciation.

The Portfolio's investment objective is not a fundamental investment policy and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.

Principal Investment Policies
Under normal market conditions, the Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of issuers: (i) located in emerging market countries or (ii) included (or considered for inclusion) as emerging market issuers in one or more broad-based market indices.

This 80% policy is not a fundamental policy. The Portfolio will provide 60 day's prior written notice to shareholders or a change in this policy.

 

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A company will be considered to be located in an emerging market country if it is domiciled in, or derives more than 50% of its revenues or profits from, emerging market countries. Emerging market countries are countries that are: (i) generally considered to be developing or emerging countries by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly referred to as the World Bank) or the International Finance Corporation; (ii) classified by the United Nations or otherwise regarded by its own authorities as developing; or (iii) identified by Parametric's portfolio managers as emerging market countries on the basis of market capitalization and liquidity. Emerging market countries include countries in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Southern Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and the region comprising the former Soviet Union. The Portfolio may invest without limit in foreign securities.

The Portfolio seeks to employ a top-down, disciplined and structured investment process that emphasizes broad exposure and diversification among emerging market countries, economic sectors, and issuers. This investment strategy uses targeted allocation and periodic rebalancing to take advantage of certain quantitative and behavioral characteristics of emerging markets identified by Parametric's portfolio managers. Parametric's portfolio managers select and allocate across countries based on factors such as size, liquidity, level of economic development, local economic diversification, and perceived risk and potential for growth. The Portfolio expects to maintain a bias to broad inclusion; that is Parametic's portfolio managers intend to allocate portfolio holdings among a variety of emerging market countries. Relative to capitalization-weighted country indexes, individual country allocation targets generally emphasize the less represented emerging market countries. The Portfolio's country allocations are rebalanced periodically to their target weights which has the effect of reducing exposure to countries with strong relative performance and increasing exposure to countries that have underperformed. Within each country, the Portfolio seeks to maintain exposure across key economic sectors such as industrial/technology, consumer, utilities, basic industry/resource and financial. Relative to capitalization-weighted country indexes, Parametric's portfolio managers generally target weights to these sectors to emphasize the less represented sectors. Parametric's portfolio managers select individual securities as representative of their respective economic sectors and generally weight them by their relative capitalization within that sector.

No more than 25% of the Portfolio's total assets may be denominated in a single foreign currency. The value of foreign assets as measured in U.S. dollars may be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in foreign currency exchange rates and exchange control regulations. At times, Parametric's portfolio managers may (but are not obligated to) use hedging techniques (including, without limitation, forward contracts and options) to attempt to mitigate adverse effects of foreign currency fluctuations.

The Portfolio may invest in securities of small and new companies. The Portfolio also may invest in privately issued securities, including, without limitation, privately issued securities whose investment results are designed to correspond generally to the performance of a specified stock index or "basket" of securities, or sometimes a single stock (referred to as "equity-linked securities"). The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in privately issued securities.

The Portfolio also may invest in convertible instruments that generally will not be rated, but will typically be equivalent in credit quality to securities rated below investment grade (i.e., credit quality equivalent to lower than Baa by Moody's and lower than BBB by S&P. Convertible debt securities that are not investment grade are commonly called "junk bonds." The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its assets in these instruments.

As an alternative to holding foreign-traded securities, the Portfolio may invest in dollar-denominated securities of foreign companies that trade on U.S. exchanges or in the U.S. over-the-counter market (including, without limitation, all types of depositary receipts that evidence ownership in underlying foreign securities). The Portfolio's investment in a depositary receipt will satisfy the above-referenced 80% investment policy if the issuer of the depositary receipt is: (i) domiciled in, or derives more than 50% of its revenues or profits from, emerging market countries or (ii) included (or considered for inclusion) as an emerging market issuer in one or more broad-based market indices.

Derivative Strategies . The Portfolio may at times engage in derivatives transactions (including, without limitation, futures contracts and options, covered short sales, and swap agreements) primarily as a substitute for purchasing or selling securities. The Portfolio also may engage in derivatives transactions to protect against price declines or to enhance investment returns. A derivative is a financial instrument, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. The use of derivatives — such as futures, foreign currency forward contracts, options on futures and various types of swaps — involves costs and can be volatile. With derivatives, Parametric tries to predict if the underlying investment — a security, market index, currency, interest rate, or some other benchmark, will go up or down at some future date. Parametric may use derivatives to try to reduce risk or to increase return consistent with the Portfolio's overall investment objectives. Parametric will consider other factors (such as cost) in deciding whether to employ any particular strategy or technique, or use any particular instrument. Any derivatives Parametric may use may not match or offset the Portfolio's underlying positions and this could result in losses to the Portfolio that would not otherwise have occurred. Derivatives that involve leverage could magnify losses.

Futures Contracts and Related Options . The Portfolio may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and related options on financial futures. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying asset at a future date, or to make or

 

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receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index, or some other asset, at a stipulated future date. The terms of futures contracts are standardized. In the case of a financial futures contract based upon a broad index, there is no delivery of the securities comprising the underlying index, margin is uniform, a clearing corporation or an exchange is the counterparty and the Portfolio makes daily margin payments based on price movements in the index. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities or currencies, or in the case of an option on a futures contract or an option on a swap, the right to buy or sell a futures contract or swap, respectively, in exchange for a premium.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts . A foreign currency forward contract is an obligation to buy or sell a given currency on a future date at a set price. When the Portfolio enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when that Portfolio anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividends or interest payments on a security which it holds, the Portfolio may desire to "lock-in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such dividend or interest payment, as the case may be. By entering into a forward contract for a fixed amount of dollars, for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Portfolio will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received. At the maturity of a forward contract, the Portfolio may either sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency or it may retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an "offsetting" contract with the same currency trader obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency.

Swap Transactions .The Portfolio may enter into swap transactions. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods typically ranging from a few weeks to more than a year. In a standard swap, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. Types of swaps include but are not limited to credit default, interest rate, total return and index swaps.

Swap Options . The Portfolio may enter into swap options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms.

Options on Financial Indexes . The Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on financial indexes traded on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges, on the NASDAQ Stock Market or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities in exchange for a premium. The Portfolio sells only covered options.

Options. The Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on stocks, debt securities, swaps, and currencies traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities, swaps or such currencies in exchange for a premium. Options may be on stocks, debt securities, aggregates of debt securities, financial indexes, U.S. government securities, foreign government securities, swaps and foreign currencies. The Portfolio sells only covered options.

Asset Segregation . The Portfolio is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, related rules, and various Commission and Commission staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, the Portfolio must "set aside" (referred to sometimes as "asset segregation") liquid assets, or engage in other Commission - or staff-approved measures, while the derivatives contracts are open. For example, with respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not contractually required to "cash-settle," the Portfolio must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts' full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to "cash-settle," however, the Portfolio is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled forward and futures contracts, the Portfolio has the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if it were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The use of leverage involves certain risks. The Trust reserves the right to modify the Portfolio's asset segregation policies in the future to comply with changes in the positions articulated by the Commission and its staff.

Other Investments:
In addition to the principal strategies, the Subadviser also may use the following strategies to try to increase returns or protect its assets if market conditions warrant.

Exchange-Traded Funds. The Portfolio may invest in securities of exchange traded funds (ETFs), such as Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), subject to certain limits on investment in securities of non-affiliated investment companies. ETFs represent shares of ownership in either mutual funds or unit investment trusts (UITs) that hold a portfolio of common stocks that are designed to

 

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generally correspond to the price and yield performance of their underlying portfolio of securities. Such holdings may be subject to any management fees of the mutual fund or UIT. The underlying portfolio may have a broad market, sector or international exposure. ETFs give investors the opportunity to buy or sell an entire portfolio of stocks in a single security transaction in a manner similar to buying or selling a share of stock.

Initial Public Offerings. The Portfolio may participate in the initial public offering (IPO) market. The prices of securities purchased in IPOs can be very volatile. The effects of IPOs on performance depends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs invested in relative to the size of the Portfolio and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value. As the Portfolio's asset base increases, IPOs often have a diminished effect on performance.

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stock. The Portfolio may invest in convertible securities, which include preferred stocks and debt securities of a corporation that may be converted into underlying shares of common stock either because they have warrants attached or otherwise permit the holder to buy common stock at a set price. Convertible securities provide an income stream (usually lower than non-convertible bonds) and give investors opportunities to participate in the capital appreciation of the underlying common stock. Convertible securities typically offer greater potential appreciation than nonconvertible debt securities .

Repurchase Agreements.
The Portfolio may use repurchase agreements, where a party agrees to sell a security to the Portfolio and then repurchases it at an agreed-upon price at a stated time. This creates a fixed return, and is, in effect, a loan by the Portfolio.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements. The Portfolio may use reverse repurchase agreements, where it sells a security with an obligation to repurchase it at an agreed-upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements that involve borrowing to take advantage of investment opportunities, a practice known as leverage, could magnify losses. If the Portfolio borrows money to purchase securities and those securities decline in value, then the value of the Portfolio's shares will decline faster than if the Portfolio were not leveraged. In addition, interest costs and investment fees relating to leverage may exceed potential investment gains.

Dollar Rolls. The Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls in which it sells securities to be delivered in the current month and repurchases substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities to be delivered on a specified future date by the same party. The Portfolio is paid the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities. The Portfolio may purchase securities, including money market obligations or other obligations on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis. The price and interest rate are fixed at the time of purchase, but delivery and payment for the obligations take place at a later time. The Portfolio will not earn interest income until the date the obligations are delivered.

Money Market Instruments. The Portfolio may invest in money market instruments, including commercial paper of a U.S. or foreign company, foreign government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, time deposits of domestic and foreign banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies. These obligations may be U.S. dollar-denominated or denominated in a foreign currency. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. The Portfolio also may invest in shares of affiliated money market funds or short-term bond funds.

Temporary Defensive Investments.
In response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions, the Portfolio may take a temporary defensive position and invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments, including short-term obligations of, or securities guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or in high-quality obligations of banks and corporations, repurchase agreements, or hold up to 100% of its assets in cash, cash equivalents or shares of affiliated money market or short-term bond funds. Investing heavily in these securities will limit the Portfolio's ability to achieve its investment objective, but can help to preserve the Portfolio's assets. The use of temporary defensive investments may be inconsistent with the Portfolios' investment objectives.

Additional Strategies. The Portfolio follows certain policies when it borrows money (the Portfolio can borrow up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); lends its securities to others (the Portfolio can lend up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); and holds illiquid securities (the Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, those without a readily available market and repurchase agreements with maturities longer than seven days). The Portfolio is subject to certain other investment restrictions that are fundamental policies, which means they cannot be changed without shareholder approval. For more information about these restrictions, please see the SAI

 

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AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term capital growth.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

The Portfolio normally pursues its objective by investing primarily in the common stocks of small-capitalization companies. For purposes of the Portfolio, small-capitalization companies are generally those that have market capitalizations no larger than the largest capitalized company included in the Russell 2000® Growth Index at the time of the Portfolio's investment. The size of the companies in the Russell 2000® Growth Index and those on which the subadvisers intend to focus the Portfolio's investments will change with market conditions.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Manager of the Portfolio determines and allocates a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Manager periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Manager without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus. Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in small capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of long-term capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below.

Neuberger Berman Management Inc . ("NB Management") was responsible as of January 31, 2008 for managing approximately 42% of the Portfolio's assets. The subadviser will look for companies with strong business franchises that are likely to sustain long-term rates of earnings growth for a three-to five-year time horizon and companies with stock prices that the market has undervalued relative to the value of similar companies and that offer excellent potential to appreciate over a three-to five-year time horizon. In choosing companies, the subadviser will also consider the company's overall business qualities. These qualities include the company's profitability and cash flow, financial condition, insider ownership, and stock valuation. In selecting companies that the subadviser believes may have greater potential to appreciate in price, it will invest the Portfolio in smaller companies that are under-followed by major Wall Street brokerage houses and large asset management firms.

Eagle Asset Management ("Eagle") was responsible as of January 31, 2008 for managing approximately 58% of the Portfolio's assets. Eagle uses extensive fundamental research to seek out rapidly growing, under-researched small cap companies trading at reasonable valuations. Such companies typically have accelerating earnings growth, a high or expanding return on equity, a competent management team with a strong ownership incentive and a positive catalyst such as an exciting new product, a management change or other restructuring.

Securities will generally be sold if they reach what is believed to be an unsustainable valuation, if their fundamentals deteriorate, if the original investment thesis proves to be incorrect or if the industry dynamics have negatively changed.

Because the Portfolio invests primarily in common stocks, the primary risk of investing in the Portfolio is that the value of the stocks it holds might decrease, and you could lose money. The prices of the securities in the Portfolios will fluctuate. These price movements may occur because of changes in the financial markets as a whole, a company's individual situation or industry changes. These risks are greater for companies with smaller market capitalizations because they tend to have more limited product lines, markets and financial resources and may be dependent on a smaller management group than larger, more established companies.

As of April 15, 2008, Eagle was responsible for managing all of the Portfolio's assets, and it is expected that Eagle will become the Portfolio's sole subadviser on or about July 31, 2008.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may invest to a lesser degree in types of securities other than common stocks, including preferred stocks, warrants, and convertible securities. In addition, the Portfolio may invest in the following types of securities and engage in the following investment techniques:

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in foreign securities. The Portfolio may invest directly in foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies, or may invest through depositary receipts or passive foreign investment companies. Generally, the same criteria are used to select foreign securities as domestic securities. American Depository Receipts

 

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and foreign issuers traded in the United States are not considered to be Foreign Securities for purposes of this investment limitation.

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may enter into futures contracts on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies and options on such contracts, and may invest in options on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies, forward contracts and interest rate swaps and swap-related products (collectively "derivative instruments"). The Portfolio may use derivative instruments to hedge the value of its portfolio against potential adverse movements in securities prices, currency exchange rates or interest rates.

Temporary Investments . When the subadviser believes that market conditions are not favorable for profitable investing or when the subadviser is otherwise unable to locate favorable investment opportunities, the Portfolio's investments may be hedged to a greater degree and/or its cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the Portfolio does not always stay fully invested in stocks and other equity securities. The Portfolio's cash and similar investments may include high-grade commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and money market funds managed by the subadviser or others. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth will be limited.


AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of investors' capital from a portfolio primarily of growth stocks of smaller companies.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective, under normal market conditions, by investing primarily in the equity securities of small sized companies with a total market capitalization within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® index at time of purchase. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. As of January 31, 2008, the average market capitalization of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index was $1.3 billion and the median market capitalization was $541 million. The size of the companies in the Russell 2000® Index will change with market conditions.

The Portfolio Manager employs a disciplined investment strategy when selecting stocks. Using fundamental research and quantitative analysis the Manager looks for fast-growing companies with above-average sales and competitive returns on equity relative to their peers. In doing so, the Portfolio Manager analyzes financial condition, market share and competitive leadership of the company's products, earnings growth relative to competitors and market valuation in comparison to a stock's own historical norms and the stocks of other small cap companies.

Like all common stocks, the market values of the common stocks held by the Portfolio can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception or general economic or financial market movements. Because of the Portfolio's focus on the stocks of smaller growth companies, investment in the Portfolio may involve substantially greater than average share price fluctuation and investment risk. A fund focusing on growth stocks will generally involve greater risk and share price fluctuation than a fund investing primarily in value stocks. While the Portfolio attempts to outperform the Russell 2000® Growth Index, the Portfolio also may under-perform the Russell 2000® Growth Index over short or extended periods.

In addition, investments in securities of smaller companies are generally considered to offer greater opportunity for appreciation and to involve greater risk of depreciation than securities of larger companies. Smaller companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon one or a few key people for management. Because the securities of small-cap companies are not as broadly traded as those of larger companies, they are often subject to wider and more abrupt fluctuations in market price. Additional reasons for the greater price fluctuations of these securities include the less certain growth prospects of smaller firms and the greater sensitivity of small companies to changing economic conditions.

Other Investments:
In addition to investing in common stocks, the Portfolio may also invest to a limited degree in preferred stocks and debt securities when they are believed by the subadviser to offer opportunities for capital growth. Other types of securities in which the Portfolio may invest include:

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest in securities of foreign issuers in the form of depositary receipts or that are denominated in U.S. dollars. Foreign securities in which the Portfolio may invest include any type of security consistent with its investment

 

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objective and policies. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities.

Options, Financial Futures and Other Derivatives . The Portfolio may deal in options on securities and securities indices, which options may be listed for trading on a national securities exchange or traded over-the-counter. Options transactions may be used to pursue the Portfolio's investment objective and also to hedge against currency and market risks, but are not intended for speculation. The Portfolio may engage in financial futures transactions on commodities exchanges or boards of trade in an attempt to hedge against market risks.

In addition to options and financial futures, the Portfolio may invest in a broad array of other "derivative" instruments in an effort to manage investment risk, to increase or decrease exposure to an asset class or benchmark (as a hedge or to enhance return), or to create an investment position indirectly. The types of derivatives and techniques used by the Portfolio may change over time as new derivatives and strategies are developed or as regulatory changes occur.

Temporary Investments . When a defensive position is deemed advisable because of prevailing market conditions, the Portfolio may invest without limit in high grade debt securities, commercial paper, U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of maximum capital growth will be limited.


AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

Prinicpal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will pursue its investment objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in the stocks of small companies that are traded on national security exchanges, NASDAQ stock exchange and on the over-the-counter market. As noted earlier small companies will be defined as companies with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 2000® Index or the Standard & Poor's Small Cap 600 Index. Such definition will be applied at the time of investment and the Portfolio will not be required to sell a stock because the company has grown outside the market capitalization range of small capitalization stocks. Up to 30% of the Portfolio's net assets may be invested in foreign securities, which are typically denominated in foreign currencies. Solely for purposes of complying with this policy an issuer's security will be considered to be a foreign security if the security is denominated in a foreign currency or purchased on a securities exchange outside the United States. Certain securities not included in this definition of foreign securities may still be subject to risks of foreign investing that are described in this prospectus. For example, an issuer that is organized in an offshore jurisdiction but who has its principal place of business or whose securities are traded principally on a securities exchange in the United States will not be considered a foreign security for purposes of this policy but may still be subject to risks associated with foreign securities.

The assets of the portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, they expect to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of capital growth.

The Portfolio is advised by Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania ("Federated Equity")and Federated MDTA LLC ("Federated MDTA"). Federated MDTA is responsible for initially managing approximately 28% of the Portfolio's assets and Federated Equity is responsible for managing 72% of the Portfolio's assets.

Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania ("Federated Equity")

The Federated Kaufmann Team ("Kaufmann") process for selecting investments is bottom-up and growth-oriented. There is an emphasis on individual stock selection rather than trying to time the highs and lows of the market or concentrating in certain industries or sectors. Kaufmann assesses individual companies from the perspective of a long-term investor. Kaufmann seeks to purchase stocks of companies that it believes: are profitable and leaders in the industry; have distinct products and services which address substantial markets; can rapidly grow annual earnings over the next three to five years; or have superior proven management and solid balance sheet.

Federated MDTA LLC

MDT Advisers selects most of the Portfolio's investments from companies listed in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. The index measures the performance of those companies with higher price-to-book ratios and higher forecasted growth values within the small-cap segments of the U.S. equity universe, which includes the 2,000 smallest companies by market capitalization within the Russell

 

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3000 Index (an index that includes the 3,000 largest U.S. companies by market capitalization, representing approximately 98% of the investable domestic equity market).

MDT Advisers' strategy was developed using a quantitative model (referred to as the Optimum Q Process). The Optimum Q Process seeks to screen its universe of stocks for stocks that meet certain valuation (i.e., price-to-book ratio, price-to-earnings ratio) and performance metrics (i.e., earnings momentum or earnings growth) that MDT Advisers believes might be indicative of an attractive investment opportunity. The selection process also factors in trading costs (particularly market impact) by biasing the portfolio toward those stocks which have less trading cost. MDT Advisers' process also utilizes diversification constraints which keep the portfolio diversified by business, industry and sector.

MDT Advisers believes that by using a disciplined, quantitative process, its universe of stocks can be analyzed daily and more objectively than by following a more traditional approach. The strategy seeks to maximize compound annual returns while controlling risk. This portion of the portfolio is constructed from the bottom up – considering profit trends, earnings risk, and company valuation – in much the same way as a fundamental analyst would construct a portfolio. The process takes into account trading costs to ensure that trades are generated only to the extent they are expected to be profitable on an after trading cost basis. Risk is controlled through diversification constraints. These constraints limit both the size of an investment in any one company and the extent to which the portfolio's exposure to any one business, industry or sector differs from that of the strategy's universe of possible investments. MDT Advisers engages in active trading of portfolio securities under its management to achieve investment goals.

The Portfolio also may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

As with any fund investing primarily in equity securities, the Portfolio is subject to the risk that the value of equity securities in the Portfolio will decline. These declines may occur in the form of a sustained trend or a drastic movement. The prices of individual portfolio stocks will fluctuate because of factors specific to that company or because of changes in stock valuations generally.

Because of the Portfolio's emphasis on small company growth stocks, the Portfolio will likely be subject to a degree of risk and share price fluctuation greater than that of many other equity funds. Generally, the smaller the market capitalization of a company, the fewer the number of shares traded daily, the less liquid its stock and the more volatile its price. Companies with smaller market capitalizations also tend to have unproven track records, a limited product or service base and limited access to capital.

Due to their relatively high valuations, growth stocks are typically more volatile than value stocks. For instance, the price of a growth stock may experience a larger decline on a forecast of lower earnings, a negative fundamental development, or an adverse market development. Further, growth stocks may not pay dividends or may pay lower dividends than value stocks. This means they depend more on price changes for returns and may be more adversely affected in a down market compared to value stocks that pay higher dividends. In addition, the Portfolio's level of risk and share price fluctuation may increase to the extent it emphasizes investments in the securities of foreign companies.

Other Investments:

Short Sales
. The Portfolio may make short sales of securities listed on one or more national exchanges or on the NASDAQ stock exchange. A short sale means selling a security the Portfolio does not own to take advantage of an anticipated decline in the stock's price. Once the Portfolio sells the security short, it has an obligation to replace the borrowed security. If it can buy the security back at a lower price, a profit results. In no event will the Portfolio engage in short sales transactions if it would cause the market value of all of the Portfolio's securities sold short to exceed 25% of its net assets. The value of the securities of any one issuer that may be shorted by the Portfolio is limited to the lesser of 2% of the value of the Portfolio's net assets or 2% of the securities of any class of the issuer. The Portfolio may also "sell short against the box," i.e., the Portfolio owns securities identical to those sold short. Short sales against the box are not subject to the 25% limitation. A capital gain is recognized immediately upon entering into a short sale against the box with respect to an appreciated security. Short sales are speculative in nature, and may reduce returns or increase volatility.

The Portfolio may use derivative contracts and/or hybrid instruments to implement elements of its investment strategy. For example, the Portfolio may use derivatives contracts and/or hybrid instruments to increase or decrease the allocation of the portfolio to securities, currencies, or types of securities in which the Portfolio may invest directly. The Portfolio may also, for example, use derivative contracts to:

There can be no assurance that the Portfolio's use of derivative contracts or hybrid instruments will work as intended.

 

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The Portfolio may buy or sell call and put options. The Portfolio may also buy or sell financial futures (such as currency futures, index futures and security futures) as well as currency forward contracts. The Portfolio may also invest in interest rate swaps, total return swaps, credit default swaps, currency swaps, and caps and floors.

Depositary Receipts. Depositary receipts represent interests in underlying securities issued by a foreign company. Depositary receipts are not traded in the same market as the underlying security. The foreign securities underlying American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) are traded outside the United States. ADRs provide a way to buy shares of foreign-based companies in the United States rather than in overseas markets. ADRs are also traded in U.S. dollars, eliminating the need for foreign exchange transactions. The foreign securities underlying the European Depositary Receipts (EDRs), Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs), and International Depositary Receipts (IDRs), are traded globally or outside the United States. Depositary receipts involve many of the same risks of investing directly in foreignsecurities, including the currency risks and risks of foreign investing.

Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may temporarily depart from its principal investment strategies by investing its assets in cash and short-term debt securities and similar obligations. It may do this to minimize potential losses and maintain liquidity to meet shareholder redemptions during adverse market conditions. When the Portfolio is in such a defensive position, the ability to achieve its investment objective of capital growth may be limited.


AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital appreciation.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will seek its objective, under normal circumstances, through investments primarily in equity securities of small capitalization companies that are believed to be undervalued in the marketplace. Typically, in choosing stocks, the subadviser looks for companies using the subadviser's value investment philosophy. The subadviser seeks to identify well-positioned businesses that have attractive returns on capital, sustainable earnings and cash flow, and strong company management focused on long-term returns to shareholders as well as attractive valuation opportunities where the intrinsic value is not reflected in the stock price.

Price and Prospects . All successful investing should thoughtfully weigh two important attributes of a stock: price and prospects. Since most value managers tend to focus almost exclusively on price, they often underestimate the importance of prospects. The subadviser believes a company's prospective ability to generate high cash flow and returns on capital will strongly influence investment success.

Uncertainty creates opportunity . Some stock price declines truly reflect a permanently disadvantaged business model. These stocks are the "value traps" that mire price-oriented investors. Other stock price declines merely reflect near-term market volatility. Through our proprietary research and strong valuation discipline, the subadviser seeks to purchase well-positioned, cash generating businesses run by shareholder-oriented managements at a price low enough to provide a healthy margin of safety.

Avoiding "value traps." The subadviser believes the key to successful investing in the small cap value space is to avoid the "losers" or "value traps." Academic studies have shown that small cap value has historically outperformed other asset classes, but with higher volatility and less liquidity. By focusing on stock selection within sectors and avoiding the "losers," we believe we can participate in the long-term performance of small cap value with much less risk than other managers.

The Portfolio has a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies (measured at the time of purchase). Small capitalization companies are defined as companies within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its assets in foreign securities.

Although the Portfolio typically will hold a large number of securities and follow a relatively conservative value-driven investment strategy, the Portfolio does entail above-average investment risk and share price fluctuation compared to the overall U.S. stock market. Small capitalization companies may offer significant appreciation potential but may carry more risk than larger companies. Generally, small companies rely on limited product lines, markets and financial resources, and these and other factors may make them more susceptible to setbacks or economic downturns. Smaller companies normally have fewer shares outstanding and trade less frequently than large companies. Therefore, the securities of smaller companies may be subject to wider price fluctuations.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may engage in various portfolio strategies to reduce certain risks of its investments and to enhance income, but not for speculation. The Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) put and covered call options on equity securities or stock indices that are traded on national securities exchanges. The Portfolio may purchase and sell stock index futures for certain hedging and risk management purposes. New financial products and risk management techniques continue to be developed and the Portfolio may use

 

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these new investments and techniques to the extent consistent with its investment objective and policies.

The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its net assets (at the time of investment) in securities (of the type described above) that are primarily traded in foreign countries. The Portfolio may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Portfolio also may purchase foreign currency put options and write foreign currency call options on U.S. exchanges or U.S. over-the-counter markets. The Portfolio may write a call option on a foreign currency only in conjunction with a purchase of a put option on that currency.

The Portfolio also may invest in preferred stocks and bonds that either have attached warrants or are convertible into common stocks.

Foreign Securities. The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies and not publicly traded in the United States. The Portfolio may invest directly in foreign securities denominated in a foreign currency, or may invest through depositary receipts or passive foreign investment companies. Generally, the same criteria are used to select foreign securities as domestic securities. Foreign securities are generally selected on a stock-by-stock basis without regard to any defined allocation among countries or geographic regions. However, certain factors such as expected levels of inflation, government policies influencing business conditions, the outlook for currency relationships, and prospects for economic growth among countries, regions or geographic areas may warrant greater consideration in selecting foreign securities. For more information on foreign securities and their risks, see this Prospectus under "Principal Risks."

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments. The Portfolio may enter into futures contracts on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies and options on such contracts and may invest in options on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies, forward contracts and interest rate swaps and swap-related products (collectively "derivative instruments"). The Portfolio may use derivative instruments to hedge or protect its portfolio from adverse movements in securities prices, currency exchange rates, and interest rates. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to enhance return.

Temporary Investments . For temporary defensive purposes or pending other investments, the Portfolio may invest in high-quality, short-term debt obligations of banks, corporations or the U.S. Government. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, its ability to achieve its investment objective of long-term capital growth will be limited.


AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to provide long-term capital growth by investing primarily in small-capitalization stocks that appear to be undervalued.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio has a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in small capitalization companies. The 80% requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. Small capitalization companies are generally those that have market capitalizations (measured at the time of purchase) within the market capitalization range of the Russell 2000® Value Index.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by four subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in small capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of long-term capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each subadviser are summarized below:

J.P. Morgan was responsible, as of January 31, 2008, for managing approximately 50% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser follows a three-step process. First, a rigorous quantitative model is used to evaluate the prospects of each company in the investable universe and rank each company's relative attractiveness within its economic sector based on a number of factors including valuation and improving fundamentals. Next, the results of the quantitative model are reviewed and modified based on the fundamental stock and industry insights of the sector specific research and portfolio management teams. Finally, a disciplined, systematic portfolio construction process is employed to overweight the stocks that are the most attractive and underweight those stocks that are the least attractive, based on the rankings from the first two steps, while trying to minimize uncompensated risks relative to the benchmark.

 

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Lee Munder was responsible, as of January 31, 2008, for managing approximately 22% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadviser seeks the stocks of companies whose current stock prices do not appear to adequately reflect their underlying value as measured by assets, earnings, cash flow or business franchises. The subadviser's research team seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures, and may be temporarily out of favor, but have good prospects for capital appreciation. In selecting investments, Lee Munder generally looks to the following: (1) Low price/earnings, price/book value or total capitalization/cash flow ratios relative to the company's peers; (2) Low stock price relative to a company's underlying asset values; (3) A sound balance sheet and other positive financial characteristics. The subadviser then determines whether there is an emerging catalyst that will focus investor attention on the underlying assets of the company, such as takeover efforts, a change in management, or a plan to improve the business through restructuring or other means.

ClearBridge was responsible, as of January 31, 2008, for managing approximately 10% of the Portfolio's assets. ClearBridge emphasizes individual security selection while spreading the Portfolio's investments among industries and sectors. ClearBridge uses both quantitative and fundamental methods to identify stocks of smaller capitalization companies it believes have a high probability of outperforming other stocks in the same industry or sector. ClearBridge uses quantitative parameters to select a universe of smaller capitalized companies that fit the Portfolio's general investment criteria. In selecting individual securities from within this range, the subadviser looks for "value" attributes, such as low stock price relative to earnings, book value and cash flow and high return on invested capital. ClearBridge also uses quantitative methods to identify catalysts and trends that might influence the Portfolio's industry or sector focus, or the subadviser's individual security selection.

Dreman was responsible, as of January 31, 2008, for managing approximately 18% of the Portfolio's assets. Dreman's investment objective is to provide a total return greater than that of the benchmark over time, to protect client capital during market downturns and to stay consistent in our low price-to-earnings ratio, contrarian value approach to investment management, while taking into consideration dividend yield. Dreman will seek to attain superior returns by using a contrarian value investment approach Dreman believes that it can attain superior performance by adhering to an investment strategy that is disciplined and has a demonstrated record of success. Dreman's investment strategy emphasizes stocks that offer unique investment values. The criterion used to identify such stocks include below average price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and/or price-to-cash flow ratios and above average dividend yields. Over the last 25 years, extensive studies, which date as far back as the 1930s, conducted by David Dreman and affiliates of Dreman, have led the Dreman to conclude that consistently applying disciplined value strategies yields superior long-term total returns.

Other Investments:
Although the Portfolio will invest primarily in U.S. common stocks, it may also purchase other types of securities, for example, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants and bonds when considered consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies. The Portfolio may purchase preferred stock for capital appreciation where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of the dividend on the stock. Debt securities would be purchased in companies that meet the investment criteria for the Portfolio.

The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities, including American Depositary Receipts and securities of companies in developing countries, and may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts (the Portfolio may invest in foreign cash items in excess of this 20% limit). The Portfolio may enter into stock index or currency futures contracts (or options thereon) for hedging purposes or to provide an efficient means of regulating the Portfolio's exposure to the equity markets. The Portfolio may also write (sell) call and put options and purchase put and call options on securities, financial indices, and currencies. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in hybrid instruments, which combine the characteristics of futures, options and securities.

Temporary Investments . Up to 100% of the assets of the Portfolio may be invested temporarily in cash or cash equivalents in response to extraordinary adverse political, economic or stock market events. Temporary investments may include U.S. or foreign government obligations, commercial paper, bank obligations, and repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth will be limited.


AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of investors' capital from a portfolio primarily of value stocks of smaller companies.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

 

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The Portfolio pursues its investment objective, under normal market conditions, by investing primarily in the equity securities of small-sized companies included in the Russell 2000® Value Index. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. As noted earlier the subadviser employs an investment strategy that seeks to maintain a portfolio of equity securities which approximates the market risk of those stocks included in the Russell 2000® Value Index, but which outperforms the Russell 2000® Value Index through active stock selection. The size of the companies in the Russell 2000® Value Index will change with market conditions. The targeted tracking error of this Portfolio is 4% with a standard deviation of +/ - 4%. It is possible that the deviation may be higher. For purposes of this Portfolio, the strategy of attempting to correlate a stock portfolio's market risk with that of a particular index, in this case the Russell 2000® Value Index, while improving upon the return of the same index through active stock selection, is called a "managed alpha" strategy.

The subadviser generally takes a bottom-up approach to building the Portfolio, searching for individual companies that demonstrate the best potential for significant returns. The allocation to industries and capitalization is targeted to be similar to that of the Russell 2000® Value Index. The subadviser considers a number of factors in determining whether to invest in a value stock, including earnings growth rate, analysts' estimates of future earnings and industry-relative price multiples. Other factors are net income growth versus cash flow growth as well as earnings and price momentum. In the selection of investments, long-term capital appreciation will take precedence over short range market fluctuations. However, the Portfolio may occasionally make investments for short-term capital appreciation.

Like all common stocks, the market values of the common stocks held by the Portfolio can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception or general economic or financial market movements. Because of the Portfolio's focus on the stocks of small-cap companies, investment in the Portfolio may involve substantially greater than average share price fluctuation and investment risk. While value investing historically has involved less risk than investing in growth companies, investing in value stocks carries the risk that the market will not recognize the stock's intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. While the Portfolio attempts to outperform the Russell 2000® Value Index, the Portfolio also may under-perform the Russell 2000® Value Index over short or extended periods.

In addition, investments in securities of smaller companies are generally considered to offer greater opportunity for appreciation and to involve greater risk of depreciation than securities of larger companies. Smaller companies often have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, and they may be dependent upon one or a few key people for management. Because the securities of small-cap companies are not as broadly traded as those of larger companies, they are often subject to wider and more abrupt fluctuations in market price. Additional reasons for the greater price fluctuations of these securities include the less certain growth prospects of smaller firms and the greater sensitivity of small companies to changing economic conditions.

Other Investments:
In addition to investing in common stocks, the Portfolio may also invest to a limited degree in preferred stocks and debt securities when they are believed by the subadviser to offer opportunities for capital growth. Other types of securities in which the Portfolio may invest include:

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest in securities of foreign issuers in the form of depositary receipts or that are denominated in U.S. dollars. Foreign securities in which the Portfolio may invest include any type of security consistent with its investment objective and policies. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities.

Options, Financial Futures and Other Derivatives . The Portfolio may deal in options on securities and securities indices, which options may be listed for trading on a national securities exchange or traded over-the-counter. Options transactions may be used to pursue the Portfolio's investment objective and also to hedge against currency and market risks, but are not intended for speculation. The Portfolio may engage in financial futures transactions on commodities exchanges or boards of trade in an attempt to hedge against market risks.

In addition to options and financial futures, the Portfolio may invest in a broad array of other "derivative" instruments in an effort to manage investment risk, to increase or decrease exposure to an asset class or benchmark (as a hedge or to enhance return), or to create an investment position indirectly. The types of derivatives and techniques used by the Portfolio may change over time as new derivatives and strategies are developed or as regulatory changes occur.

Temporary Investments . When a defensive position is deemed advisable because of prevailing market conditions, the Portfolio may invest without limit in high grade debt securities, commercial paper, U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of maximum capital growth will be limited.

 

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AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

The Portfolio pursues its objective by investing primarily in equity securities selected for their growth potential. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks. For purposes of the Portfolio, as previously noted, medium-sized companies are those whose market capitalizations (measured at the time of investment) fall within the range of companies in the Russell Midcap® Growth Index. The subadviser generally takes a "bottom up" approach to choosing investments for the Portfolio. In other words, the subadviser seeks to identify individual companies with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. The subadviser makes this assessment by looking at companies one at a time, regardless of size, country of organization, place of principal business activity, or other similar selection criteria. Because the Portfolio may invest substantially all of its assets in equity securities, the main risk of investing in the Portfolio is that the value of the equity securities it holds might decrease. Stock values may fluctuate in response to the activities of an individual company or in response to general market or economic conditions. As a fund that invests primarily in mid-cap companies, the Portfolio's risk and share price fluctuation can be expected to be more than that of many funds investing primarily in large-cap companies, but less than that of many funds investing primarily in small-cap companies. In general, the smaller the company, the more likely it is to suffer significant losses as well as to realize substantial growth. Smaller companies may lack depth of management, they may be unable to generate funds necessary for growth or potential development, or they may be developing or marketing products or services for which there are not yet, and may never be, established markets. In addition, such companies may be subject to intense competition from larger companies, and may have more limited trading markets than the markets for securities of larger issuers.

The Portfolio generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investment rather than short-term gains. However, short-term transactions may occur as the result of liquidity needs, securities having reached a desired price or yield, anticipated changes in interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time the investment was made. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may purchase securities in anticipation of relatively short-term price gains. The Portfolio may also sell one security and simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or securities prices.

Special Situations . The Portfolio may invest in "special situations." A "special situation" arises when, in the opinion of the subadviser, the securities of a particular company will be recognized and appreciate in value due to a specific development, such as a technological breakthrough, management change or new product at that company. Investment in "special situations" carries an additional risk of loss in the event that the anticipated development does not occur or does not attract the expected attention.

Other Investments :
Although the subadviser expects to invest primarily in domestic and foreign equity securities, the Portfolio may also invest to a lesser degree in other types of securities, such as debt securities. Debt securities may include bonds rated below investment grade ("junk" bonds), mortgage and-asset backed securities and zero coupon, pay-in-kind and step coupon securities.

The Portfolio may make short sales "against the box." In addition, the Portfolio may invest in the following types of securities and engage in the following investment techniques:

Index/Structured Securities . The Portfolio may invest in indexed/structured securities, which typically are short- to intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively indexed (i.e., their value increase or decrease if the reference index or instrument appreciates).

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its net assets in foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies and not publicly traded in the United States. The Portfolio may invest directly in foreign securities denominated in a foreign currency, or may invest through depositary receipts or passive foreign investment companies. Generally, the same criteria are used to select foreign securities as domestic securities. Foreign securities are generally selected on a stock-by-stock basis without regard to any defined allocation among countries or geographic regions. However, certain factors such as expected levels of inflation, government policies influencing business conditions, the outlook for currency relationships, and prospects for economic growth among countries, regions or geographic areas may warrant greater consideration in selecting foreign securities. For more information on foreign securities and

 

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their risks, see this Prospectus under "Principal Risks."

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may enter into futures contracts on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies and options on such contracts and may invest in options on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies, forward contracts and interest rate swaps and swap-related products (collectively "derivative instruments"). The Portfolio may use derivative instruments to hedge or protect its portfolio from adverse movements in securities prices, currency exchange rates, and interest rates. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to enhance return.

Temporary Investments . When the subadviser believes that market conditions are unfavorable for profitable investing, or when the subadviser is otherwise unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the Portfolio's cash or similar investments may increase. In other words, the Portfolio does not always stay fully invested in stocks. Even when the Portfolio is essentially fully invested, some residual amount of Portfolio assets may remain in cash and similar investments. These investments may include commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements, short-term debt obligations, and money market funds (including funds managed by the subadviser). When the Portfolio's investments in cash or similar investments increase, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of long-term growth of capital may be limited.


AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:

The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in common stocks of mid-capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. The Portfolio seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies, industries and sectors.

The subadviser employs a disciplined investment strategy when selecting growth stocks. Using fundamental research and quantitative analysis, the subadviser looks for fast-growing companies with above average sales and competitive returns on equity relative to their peers. In doing so, the subadviser analyzes such factors as: financial condition (such as debt to equity ratio); market share and competitive leadership of the company's products; earnings growth relative to competitors; and market valuation in comparison to a stock's own historical norms and the stocks of other mid-cap companies.

The subadviser follows a disciplined selling strategy, and may sell a stock when it fails to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive. As with any fund investing primarily in equity securities, the Portfolio is subject to the risk that the value of the equity securities in the Portfolio will decline.

As a fund that invests primarily in mid-cap companies, the Portfolio's risk and share price fluctuation can be expected to be more than that of many funds investing primarily in large-cap companies, but less than that of many funds investing primarily in small-cap companies. Mid-cap stocks may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole, may underperform other types of stocks when the market or the economy is not robust, or fall in price or be difficult to sell during market downturns. In addition, the Portfolio's growth investment program will generally involve greater risk and price fluctuation than funds that invest in more undervalued securities. Because the prices of growth stocks tend to be based largely on future expectations, these stocks historically have been more sensitive than value stocks to bad economic news and negative earnings surprises.

Other Investments:
Although equity securities are normally the Portfolio's primary investments, it may invest in preferred stocks and convertible securities, as well as the types of securities described below.

Fixed Income Securities . The Portfolio may also invest in investment grade fixed income or debt securities. If the quality of any fixed income securities held by the Portfolio deteriorates so that they are no longer investment grade, the Portfolio will sell such securities in an orderly manner so that its holdings of such securities do not exceed 5% of its net assets.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of the value of its total assets, measured at the time of investment, in equity and debt securities that are denominated in foreign currencies. There is no limitation on the percentage of the Portfolio's assets that may be invested in securities of foreign companies that are denominated in U.S. dollars. In addition, the Portfolio may enter into foreign currency transactions, including forward foreign currency contracts and options on foreign currencies, to manage currency risks, to facilitate transactions in foreign securities, and to repatriate dividend or interest income received in foreign currencies.

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Covered Call Options . The Portfolio may try to reduce the risk of securities price or exchange rate changes (hedge) or generate income by writing (selling) covered call options against securities held in its portfolio, and may purchase call options in related closing transactions.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) . The Portfolio may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in real estate or real estate loans.

Temporary Investments . When the Portfolio anticipates unusual market or other conditions, it may temporarily depart from its objective of capital growth and invest substantially in high-quality short-term investments. This could help the Portfolio avoid losses but may mean lost opportunities.


AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth.


Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

Generally, as noted earlier, companies with equity market capitalizations that fall within the range of the Russell Midcap® Value Index at the time of investment are considered mid-cap companies for purposes of the Portfolio. Some of the Portfolio's assets may be invested in the securities of large-cap companies as well as in small-cap companies. The Portfolio seeks to reduce risk by diversifying among many companies and industries.

Under the Portfolio's value-oriented investment approach, the subadviser looks for well-managed companies whose stock prices are undervalued and that may rise in price before other investors realize their worth. The subadviser may identify value stocks in several ways, including based on earnings, book value or other financial measures. Factors that the subadviser may use to identify these companies include strong fundamentals, including a low price-to-earnings ratio, consistent cash flow, and a sound track record through all phases of the market cycle.

The subadviser may also look for other characteristics in a company, such as a strong position relative to competitors, a high level of stock ownership among management, or a recent sharp decline in stock price that appears to be the result of a short-term market overreaction to negative news.

The subadviser generally considers selling a stock when it reaches a target price, when the fundamentals fail to perform as expected, or when other opportunities appear more attractive.

As a fund that invests primarily in mid-cap companies, the Portfolio's risk and share price fluctuation can be expected to be more than that of many funds investing primarily in large-cap companies, but less than that of many funds investing primarily in small-cap companies. Mid-cap stocks may fluctuate more widely in price than the market as a whole, may underperform other types of stocks when the market or the economy is not robust, or fall in price or be difficult to sell during market downturns. While value investing historically has involved less risk than investing in growth companies, the stocks purchased by the Portfolio will remain undervalued during a short or extended period of time. This may happen because value stocks as a category lose favor with investors compared to growth stocks, or because the subadviser failed to anticipate which stocks or industries would benefit from changing market or economic conditions.

Other Investments:
Although equity securities are normally the Portfolio's primary investment, it may invest in preferred stocks and convertible securities, as well as the types of securities described below.

Fixed Income Securities . The Portfolio may also invest in fixed income or debt securities. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets, measured at the time of investment, in debt securities that are rated below investment grade or comparable unrated securities. There is no minimum rating on the fixed income securities in which the Portfolio may invest.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of the value of its total assets, measured at the time of investment, in equity and debt securities that are denominated in foreign currencies. There is no limitation on the percentage of the Portfolio's assets that may be invested in securities of foreign companies that are denominated in U.S. dollars. In addition, the Portfolio may enter into foreign currency transactions, including forward foreign currency contracts and options on foreign currencies, to manage currency risks,

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to facilitate transactions in foreign securities, and to repatriate dividend or interest income received in foreign currencies.

Covered Call Options . The Portfolio may try to reduce the risk of securities price changes (hedge) or generate income by writing (selling) covered call options against securities held in its portfolio, and may purchase call options in related closing transactions. The value of securities against which options will be written will not exceed 10% of the Portfolio's net assets.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) . The Portfolio may invest in REITs. REITs are pooled investment vehicles which invest primarily in real estate or real estate loans.

Temporary Investments . When the Portfolio anticipates unusual market or other conditions, it may temporarily depart from its objective of capital growth and invest substantially in high-quality short-term investments. This could help the Portfolio avoid losses but may mean lost opportunities.

On or about July 21, 2008, it is expected that LSV Asset Management (LSV) will join Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. as a subadviser to the Portfolio. At that time, the name of the Portfolio will change to the AST Neuberger Berman / LSV Mid-Cap Value Portfolio.

It is currently expected that LSV will be responsible for managing approximately 50% of the Portfolio's assets and Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. will be responsible for managing the remainder of the Portfolio's assets. The division of the Portfolio's assets and daily cash inflows and outflows between the subadvisers will be determined by the Investment Managers in their sole discretion. The Investment Managers may change the allocation of assets between the subadvisers, transfer assets between the subadvisers, or change the allocation of cash inflows
or outflows between the subadvisers for any reason and at any time without prior notice.

LSV follows an active investment strategy utilizing a quantitative investment model to evaluate and recommend investment decisions for its portion of the Portfolio in a bottom-up, contrarian value approach. The primary components of the models are:

All such indicators are measured relative to the overal universe of medium capitalization companies.

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth by investing primarily in mid-capitalization stocks that appear to be undervalued.

Principal Investment Strategies and Risks:
The Portfolio has a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in mid-capitalization companies. The 80% requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. For purposes of the Portfolio, as noted earlier, mid-capitalization companies are generally those that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, within the range of companies included in the Russell Midcap® Value Index during the previous 12 months based on month-end data.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by two subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in mid-capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of capital growth. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below:

WEDGE is responsible for managing approximately 49% of the Portfolio's assets as of January 31, 2008. This subadviser normally employs a traditional value style, bottom-up investment discipline that is intended to help identify stocks that are undervalued relative to their long term normalized earnings capability. WEDGE first employs two proprietary, fundamentally based screening models, using publicly available data on all eligible companies. The Fundamental Value Model identifies those stocks with the greatest potential for profit, based on projected earnings growth, earnings quality, dividend yield, and forward price/earnings ratios. In an effort to avoid financially unsound companies, WEDGE then employs the Financial Quality Model, which focuses on earnings

 

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growth, liquidity, profitability, and leverage factors. Stocks are ranked by both models for relative attractiveness, with approximately 37% of the initial universe becoming eligible for subsequent research.

Finally, WEDGE focuses on those companies that meet its value and financial quality parameters. WEDGE's research analysts employ comprehensive qualitative, and quantitative analysis to identify stocks with unrecognized value. Areas of emphasis include independent earnings forecasts and financial statement analysis, an evaluation of free cash flow generation and return on invested capital, absolute and relative valuations, industry analysis and competitive positioning along with an in-depth assessment of company management. All potential additions to the portfolio are reviewed and approved by the firm's Investment Policy Committee. The subadviser's decision to sell a stock is as highly disciplined as the decision to buy. Stocks are sold when fair valuation is reached, the original investment thesis has materially deteriorated, an upgrade opportunity develops or, with limited flexibility when warranted, the stock's Fundamental Value Model ranking falls to a predetermined level.

EARNEST is responsible for managing approximately 51% of the Portfolio's assets as of January 31, 2008. This Sub-advisor expects to focus primarily on companies with a market capitalization between $1 billion and $20 billion at time of purchase. This subadviser normally employs a fundamental, bottom-up investment process. The first step in EARNEST's investment process is to screen the relevant universe to identify stocks that it believes are likely to outperform based on their financial characteristics and the current environment. Using an approach called Return Pattern Recognition, the subadviser seeks to identify the financial and market characteristics that have been in place when an individual company has produced outstanding performance. These characteristics include valuation measures, market trends, operating trends, growth measures, profitability measures, and macroeconomics. The subadviser screens thousands of companies and selects for an in-depth fundamental review those exhibiting the set of characteristics that it believes indicate outperformance. The screening process allows the subadviser to review thousands of companies and focus on those it considers the best prospects.

Next, the approximately 150 best companies identified in the screening process are put through a second more rigorous review. In this step, EARNEST develops and tests an investment thesis for each company. The test generally includes conversations with the company's management team and industry specialists, review of the company's financial reports, analysis of industry and company-specific studies, and independent field research. The subadviser eliminates from consideration any company that does not pass its fundamental analysis.

The final step in EARNEST's investment process is to construct a portfolio that includes those stocks it expects to have the best performance and that effectively manages the expected risk of meaningfully underperforming the assigned benchmark. The subadviser uses a statistical approach called downside deviation to measure and then constrain the likelihood of significantly underperforming the benchmark. Using this information, the subadviser selects investments that blend together to manage downside risk. The result is a client portfolio of approximately 60 stocks. This subadviser expects to focus on purchasing companies that have a market capitalization at the time of purchase between $1 and $20 billion, and expects to typically sell holdings whose market capitalizations have grown to more than twice the upper limit for purchase (i.e., whose market capitalization have grown to $40 billion).

As with all stock funds, the Portfolio's share price can fall because of weakness in the securities market as a whole, in particular industries or in specific holdings. Investing in mid-cap companies involves greater risk of loss than is customarily associated with more established companies. Stocks of mid-cap companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company stocks. Mid-cap companies often have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, and their management may lack depth and experience. While a value approach to investing is generally considered to involve less risk than a growth approach, investing in value stocks carries the risks that the market will not recognize the stock's intrinsic value for a long time, or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.

Other Investments:
Although the Portfolio will invest primarily in common stocks of U.S. mid-capitalization companies, the Portfolio may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of non-U.S. issuers. While the Portfolio does not intend to do so to a significant degree, the Portfolio may enter into futures contracts and related options, and may purchase and sell call and put options on securities and securities indices. The Portfolio may also invest in warrants to purchase securities, and may engage in short sales "against the box".

Temporary Investments . When adverse market or economic conditions occur, the Portfolio may temporarily invest all or a portion of its assets in defensive investments. Such investments may include high grade debt securities, obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, and short-term money market instruments. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.

 

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AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital by investing predominantly in the equity securities of a limited number of large, carefully selected, high-quality U.S. companies that are judged likely to achieve superior earnings growth.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio takes a growth approach to investing and will normally invest at least 80% of its net assets in the common stocks of large companies. As noted earlier a large company is defined as one whose market cap is larger than the median market cap of companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index. The Portfolio will not automatically sell or cease to purchase stock of a company it already owns just because the company's market capitalization falls below this level. The subadviser generally looks for companies with an above-average rate of earnings growth and cash flow growth and a lucrative niche in the economy that gives them the ability to sustain earnings momentum even during times of slow economic growth.

Because the Portfolio invests primarily in stocks, the Portfolio is subject to the risks associated with stock investments, and the Portfolio's share price therefore may fluctuate substantially. The Portfolio's share price will be affected by changes in the stock markets generally, and factors specific to a company or an industry will affect the prices of particular stocks held by the Portfolio (for example, poor earnings, loss of major customers, availability of basic resources or supplies, major litigation against a company, or changes in governmental regulation affecting an industry). The Portfolio's focus on large, more-established companies may mean that its level of risk is lower than a fund investing primarily in smaller companies. Because the Portfolio invests in a smaller number of securities than many other funds, changes in the value of a single security may have a more significant effect, either negative or positive, on the Portfolio's share price.

Other Investments:
In addition to investing in equity securities, the Portfolio also may:

· invest up to 20% of its net assets in convertible securities;
· invest up to 10% of its net assets in rights or warrants;
· invest up to 15% of its total assets in foreign securities;
· purchase and sell exchange-traded index options and stock index futures contracts; and
· write covered exchange-traded call and put options on its securities up to 15% of its total assets, and purchase exchange-traded call and put options on common stocks up to, for all purchased options, 10% of its total assets.

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and other U.S.-dollar denominated securities of foreign companies are not considered foreign securities for purposes of the 15% limitation set forth above and may be purchased by the Portfolio.

The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or redeploy assets into more promising opportunities.

Temporary Investments . Although it does not expect to do so ordinarily, when business or financial conditions warrant the Portfolio may assume a temporary defensive position and invest in high-grade, short-term, fixed-income securities (which may include U.S. Government securities) or hold its assets in cash. The Portfolio may also invest in money market mutual funds managed by the subadviser. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective may be limited.

AST MFS Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term growth of capital and future, rather than current, income.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio invests, under normal market conditions, at least 80% of its net assets in common stocks and related securities, such as preferred stocks, convertible securities and depositary receipts, of companies that the subadviser believes offer better than average prospects for long-term growth.

The subadviser focuses on investing the portfolio's assets in the stock of companies it believes to have above average earnings growth potential compared to other companies (growth companies). Growth companies tend to have stock prices that are high relative to their earnings, dividends, book value, or other financial measures.

 

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While the subadviser may invest the Portfolio's assets in companies of any size, the Portfolio generally focuses on companies with large capitalizations.

The subadviser uses a bottom-up investment approach in buying and selling investments for the Portfolio. Investments are selected primarily based on fundamental analysis of issuers and their potential in light of their current financial condition and industry position, and market, economic, political, and regulatory conditions. Factors considered may include analysis of earnings, cash flows, competitive position, and management ability. Quantitative analysis of these and other factors may also be considered.

The Portfolio may invest up to 35% of its net assets in foreign securities.

The subadviser may engage in active and frequent trading in pursuing the portfolio's principal investment strategies.

As with any fund investing primarily in common stocks, the value of the securities held by the Portfolio may decline in value, either because of changing economic, political or market conditions or because of the economic condition of the company that issued the security. These declines may be substantial. In addition, the prices of the growth company stocks in which the Portfolio invests may fluctuate to a greater extent than other equity securities due to changing market conditions or disappointing earnings results. The Portfolio may invest in foreign companies, including companies located in developing countries, and it therefore will be subject to risks relating to political, social and economic conditions abroad, risks resulting from differing regulatory standards in non-U.S. markets, and fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

Other Investments:
Although the Portfolio will invest primarily in common stocks and related securities, the Portfolio may also invest in variable and floating rate debt securities. The Portfolio may purchase and sell futures contracts and related options on securities indices, foreign currencies and interest rates for hedging and non-hedging purposes. The Portfolio may also enter into forward contracts for the purchase or sale of foreign currencies for hedging and non-hedging purposes. The Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) options on securities, stock indices and foreign currencies.

Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may depart from its principal investment strategy by temporarily investing for defensive purposes when adverse market, economic or political conditions exist. When investing for defensive purposes, the Portfolio may hold cash or invest in cash equivalents, such as short-term U.S. government securities, commercial paper and bank instruments. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.


AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth. Income is not an investment objective and any income realized on the Portfolio's investments, therefore, will be incidental to the Portfolio's objective.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio invests primarily in the common stocks of large companies that are selected for their growth potential. Large companies are defined as those companies within the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Growth Index. The Portfolio will normally hold a core position of between 35 and 50 common stocks. The Portfolio may hold a limited number of additional common stocks at times when the portfolio manager is accumulating new positions, phasing out and replacing existing positions, or responding to exceptional market conditions.

In selecting investments for the Portfolio, Marsico uses an approach that combines "top-down" macro-economic analysis with "bottom-up" stock selection.

The "top-down" approach may take into consideration macro-economic factors such as, without limitation, interest rates, inflation, demographics, the regulatory environment, and the global competitive landscape. In addition, Marsico may also examine other factors that may include, without limitation, the most attractive global investment opportunities, industry consolidation, and the sustainability of financial trends observed. As a result of the "top-down" analysis, Marsico seeks to identify sectors, industries and companies that may benefit from the overall trends Marsico has observed.

Marsico then looks for individual companies or securities with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. In determining whether a particular company or security may be a suitable investment, Marsico may focus on any of a number of different attributes that may include, without limitation, the company's specific market expertise or dominance; its franchise durability and pricing power; solid fundamentals (e.g., a strong balance sheet, improving returns on equity, the ability to generate free cash flow, apparent use of conservative accounting standards, and transparent financial disclosure); strong and ethical management;

 

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commitment to shareholder interests; reasonable valuations in the context of projected growth rates; and other indications that a company or security may be an attractive investment prospect. This process is called "bottom-up" stock selection.

As part of this fundamental, "bottom-up" research, Marsico may visit with various levels of a company's management, as well as with its customers and (as relevant) suppliers, distributors, and competitors. Marsico also may prepare detailed earnings and cash flow models of companies. These models may assist Marsico in projecting potential earnings growth, current income and other important company financial characteristics under different scenarios. Each model is typically customized to follow a particular company and is generally intended to replicate and describe a company's past, present and potential future performance. The models may include quantitative information and detailed narratives that reflect updated interpretations of corporate data and company and industry developments.

Marsico may reduce or sell a Fund's investments in portfolio companies if, in the opinion of Marsico, a company's fundamentals change substantially, its stock price appreciates excessively in relation to fundamental earnings growth prospects, the company appears not to realize its growth potential or current income potential, more attractive investment opportunities appear elsewhere, or for other reasons.

The core investments of the portfolio generally may include established companies and securities that offer long-term growth potential. However, the portfolio also may typically include securities of less mature companies, companies or securities with more aggressive growth characteristics, and companies undergoing significant changes such as the introduction of a new product line, the appointment of a new management team, or an acquisition.

The primary risk associated with investment in the Portfolio will be the risk that the equity securities held by the Portfolio will decline in value. The risk of the Portfolio is expected to be commensurate with that of other funds using a growth strategy to invest in the stocks of large and medium-sized companies.

Although it is the general policy of the Portfolio to purchase and hold securities for capital growth, changes in the Portfolio will be made as the subadviser deems advisable. For example, portfolio changes may result from liquidity needs, securities having reached a desired price, or by reason of developments not foreseen at the time of the investment was made.

Special Situations . The Portfolio may invest in "special situations" from time to time. A "special situation" arises when, in the opinion of the subadviser, the securities of a particular company will be recognized and increase in value due to a specific development, such as a technological breakthrough, management change or new product at that company. Investment in "special situations" carries an additional risk of loss in the event that the anticipated development does not occur or does not attract the expected attention.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may also invest to a lesser degree in preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants, and debt securities when the Portfolio perceives an opportunity for capital growth from such securities. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in debt securities, which may include corporate bonds and debentures and government securities.

The Portfolio may also purchase securities of foreign issuers including foreign equity and debt securities and depositary receipts . The foreign securities may include companies located in developing countries. Foreign securities are selected primarily on a stock-by-stock basis without regard to any defined allocation among countries or geographic regions. The Portfolio may also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including forward currency contracts, to manage exchange rate risk with respect to investments exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.

Index/Structured Securities . The Portfolio may invest without limit in index/structured securities, which are debt securities whose value at maturity or interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity securities, indices, commodity prices or other financial indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively indexed ( i.e. , their value may increase or decrease if the reference index or instrument appreciates). Index/structured securities may have return characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying instruments, but may be more volatile than the underlying instruments. The Portfolio bears the market risk of an investment in the underlying instruments, as well as the credit risk of the issuer of the index/structured security.

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may purchase and write (sell) options on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies, and may invest in futures contracts on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies, options on futures contracts, forward contracts and swaps and swap-related products. These instruments will be used primarily to hedge the Portfolio's positions against potential adverse movements in securities prices, foreign currency markets or interest rates. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for non-hedging purposes such as increasing the Portfolio's income or otherwise enhancing return.

 

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Temporary Investments . Although the subadviser expects to invest primarily in equity securities, the subadviser may increase the Portfolio's cash position without limitation when the subadviser believes that appropriate investment opportunities for capital growth with desirable risk/reward characteristics are unavailable. Cash and similar investments (whether made for defensive purposes or to receive a return on idle cash) will include high-grade commercial paper, certificates of deposit, discount notes and repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth will be limited.


AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek growth of capital.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will pursue its objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in equity securities. Equity securities include common stocks, preferred securities, warrants and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common or preferred stocks. Investments will be in companies that the subadviser believes have potential to achieve capital appreciation over the long-term. The Portfolio seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, in approximately 30-45 companies that are considered by the subadviser to be positioned for long-term growth.

Because the Portfolio invests a substantial portion (or all) of its assets in equity securities, the Portfolio is subject to the risks associated with investments in equity securities, and the Portfolio's share price therefore may fluctuate substantially. This is true despite the Portfolio's focus on the securities of larger more-established companies. The Portfolio's share price will be affected by changes in the stock markets generally, and factors specific to a company or an industry will affect the prices of particular stocks held by the Portfolio (for example, poor earnings, loss of major customers, major litigation against an issuer, or changes in government regulations affecting an industry). Because of the types of securities it invests in, the Portfolio is designed for those who are investing for the long term.

The Portfolio generally intends to purchase securities for long-term investment rather than short-term gains. However, short-term transactions may occur as the result of liquidity needs, securities having reached a desired price or yield, anticipated changes in interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time the investment was made.

Special Situations . The Portfolio may invest in "special situations" from time to time. A "special situation" arises when, in the opinion of the subadviser, the securities of a particular company will be recognized and appreciate in value due to a specific development, such as a technological breakthrough, management change or new product at that company. Investment in "special situations" carries an additional risk of loss in the event that the anticipated development does not occur or does not attract the expected attention.

Non-diversified Status . The Portfolio is "non-diversified" under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and may invest a large percentage of its assets in only a few issuers, unlike "diversified" mutual funds. Therefore, the Portfolio may be more susceptible to adverse developments affecting any single issuer held in its portfolio, and may be more susceptible to greater losses because of these developments.

Other Investments:
Although the subadviser expects to invest primarily in equity securities, the Portfolio may also invest to a lesser degree in debt securities when the Portfolio perceives an opportunity for capital growth from such securities. The Portfolio is subject to the following percentage limitations on investing in certain types of debt securities:

· 35% of its assets in bonds rated below investment grade ("junk" bonds).
· 25% of its assets in mortgage- and asset-backed securities.
· 10% of its assets in zero coupon, pay-in-kind and step coupon securities (securities that do not, or may not under certain circumstances, make regular interest payments).

The Portfolio may make short sales "against the box." In addition, the Portfolio may invest in the following types of securities and engage in the following investment techniques:

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may also purchase securities of foreign issuers, including foreign equity and debt securities and depositary receipts. Foreign securities are selected primarily on a stock-by-stock basis without regard to any defined allocation among countries or geographic regions. No more than 25% of the Portfolio's assets may be invested in foreign securities

 

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denominated in foreign currencies and not publicly traded in the United States.

Futures, Options and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may enter into futures contracts on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies and options on such contracts and may invest in options on securities, financial indices and foreign currencies, forward contracts and interest rate swaps and swap-related products (collectively "derivative instruments"). The Portfolio intends to use most derivative instruments primarily to hedge the value of its portfolio against potential adverse movements in securities prices, foreign currency markets or interest rates. To a limited extent, the Portfolio may also use derivative instruments for non-hedging purposes such as seeking to increase income. The Portfolio may also use a variety of currency hedging techniques, including forward foreign currency exchange contracts, to manage exchange rate risk with respect to investments exposed to foreign currency fluctuations.

Temporary Investments . The subadviser may increase the Portfolio's cash position without limitation when the subadviser is of the opinion that appropriate investment opportunities for capital growth with desirable risk/reward characteristics are unavailable. Cash and similar investments (whether made for defensive purposes or to receive a return on idle cash) will include high-grade commercial paper, certificates of deposit, repurchase agreements and money market funds managed by the subadviser. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of capital growth will be limited.


AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum growth of capital by investing primarily in the value stocks of larger companies.

Principal Risks and Investment Policies:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities issued by large capitalization companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective, under normal market conditions, by investing primarily in the equity securities of large-sized companies included in the Russell 1000® Value Index. Equity securities include common stocks and securities convertible into or exchangeable for common stocks, including warrants and rights. As noted earlier the subadviser employs an investment strategy that seeks to maintain a portfolio of equity securities which approximates the market risk of those stocks included in the Russell 1000® Value Index, but which outperforms the Russell 1000® Value Index through active stock selection. The size of the companies in the Russell 1000® Value Index will change with market conditions. The targeted tracking error of this Portfolio is 4% with a normal deviation of + 1%. It is possible that the deviation may be higher. For purposes of this Portfolio, the strategy of attempting to correlate a stock portfolio's market risk with that of a particular index, in this case the Russell 1000® Value Index, while improving upon the return of the same index through active stock selection, is called a "managed alpha" strategy.

The subadviser generally takes a bottom-up approach to building the Portfolio, searching for individual companies that demonstrate the best potential for significant returns. The allocation to industries and capitalization is targeted to be similar to that of the Russell 1000® Value Index. The subadviser considers a number of factors in determining whether to invest in a value stock, including earnings growth rate, analysts' estimates of future earnings and industry-relative price multiples. Other factors are net income growth versus cash flow growth as well as earnings and price momentum. In the selection of investments, long-term capital appreciation will take precedence over short range market fluctuations. However, the Portfolio may occasionally make investments for short-term capital appreciation.

Like all common stocks, the market values of the common stocks held by the Portfolio can fluctuate significantly, reflecting the business performance of the issuing company, investor perception or general economic or financial market movements. The Portfolio's focus on the stocks of large, more established companies may mean that its level of risk is lower than a portfolio investing primarily in smaller companies. While value investing historically has involved less risk than investing in growth companies, investing in value stocks carries the risk that the market will not recognize the stock's intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced. While the Portfolio attempts to outperform the Russell 1000® Value Index, the Portfolio also may under-perform the Russell 1000® Value Index over short or extended periods.

Other Investments:
In addition to investing in common stocks, the Portfolio may also invest to a limited degree in preferred stocks and debt securities when they are believed by the subadviser to offer opportunities for capital growth. Other types of securities in which the Portfolio may invest include:

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest in securities of foreign issuers in the form of depositary receipts or that are denominated

 

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in U.S. dollars. Foreign securities in which the Portfolio may invest include any type of security consistent with its investment objective and policies. The prices of foreign securities may be more volatile than those of domestic securities.

Futures, Options, and Other Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may purchase and write put and call options on securities and securities indices, which options may be listed for trading on a national securities exchange or traded over-the-counter. Options transactions may be used to pursue the Portfolio's investment objective and also to hedge against currency and market risks, but are not intended for speculation. The Portfolio may engage in financial futures transactions on commodities exchanges or boards of trade in an attempt to hedge against market risks.

In addition to options and financial futures, the Portfolio may invest in a broad array of other "derivative" instruments in an effort to manage investment risk, to increase or decrease exposure to an asset class or benchmark (as a hedge or to enhance return), or to create an investment position indirectly. The types of derivatives and techniques used by the Portfolio may change over time as new derivatives and strategies are developed or as regulatory changes occur.

Temporary Investments . When a defensive position is deemed advisable because of prevailing market conditions, the Portfolio may invest without limit in high grade debt securities, commercial paper, U.S. Government securities or cash or cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of maximum capital growth will be limited.

AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek current income and long-term growth of income, as well as capital appreciation.

Principal Policies and Risks:

The Portfolio has a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in large capitalization companies. Large capitalization companies are generally those that have market capitalizations, at the time of purchase, within the market capitalization range of the Russell 1000® Value Index. The 80% requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. Some of these securities may be acquired in initial public offerings (IPOs). In addition to these principal investments, the Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its total assets in foreign securities.

The assets of the Portfolio are independently managed by three subadvisers under a multi-manager structure. Pursuant to the multi-manager structure, the Investment Managers of the Portfolio determine and allocate a portion of the Portfolio's assets to each of the subadvisers. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Managers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to this prospectus.

Although each subadviser will follow the Portfolio's policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's assets in large capitalization companies, each subadviser expects to utilize different investment strategies to achieve the Portfolio's objective of current income and long-term growth of income, as well as capital appreciation. The current asset allocations and principal investment strategies for each of the subadvisers are summarized below:

Hotchkis and Wiley , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 21% of the Portfolio's assets. This subadvsier normally focuses on stocks that have a high cash dividend or payout yield relative to the market. Payout yield is defined as dividend yield plus net share repurchases. The subadviser also may invest in stocks that don't pay dividends, but have growth potential unrecognized by the market or changes in business or management that indicate growth potential.

J.P. Morgan , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 46% of the Portfolio's assets. J.P.Morgan seeks to identify relative value within sectors. The analysis is purely fundamental, aided by a valuation tool that helps rank stocks within 18 different sectors by their dividend discount rates (DDRs). J.P. Morgan uses the following parameters when seeking to purchase stocks: stocks below $1 billion in market cap are not purchased in the Portfolio. If a stock falls below $1 billion after purchase, it will be considered a candidate for sale, but will not be automatically sold. This subadviser will seek to buy a stock when it believes that it has an information advantage around the longer-term earnings prospects or fundamentals of a company relative to the rest of the market, or when it believes there has been a stock price overreaction as a result of incremental news creating a near-term opportunity. J.P. Morgan will seek to sell a stock when its investment thesis has proven correct and the stock price has reacted as expected, it no longer believes its investment thesis will come to fruition, or a better risk-adjusted investment opportunity has been identified within the sector.

Dreman , as of January 31, 2008, was responsible for managing approximately 33% of the Portfolio's assets. Dreman's investment objective is to provide a total return greater than that of the benchmark over time, to protect client capital during market downturns

 

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and to stay consistent in our low price-to-earnings ratio, contrarian value approach to investment management, while taking into consideration dividend yield. Dreman will seek to attain superior returns by using a contrarian value investment approach.

Dreman believes that it can attain superior performance by adhering to an investment strategy that is disciplined and has a demonstrated record of success. Dreman's investment strategy emphasizes stocks that offer unique investment values. The criterion used to identify such stocks include below average price-to-earnings, price-to-book, and/or price-to-cash flow ratios and above average dividend yields. Over the last 25 years, extensive studies, which date as far back as the 1930s, conducted by David Dreman and affiliates of Dreman, have led the Dreman to conclude that consistently applying disciplined value strategies yields superior long-term total returns.

Temporary Investments : In periods of uncertain market and economic conditions, the Portfolio may assume a defensive position with up to 100% of its assets temporarily held in cash. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective may be limited.


AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital growth.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will pursue its objective, under normal circumstances, by investing primarily in common stocks. The subadviser expects that the majority of the Portfolio's assets will be invested in the common stocks of large companies that appear to be undervalued. Among other things, the Portfolio seeks to identify compelling buying opportunities created when companies are undervalued on the basis of investor reactions to near-term problems or circumstances even though their long-term prospects remain sound. The subadviser's investment approach is value-based and price-driven, and and it relies on the intensive fundamental and quantitative research of its internal research staff to identify these buying opportunities in the marketplace.

Portfolio investments are selected by the subadviser based upon a model portfolio of 125-175 stocks constructed by the subadviser. In selecting investments for the model portfolio, the subadviser takes a "bottom-up" approach. In other words, the subadvisor seeks to identify individual companies with cash flow potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. The subadviser relates present value of each company's forecasted future cash flow to the current price of its stock. The subadviser ranks companies from the highest expected return to the lowest, with the companies at the top of the ranking being the most undervalued . The subadviser also looks at a measure of earnings quality. The measure of earnings quality compares changes in the balance-sheet accrual component of reported earnings for each stock to the market average. All else being equal, the subadviser prefers stocks with lower accruals.

Once the expected return for each stock is calculated, the subadvisor adjusts for timing and concentration risks. Securities are ranked by risk-adjusted expected returns. This calculation takes into account the security's current price relative to its long-term earnings power; whether adding the security to the portfolio will diversify risk; whether the company's earnings quality measures indicate sustainable earnings; and, whether this is the right time to initiate the purchase. We typically hold the most attractive securities on that basis at an overweight position. To moderate the tracking error of our deep-value holdings, we also own companies that are the largest in the benchmark. If they are not attractive from a risk-adjusted return basis, we will underweight them versus their weight in the benchmark.

The subadvisor may delay the Portfolio's purchase of securities if recent weakness in the stock indicates that the stock price is likely to decline in the near future, and it may delay the Portfolio's sale of securities if recent strength in the stock indicates the stock is likely to rise soon. The subadviser will control risk by reviewing whether there is undue portfolio exposure to industry sector and other risk factors. The subadviser will take more risk when unusually large value distortions within the value realm create unusually large opportunities to add returns, and it will take less risk when the opportunities are limited.

The subadviser also seeks to control risks by correlating the size of initial purchases by the Portfolio to the security's benchmark weighting, within plus or minus 0.5%. If market appreciation of a security brings the security's weighting to 1.0% above or below its benchmark weighting (at the time), the size of the holding is generally increased or reduced accordingly. Because the Portfolio invests primarily in stocks, the Portfolio is subject to the risks associated with stock investments, and the Portfolio's share price therefore may fluctuate substantially. The Portfolio's share price will be affected by changes in the stock markets generally, and factors specific to a company or an industry will affect the prices of particular stocks held by the Portfolio (for example, poor earnings, loss of major customers, availability of basic resources or supplies, major litigation against a company, or changes in governmental regulation affecting an industry). The Portfolio's focus on large, more-established companies may mean that its level of risk is lower than a fund investing primarily in smaller companies. Investing in value stocks carries the risks that the market will not recognize the stock's

 

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intrinsic value for a long time or that a stock judged to be undervalued may actually be appropriately priced.

Other Investments:
Derivatives.
The Portfolio may invest in various instruments that are or may be considered derivatives, including securities index futures contracts and related options. These instruments may be used for several reasons: to simulate full investment in equities while retaining cash for fund management purposes, to facilitate trading, or to reduce transaction costs. The Portfolio will not use derivatives for speculative purposes or to leverage its assets. The Portfolio will limit its use of securities index futures contracts and related options so that, at all times, margin deposits for futures contracts and premiums on related options do not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's assets and the percentage of the Portfolio's assets being used to cover its obligations under futures and options does not exceed 50%.

Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may maintain up to 25% of its assets in short-term debt securities and money market instruments to meet redemption requests. These securities include obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities or by any of the states, repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and certain bank obligations. The Portfolio will not invest in these securities as part of a temporary defensive strategy to protect against potential market declines.

AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
(formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio)

Investment Objective: Long-term capital appreciation.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio uses a long/short investment strategy in seeking to achieve its investment objective. This means the Portfolio shorts a portion of the Portfolio and use the proceeds of the shorts, or other borrowings, to purchase additional stocks long. The Portfolio will normally invest (take long positions) at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings, if any, for investment purposes in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers. For purposes of this non-fundamental investment policy, U.S. issuers are issuers whose primary listing is on a securities exchange or market inside the United States. The Portfolio will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of a change in its non-fundamental policy of investing at least 80% of its net assets plus borrowings for investment purposes in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers.

By employing this long/short strategy, the Portfolio will seek to produce returns that exceed those of its benchmark index, the Russell 1000 ® Index (i.e., the Portfolio seeks additional alpha, often quantified by a fund's excess return above a benchmark index). The Russell 1000 ® Index is composed of stocks representing more than 90% of the market cap of the U.S. market and includes the largest 1000 securities in the Russell 3000 ® Index.

In general, for its long positions, the Portfolio may overweight issuers that it believes may outperform the Russell 1000® Index and may underweight those issuers it believes may underperform the Russell 1000® Index, while managing the Portfolio's active risk. The Portfolio will generally sell securities short that it believes may underperform the Russell 1000® Index or may not perform as well as comparable securities. The Portfolio may also sell securities short to manage the Portfolio's active risk.

In rising markets, the Portfolio expects that its long positions generally will appreciate more rapidly than the short positions, and in declining markets, that its short positions generally will decline faster than the long positions. Short sales allow the Portfolio to seek to earn returns on securities that the Portfolio believes may underperform, and also allows the Portfolio to maintain additional long positions. The Portfolio will target approximately 100% net market exposure, similar to a "long-only" strategy, to U.S. equities.

Operational Complexities; Relationship with Prime Broker . Selling short and investing the proceeds from the short sale in additional long positions will require a prime broker to hold the short position in the Portfolio's prime brokerage account, with the custodian bank holding collateral to satisfy the collateral requirements relating to the short positions at the prime broker. As such, a tri-party custody and pledge agreement is required between the custodian bank, the prime broker, and the Portfolio. This structure requires setting up a pledge account with the custodian bank, which is used to satisfy the collateral requirements relating to the short positions at the prime broker. The custodian bank holds the securities from the Portfolio's long position as collateral. The tri-party agreement provides for substitution of collateral, as well as for release of collateral in excess of applicable margin requirements. The tri-party structure requires a more complicated and costly support structure.

Short Sales Risk . If a security sold short increases in price, the Portfolio may have to cover its short position at a higher price than the short sale price, resulting in a loss. The Portfolio will have substantial short positions and must borrow those securities to make delivery to the buyer. The Portfolio may not be able to borrow a security that it needs to deliver or it may not be able to close out a short position at an acceptable price and may have to sell long positions before it otherwise intends to do so.

 

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Until the short sale is closed, the broker effecting the short sale typically requires the proceeds or other securities to serve as collateral to secure the Portfolio's obligation to cover the short position. However, the Portfolio may use all or a portion of the cash proceeds that it receives in connection with short sales to purchase securities or for other Portfolio purposes. If the Portfolio does this, it must pledge replacement collateral as security to the broker and may use securities that it owns to meet any such collateral obligations. Additionally, the Portfolio must maintain sufficient liquid assets (less any additional collateral held by the broker), marked-to-market daily, to cover the short sale obligation.

When borrowing a security for delivery to a buyer, the Portfolio also may be required to pay a premium and other transaction costs, which would increase the cost of the security sold short. The Portfolio must normally repay to the lender an amount equal to any dividends or interest that accrues while the loan is outstanding. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of the premium, dividends, interest or expenses the Portfolio may be required to pay in connection with the short sale. Also, the lender of a security may terminate the loan at a time when the Portfolio is unable to borrow the same security for delivery. In that case, the Portfolio would need to purchase a replacement security at the then current market price or "buy in" by paying the lender an amount equal to the cost of purchasing the security.

Because the Portfolio's loss on a short sale arises from increases in the value of the security sold short, such loss is theoretically unlimited. In certain cases, purchasing a security to cover a short position can itself cause the price of the security to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. Conversely, gains on short sales, after transaction and related costs, are generally the difference between the price at which the Portfolio sold the borrowed security and the price it paid to purchase the security for delivery to the buyer. By contrast, the Portfolio's loss on a long position arises from decreases in the value of the security and is limited by the fact that a security's value cannot drop below zero.

Potential Conflicts: Side-by-Side Management of Long-Only and Long-Short Strategies . QMA currently manages long-only and long-short investment strategies, and has created and implemented a Conflicts of Interest Policy to address potential conflicts that could arise in the event, for example, one portfolio is purchasing a security at the same time another portfolio is selling the security. The Conflicts of Interest Policy is designed to identify and prevent a potential cross of a security (buy and sell) between two portfolios (unless otherwise permitted under applicable procedures and federal securities regulations), and is reasonably designed to ensure that all accounts are treated fairly.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may invest in American Depository Receipts ("ADRs"), American Depository Shares ("ADSs") and other similar receipts or shares traded in U.S. markets to be U.S. securities. Additional investments may include exchange-traded funds ("ETFs"). The Portfolio may invest in derivatives, such as futures contracts or equity swaps, for hedging purposes (to seek to reduce risk) and for non-hedging purposes (to seek to increase return consistent with the Fund's investment objective).

In addition, the Portfolio may also (1) hold common stock or warrants received as the result of an exchange or tender offer, (2) buy or sell securities on a forward commitment basis, (3) lend its portfolio securities, (4) invest in options, futures, forwards and equity swaps, (5) engage in reverse repurchase agreements for investment purposes, (6) borrow money for investment purposes, and (7) borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes.


AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek capital growth and, secondarily, current income.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio's investment strategy utilizes quantitative management techniques in a two-step process. In the first step, the subadviser ranks stocks, primarily the 1,500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States (measured by the value of the stock), from most attractive to least attractive. This is determined by using a quantitative model that combines measures of at stock's value as well as measures of its growth potential. To measure value, the subadviser uses ratios of stock price to book value and stock price to cash flow, among others. To measure growth, the subadviser uses the rate of growth in a company's earnings and changes in its earnings estimates, as well as other factors.

In the second step, the subadviser uses a technique called portfolio optimization. In portfolio optimization, the subadviser uses a computer to build a portfolio of stocks from the ranking described above that it believes will provide the optimal balance between risk and expected return. The goal is to create a portfolio that provides better returns than its benchmark without taking on significant additional risk. In building the Portfolio, the subadviser also attempts to create a dividend yield that will be greater than that of the S&P 500 Index. The subadviser generally sells stocks from the Portfolio when it believes:

 

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The subadviser does not attempt to time the market. Instead , under normal market conditions, it intends to keep the Portfolio essentially fully invested in stocks regardless of the movement of stock prices generally.

Other Investments : When the subadviser believes that it is prudent, the Portfolio may invest a portion of their assets in foreign securities, debt securities, preferred stock and equity-equivalent securities, such as convertible securities, stock futures contracts or stock index futures contracts. The fund limits its purchase of debt securities to investment grade obligations. Futures contracts, a type of derivative security, can help the Portfolio's cash assets remain liquid while performing more like stocks. The subadviser has a policy governing futures contracts and similar derivative securities to help manage the risk of these types of investments. For example, the subadviser cannot invest in a derivative security if it would be possible for the Portfolio to lose more money than the notional value of the investment.


AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

Investment Objective: long-term growth of capital and income.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio normally will invest in common stocks (and securities convertible into common stocks). The subadviser will take a value-oriented approach, in that it will try to keep the Portfolio's assets invested in securities that are selling at reasonable valuations in relation to their fundamental business prospects. In doing so, the Portfolio may forgo some opportunities for gains when, in the judgment of the subadviser, they are too risky.

In seeking to achieve its objective, the Portfolio invests primarily in the equity securities of U.S. companies that the subadviser believes are undervalued. The subadviser believes that, over time, stock prices (of companies in which the Portfolio invests) will come to reflect the companies' intrinsic economic values. The subadviser uses a disciplined investment process to evaluate the companies in its extensive research universe. Through this process, the subadviser seeks to identify the stocks of companies that offer the best combination of value and potential for price appreciation.

The subadviser's analysts prepare their own earnings estimates and financial models for each company followed. The subadviser employs these models to identify equity securities whose current market prices do not reflect what it considers to be their intrinsic economic value. In determining a company's intrinsic economic value, the subadviser takes into account any factors it believes bear on the ability of the company to perform in the future, including earnings growth, prospective cash flows, dividend growth and growth in book value. The subadviser then ranks, at least weekly, each of the companies in its research universe in the relative order of disparity between their stock prices and their intrinsic economic values, with companies with the greatest disparities receiving the highest ranking (i.e. being considered the most undervalued).

Other Investments: The Portfolio, in addition to investing in common stocks and convertible securities, may write covered call options listed on domestic securities exchanges with respect to securities in the Portfolio. It is not intended for the Portfolio to write covered call options with respect to securities with an aggregate market value of more than 10% of the Portfolio's net assets at the time an option is written. The Portfolio also may purchase and sell forward and futures contracts and related options for hedging purposes. The Portfolio may also invest up to 15% of its net assets (at the time of investment) in foreign securities, and invest in straight bonds and other debt securities.

Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may invest in short-term debt and other high quality fixed-income securities to create reserve purchasing power and also for temporary defensive purposes. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective may be limited.


AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

Investment Objective: to maximize total return through investment in real estate securities.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of real estate related issuers. The Portfolio pursues its investment objective of maximizing total return by seeking, with

 

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approximately equal emphasis, capital growth and current income.

Generally, the equity securities of real estate related issuers will consist of:


Real estate related issuers include companies that derive at least 50% of revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of real estate or that have at least 50% of assets in real estate. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of foreign real estate companies.

Real estate companies may include real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). REITs pool investors' funds for investment primarily in income producing real estate or real estate related loans or interests. REITs can generally be classified as Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs, which invest the majority of their assets directly in real property, derive their income primarily from rents. Equity REITs can also realize capital gains or losses by selling properties. Mortgage REITs, which invest the majority of their assets in real estate mortgages, derive their income primarily from interest payments. Hybrid REITs combine the characteristics of both Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs.

As a fund that invests primarily in equity securities, the Portfolio will be subject to many of the same risks as other equity funds. The Portfolio also will be subject to certain risks related specifically to real estate securities, and may be subject to greater risk and share price fluctuation than other equity funds because of the concentration of its investments in a single industry.

While the Portfolio will not invest in real estate directly, securities of real estate companies may be subject to risks similar to those associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These include risks related to general and local economic conditions, dependence on management skill, heavy cash flow dependency, possible lack of available mortgage funds, overbuilding, extended vacancies of properties, increases in property taxes and operating expenses, changes in zoning laws, losses due to costs resulting from environmental problems, casualty or condemnation losses, limitations on rents, and changes in neighborhood values, the appeal of properties to tenants and interest rates.

In general, Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while Mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, a REIT may experience delays and may incur substantial costs in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor.

Non-Diversified Status . The Portfolio is classified as a "non-diversified" investment company under the 1940 Act, which means the Portfolio is not limited by the Investment Company Act of 1940 in the proportion of its assets that may be invested in the securities of a single issuer. However, the Portfolio intends to meet certain diversification standards under the Internal Revenue Code that must be met to relieve the Portfolio of liability for Federal income tax if its earnings are distributed to shareholders. As a non-diversified fund, a price decline in any one of the Portfolio's holdings may have a greater effect on the Portfolio's value than on the value of a fund that is more broadly diversified.

Other Investments : The Portfolio may write (sell) put and covered call options and purchase put and call options on securities or stock indices that are listed on a national securities or commodities exchange. The Portfolio may buy and sell financial futures contracts, stock and bond index futures contracts, foreign currency futures contracts and options on the foregoing. The Portfolio may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in connection with its investments in foreign securities. The Portfolio may also enter into short sales, which are transactions in which the Portfolio sells a security it does not own at the time of the sale in anticipation that the market price of the security will decline. The subadviser expects that the Portfolio will use these techniques on a relatively infrequent basis.

Temporary Investments . When the subadviser believes that market or general economic conditions justify a temporary defensive position, the Portfolio will invest all or a portion of its assets in high-grade debt securities, including corporate debt securities, U.S. government securities, and short-term money market instruments, without regard to whether the issuer is a real estate company. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of maximum total return will be limited. The Portfolio may also invest funds awaiting investment or funds held to satisfy redemption requests or to pay dividends and other distributions to shareholders in short-term money market instruments.


AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

 

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Investment Objective: To seek capital appreciation and income.

The Portfolio's investment objective is not a fundamental investment policy and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.

Principal Investment Policies
In pursuing its investment objective, the Portfolio will normally invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity-related securities of real estate companies. This means that the Portfolio will concentrate its investments in companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate or companies that have at least 50% of their assets in these types of real estate-related areas.

The 80% policy is a non-fundamental policy of the Portfolio. The Portfolio will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of a change in this non-fundamental policy.

The Portfolio will invest in equity-related securities of real estate companies on a global basis, which means that the companies may be U.S. companies or foreign companies. There is no limit on the amount of assets that may be invested in the securities of foreign real estate companies.

Real Estate Investment Trusts . The Portfolio anticipates that its investments in equity-related securities of real estate companies will be primarily in real estate investment trusts (REITs). REITs are like corporations, except that they do not pay income taxes if they meet certain Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements. However, while REITs themselves do not pay income taxes, the distributions they make to investors are taxable. REITs invest primarily in real estate (offices, hotels, shopping centers, apartments, malls, factories, etc.) or real estate mortgages and distribute almost all of their income - most of which comes from rents, mortgages and gains on sales of property - to shareholders. The Portfolio may invest without limit in the securities of REITs.

Private Real Estate-Related Investments . The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in private real-estate. The Portfolio will execute its strategy of acquiring ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in, for example, single member limited liability companies where the Portfolio is the sole member, joint ventures, other equity-linked investments and mezzanine debt. The entity in which the Portfolio invests, such as a limited liability company or joint venture, may borrow to finance the purchase of real estate properties. For a limited liability company where the Portfolio is the sole member, the borrowing will generally be treated as borrowing by the Portfolio, which means that the borrowing will be from a bank and the borrowing will be counted toward the overall limit on borrowing by the Portfolio. For certain joint ventures, such as where the joint venture partner other than the Portfolio has significant responsibility and authority, the borrowing may be treated as borrowing by the joint venture alone and not by the Portfolio (provided that the lender does not have recourse to the Portfolio). Private real estate-related investments are treated as illiquid investments because they may require a substantial length of time to be sold. As illiquid investments, they may be sold at a substantial discount from comparable investments that are liquid.

Investment Style . The Portfolio's assets will be managed by Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI®), which is a business unit of Prudential Investment Management,Inc. (PIM). PREI's approach to real estate investing is value-oriented based upon real estate fundamentals and assessments of management teams. PREI emphasizes both quantitative and qualitative investment analysis, and focuses on valuation relative to a company's underlying real estate assets as well as a company's on-going concern valuation. Through detailed company research that includes regular management visits, property tours and financial analysis, PREI analyzes the quality of real estate asset cash flows and sustainability and growth of company dividends. PREI also evaluates the company's strategy, management's track record, incentives and ability to create long term shareholder value. PREI believes it adds value by its understanding and analysis of private real estate markets. PREI estimates that nearly 95% of institutional quality commercial real estate is not publicly-traded. PREI intends to invest the Portfolio's assets globally in real estate investments.

Derivative Strategies . PREI may use various derivative strategies to try to improve the Portfolio's returns. PREI may also use hedging techniques to try to protect the Portfolio's assets. The Portfolio cannot guarantee that these strategies and techniques will work, that the instruments necessary to implement these strategies and techniques will be available, or that the Portfolio will not lose money.

A derivative is a financial instrument, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. The use of derivatives — such as futures, foreign currency forward contracts, options on futures and various types of swaps — involves costs and can be volatile. With derivatives, PREI tries to predict if the underlying investment — a security, market index, currency, interest rate, or some other benchmark, will go up or down at some future date. PREI may use derivatives to try to reduce risk or to increase return consistent with the Portfolio's overall investment objectives. PREI will consider other factors (such as

 

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cost) in deciding whether to employ any particular strategy or technique, or use any particular instrument. Any derivatives PREI may use may not match or offset the Portfolio's underlying positions and this could result in losses to the Portfolio that would not otherwise have occurred. Derivatives that involve leverage could magnify losses.

Futures Contracts and Related Options. ThePortfolio may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and related options on financial futures. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying asset at a future date, or to make or receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index, or some other asset, at a stipulated future date. The terms of futures contracts are standardized. In the case of a financial futures contract based upon a broad index, there is no delivery of the securities comprising the underlying index, margin is uniform, a clearing corporation or an exchange is the counterparty and thePortfolio makes daily margin payments based on price movements in the index. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities or currencies, or in the case of an option on a futures contract or an option on a swap, the right to buy or sell a futures contract or swap, respectively, in exchange for a premium.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts . A foreign currency forward contract is an obligation to buy or sell a given currency on a future date at a set price. When the Portfolio enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when that Portfolio anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividends or interest payments on a security which it holds, the Portfolio may desire to "lock-in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such dividend or interest payment, as the case may be. By entering into a forward contract for a fixed amount of dollars, for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Portfolio will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received. At the maturity of a forward contract, the Portfolio may either sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency or it may retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an "offsetting" contract with the same currency trader obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency.

Swap Transactions . The Portfolio may enter into swap transactions. Swaps are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods typically ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap", two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. There are various types of swaps, including but not limited to credit default, interest rate, total return and index swaps.

Swap Options . The Portfolio may enter into swap options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms.

Options on Financial Indexes . The Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on financial indexes traded on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges, on the NASDAQ Stock Market or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities in exchange for a premium. The Portfolio sells only covered options.

Options. The Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on stocks, debt securities, swaps, and currencies traded on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities, swaps or such currencies in exchange for a premium. The options may be on stocks, debt securities, aggregates of debt securities, financial indexes, U.S. government securities, foreign government securities, swaps and foreign currencies. The Portfolio sells only covered options.

Asset Segregation for Derivative Strategies . The Portfolio is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the 1940 Act), related rules, and various Commission and Commission staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, the Portfolio must "set aside" (referred to sometimes as "asset segregation") liquid assets, or engage in other Commission - or staff-approved measures, while the derivatives contracts are open. With respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not contractually required to "cash-settle," the Portfolio must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts' full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to "cash-settle," however, the Portfolio is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled forward and futures contracts, the Portfolio will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The use of leverage involves certain risks. The Trust reserves the right to modify the Portfolio's asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated by the Commission and its staff.

 

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Non-Real Estate Investments . Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its investable assets in securities of issuers not in the real estate industry. These include equity-related securities (i.e., securities that may be converted into or exchanged for common stock or the cash value of common stock, known as convertible securities), fixed income securities, U.S. Government securities and money market instruments.

Other Investments:
In addition to the principal strategies, the Subadviser also may use the followingstrategies to try to increasethe Portfolio's returns or protect its assets if market conditions warrant.

Exchange-Traded Funds . The Portfolio may invest in securities of exchange traded funds (ETFs), such as Standard & Poor's Depositary Receipts (SPDRs), subject to certain limits on investment in securities of non-affiliated investment companies.ETFs represent shares of ownership in either mutual funds or unit investment trusts (UITs) that hold a portfolio of common stocks that are designed to generally correspond to the price and yield performance of their underlying portfolio of securities. Such holdings may be subject to any management fees of the mutual fund or UIT. The underlying portfolio may have a broad market, sector or international exposure. ETFs give investors the opportunity to buy or sell an entire portfolio of stocks in a single security transaction in a manner similar to buying or selling a share of stock.

Initial Public Offerings . The Portfolio may participate in the initial public offering (IPO) market. The prices of securities purchased in IPOs can be very volatile. The effects of IPOs onperformancedepends on a variety of factors, including the number of IPOs the Portfolio investsd in relative to the size of the Portfolio and whether and to what extent a security purchased in an IPO appreciates or depreciates in value. As a Portfolio's asset base increases, IPOs often have a diminished effect on that Portfolio's performance.

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stock . The Portfolio may invest in convertible securities, which include preferred stocks and debt securities of a corporation that may be converted into underlying shares of common stock either because they have warrants attached or otherwise permit the holder to buy common stock of the corporation at a set price. Convertible securities provide an income stream (usually lower than non-convertible bonds) and give investors opportunities to participate in the capital appreciation of the underlying common stock. Convertible securities typically offer greater potential for appreciation than nonconvertible debt securities.

Repurchase Agreements . The Portfolio may use repurchase agreements, where a party agrees to sell a security to the Portfolio and then repurchases it at an agreed-upon price at a stated time. This creates a fixed return for the Portfolio, and is, in effect, a loan by that Portfolio.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements . The Portfolio may use reverse repurchase agreements, where the Portfolio sells a security with an obligation to repurchase it at an agreed-upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements that involve borrowing to take advantage of investment opportunities, a practice known as leverage, could magnify losses. If the Portfolio borrows money to purchase securities and those securities decline in value, then the value of the Portfolio's shares will decline faster than if the Portfolio were not leveraged. In addition, interest costs and investment fees relating to leverage may exceed potential investment gains.

Dollar Rolls . The Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls in which the relevant Portfolio sells securities to be delivered in the current month and repurchases substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities to be delivered on a specified future date by the same party. The Portfolio is paid the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities . The Portfolio may purchase securities, including money market obligations on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis.The price and interest rate are fixed at the time of purchase, but delivery and payment for the obligations take place at a later time. The Portfolio will not earn interest income until the date the obligations are delivered.

Money Market Instruments . The Portfolio may invest in money market instruments, including commercial paper of a U.S. or foreign company, foreign government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, time deposits of domestic and foreign banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies. These obligations may be U.S. dollar-denominated or denominated in a foreign currency. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. The Portfolio also may invest in shares of affiliated money market funds or short-term bond funds.

Temporary Defensive Investments . In response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions, the Portfolio may take a temporary defensive position and invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments, including short-term obligations of, or securities guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or in high-quality obligations of banks and corporations, repurchase agreements, or hold up to 100% of its assets in cash, cash equivalents or shares of affiliated money market or short-term bond funds. Investing heavily in these securities will limit the Portfolio's ability to achieve its investment objective, but

 

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can help to preserve the Portfolio's assets. The use of temporary defensive investments may be inconsistent with the Portfolios' investment objectives.

Additional Strategies . The Portfolio follows certain policies when it borrows money (the Portfolio can borrow up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); lends its securities to others (the Portfolio can lend up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); and holds illiquid securities (each Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, those without a readily available market and repurchase agreements with maturities longer than seven days). The Portfolio is subject to certain other investment restrictions that are fundamental policies, which means they cannot be changed without shareholder approval. For more information about these restrictions, please see the SAI.


AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital growth primarily through the investment in common stocks of companies that own or develop natural resources (such as energy products, precious metals, and forest products) and other basic commodities.


Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in the securities of natural resource companies. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

The Portfolio invests primarily in the common stocks of natural resource companies whose earnings and tangible assets could benefit from accelerating inflation. The Portfolio also may invest in non-resource companies with the potential for growth. The relative percentages invested in natural resource and non-resource companies can vary depending on economic and monetary conditions and the subadviser's outlook for inflation. When selecting stocks, the subadviser looks for companies that have the ability to expand production, to maintain superior exploration programs and production facilities, and the potential to accumulate new resources. Natural resource companies in which the Portfolio invests generally own, develop, refine, service or transport resources, including energy sources, precious metals, nonferrous metals, forest products, real estate, diversified resources and other basic commodities that can be produced and marketed profitably when both labor costs and prices are rising.

The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or re-deploy assets into more promising opportunities.

As with all stock funds, the Portfolio's share price can fall because of weakness in one or more securities markets, particular industries or specific holdings. In addition, the Portfolio is less diversified than most stock funds and could therefore experience sharp price declines when conditions are unfavorable in the natural resources sector. For instance, since the Portfolio attempts to invest in companies that may benefit from accelerating inflation, low inflation could lessen returns. The rate of earnings growth of natural resource companies may be irregular because these companies are strongly affected by natural forces, global economic cycles and international politics. For example, stock prices of energy companies can fall sharply when oil prices fall. Real estate companies are influenced by interest rates and other factors.

Other Investments:
Although the Portfolio will invest primarily in U.S. common stocks, it may also purchase other types of securities, for example, preferred stocks, convertible securities and warrants, when considered consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies. The Portfolio may purchase preferred stock or common stock for capital appreciation where the issuer has omitted, or is in danger of omitting, payment of the dividend on the stock, or is in default on its debt securities. The Portfolio may invest in debt securities, including up to 10% of its total assets in debt securities rated below investment grade. The Portfolio may invest in mortgage-backed securities, including stripped mortgage-backed securities. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in hybrid instruments, which combine the characteristics of futures, options and securities.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 50% of its total assets in foreign securities, including American Depositary Receipts and securities of companies in developing countries, which offer increasing opportunities for natural resource-related growth. The Portfolio may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in connection with its foreign investments. The Portfolio's investments in foreign securities, or even in U.S. companies with significant overseas investments, may decline in value because of declining foreign currencies or adverse political and economic events overseas, although currency risk may be somewhat reduced because many commodities markets are dollar based.

Futures and Options . The Portfolio may enter into stock index or currency futures contracts (or options thereon) for hedging purposes or to provide an efficient means of regulating the Portfolio's exposure to the equity markets. The Portfolio may write covered call options and purchase put and call options on foreign currencies, securities, and stock indices.

 

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Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may establish and maintain cash reserves without limitation for temporary defensive purposes. The Portfolio's reserves may be invested in high-quality domestic and foreign money market instruments, including repurchase agreements and money market mutual funds managed by the subadviser. Cash reserves also provide flexibility in meeting redemptions and paying expenses. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of long-term capital growth may be limited.


AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek long-term capital growth with some regular income.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
Asset Allocation
. The Portfolio's investments will be allocated, under normal circumstances, among the major asset classes over the long-term as follows: equity securities: 63%; fixed-income or debt securities (bonds): 31%; and cash equivalents (money markets): 6%. However, due to such things as differences in asset class performance or prevailing market conditions, the operating range within which the Portfolio's asset mix will generally vary over short-term periods is as follows: equity securities: 53-73%; fixed-income or debt securities (bonds): 21-41%; and cash equivalents (money markets): 0-15%.

Equity Investments . The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, in any type of U.S. or foreign equity security that meets certain fundamental and technical standards. The portfolio managers will draw on growth, value, and quantitative investment techniques in managing the equity portion of the Portfolio and diversify the Portfolio's equity investments among small, medium and large companies. The growth strategy uses a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to identify stocks of companies demonstrating business improvement. Analytical indicators helping to identify signs of business improvement could include accelerating earnings or revenue growth rates, increasing cash flows, or other indications of the relative strength of a company's business. The value investment discipline will seek capital growth by investing in equity securities of well-established companies that the portfolio managers believe to be temporarily undervalued. The primary quantitative management technique the portfolio managers use is portfolio optimization. The portfolio managers may construct a portion of the Strategic Allocation Portfolio using portfolio optimization, a technique that seeks to achieve a desired balance between the risk of an investment portfolio versus the S&P 500® Index and an investment portfolio's return potential. Although the Strategic Allocation Portfolio will remain exposed to each of the investment disciplines and categories described above, a particular investment discipline or category may be emphasized when, in the opinion of the portfolio managers, such investment discipline or category is undervalued relative to the other disciplines or categories.

Fixed-Income Investments . The Portfolio also will invest, under normal circumstances, in a variety of debt securities payable in both U.S. and foreign currencies. The Portfolio will primarily invest in investment-grade government, corporate, asset-backed, and similar securities, that is, securities rated in the four highest categories by independent rating organizations; provided, however, that the Portfolio also may invest up to 5% of its assets nonconvertible debt obligations that are rated below investment-grade (also referred to as "high-yield securities" or "junk bonds"). The Portfolio also may invest in unrated securities based on the portfolio managers' assessment of their credit quality. Under normal market conditions, the weighted average maturity for the fixed-income portion of the Portfolio will be in the three- to 10-year range. The cash-equivalent portion of the Portfolio will be invested in high-quality money market investments (denominated in U.S. dollars or foreign currencies).

The Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury and certain U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"). Ginnie Mae is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. Securities issued or guaranteed by other U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and the Federal Home Loan Bank are not guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government. However, they are authorized to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations.

Sale of Securities . Securities may be sold when the American Century portfolio managers believe they no longer represent attractive investment opportunities.

Temporary Investments . Up to 100% of the Portfolio's assets may be invested temporarily in cash or cash equivalents and the Portfolio may otherwise deviate from its customary investment strategies in response to extraordinary adverse political, economic, financial, or stock market events. Temporary investments may include U.S. or foreign government obligations, commercial paper, bank obligations, and repurchase agreements. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.

 

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AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek a high level of absolute return by using traditional and non-traditional investment strategies and by investing in domestic and foreign equity and fixed-income securities, derivative instruments and exchange-traded funds.


Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
General.
The Investment Managers will allocate the net assets of the Portfolio across different investment categories and different subadvisers. PI will also directly manage a portion of the assets of the Portfolio. Certain investment categories will contain sub-categories. The investment adviser for a category or sub-category will employ a specific investment strategy for that category or sub-category.

The Investment Managers will employ a two-tiered approach to allocating Portfolio assets across the various investment categories, sub-categories, and investment advisers. First, the Investment Managers will analyze the macro-economic landscape, the capital markets, and the related implications for investment strategy. Second, the Investment Managers will draw on their in-depth understanding of the strategies used by the investment advisers to determine which advisers are expected to perform best under the prevailing macro-economic landscape. The allocations will be reviewed by the Investment Mangers periodically and may be altered or adjusted by the Investment Managers without prior notice. Such adjustments will be reflected in the annual update to the prospectus.

The Portfolio may use derivative instruments to gain exposure to certain commodity and real estate related indices. The Portfolio may engage in short sales and may invest in fixed-income securities that are rated below investment grade by the major ratings services (Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Service, Inc., or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services, or Fitch, or, if unrated, considered to be of comparable quality, in connection with these investment strategies. Fixed-income debt obligations rated below investment grade by the major ratings services or, if unrated, considered to be of comparable quality, are commonly referred to as "junk bonds" and are regarded as having predominantly speculative characteristics with respect to capacity to pay principal and interest. The Portfolio is prohibited from investing more that 10% of its total assets in other mutual funds, including exchange traded funds.

Overall, the Portfolio will pursue a combination of traditional and non-traditional investment strategies. As of January 31, 2008, the approximate allocation across the various investment categories, sub-categories, and investment advisers was as follows:

 

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AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio: Asset Allocations
Investment Category Sub-category Approximate Allocation Investment Adviser
U.S. Large-Cap Growth N/A 12.50% Marsico
U.S. Large-Cap Value N/A 12.50% T. Rowe Price
International Growth N/A 12.50% William Blair
International Value N/A 12.50% LSV
U.S. Fixed-Income N/A 15.00% PIMCO
Hedged International Bond Developed Markets 10.00% PIMCO
Emerging Markets 5.00% PIMCO
Advanced Strategies I Commodities Real Return 5.00% PIMCO
Real Return 2.50% PIMCO
Real Estate Real Return 2.50% PIMCO
Advanced Strategies II N/A 10.00% PI
TOTAL 100.00%

The asset allocation generally provides for an allotment of approximately 50% of Portfolio assets to a combination of domestic and international equity strategies and an allotment of approximately 50% of Portfolio assets to a combination of U.S. fixed-income, hedged international bond, real return and exchange-traded fund investment strategies. The Portfolio will use derivative instruments to gain exposure to certain commodity and real estate related indices along with junk bonds in connection with these investment strategies. The asset allocations described above are subject to change at any time without notice at the sole discretion of the Investment Managers.

Description of Traditional Investment Categories and Sub-categories . The investment categories and sub-categories for which the applicable subadvisers will pursue traditional investment strategies include the following:


Brief descriptions of the investment strategies to be used by the subadvisers are set forth below:

U.S. Large-Cap Growth (Marsico). Marsico will invest primarily in the common stocks of large U.S. companies (typically companies that have a market capitalization in the range of $ 4 billion or more) that are selected for their growth potential. Marsico will normally hold a core position of between 35 and 50 common stocks. Marsico also may invest up to 15% of the assets attributable to this investment category in foreign securities, which are those securities denominated in a foreign currency. American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) may be purchased for the Portfolio and will not be considered foreign securities for the purposes of the 15% limitation stated above. In selecting investments for the Portfolio, Marsico uses an approach that combines "top-down" macro-economic analysis with "bottom-up" stock selection.

The "top-down" approach may take into consideration macro-economic factors such as, without limitation, interest rates, inflation, demographics, the regulatory environment, and the global competitive landscape. In addition, Marsico may also examine other factors that may include, without limitation, the most attractive global investment opportunities, industry consolidation, and the sustainability of financial trends observed. As a result of the "top-down" analysis, Marsico seeks to identify sectors, industries and companies that may benefit from the overall trends Marsico has observed. Marsico then looks for individual companies or securities with earnings growth potential that may not be recognized by the market at large. In determining whether a particular company or security may be a suitable investment, Marsico may focus on any of a number of different attributes that may include, without limitation, the company's specific market expertise or dominance; its franchise durability and pricing power; solid fundamentals (e.g., a strong balance sheet, improving returns on equity, the ability to generate free cash flow, apparent use of conservative accounting standards, and transparent financial disclosure); strong and ethical management; commitment to shareholder interests; reasonable valuations in the context of projected growth rates; and other indications that a company or security may be an attractive investment

 

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prospect. This process is called "bottom-up" stock selection. As part of this fundamental, "bottom-up" research, Marsico may visit with various levels of a company's management, as well as with its customers and (as relevant) suppliers, distributors, and competitors. Marsico also may prepare detailed earnings and cash flow models of companies. These models may assist Marsico in projecting potential earnings growth and other important company financial characteristics under different scenarios. Each model is typically customized to follow a particular company and is generally intended to replicate and describe a company's past, present and potential future performance. The models may include quantitative information and detailed narratives that reflect updated interpretations of corporate data and company and industry developments.
Marsico may reduce or sell portfolio securities if, in its opinion, a company's fundamentals change substantially, its stock price appreciates excessively in relation to fundamental earnings growth prospects, the company appears not to realize its growth potential, or there are more attractive investment opportunities elsewhere.

The core investments for this investment category generally will be comprised of established companies and securities that exhibit growth characteristics. However, these investments also may typically include companies with more aggressive growth characteristics, and companies undergoing significant changes (e.g., the introduction of a new product line, the appointment of a new management team or an acquisition).

U.S. Large-Cap Value (T. Rowe Price). T. Rowe Price will invest primarily in common stocks of large U.S. companies that appear to be undervalued, and in securities that are expected to produce dividend income. T. Rowe Price also may invest up to 10% of the assets attributable to this investment category in foreign securities. T. Rowe Price typically will employ a "value" approach in selecting investments for the domestic large-cap value portion of the Portfolio. T. Rowe Price's in-house research team seeks to identify companies that appear to be undervalued by various measures and may be temporarily out of favor but have good prospects for capital appreciation and dividend growth.

International Growth (William Blair). William Blair will use fundamental research to identify stocks of foreign companies with market capitalizations over $100 million that have above-average prospective growth, evidence of sustainability of future growth, above-average profitability and reinvestment of internal capital, and conservative capital structure.

International Value (LSV). LSV will employ a proprietary model and other quantitative methods in an attempt to pick undervalued foreign stocks with high near-term appreciation potential. Cash flow-to-price ratios, book-to-market ratios and certain past performance measures are some of the important variables reviewed by LSV in its investment process.

U.S. Fixed-Income (PIMCO). Under normal circumstances, PIMCO will invest primarily in a diversified portfolio of fixed-income instruments of varying maturities. The average portfolio duration for securities held in this investment category will normally vary within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index which, as of June 30, 2007, was 4.70 years. PIMCO will invest primarily in fixed-income securities that are rated investment grade by established rating services but may invest up to 10% of the total assets attributable to this investment category in junk bonds.

Hedged International Bond: Developed Markets Sub-category and Emerging Markets Sub-category (PIMCO). The Hedged International Bond investment category will contain a Developed Markets sub-category and an Emerging Markets sub-category. PIMCO will be responsible for allocating assets between the Developed Markets sub-category and the Emerging Markets sub-category. Emerging markets include those in countries defined as emerging or developing by the World Bank. Remaining markets will be classified as developed markets. In general terms, a security will be considered to be an emerging market security if it is principally traded on the securities markets of an emerging market country, or if the issuer thereof is organized or principally operates in an emerging market country, derives a majority of its income from its operations within an emerging market country, or has the majority of its assets in an emerging market country.

Under normal circumstances, PIMCO will invest at least 80% of the net assets attributable to this investment category in fixed-income instruments of issuers located outside the United States, representing at least three foreign countries, which may be represented by swaps, futures contracts (including related options), and options on such securities. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Portfolio's total assets directly managed by PIMCO in an effort to reduce the risk of loss due to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.

PIMCO will select the foreign country and currency compositions for each sub-category based upon its evaluation of various factors, including, but not limited to, relative interest rates, exchange rates, monetary and fiscal policies, trade and current account balances. The average portfolio duration for securities held in this investment category normally is expected to vary within a zero- to eight-year time frame. PIMCO may invest all of the assets attributable to this investment category in non-investment grade fixed-income securities, subject to a limit of investing no more than 15% of such assets in securities rated below B by Moody's or by S&P, or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by PIMCO to be of comparable quality.

 

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The assets attributable to this investment category may be invested in a limited number of issuers and in both sovereign and non-sovereign debt securities. Sovereign debt securities are debt securities issued or guaranteed by foreign government entities.

Description of Non-Traditional Investment Categories and Sub-categories . The investment categories and sub-categories for which the PIMCO and PI will pursue non-traditional investment strategies include the following:


Brief descriptions of the investment strategies to be used by PIMCO and PI are set forth below:

Advanced Strategies I: The Advanced Strategies I investment category will contain a Commodities Real Return sub-category, a Real Return sub-category, and a Real Estate Real Return sub-category. PI will direct PIMCO how to allocate assets among the Commodities Real Return sub-category, the Real Return sub-category, and the Real Estate Real Return sub-category based upon PI's own forward-looking assessment of macroeconomic, market, financial, security valuation, and other factors.

The average portfolio duration for securities held in this investment category normally will vary within three years (plus or minus) of the real duration of the Lehman Brothers U.S. TIPS Index. As of December 31, 2007, the real duration of that index was ___ years. For these purposes, in calculating the average portfolio duration for this investment category, PIMCO includes the real duration of inflation-indexed portfolio securities and the nominal duration of non-inflation-indexed portfolio securities. The assets attributable to this investment category may be invested in a limited number of issuers.

Advanced Strategies I: Commodities Real Return Sub-category (PIMCO). Rather than invest directly in physical commodities, PIMCO will employ an "enhanced-index" strategy for this sub-category. Specifically, PIMCO will use commodity-index-linked derivative instruments, such as commodity swap agreements, with a goal of gaining 100% exposure to the investment return of the Dow Jones AIG Commodity Total Return Index, a widely followed measure of commodity prices. Assets not invested in commodity-linked derivative instruments may be invested in inflation-indexed securities and other fixed-income instruments, including derivative fixed-income instruments. Inflation-indexed bonds offer a return that is linked to changes in the rate of inflation.

Advanced Strategies I: Real Return Sub-category (PIMCO). This sub-category will focus primarily on investments in U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities. The top-down investment process used by PIMCO for this sub-category will begin with its annual secular forum where PIMCO develops a 3-5 year outlook for the global economy and interest rates. This analysis will help set the basic sub-category parameters, including duration, yield-curve positioning, sector weightings, credit quality breakdown, and individual security selection. PIMCO will focus on duration management to manage yield curve exposure based on the firm's general investment outlook.

Advanced Strategies I: Real Estate Real Return Sub-category (PIMCO). Similar to the investment strategy for the Commodities Real Return sub-category, PIMCO will employ an enhanced-index strategy for the Real Estate Real Return sub-category rather than invest directly in REITs. Specifically, PIMCO will use REIT-index-linked derivative instruments, such as REIT swap agreements, with a goal of gaining 100% exposure to the investment return of the Dow Jones - Wilshire REIT Index, a widely followed measure of REIT prices. Assets not invested in real estate-linked derivative instruments may be invested in inflation-indexed securities and other fixed-income instruments, including derivative fixed-income instruments. As set forth above, inflation-indexed bonds offer a return that is linked to changes in the rate of inflation. PIMCO may invest assets attributable to this sub-category directly in REITs as well.

Advanced Strategies II (PI). This investment category will focus primarily on investments in exchange-traded funds (ETFs). PI will analyze the holdings of the Portfolio and use a top-down, macro- and thematically-driven approach to establish tactical allocations among various components of the capital markets, including equity sectors, equity styles, equity capitalization, developed markets, and emerging markets.

Market Risk . The principal risk of investing in the Portfolio is market risk. Market risk is the risk that a particular equity or debt security in the Portfolio, the Portfolio itself, or equity or debt markets in general may fall in value.

Foreign Investment Risk . The Portfolio's investment in foreign securities presents additional risk, including currency risk. Foreign companies may be affected by adverse political, diplomatic and economic developments, taxes, less publicly available information and other factors. These risks may be heightened for a Portfolio's investments in emerging market securities.

 

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Interest Rate Risk . Debt obligations with longer maturities typically offer higher yields, but are subject to greater price shifts as a result of interest rate changes than debt obligations with shorter maturities. The prices of debt obligations generally move in the opposite direction to that of market interest rates.

Credit Risk . The debt obligations in which the Portfolio may invest are generally subject to the risk that the issuer may be unable to make principal and interest payments when they are due.

Junk Bond Risk . To the extent the Portfolio invests in junk bonds or other non-investment grade fixed-income securities, it may be subject to greater levels of interest rate, credit and liquidity risk than mutual funds that do not invest in such securities. These securities are considered predominately speculative with respect to the issuer's continuing ability to make principal and interest payments. An economic downturn or period of rising interest rates could adversely affect the market for these securities and reduce the Portfolio's ability to sell these securities (liquidity risk). If the issuer of a security is in default with respect to interest or principal payments, the Advanced Strategies Portfolio may lose its entire investment.

Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may invest in securities and other instruments that are commonly referred to as "derivatives." In general, derivative instruments are securities or other instruments whose value is derived from or related to the value of some other instrument or asset. Some derivatives and derivative strategies involve very little risk, while others can be extremely risky and can lead to losses in excess of the amount invested in the derivative.

The Portfolio's use of derivative instruments will involve risks different from, or possibly greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other traditional investments. Derivatives are subject to a number of risks described above, such as liquidity risk, interest rate risk, market risk, credit risk and management risk. The use of these strategies also involves the risk that the price movements of derivative instruments will not correspond exactly with those of the investments from which they are derived. In addition, strategies involving derivative instruments that are intended to reduce the risk of loss can also reduce the opportunity for gain. An investment in a derivative instrument also could cause the Portfolio to lose more than the principal amount invested. Furthermore, regulatory requirements for the Portfolio to set aside assets to meet its obligations with respect to derivatives may result in the Portfolio being unable to purchase or sell securities when it would otherwise be favorable to do so, or in the Portfolio needing to sell securities at a disadvantageous time. The Portfolio may also be unable to close out its derivatives positions when desired.

Commodity Risk . The Portfolio's investments in commodity-linked derivative instruments may subject the Portfolio to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. The value of commodity-linked derivative instruments may be affected by changes in overall market movements, commodity index volatility, changes in interest rates, or factors affecting a particular industry or commodity, such as drought, floods, weather, acts of terrorism, livestock disease, embargoes, tariffs, and international economic, political and regulatory developments.

Real Estate Risk . The Portfolio's emphasis on investments in real estate investment trusts ("REITs") and in real estate-linked derivative instruments will subject the Portfolio to risks similar to those associated with direct ownership of real estate, including losses from casualty or condemnation, and changes in local and general economic conditions, supply and demand, interest rates, zoning laws, regulatory limitations on rents, property taxes, and operating expenses. An investment in a real estate-linked derivative instrument that is linked to the value of a REIT is subject to additional risks, such as poor performance by the manager of the REIT, adverse changes to the tax laws, or failure by the REIT to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In addition, some REITs have limited diversification because they invest in a limited number of properties, a narrow geographic area, or a single type of property. Also, the organizational documents of a REIT may contain provisions that make changes in control of the REIT difficult and time-consuming.

Asset Allocation Risk . The performance of the Portfolio will depend to a certain extent on how its assets are allocated and reallocated among the various investment categories, sub-categories, and investment managers. A principal risk of investing in the Portfolio is that the Investment Managers will make less than optimal decisions regarding allocation of assets among the various investment categories, sub-categories, and investment advisers.

Temporary Investments . The Portfolio may, without limit as to the percentage of its assets, purchase U.S. government securities or short-term debt securities pending investments in other securities consistent with its investment objective, to meet shareholder redemptions, or for temporary defensive purposes. The Portfolio's ability to achieve its investment objective will be reduced to the extent it must increase its holdings of temporary investments.


AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek a high level of total return by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of equity and fixed-income

 

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securities.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, approximately 60% of its total assets in equity securities and 40% in fixed income securities. This mix may vary over shorter time periods; the equity portion may range between 50-70% and the fixed income portion between 30-50%.

The subadviser concentrates common stock investments in larger, more established companies, but the Portfolio may include small and medium-sized companies with good growth prospects. The Portfolio's exposure to smaller companies is not expected to be substantial, and will not constitute more than 30% of the equity portion of the Portfolio. Up to 35% of the equity portion may be invested in foreign (non-U.S. dollar denominated) equity securities. The fixed income portion of the Portfolio will be allocated among investment grade securities (50-100% of the fixed income portion); high yield or "junk" bonds (up to 30%); foreign (non-U.S. dollar denominated) high quality debt securities and emerging market securities (up to 30%); and cash reserves (up to 20%).

The precise mix of equity and fixed income investments will depend on the subadviser's outlook for the markets. When deciding upon asset allocations, the subadviser may favor fixed income securities if the economy is expected to slow sufficiently to hurt corporate profit growth. The opposite may be true when strong economic growth is expected. The Portfolio's investments in foreign equity and debt securities are intended to provide additional diversification, and the subadviser will normally have at least three different countries represented in both the foreign equity and foreign debt portions of the Portfolio.

Securities may be sold for a variety of reasons, such as to effect a change in asset allocation, to secure gains or limit losses, or to re-deploy assets to more promising opportunities.

As a fund that invests both in equity and fixed income securities, the Portfolio risk of loss and share price fluctuation (and potential for gain) will tend to be less than funds investing primarily in equity securities and more than funds investing primarily in fixed income securities. Of course, both equity and fixed income securities may decline in value.

Equity securities may decline because the stock market as a whole declines, or because of reasons specific to the company, such as disappointing earnings or changes in its competitive environment. The Portfolio's level of risk will increase if a significant portion of the Portfolio is invested in securities of small-cap companies. Like other fixed income funds, the fixed income portion of the Portfolio is subject to changes in market interest rates and changes in the credit quality of specific issuers. Because of the Portfolio's focus on fixed income securities with intermediate to long maturities, changes in market interest rates may cause substantial declines in the Portfolio's share price. The Portfolio's level of risk will increase if a significant portion of the Portfolio is invested in lower-rated high yield bonds or in foreign securities. Because a significant portion of the Portfolio's fixed income investments may be in mortgage-related and asset-backed securities, this could add increased volatility and carry special risks in the event of declining interest rates which would cause prepayments to increase, and the value of the securities to decrease.

Equity Securities . When selecting particular stocks to purchase, the subadviser will examine relative values and prospects among growth and value-oriented stocks, domestic and international stocks, and small-to large-cap stocks. Domestic stocks are drawn from the overall U.S. market while international equities are selected primarily from large companies in developed countries. Investments in non-U.S. dollar denominated stocks may be made solely for capital appreciation or solely for income or any combination of both for the purpose of achieving a higher overall return. Stocks of companies in developing countries may also be included. The equity portion of the Portfolio also may include convertible securities, preferred stocks and warrants.

Investments in small companies involve both higher risk and greater potential for appreciation. These companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources, or they may be dependent on a small or inexperienced management group. In addition, their securities may trade less frequently and move more abruptly than securities of larger companies.

Fixed Income Securities . Bond investments are primarily investment grade (top four credit ratings) and are chosen from across the entire government and corporate bond markets. Up to 30% of the Portfolio's fixed income portion may be invested in high yield bonds. A significant portion of the Portfolio's fixed income investments may be in mortgage-related (including mortgage dollar rolls and derivatives such as collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities) and asset-backed securities. Bank debt and loan participations and assignments may also be purchased. Maturities and duration of the fixed income portion of the portfolio will reflect the sub-advisor's outlook for interest rates. The cash reserves component will consist of high quality domestic and foreign money market instruments, including money market funds managed by the subadviser.

Other Investments :
Swap Agreements . The Portfolio may enter into interest rate, index, total return, credit default and currency exchange rate swap agreements for the purposes of attempting to obtain a desired return at a lower cost than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an

 

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instrument that yielded the desired return or for the purpose of hedging a portfolio position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, the two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular investments or instruments. The returns to be exchanged between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., a specified dollar amount that is hypothetically invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Commonly used swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Under most swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio, the parties' obligations are determined on a "net basis." Consequently, the Portfolio's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to a net amount based on the relative values of the positions held by each party.

There are risks in the use of swaps. Whether the Portfolio's use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the sub-advisor's ability to predict that certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Interest rate and currency swaps could result in losses if interest rate or currency changes are not correctly anticipated. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps could result in losses if the sub-advisor does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based. Moreover, the Portfolio may not receive the expected amount under a swap agreement if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes bankrupt. The Portfolio will not enter into a swap agreement with any single counterparty if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets, or if the net amount owed or to be received by the Portfolio under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets.

The Portfolio may enter into stock index, interest rate or currency futures contracts (or options thereon) for hedging purposes or to provide an efficient means of adjusting the Portfolio's exposure to the equity markets. The Portfolio may write covered call options and purchase put and call options on foreign currencies, securities, and financial indices. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in hybrid instruments, which combine the characteristics of futures, options and securities. To the extent the Portfolio uses these investments, it will be exposed to additional volatility and potential losses. The Portfolio may enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts in connection with its foreign investments.

Temporary Investments . As noted above, up to 20% of the fixed income portion of the Portfolio normally may consist of cash reserves including repurchase agreements. In addition, the Portfolio may maintain cash reserves without limitation for temporary defensive purposes. The Portfolio may also invest in money market funds managed by the subadviser. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of a high level of total return may be limited. Cash reserves also provide flexibility in meeting redemptions and paying expenses.


AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
Asset Allocation and Risk Management.
The Portfolio attempts to generate positive returns and manage risk through sophisticated asset allocation, currency management techniques, and security selection. These decisions are integrated with analysis of global market and economic conditions.

The Portfolio is a multi-asset class fund. The asset classes in which the Portfolio may invest include, but are not limited to, the following: U.S. equity, non-U.S. equity, emerging market equity, U.S. fixed-income, non-U.S. fixed-income, emerging market debt, U.S. high-yield or "junk bond" fixed-income, and cash equivalents, including global currencies. The Portfolio may invest in issuers located within and outside the United States or in investment companies advised by UBS or its affiliates to gain exposure to these asset classes. The Portfolio will not pay investment management fees or other fund expenses in connection with its investment in the investment companies advised by UBS or an affiliate, but may pay expenses associated with such investments. Asset allocation decisions are tactical, based upon UBS' assessment of valuations and prevailing market conditions in the U.S. and abroad. Investments also may be made in selected sectors of these asset classes.

The Portfolio may, but is not required to, use derivative instruments for risk management purposes or as part of the Portfolio's investment strategies. Generally, derivatives are financial contracts whose value depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an

 

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underlying asset, reference rate, or index, and may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies, or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. Examples of derivatives include options, futures, forward agreements, swap agreements (including, but not limited to, interest rate and credit default swaps), and credit-linked securities. The Portfolio may use derivatives to earn income and enhance returns, to manage or adjust the risk profile of the Portfolio, to replace more traditional direct investments, or to obtain exposure to certain markets. In addition, the Portfolio may establish net short or net long positions for individual markets, currencies and securities. The Portfolio also may borrow money to purchase investments for the Portfolio and for temporary or emergency purposes, including for meeting redemptions, for the payment of dividends, for share repurchases, or for the clearance of transactions.

As an open-end investment company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), the Portfolio is subject to the federal securities laws, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, related rules, and various SEC and SEC staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of Derivatives, the Portfolio must "set aside" (referred to sometimes as "asset segregation") liquid assets, or engage in other SEC- or staff-approved measures, while the Derivatives contracts are open. For example, with respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not contractually required to "cash-settle," the Portfolio must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts' full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to "cash-settle," however, the Portfolio is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled forward and futures contracts, the Portfolio will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The use of leverage involves certain risks. See "Risk/Return Summary-Principal Risks" above for more information. The Trust reserves the right to modify the Portfolio's asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the SEC and its staff.

The Portfolio's risk will be carefully monitored with consideration given to the risk generated by individual positions, sector, country, and currency views. UBS will employ proprietary risk management systems and models that seek to ensure the Portfolio is compensated for the level of risk it assumes at both the security and market levels.

Equity Investments . Investments in equity securities may include common stock and preferred stock of issuers in developed nations (including the U.S.) and emerging markets. Equity investments may include large, intermediate, and small capitalization companies. Within the equity portion of the Portfolio, UBS will primarily use value-oriented strategies but also may use growth-oriented strategies from time to time. When using value-oriented equity strategies, UBS seeks to select securities whose fundamental values it believes are greater than their market prices. In this context, the fundamental value of a given security is the UBS' assessment of what a security is worth. UBS bases its estimates of value upon economic, industry and company analysis, as well as upon a company's management team, competitive advantage and core competencies. UBS then compares its assessment of a security's value against the prevailing market prices, with the aim of constructing a portfolio of stocks with attractive relative price/value characteristics. For each equity security under analysis, the fundamental value estimate is compared to the company's current market price to ascertain whether a valuation anomaly exists. A stock with a market price below (above) the estimated intrinsic or fundamental value would be considered a long (short) candidate for inclusion in the Portfolio. This comparison between price and intrinsic or fundamental value allows comparisons across industries and countries. Under certain circumstances, UBS may use growth-oriented strategies within its US equity asset class for a portion of the allocation; but only after subjecting such strategies to a rigorous due diligence process to judge their suitability for the Portfolio. To invest in growth equities, UBS will seek to invest in companies that possess a dominant market position and franchise, a major technological edge or a unique competitive advantage, in part by using a proprietary quantitative screening system that ranks stocks using a series of growth, valuation and momentum metrics.

Fixed-Income Investments . Investments in fixed-income securities may include debt securities of governments throughout the world (including the U.S.), their agencies and instrumentalities, debt securities of corporations and supranationals, inflation protected securities, convertible bonds, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, equipment trusts and other collateralized debt securities. Investments in fixed-income securities may include issuers in both developed (including the U.S.) and emerging markets. In selecting fixed-income securities, UBS uses an internally developed valuation model that quantifies return expectations for all major bond markets, domestic and foreign. The UBS model employs a qualitative credit review process that assesses the ways in which macroeconomic forces (such as inflation, risk premiums and interest rates) may affect industry trends. Against the output of this model, UBS considers the viability of specific debt securities compared to certain qualitative factors, such as management strength, market position, competitive environment and financial flexibility, as well as certain quantitative factors, such as historical operating results, calculation of credit ratios, and expected future outlook. The Portfolio's fixed income investments may reflect a broad range of investment maturities, qualities and sectors, including convertible debt securities and debt securities rated below investment grade. These lower-rated fixed-income securities are often referred to as "high-yield securities" or "junk bonds". UBS' fixed-income strategy combines judgments about the absolute value of the fixed income universe and the relative value of issuer sectors, maturity intervals, duration of securities, quality and coupon segments and specific circumstances facing the issuers of fixed income securities. Duration measures a fixed income security's price sensitivity to interest rates by indicating the approximate change in a fixed income security's price if interest rates move up or down in 1% increments. Duration management involves adjusting the sensitivity to interest rates of

 

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the holdings within a country. UBS manages duration by choosing a maturity mix that provides opportunity for appreciation while also limiting interest rate risks.

The Dynamic Alpha Portfolio also may invest in cash or cash equivalent instruments. When political, economic, or market conditions warrant, the Portfolio may invest without limitation in cash equivalents, which may affect its ability to pursue its investment objective.

Portfolio Turnover . UBS expects to actively manage the Dynamic Alpha Portfolio. As such, the Portfolio may have high portfolio turnover, which may result in higher costs for brokerage commissions, transaction costs, and taxable gains. The trading costs and tax effects associated with portfolio turnover may adversely affect the Portfolio's performance.

Temporary Investments . Up to 100% of the Dynamic Alpha Portfolio's assets may be invested temporarily in cash or cash equivalents and the Dynamic Alpha Portfolio may otherwise deviate from its customary investment strategies in response to extraordinary adverse political, economic, financial, or stock market events. Temporary investments may include U.S. or foreign government obligations, commercial paper, bank obligations, and repurchase agreements. While the Dynamic Alpha Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited.


AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio
Investment Objective: long-term capital growth balanced by current income.

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio
Investment Objective: long-term capital growth.

General. Each Portfolio allocates its assets across six uniquely specialized investment strategies. Initially, each Portfolio will invest in the securities determined by the model based on its six respective investment strategies. On or about the annual security selection date (March 1), each Portfolio will establish both percentage allocations among the six investment strategies and the percentage allocation of each security's position within each Equity Strategy. First Trust reserves the right to over-weight, underweight, or exclude certain companies from the holdings of either Portfolio. The percentage allocations among the six investment strategies at each annual security selection date are approximately as follows:

AST First Trust Portfolios: Asset Allocations
Investment Strategy AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio
Dow Jones Income 35.00% 20.00%
NYSE ® International Target 25 10.00% 10.00%
Global Dividend Target 15 15.00% 20.00%
Value Line ® Target 25 15.00% 20.00%
Target Small-Cap 5.00% 15.00%
The Dow ® Target Dividend 20.00% N/A
NASDAQ ® Target 15 N/A 15.00%

Investment Strategies for the Portfolios

Dow Jones Income

In selecting securities for this strategy, First Trust follows an investment strategy that invests in securities identified by applying certain screens to the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index. This strategy emphasizes high credit quality, liquidity, diversification, issuer fundamentals, and duration management.

  • Step 1: Begin with the universe of bonds that comprise the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index on or about the applicable security selection date. The Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index identifies bonds with an investment-grade credit rating of no less than Baa3 as rated by Moody's Investors Service (or rated of similar quality by another rating agency).

  • Step 2: For liquidity, eliminate each bond that does not have at least $350 million principal amount in outstanding issuance.

  • Step 3: Eliminate bonds based on proprietary factors including issuer fundamentals and diversification.

  • Step 4: Bonds satisfying the above 3 steps are weighted across multiple sectors and maturity bands of the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index.

 

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  • Step 5: Bonds are then selected based on availability and relative value compared to similar quality bonds within the investment grade universe. Due to poor liquidity or lack of availability, like-bonds that are not components of the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index may be selected within the investment grade universe that have similar characteristics as the bonds identified through steps 1-4.

In the event a bond identified by the process described above is exempted from the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index, First Trust may continue its investment in such bond or may identify an alternative bond from the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index.

Each holding is monitored and evaluated for potential credit downgrades/upgrades and issue-specific business fundamentals, and the portfolio is monitored for interest rate sensitivity through optimal duration management.

NYSE ® International Target 25

The NYSE ® International Target 25 Strategy stocks are selected by First Trust as follows:

  • Step 1: Begin with the stocks that comprise the NYSE International 100 Index® on or about the applicable security selection date. The NYSE International 100 Index® consists of the 100 largest non-U.S. stocks trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

  • Step 2: Screen for liquidity by eliminating companies with average daily trading volume below $300,000 for the prior three months.

  • Step 3: Rank each remaining stock on two factors: - Price to book - Price to cash flow. Lower, but positive, price to book and price to cash flow ratios are generally used as an indication of value.

  • Step 4: Construct an equally-weighted portfolio of the 25 stocks with the best overall ranking on the two factors.

Global Dividend Target 15

In selecting stocks for this strategy, First Trust uses a disciplined investment strategy that invests primarily in the common stocks of the companies that are components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average SM (DJIA SM ), the Financial Times Industrial Ordinary Share Index ("FT Index") and the Hang Seng Index SM . The DJIA SM consists of stocks chosen by the editors of The Wall Street Journal as representative of the broad market and of American industry. The FT Index is comprised of 30 stocks chosen by the editors of The Financial Times as representative of British industry and commerce. As of March 31, 2008, the Hang Seng Index consisted of 43 stocks listed on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Ltd. (the "Hong Kong Stock Exchange"), and it includes companies intended to represent four major market sectors: commerce and industry, finance, properties and utilities.

This strategy primarily consists of common stocks of the five companies with the lowest per share stock price of the ten companies in each of the DJIA SM , FT Index and Hang Seng Index, respectively, that have the highest dividend yields in the respective index as of the close of business on or about the applicable security selection date.

Value Line ® Target 25

To select the stocks for this strategy, First Trust follows a disciplined investment strategy that invests primarily in the common stocks of 25 companies selected from a subset of the stocks that receive Value Line's ® #1 ranking for Timeliness™ as of the close of business on or about the applicable security selection date. Value Line's ranking for Timeliness measures Value Line's view of probable price performance during the next 6 to 12 months based upon long-term trend of earnings, prices, recent earnings, price momentum, and earnings surprise. First Trust expects to select 25 common stocks each year through the following multi-step process from a subset of the stocks that receive Value Line's ® #1 ranking for Timeliness as of the close of business on or about the applicable security selection date:

  • Step 1: Start with the 100 stocks that Value Line® on or about the security selection date gives its #1 ranking for Timeliness™, and remove the stocks of companies considered to be financial companies and the stocks of companies whose shares are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange. Rank each remaining stock from the best (1) to worst (100) on the following factors:

    - 12 month price appreciation
    - 6 month price appreciation
    - Return on assets
    - Price to cash flow

  • Step 2: Select a market-cap weighted portfolio of the 25 stocks with the best overall ranking on the above four factors.

Securities selected by this strategy will be weighted by market capitalization subject to the restriction that no stock will comprise less than 1% or more than 7.5% of the portfolio on or about the security selection date.

Target Small-Cap

 

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The Target Small-Cap stocks are stocks with small market capitalizations that have recently exhibited certain positive financial attributes. First Trust selects stocks for this strategy as follows:

  • Step 1: Select the stocks of all U.S. corporations that trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the American Stock Exchange LLC (AMEX) or The Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq) (excluding limited partnerships, American Depositary Receipts and mineral and oil royalty trusts) as of the close of business on or about the applicable security selection date.

  • Step 2: Select companies that have a market capitalization of between $150 million and $1 billion and whose stock has an average daily dollar trading volume of at least $500,000.

  • Step 3: Select stocks with positive three-year sales growth.

  • Step 4: From there, select those stocks whose most recent annual earnings are positive.

  • Step 5: Eliminate any stock whose price has appreciated by more than 75% in the last 12 months.

  • Step 6: Select the 40 stocks with the greatest price appreciation in the last 12 months.

Market capitalization and average trading volume are based on 1996 dollars which are periodically adjusted for inflation. Securities selected by this strategy will be weighted by market capitalization.

The Dow ® Target Dividend (AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio only)

This investment strategy looks for common stocks issued by companies that are expected to provide income and have the potential for capital appreciation. First Trust follows a disciplined investment strategy that invests primarily in the 20 common stocks from the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM with the best overall ranking on both the change in return on assets over the last 12 months and price to book ratio. Specifically, this investment strategy consists of the following steps:

  • Step 1: Rank all 100 stocks contained in the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM on or about the applicable security selection date (best [1] to worst [100]) by:

    - Change in return on assets over the last 12 months. An increase in return on assets generally indicates improving business fundamentals.
    - Price to book. A lower, but positive, price to book ratio is generally used as an indication of value.

  • Step 2: Select an approximately equally-weighted portfolio of the 20 stocks with the best overall ranking on the two factors.

NASDAQ ® Target 15 (AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio only)

This investment strategy looks for common stocks issued by companies that are expected to have the potential for capital appreciation. To select the stocks for this investment strategy, First Trust follows a disciplined investment strategy that invests primarily in the common stocks of 15 companies selected from a subset of the stocks included in the NASDAQ-100 Index as of the close of business on or about the applicable security selection date.

  • Step 1: Begin with the stocks that comprise the NASDAQ-100 Index. Rank each stock on the following factors:

    - 12 month price appreciation
    - 6 month price appreciation
    - Return on assets
    - Price to cash flow

  • Step 2: Select a market-cap weighted portfolio of the 15 stocks with the best overall ranking on the four factors.

Securities selected by this strategy will be weighted by market capitalization subject to the restriction that no stock will comprise less than 1% or more than 7.5% of the portfolio on or about the security selection date.

Asset Class Allocations . In addition to allocating each Portfolio's assets across the six investment strategies, the overall mix between equity and fixed-income securities will vary for both Portfolios. The AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio will normally invest approximately 65% of its total assets in equity securities and 35% in fixed-income securities as of the security selection date. Depending on market conditions on the security selection date, the equity portion may range between 60-70% and the fixed-income portion between 30-40%. The AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio will normally invest approximately 80% of its total assets in equity securities and 20% in fixed-income securities as of the securities selection date. Depending on market conditions on the security selection date, the equity portion may range between 75-85% and the fixed-income portion between 15-25%.

Equity Securities . Each Portfolio invests a substantial portion of its assets in equity securities. Eligible equity securities include common stocks, warrants to purchase common stocks, and securities convertible into common stocks (such as convertible bonds and debentures). In addition, the Portfolios may invest in equity securities of foreign issuers, including depositary receipts that represent foreign common stocks deposited with a custodian.

Fixed-Income Securities . Each Portfolio may invest in debt obligations of varying quality, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and its agencies, and debt obligations issued by U.S. companies, foreign companies and foreign governments and their agencies. The Portfolios will limit their respective investments in debt obligations rated at least investment grade by Moody's Investors Service (Moody's), Standard Poor's Ratings Services (S&P), or another major rating service, and unrated debt obligations that First Trust believes are comparable in quality.

 

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Other Investments and Investment Strategies for the Portfolios . In addition to the principal investment strategies outlined above, the Portfolios may invest in the following instruments and use the following investment methods:

  • Common and Preferred Stocks

  • Fixed-Income Securities

  • Foreign Securities

  • Derivative Instruments

  • Initial Public Offerings

  • Warrants

  • Convertible Securities

  • When-Issued, Delayed-Delivery, or Forward Commitment Transactions

  • Illiquid and Restricted Securities

  • Repurchase Agreements

  • Reverse Repurchase Agreements

  • Temporary Investments· Borrowing

  • Lending Portfolio Securities

  • Short Sales "Against the Box"

LICENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

"Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index," "The Dow Jones Industrial Average SM ," "The Dow ® ," "DIJA SM " and "Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM " are service marks or registered trademarks of Dow Jones Company, Inc. ("Dow Jones") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. ("First Trust"). Dow Jones does not sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio and/or the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio (collectively, the "AST First Trust Portfolios"). Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. Except as noted herein, Dow Jones has not given First Trust or the Trust a license to use its indexes.

The AST First Trust Portfolios are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones. Dow Jones makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any member of the public regarding the advisability of purchasing the AST First Trust Portfolios. Dow Jones' only relationship to First Trust is the licensing of certain copyrights, trademarks, servicemarks and service names of Dow Jones. Dow Jones has no obligation to take the needs of First Trust or the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios into consideration in determining, composing or calculating The Dow Jones Industrial Average SM , the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM , or the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index. Dow Jones is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the terms and conditions of the AST First Trust Portfolios to be issued, including the pricing or the amount payable under the Contracts. Dow Jones has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration or marketing of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

DOW JONES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND DOW JONES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FIRST TRUST, CONTRACT OWNERS OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN DOW JONES AND FIRST TRUST.

"VALUE LINE®," "THE VALUE LINE INVESTMENT SURVEY" AND "VALUE LINE TIMELINESS RANKING SYSTEM" ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF VALUE LINE SECURITIES, INC. OR VALUE LINE PUBLISHING, INC. THAT HAVE BEEN LICENSED TO FIRST TRUST ADVISORS, L.P. THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS ARE NOT SPONSORED, RECOMMENDED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY VALUE LINE PUBLISHING, INC., VALUE LINE, INC. OR VALUE LINE SECURITIES, INC. ("VALUE LINE"). VALUE LINE MAKES NO REPRESENTATION REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN THE FUNDS. FIRST TRUST IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY VALUE LINE COMPANY.

 

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"Value Line Publishing, Inc.'s ("VLPI") only relationship to First Trust is VLPI's licensing to First Trust of certain VLPI trademarks and trade names and the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System (the "System"), which is composed by VLPI without regard to First Trust, the AST First Trust Portfolios, the Trust or any investor. VLPI has no obligation to take the needs of First Trust or any investor in the AST First Trust Portfolios into consideration in composing the System. The AST First Trust Portfolios results may differ from the hypothetical or published results of the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System. VLPI is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and composition of the AST First Trust Portfolios or the timing of the issuance for sale of the AST First Trust Portfolios or in the calculation of the equations by which the AST First Trust Portfolios is to be converted into cash.

VLPI MAKES NO WARRANTY CONCERNING THE SYSTEM, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING FROM USAGE OF TRADE, COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, AND VLPI MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE POTENTIAL PROFITS OR ANY OTHER BENEFITS THAT MAY BE ACHIEVED BY USING THE SYSTEM OR ANY INFORMATION OR MATERIALS GENERATED THEREFROM. VLPI DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SYSTEM WILL MEET ANY REQUIREMENTS OR THAT IT WILL BE ACCURATE OR ERROR-FREE. VLPI ALSO DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY USES, INFORMATION, DATA OR OTHER RESULTS GENERATED FROM THE SYSTEM. VLPI HAS NO OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY (I) IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR TRADING OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND; OR (II) FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, COST OR EXPENSE SUFFERED OR INCURRED BY ANY INVESTOR OR OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL VLPI BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTIAL, INDIRECT OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND.

"NYSE ® " and "NYSE International 100 Index ® " are registered trademarks of the NYSE Group, Inc. and both have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors, L.P. The AST First Trust Portfolios which use a strategy based in part on the NYSE International 100 Index ® , are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates, and NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products.

NYSE Group, Inc. has no relationship to the AST First Trust Portfolios or First Trust other than the licensing of NYSE International 100 Index ® (the "Index") and its registered trademarks for use in connection with the AST First Trust Portfolios.

NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates do not:

  • Sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Recommend that any person invest in the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other securities.

  • Have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount or pricing of AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management or marketing of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Consider the needs of the AST First Trust Portfolios or the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios in determining, composing or calculating the NYSE International 100 Index® or have any obligation to do so.


Neither NYSE Group, Inc. nor any of its affiliates will have any liability in connection with the AST First Trust Portfolios or the Fund. Specifically, NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates do not make any warranty, express or implied, and disclaim any warranty about:

  • The results to be obtained by the AST First Trust Portfolios, the Contract owner of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other person in connection with the use of the Index and the data included in the Index;

  • The accuracy or completeness of the Index and its data;

  • The merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the Index and its data;

  • NYSE Group, Inc. and it's affiliates will have no liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions in the Index or its data;

  • Under no circumstances will NYSE Group, Inc. or any of its affiliates be liable for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages or losses, even if NYSE Group, Inc. knows that they might occur.


The licensing agreement between First Trust Advisors L.P. and NYSE Group, Inc. is solely for their benefit and not for the benefit of the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other third parties.

The AST First Trust Portfolios are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by The NASDAQ Stock Market,Inc. (including its affiliates) (NASDAQ, with its affiliates, are referred to as the "Corporations"). The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to the AST First Trust Portfolios. The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the AST First Trust Portfolios particularly, or the ability of the NASDAQ-100 Index ® to track general stock market performance. The Corporations' only relationship to the First Trust Advisors L.P. ("Licensee") is in the licensing of the NASDAQ ® , NASDAQ-100 ® and NASDAQ-100 Index ® registered trademarks and certain trade names of the Corporations and the use of the NASDAQ-100 Index ® , which is determined, composed and calculated by NASDAQ

 

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without regard to Licensee or the AST First Trust Portfolios. Prudential Investments LLC (Sub-Licensee) has sublicensed certain NASDAQ trademarks and tradenames of the Corporations. NASDAQ has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee, the Sub-Licensee, or the owners of shares of the AST First Trust Portfolios into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the NASDAQ-100 Index ® . The Corporations are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at or quantities of the AST First Trust Portfolios to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the AST First Trust Portfolios are to be converted into cash. The Corporations have no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

THE CORPORATIONS DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR UNINTERRUPTED CALCUATION OF THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FIRST TRUST, RECORD OR BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CORPORATIONS HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBIITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios:

AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: The investment objective of each Portfolio is to obtain the highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance.

The investment objective and the definition of risk tolerance level are not fundamental policies for any of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios and, therefore, can be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Fund at any time. The current relative risk tolerance level for each of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios may be summarized as set forth below:

Principal Investment Policies and Risks . Each of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios is a "fund of funds." That means that each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio invests primarily in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy. Other mutual funds in which in which one of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios may invest are collectively referred to as the "Underlying Portfolios." Consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios, other mutual funds may from time to time be added to, or removed from, the list of Underlying Portfolios that may be used in connection with the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios. Currently, the only Underlying Portfolios in which the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios invest are other Portfolios of the Trust and certain mony market funds advised by an Investment Manager or one of its affiliates.

Investment Process . The asset allocation strategy for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio is determined by Prudential Investments LLC (PI). As a general matter, PI begins by constructing a neutral allocation for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio. Each neutral allocation initially divides the assets for the corresponding Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio across three broad-based securities benchmark indexes. These three benchmark indexes are the Russell 3000 Index, the MSCI EAFE Index, and the Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. The Russell 3000 Index measures the performance of the approximately 3000 largest U.S. companies based

 

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on total market capitalization, which represents approximately 98% of the U.S. equity market. The MSCI EAFE Index consists of almost 1,000 stocks in 21 countries outside North and South America, and represents approximately 85% of the total market capitalization in those countries. The Lehman Brothers U.S. Aggregate Bond Index covers the U.S. dollar-denominated, investment-grade, fixed-rate, taxable bond market of securities that have at least 1-year until final maturity and that are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This index generally includes U.S. government securities, mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, and corporate securities but generally excludes municipal bonds, bonds with equity-type features (e.g., warrants, convertibility, etc.), private placements, floating-rate issues, and inflation-linked bonds. Generally, the neutral allocation for the more aggressive Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios will emphasize investments in the equity asset class while the neutral allocation for the more conservative Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios will emphasize investments in the debt/money market asset class.

The selection of specific combinations of Underlying Portfolios for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio generally will be determined by PI in consultation with Morningstar Associates, LLC (Morningstar). Morningstar will employ various quantitative and qualitative research methods to propose weighted combinations of Underlying Portfolios that are consistent with the neutral allocation for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio. PI will consider these proposals along with its own quantitative and qualitative research methods in setting preliminary weighted combinations of Underlying Portfolios for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio. Morningstar's consulting role with respect to the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios is expected to terminate during the third or fourth quarter of 2008.

PI will then perform its own forward-looking assessment of macroeconomic, market, financial, security valuation, and other factors. As a result of this assessment, PI will further adjust the neutral allocation and the preliminary Underlying Portfolio weights for each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio based upon its views on certain factors, including, but not limited to, the following:

  • asset class (i.e., increase or decrease allocation to Underlying Portfolios focusing primarily on equity or debt securities)

  • geographic focus (i.e., increase or decrease allocation to Underlying Portfolios focusing primarily on domestic or international issuers)

  • investment style (i.e., increase or decrease allocation to Underlying Portfolios focusing primarily on securities with value, growth, or core characteristics)

  • market capitalization (i.e., increase or decrease allocation to Underlying Portfolios focusing primarily on small-cap, mid-cap, or large-cap issuers); and

  • "off-benchmark" factors (e.g., add exposure to asset sub-classes or investment categories generally not captured in the neutral allocation such as real estate, natural resources, global bonds, limited maturity bonds, high-yield bonds (also referred to as "junk bonds"), or cash.

Under normal conditions, PI currently expects that the assets of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios will be invested as set forth in the table below.

Portfolio Approximate Net Assets Allocated to Underlying Portfolios Investing Primarily in Equity Securities Approximate Net Assets Allocated to Underlying Portfolios Investing Primarily in Debt Securities and Money Market Instruments
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio 100%
(Generally range from 92.5%-100%)
0%
(Generally range from 0-7.5%)
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 75%
(Generally range from 67.5%-80%)
25%
(Generally range from 20.0%-32.5%)
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio 65%
(Generally range from 57.5%-72.5%)
35%
(Generally range from 27.5%-42.5%)
AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio 55%
(Generally range from 47.5%-62.5%)
45%
(Generally range from 37.5%-52.5%)
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio 35%
(Generally range from 27.5%-42.5%)
65%
(Generally range from 57.5%-72.5%)

PI currently expects that any changes to the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights will be effected within the above-referenced ranges. Consistent with each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio's principal investment policies, PI may, however, change the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights both within and beyond such above-referenced ranges at any time in its sole discretion. In addition, PI may, at any time in its sole discretion, rebalance a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio's investments to cause its composition to match the asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights.

Although PI and AST Investment Services, Inc. serve as the Investment Managers of the Underlying Portfolios, the day-to-day investment management of the Underlying Portfolios is the responsibility of the Subadvisers. Morningstar is not involved in, or

 

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responsible for, the management of the Underlying Portfolios. The extent to which Morningstar's recommendations are adopted and implemented is determined in the sole discretion of PI .

Other Investments . The Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios are not limited to investing exclusively in shares of the Underlying Portfolios. Each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio is now permitted under current law to invest in "securities" as defined under the Investment Company Act of 1940. For these purposes, the term "securities" includes, without limitation, shares of common or preferred stock, warrants, security futures, notes, bonds, debentures, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security or on any group or index of securities, or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to a foreign currency.

Temporary Investments . Up to 100% of a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets may be invested temporarily in cash or cash equivalents and the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio may otherwise deviate from its customary investment strategies in response to extraordinary adverse political, economic, financial, or stock market events. Temporary investments may include U.S. or foreign government obligations, commercial paper, bank obligations, and repurchase agreements. While a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective will be limited. Shares of the Underlying Portfolios may be sold for a variety of reasons, such as to effect a change in strategic and Underlying Portfolio allocations, to secure gains, to limit losses, or to re-deploy assets to more promising opportunities.

Principal Risks . The Underlying Portfolio shares in which the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios invest have risks, and the value of those shares will fluctuate. As a result, the performance of a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio depends on how its assets are allocated and reallocated among the Underlying Portfolios and the performance of those Underlying Portfolios. A principal risk of investing in each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio is that the Investment Managers will make less than optimal decisions regarding allocation of assets in the Underlying Portfolios. Because each of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios generally invests all of its assets in Underlying Portfolios, the risks associated with each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio are closely related to the risks associated with the securities and other investments held by the applicable Underlying Portfolios. The ability of each Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio to achieve its investment objective will depend on the ability of the Underlying Portfolios to achieve their investment objectives.

Some of these risks related to the Underlying Portfolios include, but are not limited to, the risks set forth below. Equity securities may decline because the stock market as a whole declines, or because of reasons specific to a company, such as disappointing earnings or changes in its competitive environment. In addition, a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio's level of risk will increase if a significant portion of such Portfolio's assets are allocated to investment in securities of small and medium capitalization companies. The AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio, and AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio will be particularly subject to the above-referenced risks because each of them will have significant exposure to Underlying Portfolios that invest primarily in equity securities. Any fixed-income allocation of a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio may be subject to changes in market interest rates and changes in the credit quality of specific issuers. In addition, significant exposure to fixed income securities with intermediate to long maturities could subject a Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio to the risk of substantial declines in such Portfolio's share price when there are significant changes in market interest rates. A Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolio's level of risk will increase if a significant portion of such Portfolio's assets are allocated to investment in lower-rated high yield bonds (also commonly known as "junk bonds") or in foreign securities. The AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio, and the AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio will be particularly subject to the above-referenced risks because each of them will have significant exposure to Underlying Portfolios that invest primarily in fixed-income securities.

For additional information about the risks involved with investing in mutual funds, see this Prospectus under "Risk/Return Summary—Principal Risks."

Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios:

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

Investment Objective: The investment objective of each of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios is to obtain the highest potential total return consistent with its specified level of risk tolerance.

The Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios generally will have a higher level of risk tolerance than the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios because the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios will tend to have greater exposure to equity securities than the Moderate

 

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Asset Allocation Portfolios. The investment objective and the definition of risk tolerance level are not fundamental policies for any of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. No assurance can be given that any of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios will achieve its investment objective.

Principal Investment Policies
The Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios are "funds of funds." That means that each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in one or more mutual funds in accordance with its own asset allocation strategy. The mutual funds that may be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios include: (i) the Underlying Trust Portfolios; (ii) the Underlying ETFs; and (iii)the Underlying Money Market Portfolios. The Underlying Trust Portfolios, the Underlying Money Market Portfolios, and the Underlying ETFs are collectively referred to as the "Underlying Portfolios." Consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, other mutual funds from time to time may be added to, or removed from, the list of Underlying Portfolios that may be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios.

Equity and Debt/Money Market Asset Classes . Under normal market conditions, it is expected that the assets of the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios will be allocated among the equity and debt/money market asset classes as set forth below.

Asset Allocation Portfolio Percentage of Net Assets Allocated to Equity Asset Class Percentage of Net Assets Allocated to Debt Securities/Money Market Instruments Asset Class
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%) 50% (Approximate Rage of 40 - 60%)
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%) 50% (Approximate Range of 40 - 60%)
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation 70% (Approximate Range of 60 - 80%) 30% (Approximate Range of 20 - 40%)

As you can see, the expected target asset allocation for the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios emphasizes investments in the equity asset class while the expected target asset allocation for the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios emphasizes balanced investments in both the equity and debt/money market asset classes.

"Core" and "Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories . Under normal circumstances, at least 90% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated across as many as seven different "core" investment categories. The seven "core" investment categories include: (i) domestic large-cap and mid-cap value equity securities; (ii) domestic large-cap and mid-cap growth equity securities; (iii) domestic small-cap value equity securities; (iv) domestic small-cap growth equity securities; (v) international large-cap value equity securities; (vi) international large-cap growth equity securities; and (vii) domestic fixed-income securities, including U.S. Government securities, investment grade corporate, mortgage-backed, and asset-backed securities, and cash/money market instruments. Only Underlying Trust Portfolios selected by PI will be used to gain exposure to these "core" investment categories.

Under normal circumstances, no more than 10% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets will be allocated to "off-benchmark" investments selected by the relevant AA Subadviser. "Off-benchmark" investments may result in exposure to asset classes or investment styles that are not covered by, or are sub-sets of, the above-referenced "core" investment categories. Examples of "off-benchmark" investments include, but are not limited to, investments in: (i) equity sectors such as real estate, technology, utilities, financials, or healthcare; (ii) inflation-indexed debt securities; (iii) international debt securities; and (iv) commodities. Only Underlying ETFs selected by the AA Subadvisers will be used to gain exposure to "off-benchmark" investments; provided, however, that leveraged Underlying ETFs and inverse Underlying ETFs (i.e., Underlying ETFs that seek investment results corresponding to the inverse (opposite) of the performance of an assigned index) may not be used in connection with the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios.

Description of Investment Process
Establishment by PI of Underlying Trust Portfolio Weights for "Core" Investment Categories. PI begins the investment process by employing various quantitative and qualitative research methods to identify and select Underlying Trust Portfolios that may be used as fulfillment options for each "core" investment category. After identifying and selecting the relevant Underlying Trust Portfolios, PI then establishs Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for each "core" investment category. This means that all Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio assets that are allocated to a particular "core" investment category by an AA Subadviser will be invested in accordance with the Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for that category as established by PI. As set forth above, at least 90% of an Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets normally will be allocated across the "core" investment categories and the related Underlying Trust Portfolios.

The current expected Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for each "core" investment category are set forth in Appendix V hereto. These weights are subject to change at any time in the sole discretion of the Investment Managers. In the future, additional or different

 

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Underlying Trust Portfolios may be used as fulfillment options for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios.

Establishment of Target Asset Allocations and Selection of Underlying ETFs by AA Subadvisers . The AA Subavisers will analyze PI's Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for the "core" investment categories in order to establish the target asset allocations for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios and to select the Underlying ETFs. The target asset allocations established by the AA Subadvisers will be subject to certain guidelines established by PI. In particular, PI will set and interpret guidelines as to the percentage of Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio assets that an AA Subadviser may allocate to: (i) the equity and debt/money market asset classes; (ii) any particular "core" investment category (e.g., domestic large-cap value vs. domestic large-cap growth); and (iii) "off-benchmark" investments (i.e., Underlying ETFs). Each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's investments in Underlying ETFs also will be subject to certain limits. Each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio may not: (i) acquire more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any one Underlying ETF; (ii) invest more than 5% of its total assets in any one Underlying ETF; and (iii) invest more than 10% of its total assets in Underlying ETFs, in the aggregate.

The target asset allocations and the related guidelines for the Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios as of November 17, 2007 are set forth in Appendix I to this Prospectus. The target asset allocations and the related guidelines for the Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios as of November 17, 2007 are set forth in Appendix II to this Prospectus. The Underlying Portfolio investments for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios as of November 17, 2007 are set forth in Appendix III to this Prospectus. Such estimates are subject to change in the sole discretion of the Investment Managers and the AA Subadvisers.

Implementation of Target Asset Allocations and Underlying Portfolio Selections . PI will handle the day-to-day purchase, retention, and sale of shares of the Underlying Portfolios. Such purchases and sales generally will be made in accordance with the target asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights for the relevant Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. Each AA Subadviser may, from time to time, change the target asset allocation and/or Underlying ETF weights for a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. In addition, PI may, from time to time, change the Underlying Trust Portfolio weights for any of the "core" investment categories. In the event of any such change, PI will purchase and redeem shares of the relevant Underlying Portfolios in order to cause the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's actual holdings to match the then-current target asset allocation and/or Underlying Portfolio weights for that Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. Sales of Underlying Trust Portfolio shares resulting from changes to target asset allocations and/or Underlying Portfolio weights, however, will be subject to guidelines established from time to time by PI. Currently, under normal circumstances, no more than 1% of a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's holdings in Underlying Trust Portfolios (but not including assets allocated to the AST Money Market Portfolio) in any particular "core" investment category (e.g., domestic large-cap growth or domestic large-cap value investment categories) may be redeemed on any particular day in order to effect a related target asset allocation or Underlying Portfolio weight shift. Unlike transactions in Underlying Trust Portfolio shares, transactions in Underlying ETFs will not be subject to the above-referenced guidelines or any other limitations. Frequent purchases and sales of Underlying ETFs by a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio may, however, result in higher costs for brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups, and other transaction-related expenses. These trading expenses may adversely affect a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment performance.

Description of AA Subadvisers' Investment Methodologies . Each AA Subadviser will emphasize a different investment methodology in determining target asset allocations and selecting Underlying Trust Portfolios and/or Underlying ETFs for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios. It is expected, however, that the AA Subavisers will employ various tactical asset allocation strategies in connection with the establishment of target asset allocations and selection of Underlying Trust Portfolios and/or Underlying ETFs for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios. In general terms, tactical asset allocation involves occasional, short-term, tactical deviations from the base asset class mix in order to capitalize on unusual or exceptional investment opportunities. As described in greater detail above, redemptions of Underlying Trust Portfolio shares will be subject to certain limits established by the Investment Managers from time to time. These limits may adversely affect a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment performance by hindering the AA Subadviser's ability to utilize its tactical asset allocation strategy to capitalize on unusual or exceptional
investment opportunities.

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio . CLS uses its proprietary risk budgeting methodology to set a risk budget for each of the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio based on their respective target asset allocations. CLS will adjust the target asset allocation among the various asset classes while keeping the risk of the relevant Portfolio in line with the target allocation. CLS uses its risk analysis combined with fundamental and quantitative analysis to distinguish between those asset classes that are attractive and those asset classes that should receive an underweighted allocation.

AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio . The Horizon portfolio management team incorporates analysis from both a quantitative and economic perspective. Its research-driven methodology produces market trajectories that are reviewed at frequent and consistent intervals. Horizon utilizes high-frequency data to obtain leading indicators of future market activity and to identify current trends in market leadership. This analysis also incorporates the global weights for geography, size, and style and then modifies these global weights based on the current economic environment.

 

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Industry overweights are determined based on the underlying support for the specific sectors as well as quantitative allocation research.

AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio . Niemann Capital Management employs a systematic and disciplined management methodology based on quantitative daily research. Niemann Capital Management's objective is to uncover thematic opportunities and position assets to take advantage of emerging trends. Equally important is Niemann Capital Management's mandate to manage risk in the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation by recognizing when a theme is deteriorating and acting accordingly by repositioning assets in cash or defensive positions to attempt to avoid catastrophic loss. Niemann Capital Management's style seeks to identify the best risk/reward relationships for the holdings in the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation in all market conditions.

Other Investments . The Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios are not limited to investing exclusively in shares of the Underlying Portfolios. Each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio is now permitted under current law to invest in "securities" as defined under the 1940 Act. For these purposes, the term "securities" includes, without limitation, shares of common or preferred stock, warrants, security futures, notes, bonds, debentures, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security or on any group or index of securities, or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to a foreign currency.

Cash Management Activities and Temporary Investments . Upon a Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio's receipt of net cash contributions, such amounts will be invested in the AST Money Market Portfolio until the next succeeding business day. Thereafter, PI will cause such amounts to be invested in accordance with the then-current target asset allocation and Underlying Portfolio weights for the relevant Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio. As a temporary measure for defensive purposes, each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio may invest without limitation in the Underlying Money Market Portfolios, including the AST Money Market Portfolio, commercial paper, cash equivalents, or high-quality, short-term debt instruments during, or in response to, any significant market event (e.g., suspension of trading on, or closure of, The New York Stock Exchange) or any unusual circumstance.


AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to provide high current income and capital growth by investing in high-quality, foreign and U.S. dollar-denominated bonds.

Prinicpal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. To achieve its objectives, the Portfolio intends to invest primarily in all types of bonds including those issued or guaranteed by the U.S. or foreign governments or their agencies and by foreign authorities, provinces and municipalities as well as investment grade corporate bonds and mortgage-related and asset-backed securities and high yield bonds of U.S. and foreign issuers.

The Portfolio may also invest in convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities, event-linked bonds and bank debt and loan participations; delayed portfolio loans and revolving credit securities; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances; repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements; debt securities issued by federal, state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

The Portfolio seeks to moderate price fluctuation by actively managing its maturity structure and currency exposure. The subadviser bases its investment decisions on fundamental market factors, currency trends, and credit quality. The Portfolio generally invests in countries where the combination of fixed-income returns and currency exchange rates appears attractive, or, if the currency trend is unfavorable, where the subadviser believes that the currency risk can be minimized through hedging. The Portfolio's high-quality bonds must, at the time of purchase, have received an investment-grade rating from at least one rating agency (or if unrated, must have a subadviser equivalent rating) but could be rated below investment-grade by other agencies. Such bonds are called "split-rated"). Although the Portfolio expects to maintain an intermediate-to-long weighted average maturity, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall portfolio or on individual securities. The Portfolio may and frequently does engage in foreign currency transactions such as forward foreign currency exchange contracts, hedging its foreign currency exposure back to the dollar or against other foreign currencies ("cross-hedging"). The subadviser also attempts to reduce currency risks through diversification among foreign securities and active management of currency exposures. The subadviser may use foreign forward currency contracts ("forwards") to hedge the risk to the Portfolio when foreign currency exchange rate movements are expected to be unfavorable to U.S. investors. The subadviser may use forwards in an effort to benefit from a currency believed to be appreciating in value versus other currencies. The subadviser may also invest in currencies or forwards in cases where the Portfolio does not hold bonds

 

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denominated in that currency, for example, in situations where the subadviser wants currency exposure to a particular market but believes that the bonds are unattractive. Under certain circumstances, the subadviser may commit a substantial portion of the Portfolio to currencies and forwards If the subadviser's forecast of currency movements proves wrong, this investment activity may cause a loss. Also, for emerging markets, it is often not possible to hedge the currency risk associated with emerging market bonds because their currency markets are not sufficiently developed.

The Portfolio may also invest up to 20% of its assets in the aggregate in below investment-grade, high-risk bonds ("junk bonds") and emerging market bonds. Some emerging market bonds, such as Brady Bonds, may be denominated in U.S. dollars. In addition, the Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its assets in mortgage-related (including mortgage-dollar rolls and derivatives, such as collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage securities) and asset-backed securities.

Like any fixed income fund, the value of the Portfolio will fluctuate in response to changes in market interest rates and the credit quality of particular companies. International fixed income investing, however, involves additional risks that can increase the potential for losses. These additional risks include varying stages of economic and political development of foreign countries, differing regulatory and accounting standards in non-U.S. markets, and higher transaction costs. Because a substantial portion of the Portfolio's investments are denominated in foreign currencies, exchange rates are also likely to have a significant impact on total Portfolio performance. For example, a rise in the U.S. dollar's value relative to the Japanese yen will decrease the U.S. dollar value of a Japanese bond held in the Portfolio, even though the price of that bond in yen remains unchanged. Therefore, because of these currency risks and the risks of investing in foreign securities generally, the Portfolio will involve a greater degree of risk and share price fluctuation than a fund investing primarily in domestic fixed income securities, but ordinarily will involve less risk than a fund investing exclusively in foreign fixed income securities. In addition, the Portfolio's focus on longer maturity bonds will tend to cause greater fluctuations in value when interest rates change. The Portfolio's investments in mortgage-related and asset-backed securities could further result in increased volatility, as these securities are sensitive to interest rate changes. Further, these securities carry special risks in the event of declining interest rates, which would cause prepayments to increase, and the value of the securities to decrease.

Types of Debt Securities . The Portfolio's investments in debt securities may include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. and foreign governments, their agencies, instrumentalities or political subdivisions, securities issued or guaranteed by supranational organizations (e.g., European Investment Bank, InterAmerican Development Bank or the World Bank), bank or bank holding company securities, foreign and domestic corporate debt securities, and commercial paper.

The Portfolio may invest in zero coupon securities, which are securities that are purchased at a discount from their face value, but that do not make cash interest payments. Zero coupon securities are subject to greater fluctuation in market value as a result of changing interest rates than debt obligations that make current cash interest payments.

The Portfolio may invest in Brady Bonds, which are used as a means of restructuring the external debt burden of certain emerging countries. Even if the bonds are collateralized, they are often considered speculative investments because of the country's credit history or other factors. The Portfolio may purchase the securities of certain foreign investment funds or trusts called passive foreign investment companies. Such trusts have been the only or primary way to invest in certain countries. In addition to bearing their proportionate share of the Trust's expenses, shareholders will also indirectly bear similar expenses of such trusts.

The Portfolio from time to time may invest in debt securities convertible into equities.

Nondiversified Investment Company . The Portfolio intends to select its investments from a number of country and market sectors, and intends to have investments in securities of issuers from a minimum of three different countries (including the United States). However, the Portfolio is considered a "nondiversified" investment company for purposes of the Investment Company Act of 1940. As such, the Portfolio may invest more than 5% of its assets in the fixed-income securities of individual foreign governments. The Portfolio generally will not invest more than 5% of its assets in any individual corporate issuer, except with respect to certain short-term investments. As a nondiversified fund, a price decline in any one of the Portfolio's holdings may have a greater effect on the Portfolio's value than on the value of a fund that is more broadly diversified.

Other Investments:
Swap Agreements
. The Portfolio may enter into interest rate, index, total return, credit default and currency exchange rate swap agreements for the purposes of attempting to obtain a desired return at a lower cost than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an instrument that yielded the desired return or for the purpose of hedging a portfolio position. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, the two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular investments or instruments. The returns to be exchanged between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., a specified dollar amount that is hypothetically invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket"

 

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of securities representing a particular index. Commonly used swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Under most swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio, the parties' obligations are determined on a "net basis." Consequently, the Portfolio's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to a net amount based on the relative values of the positions held by each party.

There are risks in the use of swaps. Whether the Portfolio's use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the sub-advisor's ability to predict that certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Interest rate and currency swaps could result in losses if interest rate or currency changes are not correctly anticipated. Total return swaps could result in losses if the reference index, security or investments do not perform as anticipated. Credit default swaps could result in losses if the sub-advisor does not correctly evaluate the creditworthiness of the company on which the credit default swap is based. Moreover, the Portfolio may not receive the expected amount under a swap agreement if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes bankrupt. The Portfolio will not enter into a swap agreement with any single counterparty if the net amount owed or to be received under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of total assets, or if the net amount owed or to be received by the Portfolio under all outstanding swap agreements will exceed 10% of total assets.

The Portfolio may buy and sell futures contracts (and related options) for a number of reasons including: to manage exposure to changes in interest rates, securities prices and currency exchange rates; as an efficient means of adjusting overall exposure to certain markets; to earn income; to protect the value of portfolio securities; and to adjust the portfolio's duration. The Portfolio may purchase or write call and put options on securities, financial indices, and foreign currencies. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in hybrid instruments, which combine the characteristics of futures, options and securities.

The Portfolio may sell securities for a variety of reasons, such as to secure gains, limit losses or re-deploy assets into more promising opportunities.

Temporary Investments . To protect against adverse movements of interest rates, the Portfolio may invest without limit in short-term obligations denominated in U.S. and foreign currencies such as certain bank obligations, commercial paper, short-term government and corporate obligations, repurchase agreements and money market mutual funds managed by the subadviser. Cash reserves also provide flexibility in meeting redemptions and paying expenses. While the Portfolio is in a defensive position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of high current income and capital growth may be limited.

AST High Yield Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek maximum total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the Portfolio's net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes (measured at the time of purchase) in non-investment grade high-yield fixed-income investments, including exposure to credit linked instruments and derivatives. Non-investment grade securities are securities rated Ba or lower by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor's Corporation or Fitch, or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality.

The Portfolio may invest in all types of fixed income securities, including:

1. senior and subordinated corporate debt obligations (such as bonds, debentures, notes and commercial paper),
2. fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances,
3. obligations of non-U.S. governments or their sub-divisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises,
4. international agencies or supranational entities,
5. debt securities issued by states or local governments and their agencies, authorities and other government-sponsored enterprises,
6. mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities,
7. structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities and event-linked bonds,
8. loan participations and assignments,
9. convertible and non-convertible corporate debt obligations,
10. custodial receipts,
11. municipal securities,

 

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12. brady bonds,
13. preferred stock,
14. delayed funding loans, and
15. revolving credit facilities.

The Portfolio may purchase the securities of issuers that are in default. The Portfolio may engage in short sales. The Portfolio may also invest in common stocks, warrants, rights, and other equity securities. The Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities and instruments that are economically tied to emerging market countries.

To the extent the Portfolio invests in sovereign debt obligations the Portfolio will be subject to the risk that the issuer of the sovereign debt or the governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay the principal or interest when due. There are also risks associated with the general political and social environment of a country. These factors may include among other things government instability, poor socioeconomic conditions, corruption, lack of law and order, lack of democratic accountability, poor quality of the bureaucracy, internal and external conflict, and religious and ethnic tensions. High political risk can impede the economic welfare of a country. The risks associated with the general economic environment of a country can encompass, among other things, low quality and growth rate of Gross Domestic Product (''GDP''), high inflation or deflation, high government deficits as a percentage of GDP, weak financial sector, overvalued exchange rate, and high current account deficits as a percentage of GDP. The risk factors associated with the inability of a country to pay its external debt obligations in the immediate future may include but are not limited to high foreign debt as a percentage of GDP, high foreign debt service as a percentage of exports, low foreign exchange reserves as a percentage of short-term debt or exports, and an unsustainable exchange rate structure.

Foreign Risk — The Portfolio will be subject to risks of loss with respect to their foreign investments that are not typically associated with domestic issuers. Loss may result because of less foreign government regulation, less public information and less economic, political and social stability. Loss may also result from the imposition of exchange controls, confiscations and other government restrictions. The Portfolio will also be subject to the risk of negative foreign currency rate fluctuations. Foreign risks will normally be greatest when the Portfolio invests in issuers located in emerging countries.

Emerging Countries Risk — The Portfolio may invest in emerging countries. The securities markets of Asian, Latin, Central and South American, Eastern European, Middle Eastern, African and other emerging countries are less liquid, are especially subject to greater price volatility, have smaller market capitalizations, have less government regulation and are not subject to as extensive and frequent accounting, financial and other reporting requirements as the securities markets of more developed countries. These risks are not normally associated with investments in more developed countries.

"Junk Bond'' Risk — The Portfolio will invest in non-investment grade fixed-income securities (commonly known as ''junk bonds'') that are considered predominantly speculative by traditional investment standards. Non-investment grade fixed-income securities and unrated securities of comparable credit quality are subject to the increased risk of an issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate or municipal developments, interest rate sensitivity, negative perceptions of the junk bond markets generally and less secondary market liquidity.

The following paragraphs describe some specific types of fixed-income investments that the Portfolio may invest in, and some of the investment practices that the Portfolio will engage in.

U.S. Government Securities. The Portfolio may invest in various types of U.S. Government securities, including those that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; those that are supported by the right of the issuing agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; those that are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others that are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

Corporate Debt Securities. Corporate debt securities include corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar instruments, including convertible securities and preferred stock. Debt securities may be acquired with warrants attached. The rate of return or return of principal on some debt obligations may be linked or indexed to exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.

While the subadviser may regard some countries or companies as favorable investments, pure fixed income opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the Portfolio may consider equity securities or convertible bonds to gain exposure to such investments.

 

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Variable and Floating Rate Securities . Variable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The interest rates on these securities are tied to other interest rates, such as money-market indices or Treasury bill rates, and reset periodically. While these securities provide the Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against losses caused by rising interest rates, they will cause the Portfolio's interest income to decline if market interest rates decline.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds . Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, and is generally lower than the interest rate on typical bonds. Over the life of the bond, however, this interest will be paid based on a principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Repayment of the adjusted principal upon maturity may be guaranteed, but the market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. The Portfolio may invest in inflation-indexed bonds that do not provide a repayment guarantee. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to losses.

Event-Linked Bonds . Event-linked bonds are fixed income securities for which the return of principal and payment of interest is contingent upon the non-occurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake or other physical or weather-related phenomenon. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as "catastrophe bonds." If the trigger event occurs, the Portfolio may lose all or a portion of the amount it invested in the bond. Event-linked bonds often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked bonds may also expose the Portfolio to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds may also be subject to liquidity risk.

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities . The Portfolio may invest all of its assets in mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations. The value of some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities in which the Portfolio invests may be particularly sensitive to changes in market interest rates.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls . In addition to entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Portfolio may also enter into dollar rolls. In a dollar roll, the Portfolio sells mortgage-backed or other securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to purchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date. The Portfolio forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities sold in a dollar roll, but the Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the sales price and the lower price for the future purchase, as well as by any interest earned on the proceeds of the securities sold. The Portfolio also could be compensated through the receipt of fee income. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls can be viewed as collateralized borrowings and, like other borrowings, will tend to exaggerate fluctuations in Portfolio's share price and may cause the Portfolio to need to sell portfolio securities at times when it would otherwise not wish to do so.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities of issuers based in developing countries (as determined by the subadviser). The Portfolio may buy and sell foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and foreign currency futures contracts, and enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purpose of hedging currency exchange risks arising from the Portfolio's investment or anticipated investment in securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Portfolio may also use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Portfolio's total assets.

Short Sales and Short Sales "Against the Box." The Portfolio may sell securities short and may sell securities short "against the box."

Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may purchase and write call and put options on securities, securities indices and on foreign currencies. The Portfolio may invest in interest rate futures contracts, stock index futures contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and options thereon that are traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or boards of trade. The Portfolio may also enter into swap agreements with respect to foreign currencies, interest rates and securities indices. The Portfolio may use these techniques to hedge against changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or securities prices or as part of its overall investment strategy. The Portfolio's investments in swap agreements are described directly below.

Swap Agreements . The Portfolio may enter into interest rate, index, total return, credit and currency exchange rate swap agreements for the purposes of attempting to obtain a desired return at a lower cost than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an instrument that yielded the desired return. The Portfolio may also enter into options on swap agreements. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, the two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized

 

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on particular investments or instruments. The returns to be exchanged between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., a specified dollar amount that is hypothetically invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Commonly used swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swap agreements. The "buyer" in a credit default contract is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value, or "par value," of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. The Portfolio may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap transaction. If the Portfolio is a buyer and no event of default occurs, the Portfolio will lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if an event of default occurs, the Portfolio (if the buyer) will receive the full notional value of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. As a seller, the Portfolio receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no default event. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation. Credit default swap transactions involve greater risks than if the Portfolio had invested in the reference obligation directly.

Under most swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio, the parties' obligations are determined on a "net basis." Consequently, the Portfolio's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to a net amount based on the relative values of the positions held by each party.

Whether the Portfolio's use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the subadviser's ability to predict that certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Moreover, the Portfolio may not receive the expected amount under a swap agreement if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes bankrupt. The swaps market is relatively new and is largely unregulated.

For purposes of applying the Portfolio's investment policies and restrictions (as stated in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the Portfolios at market value . In the case of a credit default swap sold by a Portfolio ( i.e., where the Portfolio is selling credit default protection), however, the Portfolio will generally value the swap at its notional amount. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by the Portfolios for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those investments are valued by other types of investors.

Collateralized Debt Obligations . The Portfolio may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which includes collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a Portfolio invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Portfolios as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Portfolio may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

 

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Credit Default Swap Agreements and Similar Instruments — The Portfolio may enter into credit default swap agreements and similar agreements, and may also buy credit-linked securities. The credit default swap agreement or similar instrument may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Portfolio. The protection "buyer" in a credit default contract may be obligtated to pay the protection "seller" an up-front or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the "par value" (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Portfolio may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If there is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Portfolio recovers nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As a seller, the Portfolio generally receives an up-front payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value.

Credit default swaps and similar instruments involve greater risks than if the Portfolio had invested in the reference obligation directly, since, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risks. The Portfolio will enter into credit default swap agreements and similar instruments only with counterparties who are rated investment grade quality by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of entering into such transaction or whose creditworthiness is believed by the subadviser to be equivalent to such rating. A buyer also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the up-front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Portfolio. When the Portfolio acts as a seller of a credit default swap or a similar instrument, it is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage since, if a credit event occurs, the seller may be required to pay the buyer the full notional value of the contract net of any amounts owed by the buyer related to its delivery of deliverable obligations.

AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek high current income and the opportunity for capital appreciation to produce a high total return.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio has a non-fundamental policy of investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets.

Fixed income securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises; corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper; mortgage and other asset-backed securities; inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations; structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities, event-linked bonds and loan participations; delayed portfolio loans and revolving credit securities; bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances; repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements; debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

The Portfolio allocates its assets principally among fixed income securities in four market sectors: U.S. investment grade securities, U.S. high yield securities, foreign securities (including emerging market securities) and convertible securities. Under normal circumstances, the Portfolio invests in each of the four sectors described above. However, the Portfolio may invest substantially all of its assets in any one sector at any time, subject to the limitation that at least 20% of the Portfolio's net assets must be invested in any combination of investment grade debt securities, U.S. Government securities and cash equivalents.

The subadviser believes that a high total return (current income and capital growth) may be derived from an actively managed, diversified portfolio of investments. Through portfolio diversification, credit analysis and attention to current developments and trends in interest rates and economic conditions, the subadviser attempts to reduce the Portfolio's risks. The subadviser seeks unusual values, using fundamental, "bottom-up" research (i.e., research on individual companies rather than the economy as a whole) to identify undervalued securities. The Portfolio may find good value in high yield securities, sometimes called "lower-rated bonds" or "junk bonds," and frequently may have more than half of its assets invested in those securities. Higher yield on debt securities can occur during periods of high inflation when the demand for borrowed money is high. Also, buying lower-rated bonds when the subadviser believes their credit risk is likely to decrease may generate higher returns.

The Portfolio may also make significant investments in mortgage-backed securities. Although the Portfolio expects to maintain a weighted average maturity in the range of five to twelve years, there are no maturity restrictions on the overall portfolio or on

 

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individual securities.

The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its net assets in equity securities. These include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible preferred stocks, warrants, stock purchase rights and similar instruments.

As a fund that invests primarily in fixed income securities, the Portfolio is subject to the general risks and considerations associated with investing in such securities. The value of an investment in the Portfolio will change as market interest rates fluctuate. When interest rates rise, the prices of debt securities are likely to decline, and when interest rates fall, the prices of debt securities tend to rise. The Portfolio generally maintains a relatively long average maturity, and longer-term debt securities are usually more sensitive to interest rate changes. Put another way, the longer the maturity of a security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates is likely to have on its price.

There is also the risk that an issuer of a debt security will fail to make timely payments of principal or interest to the Portfolio, a risk that will be relatively high because the Portfolio will likely have substantial junk bond investments. The Portfolio may sustain losses if an issuer defaults as to principal and/or interest payments after the Portfolio purchases its securities. In addition, the market for high yield securities generally is less liquid than the market for higher-rated securities. In addition, the risk to which the Portfolio is subject may be high relative to other fixed income funds because of the Portfolio's investment in convertible securities, which tend to be more volatile than non-convertible debt securities. In addition to the risks associated with fixed income securities generally, mortgage-backed securities are subject to the additional risk that early repayments will reduce the Portfolio's return on such securities.

To the extent that the Portfolio invests in equity securities, it will be subject to the risks associated with investing in such securities. In general, stock values fluctuate in response to the activities of individual companies and in response to general market and economic conditions. The stock markets tend to be cyclical, with periods of generally rising stock prices and other periods of generally declining prices. Accordingly, the value of the equity securities that the Portfolio holds may decline over short or extended periods.

Other Investments:
The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of its net assets in foreign securities (securities primarily traded in countries outside the United States), and may enter into forward foreign currency contracts in connection with these foreign investments.

Temporary Investments . While typically fully invested, the Portfolio may at times increase its investments in cash and short-term debt securities for defensive purposes. The Portfolio may also invest in short-term fixed income securities to invest uncommitted cash balances or to maintain liquidity to meet shareholder redemptions. Short-term securities include obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities, commercial paper, and bank certificates of deposit and bankers' acceptances. When the Portfolio increases its cash position, the opportunity to achieve its investment objective of high total return will be limited.

Floating or Adjustable Rate Senior Loans. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its net assets in floating or adjustable rate senior loans. Senior loans are business loans made to U.S. or foreign Borrowers. Senior loans are typically originated, negotiated, and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company, or other financial institution (the Agent) for a group of loan investors (collectively, Loan Investors). The Agent typically administers and enforces the senior loan on behalf of the other Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors.

The interest rates on senior loans are periodically adjusted to a generally recognized base rate such as LIBOR or the Prime Rate. Senior loans typically are secured by specific collateral of the Borrower and hold the most senior position in the Borrower's capital structure or share the senior position with the Borrower's other senior debt securities. This capital structure position generally gives holders of senior loans a priority claim on some or all of the Borrower's assets in the event of default.

The Portfolio's investment in senior loans is usually made in the form of participations in senior loans (Participations) or of assignments of all or a portion of senior loans from the Agent or other Loan Investors (Assignments). In an Assignment, the Portfolio will typically succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with respect to that loan. Assignments are, however, arranged through private negotiations between assignees and assignors, and in certain cases the rights and obligations acquired by the Portfolio through the purchase of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning institution. Assignments are sold strictly without recourse to the assigning institutions, and the assigning institutions will generally make no representations or warranties to the Trust about the underlying loan, the Borrowers, the documentation of the loans or any collateral securing the loans.

Participations by the Portfolio in a Loan Investor's portion of a senior loan typically will result in the Portfolio having a contractual relationship only with such Loan Investor, not with the Borrower. As a result, the Portfolio may have the right to receive payments of

 

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principal, interest, and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Loan Investor selling the Participation and only upon receipt by such Loan Investor of such payments from the Borrower.

Portfolio investments in Participations and Assignments generally will be subject to the same types of risks as the Portfolio's current investments in other types of permissible debt instruments, including the risk of nonpayment of principal and interest by the borrower (i.e., credit risk), the risk that any loan collateral may become impaired, and the risk that the Portfolio may obtain less than the full value for the loan interests sold because they may become illiquid. Purchasers of loans depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the Borrower for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Loans that are fully secured provide more protections than unsecured loans in the event the Borrower fails to make scheduled interest or principal payments. However, no assurance can be given that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the Borrower's obligation, or that the collateral could be liquidated. Non-investment grade senior loans, like any other non-investment grade indebtedness, involve substantially

Senior Loans. The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in floating or adjustable rate senior loans. Senior loans are business loans made to borrowers that may be U.S. or foreign corporations, partnerships or other business entities ("Borrowers"). The interest rates on senior loans are periodically adjusted to a generally recognized base rate such as the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or the prime rate as set by the Federal Reserve ("Prime Rate"). Senior loans typically are secured by specific collateral of the Borrower and hold the most senior position in the Borrower's capital structure or share the senior position with the Borrower's other senior debt securities. This capital structure position generally gives holders of senior loans a priority claim on some or all of the Borrower's assets in the event of default. Senior loans are subject to increased credit and liquidity risks. The prices of senior loans also may be adversely affected by supply-demand imbalances caused by conditions within the senior loan market or in other markets that have an impact on the value of senior loans. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted.

The Fund may invest primarily in senior loans that are rated below investment grade or, if unrated, deemed by Lord Abbett to be the equivalent of below investment grade securities. Below investment grade senior loans, as in the case of high-yield debt securities, or junk bonds, are usually more credit sensitive than interest rate sensitive, although the value of these instruments may be impacted by broader interest rate swings in the overall fixed income market.

Swap and Similar Transactions. The Portfolio may enter into swap transactions for hedging or for investment purposes. A swap transaction involves an agreement between two parties to exchange different cash flows based on a specified or "notional" amount. The cash flows exchanged in a specific transaction may be, among other things, payments that are the equivalent of interest on a principal amount, payments that would compensate the purchaser for losses on a defaulted security or basket of securities, or payments reflecting the performance of one or more specified securities or indices. The Portfolio may enter into swap transactions with counterparties that generally are banks, securities dealers or their respective affiliates.

In a credit swap, the Portfolio may agree to make one or more premium payments in exchange for the agreement of its counterparty to pay an amount equal to the decrease in value of a specified bond or a basket of debt securities upon the occurrence of a default or other "credit event" relating to the issuers of the debt. In such transactions, the Portfolio effectively acquires protection from decreases in the creditworthiness of the debt issuers. Alternatively, the Portfolio may agree to provide such credit protection in exchange for receiving the premium payments. The use of these transactions is a highly specialized activity that involves investment techniques and risks that are different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. If Lord Abbett is incorrect in its forecasts of the interest rates or market values or its assessments of the credit risks, relevant to these transactions that it enters, the investment performance of the Portfolio may be less favorable than it would have been if the Portfolio had not entered into them. Because these arrangements are bi-lateral agreements between the Portfolio and its counterparty, each party is exposed to the risk of default by the other. In addition, they may involve a small investment of cash compared to the risk assumed with the result that small changes may produce disproportionate and substantial gains or losses to the Portfolio. However, the Portfolio's obligations under swap agreements generally are collateralized by cash or government securities based on the amount by which the value of the payments that the Portfolio is required to pay exceed the value of the payments that its counterparty is required to make.

The Portfolio segregates liquid assets equal to any difference between that excess and the amount of collateral that it is required to provide. Conversely, the Portfolio requires its counterparties to provide collateral on a comparable basis except in those instances in which Lord Abbett is satisfied with the claims paying ability of the counterparty without such collateral.

It is not currently expected that these transactions will be a principal strategy of the Portfolio


AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital, and prudent investment

 

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management.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in fixed income securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its net assets. Fixed income securities include:

· securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises;
· corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;
· mortgage and other asset-backed securities;
· inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations;
· structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities, event-linked bonds;
· loan participations and assignments;
· delayed funding loans and revolving credit securities;
· bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances;
· repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements;
· debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
· obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
· derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements; and
· obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

Portfolio holdings will be concentrated in areas of the bond market (based on quality, sector, interest rate or maturity) that the subadviser believes to be relatively undervalued. In selecting fixed income securities, the subadviser uses economic forecasting, interest rate anticipation, credit and call risk analysis, foreign currency exchange rate forecasting, and other securities selection techniques. The proportion of the Portfolio's assets committed to investment in securities with particular characteristics (such as maturity, type and coupon rate) will vary based on the subadviser's outlook for the U.S. and foreign economies, the financial markets, and other factors. The management of duration (a measure of a fixed income security's expected life that incorporates its yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and call features into one measure) is one of the fundamental tools used by the subadviser.

The Portfolio will invest in fixed-income securities of varying maturities. The average portfolio duration of the Portfolio normally varies within two years (plus or minus) of the duration of the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index which, as of December 31, 2007, was 4.41 years. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its assets in fixed income securities that are rated below investment grade ("junk bonds") but are rated B or higher by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's") or equivalently rated by Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P") or Fitch (or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality).

Generally, over the long term, the return obtained by a portfolio investing primarily in fixed income securities such as the Portfolio is not expected to be as great as that obtained by a portfolio investing in equity securities. At the same time, the risk and price fluctuation of a fixed income fund is expected to be less than that of an equity portfolio, so that a fixed income portfolio is generally considered to be a more conservative investment. However, the Portfolio can and routinely does invest in certain complex fixed income securities (including various types of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities) and engage in a number of investment practices (including futures, options, swaps and dollar rolls) as described below, that many other fixed income funds do not utilize. These investments and practices are designed to increase the Portfolio's return or hedge its investments, but may increase the risk to which the Portfolio is subject.

Like other fixed income funds, the Portfolio is subject to market risk. Bond values fluctuate based on changes in interest rates, market conditions, investor confidence and announcements of economic, political or financial information. Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in market interest rates. As interest rates rise, market value tends to decrease. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Certain mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and derivative instruments in which the Portfolio may invest may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Portfolio is also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of a security (or a counterparty to a derivative contract) will default or become unable to meet its obligation. Generally, the lower the rating of a security, the higher its degree of credit risk.

The following paragraphs describe some specific types of fixed-income investments that the Portfolio may invest in, and some of the investment practices that the Portfolio will engage in.

U.S. Government Securities . The Portfolio may invest in various types of U.S. Government securities, including those that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; those that are supported by the right of the issuing agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; those that are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others that are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

 

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Corporate Debt Securities . Corporate debt securities include corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar instruments, including convertible securities and preferred stock. Debt securities may be acquired with warrants attached. The rate of return or return of principal on some debt obligations may be linked or indexed to exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.

While the subadviser may regard some countries or companies as favorable investments, pure fixed income opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the Portfolio may consider equity securities or convertible bonds to gain exposure to such investments.

Variable and Floating Rate Securities . Variable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The interest rates on these securities are tied to other interest rates, such as money-market indices or Treasury bill rates, and reset periodically. While these securities provide the Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against losses caused by rising interest rates, they will cause the Portfolio's interest income to decline if market interest rates decline.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds . Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, and is generally lower than the interest rate on typical bonds. Over the life of the bond, however, this interest will be paid based on a principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Repayment of the adjusted principal upon maturity may be guaranteed, but the market value of the bonds is not guaranteed, and will fluctuate. The Portfolio may invest in inflation-indexed bonds that do not provide a repayment guarantee. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to losses.

Event-Linked Bonds . Event-linked bonds are fixed income securities for which the return of principal and payment of interest is contingent upon the non-occurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake or other physical or weather-related phenomenon. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as "catastrophe bonds." If the trigger event occurs, the Portfolio may lose all or a portion of the amount it invested in the bond. Event-linked bonds often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked bonds may also expose the Portfolio to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds may also be subject to liquidity risk.

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities . The Portfolio may invest all of its assets in mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations. The value of some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities in which the Portfolio invests may be particularly sensitive to changes in market interest rates.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls . In addition to entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Portfolio may also enter into dollar rolls. In a dollar roll, the Portfolio sells mortgage-backed or other securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to purchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date. The Portfolio forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities sold in a dollar roll, but the Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the sales price and the lower price for the future purchase, as well as by any interest earned on the proceeds of the securities sold. The Portfolio also could be compensated through the receipt of fee income. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls can be viewed as collateralized borrowings and, like other borrowings, will tend to exaggerate fluctuations in Portfolio's share price and may cause the Portfolio to need to sell portfolio securities at times when it would otherwise not wish to do so.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities of issuers based in developing countries (as determined by the subadviser). The Portfolio may buy and sell foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and foreign currency futures contracts, and enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purpose of hedging currency exchange risks arising from the Portfolio's investment or anticipated investment in securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Portfolio may also use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Portfolio's total assets.

Short Sales and Short Sales "Against the Box." Certain Portfolios may make short sales of securities, either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Portfolio does not own declines in value. When a Portfolio makes a short sale, it borrows the security sold short and delivers it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale. A Portfolio may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to turn over any payments received on such borrowed securities to the lender of the securities.

 

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A Portfolio secures its obligation to replace the borrowed security by depositing collateral with the broker-dealer, usually in cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid securities similar to those borrowed. With respect to the uncovered short positions, a Portfolio is required to (1) deposit similar collateral with its custodian or otherwise segregate collateral on its records, to the extent that the value of the collateral in the aggregate is at all times equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the security sold short, or (2) a Portfolio must otherwise cover its short position. Depending on arrangements made with the broker-dealer from which the Portfolio borrowed the security, regarding payment over of any payments received bya Portfolio on such security, a Portfolio may not receive any payments (including interest) on its collateral deposited with such broker-dealer. Because making short sales in securities that it does not own exposes a Portfolio to the risks associated with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if a Portfolio makes short sales in securities that increase in value, it will likely underperform similar mutualPortfolios that do not make short sales in securities they do not own. A Portfolio will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security. A Portfolio will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. Although a Portfolio's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and may, theoretically, be unlimited.

Certain Portfolios may also make short sales against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Portfolio owns an equal amount of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further consideration, such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to such consideration must be segregated on a Portfolio's records or with its Custodian.

Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may purchase and write call and put options on securities, securities indices and on foreign currencies. The Portfolio may invest in interest rate futures contracts, stock index futures contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and options thereon that are traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or boards of trade. The Portfolio may also enter into swap agreements with respect to foreign currencies, interest rates and securities indices. The Portfolio may use these techniques to hedge against changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or securities prices or as part of its overall investment strategy. The Portfolio's investments in swap agreements are described directly below.

Swap Agreements . The Portfolio may enter into interest rate, index, total return, credit and currency exchange rate swap agreements for the purposes of attempting to obtain a desired return at a lower cost than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an instrument that yielded the desired return. The Portfolio may also enter into options on swap agreements. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, the two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular investments or instruments. The returns to be exchanged between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., a specified dollar amount that is hypothetically invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Commonly used swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swap agreements. The "buyer" in a credit default contract is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value, or "par value," of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. The Portfolio may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap transaction. If the Portfolio is a buyer and no event of default occurs, the Portfolio will lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if an event of default occurs, the Portfolio (if the buyer) will receive the full notional value of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. As a seller, the Portfolio receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no default event. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation. Credit default swap transactions involve greater risks than if the Portfolio had invested in the reference obligation directly.

Under most swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio, the parties' obligations are determined on a "net basis." Consequently, the Portfolio's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to a net amount based on the relative values of the positions held by each party.

Whether the Portfolio's use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the subadviser's ability to predict that certain types

 

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of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Moreover, the Portfolio may not receive the expected amount under a swap agreement if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes bankrupt. The swaps market is relatively new and is largely unregulated.

For purposes of applying the Portfolio's investment policies and restrictions (as stated in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the Portfolios at market value . In the case of a credit default swap sold by a Portfolio ( i.e., where the Portfolio is selling credit default protection), however, the Portfolio will generally value the swap at its notional amount. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by the Portfolios for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those investments are valued by other types of investors.

Collateralized Debt Obligations . The Portfolio may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which includes collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a Portfolio invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Portfolios as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Portfolio may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.


AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek to maximize total return, consistent with preservation of capital and prudent investment management.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its net assets in fixed income securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its net assets. Fixed income securities include:

- securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or government-sponsored enterprises;
- corporate debt securities of U.S. and non-U.S. issuers, including convertible securities and corporate commercial paper;
- mortgage and other asset-backed securities;
- inflation-indexed bonds issued by both governments and corporations;
- structured notes, including hybrid or "indexed" securities, event-linked bonds;
- loan participations and assignments;
- delayed funding loans and revolving credit securities;
- bank certificates of deposit, fixed time deposits and bankers' acceptances;
- repurchase agreements and reverse repurchase agreements;
- debt securities issued by state or local governments and their agencies and government-sponsored enterprises;
- derivative instruments, including futures, options and swap agreements;
- obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and government-sponsored enterprises; and
- obligations of international agencies or supranational entities.

 

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Portfolio holdings will be concentrated in areas of the bond market (based on quality, sector, interest rate or maturity) that the subadviser believes to be relatively undervalued. In selecting fixed income securities, the subadviser uses economic forecasting, interest rate anticipation, credit and call risk analysis, foreign currency exchange rate forecasting, and other securities selection techniques. The proportion of the Portfolio's assets committed to investment in securities with particular characteristics (such as maturity, type and coupon rate) will vary based on the subadviser's outlook for the U.S. and foreign economies, the financial markets, and other factors. The management of duration (a measure of a fixed income security's expected life that incorporates its yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and call features into one measure) is one of the fundamental tools used by the subadviser.

The Portfolio will invest in fixed-income securities of varying maturities. The average portfolio duration of the Portfolio normally varies within a one- to three-year time frame based on the subadviser's forecast for interest rates. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its assets in fixed income securities that are rated below investment grade ("junk bonds") but are rated B or higher by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's") or equivalently by Standard & Poor's Corporation ("S&P") or Fitch (or, if unrated, determined by the subadviser to be of comparable quality).

Generally, over the long term, the return obtained by a portfolio investing primarily in fixed income securities such as the Portfolio is not expected to be as great as that obtained by a portfolio investing in equity securities. At the same time, the risk and price fluctuation of a fixed income fund is expected to be less than that of an equity portfolio, so that a fixed income portfolio is generally considered to be a more conservative investment. However, the Portfolio can and routinely does invest in certain complex fixed income securities (including various types of mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities) and engage in a number of investment practices (including futures, swaps and dollar rolls) as described below, that many other fixed income funds do not utilize. These investments and practices are designed to increase the Portfolio's return or hedge its investments, but may increase the risk to which the Portfolio is subject.

Like other fixed income funds, the Portfolio is subject to market risk. Bond values fluctuate based on changes in interest rates, market conditions, investor confidence and announcements of economic, political or financial information. Generally, the value of fixed income securities will change inversely with changes in market interest rates. As interest rates rise, market value tends to decrease. This risk will be greater for long-term securities than for short-term securities. Therefore, the Portfolio's share price is expected to fluctuate less than the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio , because its average duration will be shorter. Certain mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities and derivative instruments in which the Portfolio may invest may be particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates. The Portfolio is also subject to credit risk, which is the possibility that an issuer of a security (or a counterparty to a derivative contract) will default or become unable to meet its obligation. Generally, the lower the rating of a security, the higher its degree of credit risk.

The following paragraphs describe some specific types of fixed-income investments that the Portfolio may invest in, and some of the investment practices that the Portfolio will engage in.

U.S. Government Securities . The Portfolio may invest in various types of U.S. Government securities, including those that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; those that are supported by the right of the issuing agency to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; those that are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations; and still others that are supported only by the credit of the instrumentality.

Corporate Debt Securities . Corporate debt securities include corporate bonds, debentures, notes and other similar instruments, including convertible securities and preferred stock. Debt securities may be acquired with warrants attached. The rate of return or return of principal on some debt obligations may be linked or indexed to exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and a foreign currency or currencies.

While the subadviser may regard some countries or companies as favorable investments, pure fixed income opportunities may be unattractive or limited due to insufficient supply or legal or technical restrictions. In such cases, the Portfolio may consider equity securities or convertible bonds to gain exposure to such investments.

Variable and Floating Rate Securities . Variable and floating rate securities provide for a periodic adjustment in the interest rate paid on the obligations. The interest rates on these securities are tied to other interest rates, such as money-market indices or Treasury bill rates, and reset periodically. While these securities provide the Portfolio with a certain degree of protection against losses caused by rising interest rates, they will cause the Portfolio's interest income to decline if market interest rates decline.

Inflation-Indexed Bonds . Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed income securities whose principal value is periodically adjusted according to the rate of inflation. The interest rate on these bonds is fixed at issuance, and is generally lower than the interest rate on typical bonds. Over the life of the bond, however, this interest will be paid based on a principal value that has been adjusted for inflation. Repayment of the adjusted principal upon maturity may be guaranteed, but the market value of the bonds is not

 

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guaranteed, and will fluctuate. The Portfolio may invest in inflation-indexed bonds that do not provide a repayment guarantee. While these securities are expected to be protected from long-term inflationary trends, short-term increases in inflation may lead to losses.

Event-Linked Bonds . Event-linked bonds are fixed income securities for which the return of principal and payment of interest is contingent upon the non-occurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake or other physical or weather-related phenomenon. Some event-linked bonds are commonly referred to as "catastrophe bonds." If the trigger event occurs, the Portfolio may lose all or a portion of the amount it invested in the bond. Event-linked bonds often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked bonds may also expose the Portfolio to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds may also be subject to liquidity risk.

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities . The Portfolio may invest all of its assets in mortgage-backed and other asset-backed securities, including collateralized mortgage obligations and stripped mortgage-backed securities. The value of some mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities in which the Portfolio invests may be particularly sensitive to changes in market interest rates.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls . In addition to entering into reverse repurchase agreements, the Portfolio may also enter into dollar rolls. In a dollar roll, the Portfolio sells mortgage-backed or other securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to purchase substantially similar securities on a specified future date. The Portfolio forgoes principal and interest paid on the securities sold in a dollar roll, but the Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the sales price and the lower price for the future purchase, as well as by any interest earned on the proceeds of the securities sold. The Portfolio also could be compensated through the receipt of fee income. Reverse repurchase agreements and dollar rolls can be viewed as collateralized borrowings and, like other borrowings, will tend to exaggerate fluctuations in Portfolio's share price and may cause the Portfolio to need to sell portfolio securities at times when it would otherwise not wish to do so.

Foreign Securities . The Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities denominated in foreign currencies and may invest beyond this limit in U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its assets in securities of issuers based in developing countries (as determined by the subadviser). The Portfolio may buy and sell foreign currency futures contracts and options on foreign currencies and foreign currency futures contracts, and enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts for the purpose of hedging currency exchange risks arising from the Portfolio's investment or anticipated investment in securities denominated in foreign currencies. The Portfolio may also use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. Foreign currency exposure (from non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities or currencies) normally will be limited to 20% of the Portfolio's total assets.

Short Sales and Short Sales "Against the Box." Certain Portfolios may make short sales of securities, either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Portfolio does not own declines in value. When a Portfolio makes a short sale, it borrows the security sold short and delivers it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale. A Portfolio may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to turn over any payments received on such borrowed securities to the lender of the securities.

A Portfolio secures its obligation to replace the borrowed security by depositing collateral with the broker-dealer, usually in cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid securities similar to those borrowed. With respect to the uncovered short positions, a Portfolio is required to (1) deposit similar collateral with its custodian or otherwise segregate collateral on its records, to the extent that the value of the collateral in the aggregate is at all times equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the security sold short, or (2) a Portfolio must otherwise cover its short position. Depending on arrangements made with the broker-dealer from which the Portfolio borrowed the security, regarding payment over of any payments received by a Portfolio on such security, a Portfolio may not receive any payments (including interest) on its collateral deposited with such broker-dealer. Because making short sales in securities that it does not own exposes a Portfolio to the risks associated with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if a Portfolio makes short sales in securities that increase in value, it will likely underperform similar mutual Portfolios that do not make short sales in securities they do not own. A Portfolio will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security. A Portfolio will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. Although a Portfolio's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and may, theoretically, be unlimited.

Certain Portfolios may also make short sales against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Portfolio owns an equal amount of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further

 

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consideration, such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to such consideration must be segregated ona Portfolio's records or with its Custodian.

Derivative Instruments . The Portfolio may purchase and write call and put options on securities, securities indices and on foreign currencies. The Portfolio may invest in interest rate futures contracts, stock index futures contracts and foreign currency futures contracts and options thereon that are traded on U.S. or foreign exchanges or boards of trade. The Portfolio may also enter into swap agreements with respect to foreign currencies, interest rates and securities indices. The Portfolio may use these techniques to hedge against changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or securities prices or as part of its overall investment strategy.

Swap Agreements . The Portfolio may enter into interest rate, index, total return, credit and currency exchange rate swap agreements for the purposes of attempting to obtain a desired return at a lower cost than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an instrument that yielded the desired return. The Portfolio may also enter into options on swap agreements. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, the two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular investments or instruments. The returns to be exchanged between the parties are calculated with respect to a "notional amount," i.e., a specified dollar amount that is hypothetically invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index. Commonly used swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate or "cap"; interest floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified level or "floor"; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

The Portfolio may enter into credit default swap agreements. The "buyer" in a credit default contract is obligated to pay the "seller" a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided that no event of default on an underlying reference obligation has occurred. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value, or "par value," of the reference obligation in exchange for the reference obligation. The Portfolio may be either the buyer or seller in a credit default swap transaction. If the Portfolio is a buyer and no event of default occurs, the Portfolio will lose its investment and recover nothing. However, if an event of default occurs, the Portfolio (if the buyer) will receive the full notional value of the reference obligation that may have little or no value. As a seller, the Portfolio receives a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the contract, which typically is between six months and three years, provided that there is no default event. If an event of default occurs, the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the reference obligation. Credit default swap transactions involve greater risks than if the Portfolio had invested in the reference obligation directly.

Under most swap agreements entered into by the Portfolio, the parties' obligations are determined on a "net basis." Consequently, the Portfolio's obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to a net amount based on the relative values of the positions held by each party.

Whether the Portfolio's use of swap agreements will be successful will depend on the subadviser's ability to predict that certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Moreover, the Portfolio may not receive the expected amount under a swap agreement if the other party to the agreement defaults or becomes bankrupt. The swaps market is relatively new and is largely unregulated.

For purposes of applying the Portfolio's investment policies and restrictions (as stated in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI) swap agreements are generally valued by the Portfolios at market value. In the case of a credit default swap sold by a Portfolio (i.e., where the Portfolio is selling credit default protection), however, the Portfolio will generally value the swap at its notional amount. The manner in which certain securities or other instruments are valued by the Portfolios for purposes of applying investment policies and restrictions may differ from the manner in which those investments are valued by other types of investors.

Collateralized Debt Obligations . The Portfolio may invest in collateralized debt obligations ("CDOs"), which includes collateralized bond obligations ("CBOs"), collateralized loan obligations ("CLOs") and other similarly structured securities. CBOs and CLOs are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust which is backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed income securities. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans.

For both CBOs and CLOs, the cashflows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the "equity" tranche which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect

 

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the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CBO trust or CLO trust typically have higher ratings and lower yields than their underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CBO or CLO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CBO or CLO securities as a class.

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a Portfolio invests. Normally, CBOs, CLOs and other CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Portfolios as illiquid securities, however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs allowing a CDO to qualify for Rule144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed income securities discussed elsewhere in this Prospectus and the Fund's SAI (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but are not limited to: (i) the possibility that distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Portfolio may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: to maximize total return, consistent with prudent investment management and liquidity needs, by investing to obtain the average duration specified for the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.


The investment objective and specified average duration figure are not fundamental policies for the Portfolio and, therefore, may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
The Portfolio will have a non-fundamental policy to invest, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of the value of its assets in debt and fixed-income securities. The 80% investment requirement applies at the time the Portfolio invests its assets. To the extent required by applicable law, the Portfolio may not change its policy to invest at least 80% of its net assets in debt and fixed-income securities unless it provides shareholders with at least 60 days' written notice of such change.

For purposes of these limitations only, net assets include the amount of any borrowing for investment purposes. For purposes of the non-fundamental investment restriction set forth above, the Portfolio will consider an instrument, including a synthetic instrument, to be a debt or fixed-income security if, in the judgment of Western Asset or WAML, it has economic characteristics similar to a debt or fixed-income security. For example, a Portfolio will consider an instrument, including a synthetic instrument, to be a fixed-income security if, in the judgment of Western Asset or WAML, it has economic characteristics similar to debt or fixed-income securities. Such instruments would include, but are not limited to, futures contracts and related options, mortgage-related securities, asset-backed securities, reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, and cash equivalents. In addition, the Portfolio will consider repurchase agreements secured by obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities to be obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities for these purposes.

Fixed income securities include:

  • U.S. Government Obligations

  • corporate obligations ("corporate obligations" include, without limitation, preferred stock, convertible securities, zero coupon securities and pay-in-kind securities)

  • inflation-indexed securities

  • mortgage- and other asset-backed securities

  • obligations of non-U.S. issuers, including obligations of non-U.S. governments, international agencies or supranational organizations

  • fixed-income securities of non-governmental U.S. or non-U.S. issuers

  • taxable municipal obligations

  • variable and floating rate debt securities

  • commercial paper and other short-term investments

  • certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances

  • loan participations and assignments

  • structured notes

  • repurchase agreements.

Duration refers to the range within which the average modified duration of a Portfolio is expected to fluctuate. Modified duration measures the expected sensitivity of market price to changes in interest rates, taking into account the effects of structural complexities

 

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(for example, some bonds can be prepaid by the issuer). The target average modified duration of the Portfolio is expected to range within 30% of the duration of the domestic bond market as a whole (normally three to six years, although this may vary). Therefore, the range within which the average modified duration of the Portfolio is expected to fluctuate is generally 2.5 to 7 years. The Portfolio's average modified duration may fall outside of its expected average modified duration range due to market movements. If this happens, Western Asset and WAML will take action to bring the Portfolio's average modified duration back within its expected average modified duration range within a reasonable period oftime.

The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in debt securities that are rated, at the time of purchase, below investment grade, but at least B-/B3, or if unrated, are determined by Western Asset and WAML to be of comparable quality. For purposes of the foregoing credit quality policy, the Portfolio will consider a security to be rated below investment grade if it is not rated Baa/BBB or above by at least one NRSRO (or, if unrated, is determined by Western Asset and WAML to be of comparable quality). Securities rated below investment grade are commonly known as "junk bonds" or "high yield securities." The continued holding of securities downgraded below investment grade or, if unrated, determined by Western Asset and WAML to be of comparable quality, will be evaluated by Western Asset and WAML on a case by case basis. Information on the ratings issued to debt securities by certain rating agencies is included in the Appendix to this Prospectus.

In addition, the Portfolio may also:

  • invest up to 25% of its total assets in the securities of non-U.S. issuers;

  • invest up to 20% of its total assets in non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities.

  • hold common stock or warrants received as the result of an exchange or tender of fixed-income securities;

  • invest in derivatives such as futures, options and swaps for both hedging and non-hedging purposes, including for purposes of enhancing returns;

  • buy or sell securities on a forward commitment basis;

  • lend its portfolio securities;

  • engage in non-U.S. currency exchange transactions;

  • engage in reverse repurchase agreements; or

  • borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes or for investment purposes.

The Portfolio also may buy and sell investments relatively often, which involves higher trading costs and other expenses, and may increase taxes payable by shareholders.

Temporary Investments . As a temporary measure for defensive purposes, the Portfolio may invest without limitation in the money market mutual funds, commercial paper, cash equivalents, or high-quality, short-term debt instruments.

AST Target Maturity Portfolios:

AST Bond Portfolio 2015
AST Bond Portfolio 2018
AST Bond Portfolio 2019

Investment Objectives: To seek the highest total return for a specific period of time, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs. Total return is comprised of current income and capital appreciation.

AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

Investment Objective: To seek to maximize total return, consistent with the preservation of capital and liquidity needs.
As set forth above, total return is comprised of current income and capital appreciation.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks of the Target Maturity Portfolios.
Under normal market conditions, each Target Maturity Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its investable assets in bonds. For purposes of this 80% policy, bonds include: (i) all debt securities and all fixed-income securities, excluding preferred stock, issued by both government and non-government issuers, and (ii) all derivatives and synthetic instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to such debt securities and such fixed-income securities. The above-described 80% policy is a non-fundamental investment policy of each Target Maturity Portfolio and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval. Each Target Maturity Portfolio, however, will provide 60 days' prior written notice to shareholders of any change in its 80% policy as described above. As used in this Prospectus, the term "investable assets" refers to a Portfolio's net assets plus any borrowings for investment purposes. A Portfolio's investable assets will be less than its total assets to the extent that it has borrowed money for non-investment purposes, such as to meet anticipated redemptions.

 

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Each Target Maturity Portfolio will be managed to mature in the year identified in its name in order to match the related liability under certain living benefit programs. As a result, each Target Maturity Portfolio's duration and weighted average maturity will be different. For example, the AST Bond Portfolio 2019 will have a longer duration and a longer weighted average maturity than the AST Bond Portfolio 2018 and the AST Bond Portfolio 2015. In addition, each Target Maturity Portfolio's duration and weighted average maturity will decline over time as the relevant maturity date approaches. To that end, PIM expects to maintain the duration of each Target Maturity Portfolio within +/– 0.50 years of the secondary benchmark index for that Target Maturity Portfolio. On or about a Target Maturity Portfolio's maturity date, all of the securities held by that Target Maturity Portfolio will be sold and all of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of that Target Maturity Portfolio will be redeemed. Proceeds from that redemption will be reallocated in accordance with the procedures applicable to the contact owner's variable contract.

PIM currently intends to maintain an overall weighted average credit quality rating of A- or better for each Target Maturity Portfolio. This target overall credit quality for each Target Maturity Portfolio will be based on ratings as of the date of purchase. In the event a Target Maturity Portfolio's overall credit quality drops below A- due to downgrades of individual portfolio securities, PIM will take appropriate action based upon the relevant facts and circumstances.

Investment Policies and Risks of the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
Under normal market conditions, the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will invest at least 80% of its investable assets in investment grade bonds. For purposes of this 80% policy, investment grade bonds include: (i) all debt securities and all fixed-income securities, excluding preferred stock, that are issued by both government and non-government issuers and rated BBB or higher by S&P, Baa or higher by Moody's, BBB or higher by Fitch or, if unrated, are determined by PIM to be of comparable quality, and (ii) all derivatives and synthetic instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to debt securities and fixed-income securities with such ratings. All references in this Prospectus to the ratings categories used for determining what constitutes an investment grade bond are without regard to gradations within those categories. PIM currently intends to maintain an overall weighted average credit quality rating of A- or better for the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. This target overall credit quality for the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will be based on ratings as of the date of purchase. In the event the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio's overall credit quality drops below A- due to downgrades of individual portfolio securities, PIM will take appropriate action based upon the relevant facts and circumstances.

Principal Investments of the Portfolios
General. PIM has a team of fixed-income professionals, including credit analysts and traders, with experience in many sectors of the U.S. and foreign fixed-income securities markets. The subadviser will use equalitative and quantitative analysis to evaluate each bond issue considered for a Portfolio. In selecting portfolio securities for a Portfolio, PIM will consider economic conditions and interest rate fundamentals. The subadviser will also evaluate individual issues within each bond sector based upon their relative investment merit and will consider factors such as yield and potential for price appreciation as well as credit quality, maturity and risk.

Each Portfolio will seek to achieve its investment objective by investing in a diversified portfolio of high-quality bonds and other securities and instruments. To that end, each Portfolio will emphasize investments in several different types of securities and financial instruments, including, without limitation: (i) U.S. Government securities; (ii) certain debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and government-related entities, including mortgage-related securities; (iii) privately-issued mortgage-related and asset-backed securities; (iv) debt obligations of U.S. corporate issuers; and (v) derivatives and synthetic instruments that have economic characteristics that are similar to these types of securities and obligations. Each Portfolio also may invest up to 50% of its total assets in U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued in the United States by certain foreign issuers (referred to herein as Yankee obligations).

U.S. Government Securities . U.S. Government securities include debt obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury. Treasury securities are all backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which means that payment of interest and principal is guaranteed, but yield and market value are not. The Portfolios may also acquire U.S. Government securities in the form of custodial receipts that show ownership of future interest payments, principal payments or both on certain U.S. Treasury notes or bonds. Such notes or bonds are held in custody by a bank on behalf of the owners. These custodial receipts are commonly referred to as Treasury strips.

Other Debt Obligations Issued or Guaranteed by the U.S. Government and Government-Related Entities. Some (but not all) of the debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government and government-related entities in which each Portfolio invests will be backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. These include obligations of the Government National Mortgage Association (GNMA or Ginnie Mae), the Farmers Home Administration and the Export-Import Bank. Debt securities issued by other government entities, like obligations of the Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA or Fannie Mae), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC or Freddie Mac), the Federal Home Loan Bank, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the United States Postal Service are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. However, these issuers have the right to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to meet their obligations. In contrast, the debt securities of other issuers, like the Farm Credit System, depend entirely upon their own resources to repay their debt obligations.

 

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Some (but not all) of the mortgage-related securities in which each Portfolio may invest will be issued or guaranteed by U.S. governmental entities. Mortgage-related securities issued by the U.S. Government include GNMAs, and mortgage-related securities issued by agencies of the U.S. Government include FNMAs and debt securities issued by FHLMC. The U.S. Government or the issuing agency directly or indirectly guarantees the payment of interest and principal on these securities. The yield and market value of these securities are not guaranteed by the U.S. Government or the issuing agency.

Privately-Issued Mortgage-Related and Asset-Backed Securities . Each Portfolio may also invest in privately issued mortgage-related securities. Privately issued mortgage-related securities are not guaranteed by U.S. governmental entities and generally have one or more types of credit enhancement to ensure timely receipt of payments and to protect against default. Mortgage-related securities are usually pass-through instruments that pay investors a share of all interest and principal payments from an underlying pool of fixed or adjustable rate mortgages. Mortgage pass-through securities include collateralized mortgage obligations, real estate mortgage investment conduits, multi-class pass-through securities, stripped mortgage-backed securities and balloon payment mortgage-backed securities. A collateralized mortgage obligation (CMO) is a security backed by an underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities that may be issued or guaranteed by a bank or by U.S. governmental entities. A real estate mortgage investment conduit (REMIC) is a security issued by a U.S. Government agency or private issuer and secured by real property. REMICs consist of classes of regular interest, some of which may be adjustable rate, and a single class of residual interests. None of the Portfolios intends to invest in residual interests. A multi-class pass-through security is an equity interest in a trust composed of underlying mortgage assets. Payments of principal of and interest on the mortgage assets and any reinvestment income thereon provide funds to pay debt service on the CMO or to make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through security. A stripped mortgage-backed security (MBS strip) may be issued by U.S. governmental entities or by private institutions. MBS strips take the pieces of a debt security (principal and interest) and break them apart. The resulting securities may be sold separately and may perform differently. Each Portfolio may also invest in balloon payment mortgage-backed securities, which are amortizing mortgage securities offering payments of principal and interest, the last payment of which is predominantly principal.

Each Portfolio may also invest in privately issued asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities are structured like mortgage-backed securities, but instead of mortgage loans or interests in mortgage loans, the underlying assets may include such items as motor vehicle installment sales or installment loan contracts, leases of various types of real and personal property, and receivables from credit card agreements.

Corporate Debt Obligations . Each Portfolio also may invest in the bonds of corporations. For purposes of this policy, the term "corporations" includes all non-government issuers. Corporate bonds are subject to the risk of the issuer's inability to meet principal and interest payments on the obligation and may also be subject to price volatility due to such factors as interest rate sensitivity, market perception of the creditworthiness of the issuer, and general market liquidity. When interest rates rise, the value of corporate bonds can be expected to decline. Debt securities with longer maturities tend to be more sensitive to interest rate movements than those with shorter maturities.

Derivative Strategies . PIM may use various derivative strategies to try to improve each Portfolio's investment returns. PIM may also use hedging techniques to try to protect each Portfolio's assets. PIM cannot guarantee that these strategies and techniques will work, that the instruments necessary to implement these strategies and techniques will be available, or that the Portfolio will not lose money.

A derivative is a financial instrument, the value of which depends upon, or is derived from, the value of an underlying asset, interest rate, or index. The use of derivatives by a Portfolio—including, without limitation, futures, foreign currency forward contracts, options on futures and various types of swaps—involves costs and can be volatile. With derivatives, PIM will try to predict if the underlying investment—a security, market index, currency, interest rate, or some other benchmark, will go up or down at some future date. PIM may use derivatives to try to reduce risk or to increase return consistent with each Portfolio's overall objectives. PIM will consider other factors (such as cost) in deciding whether to employ any particular strategy or technique, or use any particular instrument. Any derivatives PIM may use may not match or offset a Portfolio's underlying positions and this could result in losses to the Portfolio that would not otherwise have occurred. Derivatives that involve leverage could magnify losses.

Futures Contracts and Related Options . Each Portfolio may purchase and sell financial futures contracts and related options on financial futures. A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying asset at a future date, or to make or receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index, or some other asset, at a stipulated future date. The terms of futures contracts are standardized. In the case of a financial futures contract based upon a broad index, there is no delivery of the securities comprising the underlying index, margin is uniform, a clearing corporation or an exchange is the counterparty and the relevant Portfolio makes daily margin payments based on price movements in the index. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities or currencies, or in the case of an option on a futures contract or an option on a swap, the right to buy or sell a futures contract or swap, respectively, in exchange for a premium.

Swap Transactions . Each Portfolio may enter into swap transactions. Swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily

 

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by institutional investors for periods typically ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. There are various types of swaps, including but not limited to, credit default swaps, interest rate swaps, total return swaps and index swaps.

Swap Options . Each Portfolio may enter into swap options. A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. For more information about these strategies, see the Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

Options on Securities and Financial Indexes . Each Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on securities and financial indexes traded on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges, on the NASDAQ Stock Market or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities in exchange for a premium. The Portfolios will sell only covered options. For more information about the Portfolios' use of options, see the SAI.

Options . Each Portfolio may purchase and sell put and call options on debt securities, swaps, and currencies traded on U.S. or foreign securities exchanges or in the over-the-counter market. An option gives the purchaser the right to buy or sell securities, swaps or such currencies in exchange for a premium. The options may be on debt securities, aggregates of debt securities, financial indexes, U.S. government securities, foreign government securities, swaps and foreign currencies. Each Portfolio will sell only covered options. Covered options are described in the SAI.

TRACERS and TRAINS . Tradable Custodial Receipts or TRACERS represent an interest in a basket of investment grade corporate credits. Targeted Return Index Securities or TRAINS represent an interest in a basket of high yield securities of varying credit quality. Interests in TRACERS and TRAINS provide a cost-effective alternative to purchasing individual issues.

Asset Segregation for Derivative Strategies . As an open-end investment company registered with the Commission, the Portfolio is subject to the federal securities laws, including the 1940 Act, related rules, and various Commission and Commission staff positions. In accordance with these positions, with respect to certain kinds of derivatives, each Portfolio must "set aside" (referred to sometimes as "asset segregation") liquid assets, or engage in other Commission - or staff-approved measures, while the derivatives contracts are open. For example, with respect to forwards and futures contracts that are not contractually required to "cash-settle," the Portfolio must cover its open positions by setting aside liquid assets equal to the contracts' full, notional value. With respect to forwards and futures that are contractually required to "cash-settle," however, the Portfolio is permitted to set aside liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked-to-market (net) obligations, if any (i.e., the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any), rather than the notional value. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligations under cash-settled forward and futures contracts, the Portfolio will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full notional value of such contracts. The use of leverage involves certain risks. The Trust reserves the right to modify the Portfolio's asset segregation policies in the future to comply with any changes in the positions articulated from time to time by the Commission and its staff.

Credit-Linked Securities . Each Portfolio may invest in credit-linked securities. Credit-linked securities are securities that are collateralized by one or more credit default swaps on corporate credits. Each Portfolio has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the credit-linked security at an agreed-upon interest rate, and a return of principal at the maturity date.

Yankee Obligations . As set forth above, each Portfolio may invest up to 50% of its total assets in Yankee obligations. Yankee obligations are U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities of foreign corporations issued in the United States and U.S. dollar-denominated debt securities issued or guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by governments, quasi-governmental entities, government agencies, and other governmental entities of foreign countries and supranational entities, which securities are issued in the United States. Debt securities of quasi-governmental entities are issued by entities owned by either a national, state, or equivalent government or are obligations of a political unit that is not backed by the national government's full faith and credit and general taxing powers.

Other Investments and Strategies of the Portfolios
In addition to the principal strategies, PIM also may use the following investments and strategies to try to increase a Portfolio's returns or protect its assets if market conditions warrant.

Junk Bonds . Each Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its investable assets in non-investment grade bonds (also referred to herein as high-yield debt securities or junk bonds). Non-investment grade bonds are debt securities that are rated BB or lower by S&P, Ba or lower by Moody's, BB or lower by Fitch or, if unrated, are determined by PIM to be of comparable quality. If the rating of a debt obligation is downgraded after a Portfolio purchases it (or if the debt obligation is no longer rated), the Portfolio will not be required

 

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to sell that security, but will take this fact into consideration in deciding whether the Portfolio should continue to hold the security. As set forth above, all references in this Prospectus to the ratings categories for determining what constitutes a non-investment grade bond are without regard to gradations within those categories.

Zero Coupon Bonds, Pay-in-Kind (PIK) and Deferred Payment Securities . Each Portfolio may invest in zero coupon bonds, pay-in-kind (PIK) or deferred payment securities. Zero coupon bonds do not pay interest during the life of the security. An investor purchases the security at a price that is less than the amount the investor will receive when the borrower repays the amount borrowed (face value). PIK securities pay interest in the form of additional securities. Deferred payment securities pay regular interest after a predetermined date. A Portfolio will record the amount these securities rise in price each year (phantom income) for accounting and federal income tax purposes, but does not receive income currently. Because each Portfolio generally distributes income to its shareholders each year, in certain circumstances, the Portfolio may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous conditions or borrow to generate enough cash to distribute phantom income and the value of the paid-in-kind interest.

Short Sales . Each Portfolio may make short sales of a security. This means that a Portfolio may sell a security that it does not own, which it may do, for example, when PIM thinks the value of the security will decline. A Portfolio generally will borrow the security to deliver to the buyers in a short sale. The Portfolio must then replace the borrowed security by purchasing it at the market price at the time of replacement. Short sales involve costs and risk. The Portfolio must pay the lender any dividends or interest that accrues on the security it borrows, and the Portfolio will lose money if the price of the security increases between the time of the short sale and the date when the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security. Each Portfolio also may make short sales "against the box." In a short sale "against the box," a Portfolio owns or has the right to acquire the security at no additional cost through conversion or exchange of other securities it owns. When selling short against the box, the Portfolio gives up the opportunity for capital appreciation of the security.

Convertible Securities and Preferred Stock . Each Portfolio may invest in convertible securities, which include preferred stocks and debt securities of a corporation that may be converted into underlying shares of common stock either because they have warrants attached or otherwise permit the holder to buy common stock of the corporation at a set price. Convertible securities provide an income stream (usually lower than non-convertible bonds) and give investors opportunities to participate in the capital appreciation of the underlying common stock. Convertible securities typically offer greater potential for appreciation than nonconvertible debt securities. Each Portfolio will sell common stock received upon conversion.

Repurchase Agreements . Each Portfolio may use repurchase agreements, where a party agrees to sell a security to the Portfolio and then repurchases it at an agreed-upon price at a stated time. This creates a fixed return for a Portfolio, and is, in effect, a loan by that Portfolio. Reverse Repurchase Agreements . Each Portfolio may use reverse repurchase agreements, where the Portfolio sells a security with an obligation to repurchase it at an agreed-upon price and time. Reverse repurchase agreements that involve borrowing to take advantage of investment opportunities, a practice known as leverage, could magnify losses. If a Portfolio borrows money to purchase securities and those securities decline in value, then the value of the Portfolio's shares will decline faster than if the Portfolio were not leveraged. In addition, interest costs and investment fees relating to leverage may exceed potential investment gains.

Dollar Rolls . Each Portfolio may enter into dollar rolls in which the relevant Portfolio sells securities to be delivered in the current month and repurchases substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities to be delivered on a specified future date by the same party. The Portfolio is paid the difference between the current sales price and the forward price for the future purchase as well as the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale.

Bank Loans . Each Portfolio may invest in bank loans. Bank loans include fixed and floating rate loans that are privately negotiated between a corporate borrower and one or more financial institutions, including, but not limited to, term loans, revolvers, delayed draw loans, synthetic letters of credit, and other instruments issued in the bank loan market. Each Portfolio may acquire interests in loans directly (by way of assignment from the selling institution) or indirectly (by way of the purchase of a participation interest from the selling institution). Under a bank loan assignment, a Portfolio generally will succeed to all the rights and obligations of an assigning lending institution and becomes a lender under the loan agreement with the relevant borrower in connection with that loan. Under a bank loan participation, the Portfolio generally will have a contractual relationship only with the lender, not with the relevant borrower. As a result, a Portfolio generally will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest, and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the relevant borrower.

When-Issued and Delayed-Delivery Securities . Each Portfolio may purchase securities, including money market obligations or other obligations on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis. When a Portfolio makes this type of purchase, the price and interest rate are fixed at the time of purchase, but delivery and payment for the obligations take place at a later time. The Portfolio will not earn interest income until the date the obligations are delivered.

 

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Money Market Instruments . Each Portfolio may invest in money market instruments, including commercial paper of a U.S. or foreign company, foreign government securities, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, time deposits of domestic and foreign banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies. These obligations may be U.S. dollar-denominated or denominated in a foreign currency. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase. Each Portfolio also may invest in shares of affiliated money market funds or short-term bond funds. If PIM believes it is necessary, it may temporarily invest up to 100% of a Portfolio's total assets in money market instruments or shares of affiliated money market or short-term bond funds. Investing heavily in these securities will limit PIM's ability to achieve the Portfolios' investment objectives, but may help to preserve the Portfolios' assets when global or international markets are unstable.

Temporary Defensive Investments . In response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions, each Portfolio may take a temporary defensive position and invest up to 100% of the Portfolio's assets in money market instruments, including short-term obligations of, or securities guaranteed by, the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities or in high-quality obligations of banks and corporations, repurchase agreements, or hold up to 100% of the Portfolio's assets in cash, cash equivalents or shares of affiliated money market or short-term bond funds. Investing heavily in these securities will limits PIM's ability to achieve the Portfolios' investment objectives, but can help to preserve the Portfolios' assets. The use of temporary defensive investments is inconsistent with the Portfolios' investment objectives. Additional Strategies. Each Portfolio follows certain policies when it borrows money (each Portfolio can borrow up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); lends its securities to others (each Portfolio can lend up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets); and holds illiquid securities (each Portfolio may hold up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, including securities with legal or contractual restrictions on resale, those without a readily available market and repurchase agreements with maturities longer than seven days). In the event a Portfolio holds more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities, the Portfolio will take steps designed to reduce its exposure to illiquid securities to less than 15% of its net assets. Each Portfolio is subject to certain other investment restrictions that are fundamental policies, which means they cannot be changed without shareholder approval. For more information about these restrictions, please see the SAI.


AST Money Market Portfolio

Investment Objective: to seek high current income and maintain high levels of liquidity.

Principal Investment Policies and Risks:
As a money market fund, the Portfolio seeks to maintain a stable net asset value of $1.00 per share. In other words, the Portfolio attempts to operate so that shareholders do not lose any of the principal amount they invest in the Portfolio. Of course, there can be no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its goal of a stable net asset value, and shares of the Portfolio are neither insured nor guaranteed by the U.S. government or any other entity. For instance, the issuer or guarantor of a portfolio security or the other party to a contract could default on its obligation, and this could cause the Portfolio's net asset value per share to fall below $1.00. In addition, the income earned by the Portfolio will fluctuate based on market conditions, interest rates and other factors. In a low interest rate environment, the yield for the Portfolio, after deduction of operating expenses, may be negative even though the yield before deducting such expenses is positive. A negative yield may also cause the Portfolio's net asset value per share to fall below $1.00. The Investment Manager may decide to reimburse certain of these expenses to the Portfolio in order to maintain a positive yield, however it is under no obligation to do so and may cease doing so at any time without prior notice.

Under the regulatory requirements applicable to money market funds, the Portfolio must maintain a weighted average portfolio maturity of not more than 90 days and invest in high quality U.S. dollar-denominated securities that have effective maturities of not more than 397 days. In addition, the Portfolio will limit its investments to those securities that, in accordance with guidelines adopted by the Trustees of the Fund, present minimal credit risks. The Portfolio will not purchase any security (other than a United States Government security) unless:

· rated in one of the two highest short-term rating categories by at least two rating organizations or, if only one rating organization has rated the security, so rated by that rating organization;
· rated in one of the three highest long-term rating categories by at least two rating organizations or, if only one rating organization has rated the security, so rated by that rating organization; or
· if unrated, of comparable quality as determined by the Fund's investment adviser.

These standards must be satisfied at the time an investment is made. If the quality of the investment later declines, the Portfolio may continue to hold the investment, subject in certain circumstances to a finding by the Trustees that disposing of the investment would not be in the Portfolio's best interest.

Subject to the above requirements, the Portfolio will invest in one or more of the types of investments described below.

 

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United States Government Obligations . The Portfolio may invest in obligations of the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities directly. Such Obligations may also serve as collateral for repurchase agreements. U.S. Government obligations include: (i) direct obligations issued by the United States Treasury such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds; and (ii) instruments issued or guaranteed by government-sponsored agencies acting under authority of Congress. Some U.S. Government obligations are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency's obligations; still others are supported only by the credit of the agency. There is no assurance that the U.S. Government will provide financial support to one of its agencies if it is not obligated to do so by law.

Bank Obligations . The Portfolio may invest in high quality United States dollar denominated negotiable certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances of U.S. and foreign banks, savings and loan associations and savings banks meeting certain total asset minimums. The Portfolio may invest in bank notes, which are short-term obligations issued by or through a bank. These instruments depend on the strength of the bank involved in the borrowing to give investors comfort that the borrowing will be repaid when promised. The Portfolio may also invest in obligations of international banking institutions designated or supported by national governments to promote economic reconstruction, development or trade between nations (e.g., the European Investment Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, or the World Bank). These obligations may be supported by commitments of the respective bank's member countries, however, there is no assurance that these commitments will be undertaken or met.

Commercial Paper; Bonds . The Portfolio may invest in high quality commercial paper and corporate bonds issued by United States issuers. The Portfolio may also invest in bonds and commercial paper of foreign issuers if the obligation is U.S. dollar-denominated and is not subject to foreign withholding tax.

Asset-Backed Securities . The Portfolio may invest in asset-backed securities backed by assets such as credit card receivables, automobile loans, manufactured housing loans, corporate receivables, and home equity loans in accordance with industry limits based upon the underlying collateral.

Synthetic Instruments . As may be permitted by current laws and regulations, the Portfolio may invest in certain synthetic instruments. Such instruments generally involve the deposit of asset-backed securities in a trust arrangement and the issuance of certificates evidencing interests in the trust. The subadviser will review the structure of synthetic instruments to identify credit and liquidity risks and will monitor such risks.

Demand Features . The Portfolio may purchase securities that include demand features, which allow the Portfolio to demand repayment of a debt obligation before the obligation is due or "matures." This means that longer-term securities can be purchased because of the expectation that the Portfolio can demand repayment of the obligation at a set price within a relatively short period of time, in compliance with Rule 2a-7 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.

Floating Rate and Variable Rate Securities . The Portfolio may purchase floating rate and variable rate securities. These securities pay interest at rates that change periodically to reflect changes in market interest rates. Because these securities adjust the interest they pay, they may be beneficial when interest rates are rising because of the additional return the Portfolio will receive, and they may be detrimental when interest rates are falling because of the reduction in interest payments to the Portfolio.

Funding Agreements . The Portfolio may invest in funding agreements, which are contracts issued by insurance companies that guarantee a rate of return of principal, plus some amount of interest. Funding agreements purchased by the Portfolio will typically be short-term and will provide an adjustable rate of interest.

Foreign Securities . Foreign investments must be denominated in U.S. dollars and may be made directly in securities of foreign issuers or in the form of American Depositary Receipts and European Depositary Receipts.

 

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MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER INVESTMENTS & STRATEGIES USED BY THE PORTFOLIOS

Additional Investments & Strategies

As indicated in the descriptions of the Portfolios above, we may invest in the following types of securities and/or use the following investment strategies to increase a Portfolio's return or protect its assets if market conditions warrant.

American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) — Certificates representing the right to receive foreign securities that have been deposited with a U.S. bank or a foreign branch of a U.S. bank.

Asset-Backed Securities — An asset-backed security is a type of pass-through instrument that pays interest based upon the cash flow of an underlying pool of assets, such as automobile loans or credit card receivables. Asset-backed securities may also be collateralized by a portfolio of corporate bonds, including junk bonds, or other securities.

Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) — A CDO is a security backed by an underlying portfolio of debt obligations, typically including one or more of the following types of investments: high yield securities, investment grade securities, bank loans, futures or swaps. A CDO provides a single security that has the economic characteristics of a diversified portfolio. The cash flows generated by the collateral are used to pay interest and principal to investors.

Convertible Debt and Convertible Preferred Stock — A convertible security is a security — for example, a bond or preferred stock — that may be converted into common stock, the cash value of common stock or some other security of the same or different issuer. The convertible security sets the price, quantity of shares and time period in which it may be so converted. Convertible stock is senior to a company's common stock but is usually subordinated to debt obligations of the company. Convertible securities provide a steady stream of income which is generally at a higher rate than the income on the company's common stock but lower than the rate on the company's debt obligations. At the same time, convertible securities offer — through their conversion mechanism — the chance to participate in the capital appreciation of the underlying common stock. The price of a convertible security tends to increase and decrease with the market value of the underlying common stock.

Credit Default Swaps — In a credit default swap, the Portfolio and another party agree to exchange payment of the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a referenced debt obligation in the event of a default on that debt obligation in return for a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided no event of default has occurred. See also "Swaps" defined below.

Credit-Linked Securities — Credit linked securities are securities that are collateralized by one or more credit default swaps on corporate credits. The Portfolio has the right to receive periodic interest payments from the issuer of the credit-linked security at an agreed-upon interest rate, and a return of principal at the maturity date. See also "Credit Default Swaps" defined above.

Derivatives — A derivative is an instrument that derives its price, performance, value, or cash flow from one or more underlying securities or other interests. Derivatives involve costs and can be volatile. With derivatives, the investment adviser tries to predict whether the underlying interest — a security, market index, currency, interest rate or some other benchmark — will go up or down at some future date. We may use derivatives to try to reduce risk or to increase return consistent with a Portfolio's overall investment objective. The adviser will consider other factors (such as cost) in deciding whether to employ any particular strategy, or use any particular instrument. Any derivatives we use may not fully offset a Portfolio's underlying positions and this could result in losses to the Portfolio that would not otherwise have occurred.

Dollar Rolls — Dollar rolls involve the sale by the Portfolio of a security for delivery in the current month with a promise to repurchase from the buyer a substantially similar — but not necessarily the same — security at a set price and date in the future. During the "roll period," the Portfolio does not receive any principal or interest on the security. Instead, it is compensated by the difference between the current sales price and the price of the future purchase, as well as any interest earned on the cash proceeds from the original sale.

Equity Swaps — In an equity swap, the Portfolio and another party agree to exchange cash flow payments that are based on the performance of equities or an equity index. See also "Swaps" defined below.

Event-Linked Bonds — Event-linked bonds are fixed income securities for which the return of principal and payment of interest is contingent on the non-occurrence of a specific "trigger" event, such as a hurricane, earthquake, or other physical or weather-related phenomenon. If a trigger event occurs, a Portfolio may lose a portion or all of its principal invested in the bond. Event-linked bonds often provide for an extension of maturity to process and audit loss claims where a trigger event has, or possibly has, occurred. An extension of maturity may increase volatility. Event-linked bonds may also expose the Portfolio to certain unanticipated risks including credit risk, adverse regulatory or jurisdictional interpretations, and adverse tax consequences. Event-linked bonds may also

 

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be subject to liquidity risk.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts — A foreign currency forward contract is an obligation to buy or sell a given currency on a future date at a set price. When a Portfolio enters into a contract for the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency, or when a Portfolio anticipates the receipt in a foreign currency of dividends or interest payments on a security which it holds, the Portfolio may desire to "lock-in" the U.S. dollar price of the security or the U.S. dollar equivalent of such dividend or interest payment, as the case may be. By entering into a forward contract for a fixed amount of dollars, for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying transactions, the Portfolio will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in the relationship between the U.S. dollar and the foreign currency during the period between the date on which the security is purchased or sold, or on which the dividend or interest payment is declared, and the date on which such payments are made or received. At the maturity of a forward contract, a Portfolio may either sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency or it may retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an "offsetting" contract with the same currency trader obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency.

Futures Contracts — A futures contract is an agreement to buy or sell a set quantity of an underlying product at a future date, or to make or receive a cash payment based on the value of a securities index. When a futures contract is entered into, each party deposits with a futures commission merchant (or in a segregated account) approximately 5% of the contract amount. This is known as the "initial margin." Every day during the futures contract, either the buyer or the futures commission merchant will make payments of "variation margin." In other words, if the value of the underlying security, index or interest rate increases, then the buyer will have to add to the margin account so that the account balance equals approximately 5% of the value of the contract on that day. The next day, the value of the underlying security, index or interest rate may decrease, in which case the borrower would receive money from the account equal to the amount by which the account balance exceeds 5% of the value of the contract on that day. A stock index futures contract is an agreement between the buyer and the seller of the contract to transfer an amount of cash equal to the daily variation margin of the contract. No physical delivery of the underlying stocks in the index is made.

Interest Rate Swaps — In an interest rate swap, the Portfolio and another party agree to exchange interest payments. For example, the Portfolio may wish to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate. We would enter into that type of a swap if we think interest rates are going down. See also "Swaps" defined below.

Joint Repurchase Account — In a joint repurchase transaction, uninvested cash balances of various Portfolios are added together and invested in one or more repurchase agreements. Each of the participating Portfolios receives a portion of the income earned in the joint account based on the percentage of its investment.

Loans and Assignments — Loans are privately negotiated between a corporate borrower and one or more financial institutions. The Portfolio acquires interests in loans directly (by way of assignment from the selling institution) or indirectly (by way of the purchase of a participation interest from the selling institution. Purchasers of loans depend primarily upon the creditworthiness of the borrower for payment of interest and repayment of principal. If scheduled interest or principal payments are not made, the value of the instrument may be adversely affected. Interests in loans are also subject to additional liquidity risks. Loans are not generally traded in organized exchange markets but are traded by banks and other institutional investors engaged in loan syndications. Consequently, the liquidity of a loan will depend on the liquidity of these trading markets at the time that the Portfolio sells the loan.

In assignments, the Portfolio will have no recourse against the selling institution, and the selling institution generally makes no representations about the underlying loan, the borrowers, the documentation or the collateral. In addition, the rights against the borrower that are acquired by the Portfolio may be more limited than those held by the assigning lender.

Mortgage-Related Securities — Mortgage-related securities are usually pass-through instruments that pay investors a share of all interest and principal payments from an underlying pool of fixed or adjustable rate mortgages. We may invest in mortgage-related securities issued and guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies like the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Maes) and the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Maes) and debt securities issued (but not guaranteed) by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Company (Freddie Macs). Private mortgage-related securities that are not guaranteed by U.S. Governmental entities generally have one or more types of credit enhancement to ensure timely receipt of payments and to protect against default.

Mortgage-related securities include collateralized mortgage obligations, multi-class pass through securities and stripped mortgage-backed securities. A collateralized mortgage-backed obligation (CMO) is a security backed by an underlying portfolio of mortgages or mortgage-backed securities that may be issued or guaranteed by entities such as banks, U.S. Governmental entities or broker-dealers. A multi-class pass-through security is an equity interest in a trust composed of underlying mortgage assets.

 

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Payments of principal and interest on the mortgage assets and any reinvestment income provide the money to pay debt service on the CMO or to make scheduled distributions on the multi-class pass-through security. A stripped mortgage-backed security (MBS strip) may be issued by U.S. Governmental entities or by private institutions. MBS strips take the pieces of a debt security (principal and interest) and break them apart. The resulting securities may be sold separately and may perform differently. MBS strips are highly sensitive to changes in prepayment and interest rates.

Options — A call option on stock is a short-term contract that gives the option purchaser or "holder" the right to acquire a particular equity security for a specified price at any time during a specified period. For this right, the option purchaser pays the option seller a certain amount of money or "premium" which is set before the option contract is entered into. The seller or "writer" of the option is obligated to deliver the particular security if the option purchaser exercises the option. A put option on stock is a similar contract. In a put option, the option purchaser has the right to sell a particular security to the option seller for a specified price at any time during a specified period. In exchange for this right, the option purchaser pays the option seller a premium. Options on debt securities are similar to stock options except that the option holder has the right to acquire or sell a debt security rather than an equity security. Options on stock indexes are similar to options on stocks, except that instead of giving the option holder the right to receive or sell a stock, it gives the holder the right to receive an amount of cash if the closing level of the stock index is greater than (in the case of a call) or less than (in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash the holder will receive is determined by multiplying the difference between the index's closing price and the option's exercise price, expressed in dollars, by a specified "multiplier." Unlike stock options, stock index options are always settled in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the stock market generally (or a particular market segment, depending on the index) rather than the price movement of an individual stock.

Private Investments in Public Equity (PIPEs) — A PIPE is an equity security in a private placement that are issued by issuers who have outstanding, publicly-traded equity securities of the same class. Shares in PIPEs generally are not registered with the SEC until after a certain time period from the date the private sale is completed. This restricted period can last many months. Until the public registration process is completed, PIPEs are restricted as to resale and the Fund cannot freely trade the securities. Generally, such restrictions cause the PIPEs to be illiquid during this time. PIPEs may contain provisions that the issuer will pay specified financial penalties to the holder if the issuer does not publicly register the restricted equity securities within a specified period of time, but there is no assurance that the restricted equity securities will be publicly registered, or that the registration will remain in effect.

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) — A REIT is a company that manages a portfolio of real estate to earn profits for its shareholders. Some REITs acquire equity interests in real estate and then receive income from rents and capital gains when the buildings are sold. Other REITs lend money to real estate developers and receive interest income from the mortgages. Some REITs invest in both types of interests.

Repurchase Agreements — In a repurchase transaction, the Portfolio agrees to purchase certain securities and the seller agrees to repurchase the same securities at an agreed upon price on a specified date. This creates a fixed return for the Portfolio.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements — In a reverse repurchase transaction, the Portfolio sells a security it owns and agrees to buy it back at a set price and date. During the period the security is held by the other party, the Portfolio may continue to receive principal and interest payments on the security.

Short Sales — In a short sale, we sell a security we do not own to take advantage of an anticipated decline in the stock's price. The Portfolio borrows the stock for delivery and if it can buy the stock later at a lower price, a profit results.

Short Sales Against-the-Box — A short sale against the box involves selling a security that the Portfolio owns, or has the right to obtain without additional costs, for delivery at a specified date in the future. A Portfolio may make a short sale against the box to hedge against anticipated declines in the market price of a portfolio security. If the value of the security sold short increases instead, the Portfolio loses the opportunity to participate in the gain.

Swap Options — A swap option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation) to enter into a swap agreement or to shorten, extend cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement at some designated future time on specified terms. See also "Options" defined above.

Swaps — Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. Credit Default Swaps, Equity Swaps, Interest Rate Swaps and Total Return Swaps are four types of swap agreements.

Total Return Swaps — In a total return swap, payment (or receipt) of an index's total return is exchanged for the receipt (or payment)

 

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of a floating interest rate. See also "Swaps" defined above.

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities — With when-issued or delayed delivery securities, the delivery and payment can take place a month or more after the date of the transaction. A Portfolio will make commitments for when-issued transactions only with the intention of actually acquiring the securities. A Portfolio's custodian will maintain in a segregated account, liquid assets having a value equal to or greater than such commitments. If the Portfolio chooses to dispose of the right to acquire a when-issued security prior to its acquisition, it could, as with the disposition of any other security, incur a gain or loss.

 

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HOW THE FUND IS MANAGED

Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees of the Fund (the Board) oversees the actions of the Investment Managers and the subadvisers and decides on general policies. The Board also oversees the Fund's officers who conduct and supervise the daily business operations of the Fund.

Investment Managers

AST Investment Services, Inc. (AST) One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, and Prudential Investments LLC (PI) Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey, serve as co-investment managers of the Fund.

The Fund's Investment Management Agreements, on behalf of each Portfolio, with AST and PI (the Management Agreements), provide that AST and PI (the Investment Managers) will furnish each applicable Portfolio with investment advice and administrative services subject to the supervision of the Board of Trustees and in conformity with the stated policies of the applicable Portfolio. The Investment Managers must also provide, or obtain and supervise, the executive, administrative, accounting, custody, transfer agent and shareholder servicing services that are deemed advisable by the Board.

The Investment Managers have engaged the subadvisers to conduct, in whole or in part, the investment programs of the Portfolios, which generally includes the purchase, retention and sale of portfolio securities. The Investment Managers are responsible for monitoring the activities of the subadvisers and reporting on such activities to the Board. The Fund has obtained an exemption from the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission) that permits the Investment Managers, subject to approval by the Board, to change subadvisers for a Portfolio and to enter into new subadvisory agreements, without obtaining shareholder approval of the changes. This exemption (which is similar to exemptions granted to other investment companies that are organized in a manner similar to the Fund) is intended to facilitate the efficient supervision and management of the subadvisers by the Investment Managers and the Trustees. PI conducts the investment program for the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios as described above. PI in conjunction with AA Subadvisers, conducts the investment program for the Tactical Asset Allocation Programs as described above. As set forth above, PI also conducts the investment program for a portion of the assets of the Advanced Strategies Portfolio.

Under normal conditions, the Investment Managers will determine the division of the assets of the Portfolios among the applicable subadvisers and PI. All daily cash inflows (that is, purchases and reinvested distributions) and outflows (that is, redemptions and expense items) will be divided among the subadvisers and PI as the Investment Managers deem appropriate. The Investment Managers may change the target allocation of assets among subadvisers, transfer assets between subadvisers, or change the allocation of cash inflows or cash outflows among subadvisers for any reason and at any time without notice. As a consequence, the Investment Managers may allocate assets or cash flows from a portfolio segment that has appreciated more to another portfolio segment.

Reallocations of assets among the subadvisers and PI may result in additional costs since sales of securities may result in higher portfolio turnover. Also, because the subadvisers and PI select portfolio securities independently, it is possible that a security held by a portfolio segment may also be held by another portfolio segment of the Portfolio or that certain subadvisers or PI may simultaneously favor the same industry. The Investment Managers will monitor the overall portfolio to ensure that any such overlaps do not create an unintended industry concentration. In addition, if a subadviser or PI buys a security as another subadviser or PI sells it, the net position of the Portfolio in the security may be approximately the same as it would have been with a single portfolio and no such sale and purchase, but the Portfolio will have incurred additional costs. The Investment Managers will consider these costs in determining the allocation of assets or cash flows. The Investment Managers will consider the timing of asset and cash flow reallocations based upon the best interests of each Portfolio and its shareholders.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory agreements is available in the Fund's semi-annual report (for agreements approved during the six month period ended June 30) and in the Fund's annual report (for agreements approved during the six month period ended December 31).

 

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Investment Management Fees

The following chart lists the total effective annualized investment management fees paid by each Portfolio of the Fund to AST during 2007:

Investment Management Fees Paid by the Portfolios
Portfolio Total investment management fees as % of average net assets
AST International Growth 1.00
AST International Value 1.00
AST JPMorgan International Equity .87
AST MFS Global Equity .99
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity*** N/A
AST Small-Cap Growth .90
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth .95
AST Federated Aggressive Growth .95
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value .95
AST Small-Cap Value .90
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value .95
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth 1.00
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth .90
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value .89
AST Mid-Cap Value .95
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth .88
AST MFS Growth .90
AST Marsico Capital Growth .90
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth .76
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value .85
AST Large-Cap Value .75
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value .75
AST QMA US Equity Alpha* 1.00
AST American Century Income & Growth .75
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income .75
AST Cohen & Steers Realty 1.00
AST Global Real Estate*** N/A
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources .90
AST American Century Strategic Allocation .85
AST Advanced Strategies .85
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation .85
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha* .81
AST First Trust Balanced Target .85
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target .85
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation .15
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation .15
AST Balanced Asset Allocation .15
AST Conservative Asset Allocation .15
AST Preservation Asset Allocation .15
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation** -
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation** -
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation** -
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation** -
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation** -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond .80
AST High Yield .75
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture .78

 

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AST PIMCO Total Return Bond .65
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond .65
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio .70
AST Bond Portfolio 2015*** N/A
AST Bond Portfolio 2018*** N/A
AST Bond Portfolio 2019*** N/A
AST Investment Grade Bond*** N/A
AST Money Market .47

Notes to Investment Management Fees Table:

*The contractual investment management fee rate for the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, the AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio) changed effective as of May 1, 2008. As of May 1, 2008, the investment management fee rate for the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio was 1.00% of the Portfolio's average daily net assets.
The contractual investment management fee rate for the AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio (formerly, the AST Global Allocation Portfolio) for the four months ended April 30, 2007 was 0.10% of the Portfolio's average daily net assets. Effective May 1, 2007, the contractual investment management fee rate for the AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio was 1.00% of the Portfolio's average daily net assets.

**The investment management fee amount waived exceeds the investment management fee.
***The AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019 and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio did not commence operations until January 28, 2008. The AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio and the AST Global Real Estate Portfolio did not commence operations until May 1, 2008.

 

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Investment Subadvisers

The Portfolios of the Fund each have one more or more investment subadvisers providing the day-to-day investment management of the Portfolio. PI provides for the day-to-day investment management of the AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios. AST pays each investment subadviser a subadvisory fee out of the fee that AST receives from the Fund. The investment subadvisers for each Portfolio of the Fund are listed in the table below:

Portfolio Investment Subadviser
AST International Growth William Blair & Company LLC
Marsico Capital Management, LLC
AST International Value LSV Asset Management
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc.
AST JPMorgan International Equity J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC
AST MFS Global Equity Massachusetts Financial Services Company
AST Small-Cap Growth Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.
Eagle Asset Management
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania
Federated MDTA LLC
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
AST Small-Cap Value J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Lee Munder Investments, Ltd.
ClearBridge Advisors, LLC
Dreman Value Management LLC
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.
LSV Asset Management (effective on/about July 21, 2008)
AST Mid-Cap Value WEDGE Capital Management, LLP
EARNEST Partners LLC
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
AST MFS Growth Massachusetts Financial Services Company
AST Marsico Capital Growth Marsico Capital Management, LLC
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc.
AST Large-Cap Value Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.
Dreman Value Management LLC
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value AllianceBernstein, L.P.
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Quantitative Management Associates LLC
AST American Century Income & Growth American Century Investment Management, Inc.
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income AllianceBernstein, L.P.
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.
AST Global Real Estate Prudential Real Estate Investors, a business unit of Prudential Investment Management, Inc.
T. Rowe Price Natural Resources T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
AST American Century Strategic Allocation American Century Investment Management, Inc.
AST Advanced Strategies Marsico Capital Management, LLC

 

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T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
William Blair & Company LLC
LSV Asset Management
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation CLS Investment Firm, LLC
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation CLS Investment Firm, LLC
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Horizon Investments, LLC
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Horizon Investments, LLC
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Niemann Capital Management, Inc.
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc.
AST First Trust Balanced Target First Trust Advisors L.P.
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target First Trust Advisors L.P.
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond T. Rowe Price International, Inc.
AST High Yield Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Western Asset Management Company & Western Asset Management Company Limited
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 Prudential Investment Management, Inc.
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 Prudential Investment Management, Inc.
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 Prudential Investment Management, Inc.
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio Prudential Investment Management, Inc.
AST Money Market Portfolio Prudential Investment Management, Inc.

Descriptions of each subadviser are set out below:

AllianceBernstein L.P. (AllianceBernstein) has helped investors build and preserve wealth through disciplined investment strategies for over 35 years. AllianceBernstein is a globally recognized leader in growth, value, fixed income, and style-blend investing. AllianceBernstein's success has been driven by its commitment to industry-leading fundamental research and the belief that a research-oriented approach to investing produces the best investment results over the long term for all clients, large institutions, private clients and individual mutual fund investors. AllianceBernstein's assets under management totaled $800 billion, as of December 31, 2007. AllianceBernstein's address is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10105.

American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century) has been providing investment advisory services to investment companies and institutional clients since 1958. As of December 31, 2007, American Century and its affiliates managed assets totaling approximately $102.5 billion. American Century Global Investment Management (American Century Global), an affiliate of American Century, also provides investment advisory services. American Century's address is American Century Tower, 4500 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111. American Century Global's address is 666 3rd Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York, NY 10017.

ClearBridge Advisors, LLC (ClearBridge) has offices at 620 8th Avenue, New York, New York, 10018, and is a recently-organized investment adviser that has been formed to succeed to the equity securities portfolio management business of Citigroup Asset Management, which was acquired by Legg Mason, Inc. in December 2005. ClearBridge is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Legg Mason. Legg Mason, whose principal executive offices are at 100 Light Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202, is a global asset management company. As of December 31, 2007, ClearBridge had assets under management of approximately $101 billion.

CLS Investment Firm, LLC (CLS). CLS was formed in 1989. As of December 31, 2007, CLS had approximately $3.89 billion in assets under management. CLS' address is 4020 South 147th Street, Omaha, NE 68137.

Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. (Cohen & Steers) is the leading U.S. manager of portfolios dedicated to investments in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). As of December 31, 2007, Cohen & Steers managed approximately $29.786 billion in assets. Cohen & Steers is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cohen & Steers, Inc. ("CNS"), a publicly traded company whose common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Cohen & Steers' address is 280 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10017.

Deutsche Investment Management Americas Inc. (DIMA) was founded in 1838 as Morgan Grenfell Inc. and has provided asset management services since 1953. As of December 31, 2007, as part of Deutsche Asset Management group (DeAM), DIMA managed

 

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approximately $229 billion of DeAM Americas' $302 billion in assets. DIMA's address is 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154.

Dreman Value Management LLC (Dreman) had approximately $18.8 billion under management as of December 31, 2007. Dreman's offices are located at Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 10, Suite 800, Jersey City, NJ 07311. Dreman's address is 520 East Cooper Ave., Suite 230-4, Aspen, CO 81611. Dreman is an employee controlled and limited liability company with clients including, but not limited to, registered investment companies, separate accounts offered by variable annuity products, and individual investor accounts.

Eagle Asset Management (Eagle) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raymond James Financial,Inc. that was founded in 1976. Eagle employs approximately 39 investment professionals, and has approximately $14.4 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2007. Eagle's address is 880 Carillon Parkway, St. Petersburg, Florida 33716.

EARNEST Partners LLC (EARNEST) was founded in 1998 and as of December 31, 2007, managed approximately $23 billion in assets. EARNEST's address is 1180 Peachtree Street NE, Suite 2300, Atlanta, Georgia 30309.

Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania (Federated Equity) . Federated Advisory Services Company (Federated Services), an affiliate of the Adviser, provides research, quantitative analysis, equity trading and transaction settlement and certain support services to Federated Equity. The fee for these services is paid by the Federated Equity and not by the Fund. Federated Global Investment Management Corp. (Federated Global), 450 Lexington Avenue, Suite 3700, New York, New York 10017-3943 serves as subadviser. Federated Equity was organized in 2003, and Federated Global was organized in 1995. Federated Equity, Federated Global and their affiliates serve as investment advisors to a number of investment companies and private accounts. Total assets under management or administration by Federated and its affiliates as of December 31, 2007 were approximately $301.6 billion. Federated Equity's address is Federated Investors Tower, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-3779.

Federated MDTA LLC (Federated MDTA). Federated MDTA LLC (Federated MDTA) is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives and policies, including making investment decisions, and buying and selling securities. Federated MDTA and their affiliates serve as investment advisors to a number of investment companies and private accounts. Total assets under management of administration by Federated and its affiliates as of December 31, 2007 were approximately $301.6 billion. Federated MDTA's address 125 High Street, Oliver Tower, 21st Floor, Boston, MA, 02110.

First Trust Advisors L.P. (First Trust) First Trust and its affiliate, First Trust Portfolios L.P. ("FTP"), were established in 1991 and at December 31, 2007 had approximately $33.9 billion in assets under management and supervision, of which approximately $3.9 billion was invested in trusts serving as underlying funds for variable annuity and insurance contracts. First Trust's address is 1001 Warrenville Road, Lisle, Illinois 60532.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (GSAM) has been registered as an investment adviser with the SEC since 1990 and is an affiliate of Goldman, Sachs & Co. ("Goldman Sachs"). As of December 31, 2007, GSAM, including its investment advisory affiliates, had assets under management of $737 billion. GSAM's address is 32 Old Slip, New York, New York 10005.

Horizon Investments, LLC (Horizon). Horizon was formed in 1995. As of June 30, 2007, Horizon had approximately $718.1 million in assets under management. Horizon's address is 7401 Carmel Executive Park, Suite 106, Charlotte, NC 28226.

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC (Hotchkis and Wiley) is a registered investment adviser, the primary members of which are HWCap Holdings, a limited liability company whose members are current and former employees of Hotchkis and Wiley and Stephens-HW, LLC, a limited liability company whose primary member is SF Holding Corp., which is a diversified holding company. As of December 31, 2007, Hotchkis and Wiley had approximately $27.6 billion in assets under management. Hotchkis and Wiley's address is 725 South Figueroa Street, 39th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90017-5439.

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (J.P. Morgan) is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of J.P. Morgan Chase Co., a publicly held bank holding company and global financial services firm. JP Morgan manages assets for governments, corporations, endowments, foundations and individuals worldwide. As of December 31, 2007, J.P. Morgan and its affiliated companies had approximately $1.193 billion in assets under management worldwide. J.P. Morgan's address is 245 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10167.

LSV Asset Management (LSV) was formed in 1994. LSV is a quantitative value equity manager providing active asset management for institutional clients through the application of proprietary models. As of December 31, 2007, LSV had approximately $73.2 billion in assets under management. LSV's address is One North Wacker Drive, Suite 4000, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. (Lee Munder) was founded in 2000 and is 80% owned by its employees with the remainder of the firm owned by Castanea Partners. As of December 31, 2007, Lee Munder managed approximately $4.6 billion in assets. Lee Munder's address is 200 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116.

 

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Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC (Lord Abbett) has been an investment manager since 1929. As of December 31, 2007, Lord Abbett managed over $110 billion in a family of mutual funds and other advisory accounts. Lord Abbett's address is 90 Hudson Street, Jersey City, New Jersey 07302.

Marsico Capital Management, LLC (MCM) MCM was organized in September 1997 as a registered investment adviser and is an independently-owned investment management firm. MCM provides investment services to mutual funds and private accounts and, as of December 31, 2007, had approximately $106 billion under management. Thomas F. Marsico is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of MCM. MCM's address is 1200 17th Street, Suite 1600, Denver, CO 80202.

Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS). MFS is the oldest U.S. mutual fund organization. MFS and its predecessor organizations have managed money since 1924 and founded the first mutual fund in the United States. MFS is a direct subsidiary of Sun Life of Canada (U.S.) Financial Services Holdings, Inc., which in turn is an indirect majority-owned subsidiary of Sun Life Financial Inc. (a diversified financial services organization). The principal address of MFS is 500 Boylston Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116. Net assets under management of the MFS organization were approximately $200 billion as of December 31, 2007.

Neuberger Berman Management Inc. (Neuberger Berman) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Neuberger Berman Inc. ("NBI"), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. ("LBHI"). LBHI, which trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "LEH" through its subsidiaries (LBHI and its subsidiaries collectively "Lehman Brothers"), is one of the leading global investment banks, serving institutional, corporate, government and high net worth individual clients. Lehman Brothers, which is a registered broker-dealer, futures commission merchant and investment adviser, provides a full array of capital markets products, investment banking services and investment management and advisory services worldwide. Neuberger Berman and its affiliates had approximately $148.5 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2007. Neuberger Berman's address is 605 Third Avenue, New York, New York 10158.

Niemann Capital Management, Inc. (Niemann Capital). Niemann Capital was formed in 1991. As of December 31, 2007, Niemann Capital had approximately $1.170 billion in assets under management. Niemann Capital's address is 512 Capitola Avenue, Capitola, California 95010.

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO) a Delaware limited liability company, is a majority-owned subsidiary of Allianz Global Investors of America L.P., ("AGI LP"). Allianz SE ("Allianz SE") is the indirect majority owner of AGI LP. Allianz SE is a European-based, multinational insurance and financial services holding company. As of December 31, 2007, PIMCO managed $746.3 billion in assets. PIMCO's address is 840 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, California 92660.

Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC (Parametric) is a registered investment adviser and majority-owned subsidiary of Eaton Vance Management. Parametric and its affiliate Parametric Risk Advisors managed a combined $26.6 Billion in assets under management, with approximately 12,800 accounts as of December 31, 2007. Parametric's address is 1151 Fairview Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109.

Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM) is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. As of December 31, 2007 PIM had approximately $209 billion in assets under management. PIM's address is Gateway Center Two, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.

Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI®) is a business unit of Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM), which in turn is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. PREI, comprised of fund management centers in the United States in Parsippany, N.J.; Atlanta, Ga.; and globally in Munich, London, Singapore and Mexico City, is supported by a network of local offices throughout the world. Its specialized operating units offer a broad range of real estate investment opportunities and investment management services in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. PREI managed $42.5 billion in gross assets ($30.1 billion in net assets) for more than 400 clients as of December 31, 2007.

Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM). As of December 31, 2007, QMA managed approximately $62 billion in assets, including approximately $5 billion that QMA, as a balanced manager, allocated to investment vehicles advised by affiliated and unaffiliated managers, and approximately $7 billion that QMA allocated to investment vehicles advised by QMA. QMA's address is Gateway Center Two, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price) and its affiliates managed approximately $400 billion in assets as of December 31, 2007. T. Rowe Price's address is 100 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.

Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (Thornburg) is an independent, employee-owned investment management firm located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The firm was founded in 1982 and began providing investment management services to clients in 1984.

 

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Thornburg uses a fundamental, bottom-up approach to investing which centers on the intrinsic value of each investment. As of December 31, 2007, Thornburg had approximately $52.9 billion in assets under management. Thornburg's address is 119 East Marcy Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501.

UBS Global Asset Management (Americas) Inc. (UBS) is a Delaware corporation and an investment adviser registered with the SEC. As of December 31, 2007, UBS had approximately $165.9 billion in assets under management. UBS is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of UBS AG and a member of the UBS Global Asset Management Division, which had approximately $786.3 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2007. UBS AG is an internationally diversified organization headquartered in Zurich and Basel, Switzerland, with operations in many areas of the financial services industry. UBS' address is One North Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

WEDGE Capital Management, LLP (WEDGE) is an independent investment advisor owned and operated by 13 General Partners. As of December 31, 2007, WEDGE had approximately $10.1 billion in assets under management. WEDGE's address is 301 South College St., Suite 2920, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202.

Western Asset Management Company (Western Asset) & Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML). Western Asset, established in 1971 and now a wholly owned subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc., acts as investment adviser to institutional accounts, such as corporate pension plans, mutual funds and endowment funds. Total assets under management by Western Asset and its supervised affiliates were approximately $634.4 billion as of December 31, 2007. Western Asset's addressd is 385 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91101. WAML, a wholly owned subsidiary of Legg Mason, Inc., acts as investment adviser to institutional accounts, such as corporate pension plans, mutual funds and endowment funds. WAML's is 10 Exchange Place, London, England.

William Blair & Company LLC (William Blair) . Since the founding of the firm in 1935, William Blair has been dedicated to researching, financing and investing in high quality growth companies through four primary divisions: investment banking, sales and trading, asset management and private capital. As of December 31, 2007, William Blair managed approximately $49 billion in assets. William Blair's address is 222 West Adams Street, Chicago, Illinois 60606.



 

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Portfolio Managers

Information about the portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's Portfolios is set forth below.

In addition to the information set forth below, the Fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI) provides additional information about each Portfolio Manager's compensation, other accounts managed by each Portfolio Manager, and each Portfolio Manager's ownership of shares of the Fund's Portfolios.

AST International Growth Portfolio

William Blair Segment . W. George Greig is responsible for the day-to-day management of the segment of the Portfolio managed by William Blair. Mr. Greig, a principal of William Blair, has headed the firm's international investment management team since 1996. He serves as the Portfolio Manager for the William Blair International Growth Fund as well as leading the Portfolio Team on separately managed portfolios. Before joining William Blair, he headed international equities for PNC Bank in Philadelphia from 1995 to 1996 and previously served as Investment Director with London-based Framlington Group PLC as well as managing global and emerging markets funds there. He has over twenty-five years of experience in domestic and international investment research and portfolio management. Education: B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.B.A., Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Marsico Segment . James G. Gendelman is the portfolio manager of the Marsico-managed sleeve of the AST International Growth Portfolio. Prior to joining Marsico Capital in May of 2000, Mr. Gendelman spent thirteen years as a Vice President of International Sales for Goldman, Sachs Co. He holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting from Michigan State University and a MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. Mr. Gendelman was a certified public accountant for Ernst Young from 1983 to 1985.


AST International Value Portfolio

LSV Segment . The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the segment of the Portfolio managed by LSV are Josef Lakonishok, Menno Vermeulen, CFA, and Puneet Mansharamani, CFA. Mr. Lakonishok has served as CEO, Partner and Portfolio Manager for LSV since its founding in 1994. He has more than 25 years of investment and research experience. In addition to his duties at LSV, Mr. Lakonishok serves as the William G. Karnes Professor of Finance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mr. Vermeulen has served as a Portfolio Manager and Senior Quantitative Analyst of LSV since 1995 and a Partner since 1998. He has more than 13 years of investment experience. Prior to joining LSV, Mr. Vermeulen served as a portfolio manager for ABP Investments. Mr. Mansharamani, CFA is a Partner and Portfolio Manager of LSV. Mr. Mansharamani has previously served as a Quantitative Analyst of LSV since 2000. He has more than 7 years of investment experience. Prior to joining LSV, Mr. Mansharamani was an Analyst at Institutional Trust National City Corporation and a Systems Consultant for Maximations, Inc.

Thornburg Segment . The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the segment of the Portfolio managed by Thornburg are William V. Fries, CFA, a Managing Director of Thornburg, Wendy Trevisani, also a Managing Director of Thornburg, and Lei Wang, CFA, a Managing Director of Thornburg, who serve as co-portfolio managers.

Mr. Fries serves as the lead portfolio manager for the portion of the Portfolio advised by Thornburg. Before joining Thornburg in May 1995, Mr. Fries managed equity mutual funds for 16 years with another mutual fund management company.

Before joining Thornburg in March 1999, Ms. Trevisani served as an institutional sales representative for Salomon Smith Barney in both New York City and London. Ms. Trevisani holds an MBA degree with a concentration in Finance from Columbia University, and a BA in International Relations from Bucknell University.

Lei Wang joined Thornburg Investment Management in 2004 as an Associate Portfolio Manager. Prior to joining Thornburg, Mr. Wang served as a research analyst at Enso Capital Management LLC in New York City. He has also worked as a Financial Associate at Deutsche Bank in both London and New York City. Previously, Mr. Wang was an Analyst with The People's Bank of China (China's central bank) in Shanghai, China. He completed his BA and MA at East China Normal University and received his MBA in Finance from New York University. He has earned the right to use the CFA designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and Security Analyst Society of New York.


AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

The portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio is James WT Fisher. Mr. Fisher, a Managing

 

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Director of J.P. Morgan, is a portfolio manager in the Global Portfolios Group based in London. He joined J.P. Morgan in 1985. He has managed the Portfolio since J. P. Morgan became its subadviser in February 2004.


AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

David R. Mannheim, an Investment Officer of MFS, manages the Portfolio. He is the Director of Equity Portfolio Management and serves on the MFS Investment Management Committee. He participates in the research process and strategy discussions, and maintains overall responsibility for portfolio construction, final buy and sell decisions, and risk management. Mr. Mannheim joined MFS in 1988 as an Equity Research Analyst following non-U.S. Securities. He was named a Portfolio Manager in 1992. Prior to joining MFS, Mr. Mannheim worked as a lending officier for Midlantic National Bank. He has earned a master's degree from MIT and a bachelor's from Amherst College.

Simon Todd, ASIP, CFA, acts as a co-portfolio manager to the Global Equity Portfolio. Mr. Todd is an Investment Officer of MFS and a Global Equity Research Analyst. He joined MFS in 2000. Before that, he spent three years as a U.K. and European Equity Analyst for Phillips Drew in London and one year as a Trainee Chartered Accountant for KPMG in London. Mr. Todd is an Associate of the Society of Investment Professionals as well as a member of the CFA insititute. He received an M.A. degree from Oxford University, Brasenose College.


AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

The Portfolio is managed by a team of portfolio managers from Parametric. The members of the team are Thomas Seto and David Stein. Mr. Seto and Mr. Stein have managed the Eaton Vance Structured Emerging Markets Fund since March 1, 2007. Mr. Seto has been Vice President and Director of Portfolio Management at Parametric for more than five years. Mr. Stein has been Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer at Parametric for more than five years. They both have co-managed other Eaton Vance funds since 2005.

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

Neuberger Berman Segment . The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Neuberger Berman portion of the Portfolio are Judith Vale, CFA, and Robert D'Alelio. Ms. Vale is a managing director and portfolio manager on the Small Cap Value Equity team. She joined the firm in 1992. Previously, she was a portfolio manager at Quest Advisory and a senior fund analyst at Merrill Lynch Asset Management. Judy began her investment career in 1980 as an institutional analyst at Ingalls Snyder. She received a B.A. from Yale University. Mr. D'Alelio is a managing director and portfolio manager on the Small Cap Value Equity team. He joined the firm in 1996. Previously, he spent fifteen years at Putnam Investments as an equity analyst and later, a senior vice president and portfolio manager. Bob began his investment career in 1979 as an analyst at the Bank of New England. He received a B.A. from the University of Massachusetts and an M.B.A. from Babson College.

Eagle Segment . The portfolio manager primarily responsible for management of the Eagle portion of the Portfolio is Bert L. Boksen, CFA. Mr. Boksen is Senior Vice President and Managing Director of Eagle. He earned a B.A. in Business from City College of New York in 1970, and an M.B.A. in Finance from St. John's University in 1977. Mr. Boksen is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Since January 2002, Mr. Boksen has served as Manager and President of EB Management I, LLC, general partner of Investment Partnership. Since April 1995, Mr. Boksen has served as Senior Vice President of Eagle Asset Management,Inc. He has portfolio management responsibilities for the Small Cap Growth Equity accounts. Mr. Boksen was appointed Managing Director of Eagle in June 1999. Prior to joining Eagle, Mr. Boksen was Senior Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of Raymond James Associates, Inc., where he was Chairman of the Raymond James Focus Committee. Mr. Boksen has been a registered representative of Raymond James Associates, Inc., since 1979.

Mr. Bosken is assisted by Eric Mintz, CFA. Mr. Mintz is an Assistant Portfolio Manager for Small Cap Growth equity accounts. Mr. Mintz joined Eagle in 2005 as a Senior Research Analyst and brings 12 years of investment experience as an analyst and research associate. He holds a B.A. in economics from Washington and Lee University and earned his M.B.A. from the University of Southern California. Mintz received his Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 2000.


AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

The portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio is David Burshtan. Mr. Burshtan is a Vice President of Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. and a Managing Director of Neuberger Berman LLC. He joined the firm in 2002. Previously, he held portfolio manager and analyst positions at Northern Trust, Scudder-Kemper Investments and Texas Commerce Bank. He

 

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began his investment career in 1988 as an analyst at Rotan Mosle. David graduated from Brown University with a B.A. and received an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.


AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

The portfolio managers responsible for management of the Federated Equity portion of the Portfolio are Aash M. Shah, Lawrence Auriana, Hans P. Utsch and John Ettinger. Mr. Shah has managed the Portfolio since May 2002. Mr. Shah joined Federated Equity's parent company in 1993, has been a Portfolio Manager since 1995, and has been a Vice President of the parent company since January 1997. Mr. Shah served as an Assistant Vice President of the parent company from 1995 through 1996. Mr. Auriana has managed the portfolio since May 2002. He and Mr. Utsch are Co-Heads of Federated Global's Kaufman Investment Area. They joined Federated Global's parent company in April 2001. Mr.Auriana was the portfolio manager of The Kaufmann Fund, from 1985 to 2001. From 1984 to 2001, he was the President and Treasurer of Edgemont Asset Management Corp., the adviser to The Kaufmann Fund. Mr. Auriana has been engaged in the securities business since 1965. Mr.Utsch has managed the portfolio since May 2002. Mr. Utsch was the portfolio manager of The Kaufmann Fund, from 1985 to 2001. From 1984 to 2001, he was Chairman of the Board and Secretary of Edgemont Asset Management Corp. Mr. Utsch has been engaged in the securities business since 1962. Mr.Ettinger was named a portfolio manager of the Portfolio in May 2004. Mr. Ettinger has been an investment analyst with Federated Equity's parent company since April 2001. He served as an investment analyst with Edgemont Asset Management Corp. from 1996 to 2001.

The portion of the portfolio managed by the Federated MDTA LLC Investment Team (Investment Team), is headed by David M. Goldsmith, Ph.D., who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio. Dr. Goldsmith, Chief Investment Officer, has been the portfolio manager of the Portfolio since May 1, 2007. Dr. Goldsmith joined MDT Advisers (the predecessor to the subadviser) in 1990. He was responsible for the initial development and launch of the Optimum Q Process which drives the Federated MDT equity strategies. Dr. Goldsmith currently leads the Investment Team which is responsible for the ongoing development and implementation of the Optimum Q Process. He received an A.B., Summa Cum Laude, in Economics from Princeton University, where he won the Wolf Balleison Memorial Prize for the outstanding senior thesis in economics. Dr. Goldsmith also received a Ph.D. in Economics with a concentration in Finance from Harvard University.


AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

The portfolio managers responsible for managing the Portfolio are Chip Otness, Lisa Parisi, J. Kelly Flynn, Dolores Bamford, Scott Carroll, Robert Crystal and Sally Pope Davis.

Chip Otness, Managing Director, is a Portfolio Manager on the U.S. Value Team, where he oversees portfolio construction and investment research for the firm's Small Cap Value accounts. Chip joined Goldman Sachs as a senior portfolio manager in 2000. From 1998 to 2000, he headed Dolphin Asset Management. From 1970 to 1998, Mr. Otness worked at J.P. Morgan, most recently as a managing director and senior portfolio manager responsible for small-cap institutional equity investments.

Lisa Parisi, Managing Director, joined Goldman Sachs as a portfolio manager in August 2001. From December 2000 to August 2001, she was a portfolio manager at John A. Levin Co.

J. Kelly Flynn is a Vice President of Goldman Sachs. He is a portfolio manager for the U.S. Value Team, where he has broad research responsibilities across value strategies. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Kelly spent 3 years at Lazard Asset management where he was a portfolio manager for Small Cap/SMID Cap Value products. Before Lazard, Kelly was a small cap value portfolio manager at 1838 Investment Advisors. Kelly has also spent time working for Edgewater Private Equity Fund as a research analyst and at First Boston in the mergers and acquisitions department. Kelly received a B.A. from Harvard and an M.B.A. from Wharton School of Business. Kelly joined the Value Team in April of 2002.

Dolores Bamford is a Managing Director at Goldman Sachs. Ms. Bamford is a portfolio manager for the U.S. Value Team, where she has broad research responsibility across the value portfolios. Ms. Bamford joined the Value Team in April 2002. Prior to arriving at Goldman Sachs, Ms. Bamford worked as a Portfolio Manager at Putnam Investments for various products, beginning in 1992. While at Putnam, she was portfolio manager for a variety of funds, including the Putnam Convertible Income-Growth Fund and the Global Resources Fund. Ms. Bamford received a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.S. from the MIT Sloan School of Management. She is a C.F.A. charterholder.

Scott Carroll is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. He is a portfolio manager on the U.S. Value Team, where he has broad research responsibilities across the value portfolios. He joined the Value Team in May 2002. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Mr.Carroll spent over five years at Van Kampen Funds, where he had portfolio management and analyst responsibilities for a Growth and Income fund

 

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and for an Equity Income fund. Prior to joining Van Kampen, Mr. Carroll spent three years at Lincoln Capital Management as an equity analyst. He also spent two years as a Senior Auditor at Pittway Corporation. Mr. Carroll received a B.S. in Accounting from Northern Illinois University and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Mr. Carroll is a C.F.A. charterholder.

Robert Crystal is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. He is a Portfolio Manager on the U.S. Value Team, where he covers Small Cap Value technology stocks. Before joining Goldman Sachs, Robert was a Director at Brant Point Capital Management LLC. Before that, he was a Vice President at Schroder Investment Management and Assistant Vice President at Wheat First Butcher Singer. Robert joined the Value Team in March 2006.

Sally Pope Davis is a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. She is a Portfolio Manager on the U.S. Value Team, where she has broad research responsibilities across the value strategies. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in 2001, Sally was a Relationship Manager for two years in Private Wealth Management. Previously, she was a sell-side Bank Analyst for ten years in the Goldman Sachs Investment Research Department. Before her experiences at Goldman Sachs, Sally spent two years as a Bank Analyst at Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and six years at Chase Manhattan.


AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio

J.P. Morgan Segment . The portfolio managers responsible for day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio managed by JP Morgan are Christopher T. Blum and Dennis S. Ruhl.
Christopher T. Blum , managing director, is the CIO of the U.S. Behavioral Finance Group. An employee since 2001, Chris is responsible for the Intrepid and Behavioral Small Cap strategies. Chris rejoined the firm in 2001 where he acted as a portfolio manager and headed the U.S. Behavioral Finance Small Cap Equity Group. Before rejoining the firm in 2001, Chris spent two years as a research analyst responsible for the valuation and acquisition of private equity assets at Pomona Capital. Prior to that, he spent over three years in the U.S. Structured Equity Group at J.P. Morgan where he focused on structured small-cap core and small-cap value accounts. Christopher earned his B.B.A. in finance at the Bernard M. Baruch School for Business and is a holder of the CFA designation.

Dennis S. Ruhl , vice president, is the head of the U.S. Behavioral Finance Small Cap Equity Group. A member of the team since 2001, Dennis also acts as a portfolio manager and leads the group's quantitative research effort. An employee since 1999, Dennis previously worked on quantitative equity research (focusing on trading) as well as business development. Dennis holds dual bachelor's degrees in mathematics and computer science and a master's degree in computer science, all from MIT. Dennis is the former New York and National Chair of the Board of Minds Matter, a non-profit mentoring organization. He is also a board member of the MIT Club of New York and Regional Vice Chair of the MIT Educational Council. Dennis is a CFA charterholder.

Lee Munder Segment . R. Todd Vingers serves as the portfolio manager for the portion of the Portfolio managed by Lee Munder. Mr. Vingers joined Lee Munder in June 2002 as a small cap value portfolio manager. Mr. Vingers has over 17 years of investment experience and most recently served as vice president and senior portfolio manager for American Century Investments. Prior to joining American Century Investments, Mr. Vingers was a valuation analyst for the Hawthorne Company. Mr. Vingers earned a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Mr. Vingers is a member of the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts and the Association for Investment Management and Research (AIMR). Mr. Vingers has managed the Portfolio since Lee Munder became one of its subadvisers in November 2004.

ClearBridge Segment . Peter Hable is a managing director of ClearBridge and is responsible for the day-to-day management for the portion of the Portfolio managed by ClearBridge. Mr. Hable has more than 25 years of investment industry experience and has managed the ClearBridge portion of the Portfolio since December 2005. Mr. Hable has a B.S. in Economics from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance.

Dreman Segment . David N. Dreman, E. Clifton Hoover, Jr., CFA, and Mark Roach manage the portion of the Portfolio assigned to Dreman. David N. Dreman is the Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Dreman Value Management, L.L.C. and Co-Lead Portfolio Manager. Mr. Dreman began his investment career in 1957, and is the founder of Dreman Value Management, LLC. Mr. Dreman serves as the co-lead portfolio manager. Mr. Dreman founded his first investment firm, Dreman Value Management, Inc., in 1977 and served as its President and then Chairman to 1995, followed by a similar role at Dreman Value Advisors, Inc. from 1995 to 1997.

E. Clifton Hoover, Jr., CFA has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. He has built his career on the low P/E approach to investing, that is at the center of the Dreman philosophy. Prior to joining Dreman Value Management LLC. Mr. Hoover was a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at NFJ Investment Group. In this role Mr. Hoover managed a Dividend Value

 

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portfolio and Small Cap portfolio. In addition, he assisted with consultant relationship building and retail channel support for both mutual fund and wrap accounts. Mr. Hoover also has experience from Credit Lyonnais where he was responsible for the financial analysis and client servicing of a $5 billion diversified corporate portfolio, involving various debt instruments and equity investments. At Citibank Financial where he worked earlier in his career, Mr. Hoover gained experience as a Financial Analyst. In this position he was responsible for the in-depth financial analysis of US companies and their respective industries with regard to potential debt or equity transactions. At RepublicBank where Mr. Hoover began his career in finance he worked as a Credit Analyst a progressed up the ranks to Vice President of Corporate Banking. Mr. Hoover graduated from Texas Tech University in 1984 with his BBA in Finance. He then went on to complete his MS in Finance at Texas Tech the following year.

Mark Roach is a Managing Director of Dreman. Mark Roach joined Dreman Value Management in November 2006 as a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager of Small and Mid Cap products. Prior to joining Dreman, Mr. Roach was a Portfolio Manager at Vaughan Nelson Investment Management, managing a small cap product from 2002 through 2006. In April of 2006, Mr. Roach was also given the responsibility for the management of the newly seeded MidCap product with approximately $770 million in assets which was benchmarked against the Russell Mid Cap Value Index and the Russell 2500 Value Index. Mr. Roach has significant experience in working with institutions, pensions and endowments and is well known in the consulting and high net worth community. Mr. Roach served as a security analyst from 1997 to 2001 for various institutions including Fifth-Third Bank, Lynch, Jones Ryan and USAA. Mr. Roach also serves as a Board Member on the Rice University Wright Fund since 2003. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business and a bachelors Degree from the Baldwin Wallace College.


AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Robert Wang, Julie Abbett and Jin Chen, CFA, are the portfolio managers for the Portfolios. Mr. Wang, a Managing Director of DIMA, joined DIMA in 1995 and serves as Head of Quantitative Strategies Portfolio Management: New York. Ms. Abbett, a Director of DIMA, joined DIMA in 2000 and is a senior portfolio manager for Active Quantitative Equity: New York. Ms. Abbett has served as a portfolio manager of the Portfolios since July 2002. Ms. Chen, a Director of DIMA, joined DIMA in 1999 and is a senior portfolio manager for Active Quantitative Equity: New York. Ms. Chen has served as a portfolio manager for the Portfolios since March 2005.


AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio


The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolios are Steve Barry, Dave Shell and Greg Ekizian.

Steven M. Barry is a Managing Director/Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co. He is a Chief Investment Officer and a senior portfolio manager for the Growth Team. He has primary responsibility for investment research in industrials and multi-industry companies. He is also responsible for the team's Mid Cap Growth strategy. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs in June 1999, he was a portfolio manager at Alliance Capital Management. During Steve's eleven year tenure at Alliance, he managed growth portfolios with varying mandates including Small Capitalization, All-Capitalization, and Mid-Capitalization. His past experiences also include 3 years with Hutton Asset Management. He graduated from Boston College in 1985 with a B.A. in Mathematics and Economics.

David G. Shell is a Managing Director/Partner of Goldman, Sachs & Co. He is a Chief Investment Officer and a senior portfolio manager for the Growth Team. He has primary responsibility for investment research in entertainment, cable television, broadcasting, telecommunications, and wireless communications. Dave was a senior portfolio manager at Liberty Investment Management prior to Goldman Sachs Asset Management's acquisition of Liberty in January 1997. He joined Liberty's predecessor firm, Eagle Asset Management, in 1987. Dave graduated from the University of South Florida in 1987 with a B.A. in Finance.

Gregory H. Ekizian is a Managing Director of Goldman, Sachs & Co. and is a Chief Investment Officer and a senior portfolio manager for the Growth Team. He has primary responsibility for investment research in the consumer discretionary and health care industries. Greg was a senior portfolio manager at Liberty Investment Management prior to Goldman Sachs Asset Management's acquisition of Liberty in January 1997. He joined Liberty's predecessor firm, Eagle Asset Management, in 1990. His prior experience includes investment research analysis, portfolio management and mergers and acquisitions analysis with Shearson Lehman Hutton and PaineWebber. Greg is a 1985 graduate of Lehigh University and received his M.B.A. in Finance at the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business in 1990.


AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

The Portfolio is managed by Kenneth J. Turek. Mr. Turek has managed or co-managed two equity mutual funds and other equity

 

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portfolios for several other investment managers since 1985. Mr. Turek is a Vice President of NB Management and a Managing Director of Neuberger Berman, LLC.


AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

The portfolio manager responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio is S. Basu Mullick. Mr. Mullick is a Vice President of Neuberger Berman Management, Inc., managing director of Neuberger Berman LLC, and portfolio manager on the Mid Cap Value and Large Cap Value teams. He joined the firm in 1998. Previously, he spent five years at Ark Asset Management Co., Inc., as a senior manager and a managing director. He also worked as an analyst and portfolio manager at John A. Levin Co. and as a portfolio manager at First Fidelity Bank. Basu began his career in 1982 as an analyst at PaineWebber, Inc. He received a B.A. from Presidency College in India and a M.A., A.B.D., from Rutgers University.


AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

EARNEST Segment . Paul Viera, the founder of EARNEST Partners, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio managed by EARNEST. Mr. Viera was a Vice President at Bankers Trust in both New York and London. He later joined INVESCO, where he became a Global Partner and senior member of its Investment Team. Mr. Viera is a member of the Atlanta Society of Financial Analysts and has over 25 total years of investment experience. He serves on several boards, including North Carolina Outward Bound. He is also a frequent commentator for several news organizations, such as CNBC, Radio Wall Street and the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Mr. Viera has a BA in Economics from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

WEDGE Segment . Paul M. VeZolles, Gilbert E. Galle and John G. Norman are responsible for the day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio managed by WEDGE.

Paul M. VeZolles, CFA, General Partner, is the lead mid-cap analyst on the team. Mr.VeZolles has twenty-three years of investment experience and is responsible for equity research on companies with market capitalizations between $1 billion and $15 billion. Prior to joining WEDGE in 1995, Mr. VeZolles was an Equity Analyst at Palley-Needelman Asset Management in Newport Beach, California, and an Equity Analyst with CMB Investment Counselors in Los Angeles. Mr. VeZolles received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Indiana University and his Master of Arts in Economics from DePaul University.

Gilbert E. Galle, General Partner, has thirty years of investment experience and is responsible for portfolio management and client service. Prior to joining WEDGE in 1988, Mr. Galle was a Senior Vice President of Shearson Lehman Hutton responsible for institutional research marketing in their Southeastern Region. He was formerly associated with Bear, Stearns & Co. in Atlanta and Rotan Mosle Inc. in Houston, Texas. Mr. Galle received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Washburn University and is a member of the North Carolina Society of Financial Analysts.

John G. Norman, General Partner, has seventeen years of investment experience and is responsible for portfolio management and client service. Prior to joining WEDGE in 2004, Mr. Norman was a Senior Vice President at Banc of America Capital Management. He was formerly associated with Brown Brothers Harriman, Wheat First Butcher Singer, and William M. Mercer Investment Consulting. Mr. Norman received his Bachelor of Business Administration - Finance from The College of William and Mary.


AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

T. Rowe Price manages the Portfolio through an Investment Advisory Committee. The Committee Chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Portfolio and works with the Committee in developing and executing the Portfolio's investment program.Robert Sharps is the Investment Advisory Committee Member responsible for the Portfolio.

Mr. Sharps is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is also the lead Portfolio Manager on the Large-Cap Growth Strategy Team in the Equity Division. Mr. Sharps serves as Executive Vice President and an Investment Advisory Committee member of the Growth Stock Fund. In addition, Mr. Sharps is a Vice President and Investment Advisory Committee member of the Blue Chip Growth Fund, Financial Services Fund, Growth Income Fund, and New America Growth Fund. He is also a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Tax-Efficient Growth Fund. Prior to joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Sharps was a Senior Consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick. He earned a B.S., summa cum laude, in Accounting from Towson University

 

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and an M.B.A. in Finance from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Sharps has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst and Certified Public Accountant accreditations.


AST MFS Growth Portfolio

Stephen Pesek, CFA, is an Investment Officer of MFS, and portfolio manager of the AST MFS Growth Portfolio since its inception. He joined MFS in 1994 as an Equity Research Analyst, and was named an MFS portfolio manager in 1996. Mr. Pesek participates in the research process and strategy decisions, maintains overall responsibility for portfolio construction, final buy and sell decisions, and risk management.


AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

Thomas F. Marsico is the Chief Investment Officer of Marsico Capital Management, LLC ("MCM") and has over 20 years of experience as a securities analyst and a portfolio manager.


AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio

Hotchkis and Wiley Segment . Although the portion of the Portfolio managed by Hotchkis and Wiley is managed by Hotchkis and Wiley's investment team, Hotchkis and Wiley has identified the following five portfolio managers as those having the most significant responsibility for the Portfolio's assets: Sheldon Lieberman, George Davis, Patricia McKenna, Stan Majcher and David Green. This list does not include all members of the investment team.

Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Davis, Ms. McKenna, Mr. Majcher and Mr. Green participate in the investment decision process during the group meetings in which the team decides the stock/weight selection for the target portfolio. They have authority to direct trading activity on the Portfolio. Mr. Majcher and Mr. Green are jointly responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio's cash flows, which includes directing the Portfolio's purchases and sales to ensure that the Fund's holdings remain reflective of the "target portfolio."

Mr. Lieberman, currently Principal and Portfolio Manager of Hotchkis and Wiley, joined Hotchkis and Wiley in 1994 as Portfolio Manager and Analyst. Mr. Davis, currently Principal, Portfolio Manager and Chief Executive Officer of Hotchkis and Wiley, joined Hotchkis and Wiley in 1988 as Portfolio Manager and Analyst. Ms. McKenna, currently Principal and Portfolio Manager of Hotchkis and Wiley, joined Hotchkis and Wiley in 1995 as Portfolio Manager and Analyst. Mr. Majcher, currently Principal and Portfolio Manager of Hotchkis and Wiley, joined Hotchkis and Wiley in 1996 as Analyst and became Portfolio Manager in 1999. Mr. Green, currently Principal and Portfolio Manager of Hotchkis and Wiley, joined Hotchkis and Wiley in 1997 as Portfolio Manager and Analyst.

J.P. Morgan Segment . Raffaele Zingone and Terance Chen manage the portion of the Portfolio advised by JP Morgan.

Raffaele Zingone , vice president, is head of the U.S. Structured Equity Group. An employee since 1991, Ralph is responsible for the management of a range of large cap structured equity portfolios. Prior to his role in structured equity, he was a research analyst following the aerospace, environmental, and diversified manufacturing sectors. Upon joining the firm, he was a quantitative equity analyst and later served as a U.S. Equity portfolio manager in London and New York. Ralph received his B.A. in mathematics and economics from the College of the Holy Cross and his M.B.A. in finance from New York University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Terance Chen
, vice president, is a portfolio manager in the U.S. Equity Group. An employee since 1994, Terance was a quantitative equity research analyst prior to his current position. Terance is responsible for the management of REI 150 and REI 250 structured strategies, and he is the manager of the Research Market Neutral strategy. Terance holds a B.S. in finance and information systems from New York University's Stern School of Business and is a CFA charterholder.

Dreman Segment . David N. Dreman and E. Clifton Hoover, Jr., CFA manage the portion of the Portfolio assigned to Dreman.

David N. Dreman is the Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of Dreman Value Management, L.L.C. and Co-Lead Portfolio Manager. Mr. Dreman began his investment career in 1957, and is the founder of Dreman Value Management, LLC. Mr. Dreman serves as the co-lead portfolio manager. Mr. Dreman founded his first investment firm, Dreman Value Management, Inc., in 1977 and served as its President and then Chairman to 1995, followed by a similar role at Dreman Value Advisors, Inc. from 1995 to 1997.

E. Clifton Hoover, Jr., CFA has over 20 years of experience in the investment management industry. He has built his career on the low

 

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P/E approach to investing, that is at the center of the Dreman philosophy. Prior to joining Dreman Value Management LLC. Mr. Hoover was a Managing Director and Portfolio Manager at NFJ Investment Group. In this role Mr. Hoover managed a Dividend Value portfolio and Small Cap portfolio. In addition, he assisted with consultant relationship building and retail channel support for both mutual fund and wrap accounts. Mr. Hoover also has experience from Credit Lyonnais where he was responsible for the financial analysis and client servicing of a $5 billion diversified corporate portfolio, involving various debt instruments and equity investments. At Citibank Financial where he worked earlier in his career, Mr. Hoover gained experience as a Financial Analyst. In this position he was responsible for the in-depth financial analysis of US companies and their respective industries with regard to potential debt or equity transactions. At RepublicBank where Mr. Hoover began his career in finance he worked as a Credit Analyst a progressed up the ranks to Vice President of Corporate Banking. Mr. Hoover graduated from Texas Tech University in 1984 with his BBA in Finance. He then went on to complete his MS in Finance at Texas Tech the following year.


AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

The management of and investment decisions for the Portfolio are made by the US Value Investment Policy Group, comprised of senior US Value Investment Team members. The US Value Investment Policy Group relies heavily on the fundamental analysis and research of the subadviser's large internal research staff. No one person is principally responsible for making recommendations for the Portfolio. The members of the US Value Investment Policy Group with the most significant responsibility for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio are: Marilyn Fedak, John Mahedy, John Phillips and Chris Marx.

Ms. Fedak has been CIO-US Value Equities and chairman of the US Value Equity Investment Policy Group since 1993. In 2003, she became head of the Bernstein value equities business. She serves on Alliance's Executive Committee, a group of senior professionals responsible for managing the firm, enacting key strategic initiatives and allocating resources. Ms. Fedak has served on the board of directors of Sanford C. Bernstein Co., Inc. from 1994 until the combination with Alliance in 2000. Previously, she had been a senior portfolio manager since joining the firm in 1984. Prior to joining Bernstein, Ms. Fedak was a portfolio manager and research analyst at Morgan Guaranty Trust Company from 1972 to 1983. She earned a BA from Smith College and an MBA from Harvard University. Chartered Financial Analyst. Location: NewYork.

Mr. Marx joined the firm in 1997 as a research analyst. He covered a variety of industries both domestically and internationally, including chemicals, food, supermarkets, beverages and tobacco. Prior to that, he spent six years as a consultant for Deloitte Touche and the Boston Consulting Group. Mr. Marx earned an AB in economics from Harvard, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Location: New York

John D. Phillips, Jr., a senior portfolio manager for Bernstein Global Value Equities, is a member of the U.S. Value Equity Investment Policy Group, and chairman of Bernstein's Proxy Voting Committee. He joined the firm in 1994. From 1992 to 1993, he was chairman of the Investment Committee and chief equity officer at Investment Advisers, Inc. in Minneapolis. From 1972 to 1992, he was at State Street Research and Management Co. in Boston, where he progressed from investment research analyst to vice chairman of the Equity Investment Committee. He earned a BA from Hamilton College and an MBA from Harvard University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.


AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
(formerly, AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio)

QMA uses a team of portfolio managers and analysts to manage the Portfolio. The following portfolio managers have overall responsibility for managing the Portfolio's day-to-day activities:

Margaret S. Stumpp, PhD is the Chief Investment Officer of QMA. She is portfolio manager for equity portfolios for institutional investors and mutual fund clients. Maggie is extensively involved in quantitative research in asset allocation, security selection and portfolio construction for QMA. Maggie joined QMA's predecessor in 1987. She has published articles on finance and economics in numerous publications, including, The Financial Analysts Journal, The Journal of Portfolio Management, The Journal of Investment Management and Award Papers in Public Utility Economics. Maggie earned a BA cum laude with distinction in Economics from Boston University, and holds an AM and PhD in Economics from Brown University.

Ted Lockwood is a Managing Director for QMA. Ted is responsible for managing portfolios, investment research, and new product development. Previously, Ted was with AT&T and a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Ted graduated summa cum laude with a BE in Engineering from Stony Brook University, as well as an MS in Engineering and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.

 

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Devang Gambhirwala is Vice President of Quantitative Management Associates (QMA). Devang is a portfolio manager for long-only and long/short Quantitative Core Equity products. He is also responsible for the management of structured products. Previously, Devang worked as a quantitative research analyst and as an assistant portfolio manager. Devang earned a BS in Computer and Information Sciences from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and an MBA from Rutgers University.


AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio

American Century uses a team of portfolio managers and analysts to manage the Portfolio. The team meets regularly to review portfolio holdings and discuss purchase and sale activity. Team members buy and sell securities for a fund as they see fit, guided by the Portfolio's investment objectives and strategy. The portfolio managers on the investment team who are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio are: Kurt Borgwardt, John Schniedwind, Zili Zhang and Lynette Pang.

Mr. Borgwardt, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, joined American Century in August 1990 and has also managed the quantitative equity research effort. He became a portfolio manager in March 1998. He has a bachelor of arts from Stanford University and an MBA with a specialization in finance from the University of Chicago. He is a CFA charterholder.

Mr. Schniedwind, Chief Investment Officer—Quantitative Equity , joined American Century in 1982 and also supervises other portfolio manager teams. He became a portfolio manager in June 1997. He has degrees from Purdue University and an MBA in finance from the University of California—Berkeley. He is a CFA charterholder.

Mr. Zhang, Vice President and Portfolio Manager/Director of Quantitative Research, joined American Century in October 1995 as a research analyst. He became a portfolio manager in 2002. He also manages the quantitative research team. He has a bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Science and Technology of China and a Ph.D in theoretical physics from the University of Texas at Austin

Ms. Pang, Portfolio Manager, joined American Century in 1997 and became a portfolio manager in February 2006. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Davis and is a CFA charterholder.


AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

Frank Caruso, the head of the U.S. Relative Value Team is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio since AllianceBernstein became the Portfolio's subadviser in May 2000. Mr. Caruso is a Senior Vice President of AllianceBernstein and has been associated with AllianceBernstein since 1994.


AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio are: Martin Cohen, Robert H. Steers, Joseph M. Harvey and James S. Corl.

Martin Cohen , co-chairman and co-CEO, is a senior portfolio manager for all of Cohen & Steers' portfolios and a member of the firm's investment committee. He has 31 years of experience. Prior to co-founding the firm in 1986 with Mr. Steers, Mr. Cohen was a senior vice president and portfolio manager at National Securities and Research Corporation from 1984 to 1986, where, in 1985, he and Mr. Steers organized and managed the nation's first real estate securities mutual fund. Mr. Cohen has a BS degree from the City College of New York and an MBA degree from New York University. He has served as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts. In 2001, he was the recipient of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts Industry Achievement Award. He is based in New York.

Robert H. Steers , co-chairman and co-CEO, is a senior portfolio manager for all of Cohen & Steers' portfolios and a member of the firm's investment committee. He has 30 years of experience. Prior to co-founding the firm in 1986 with Mr. Cohen, Mr. Steers was a senior vice president and the chief investment officer of National Securities and Research Corporation from 1982 to 1986, where, in 1985, he and Mr. Cohen organized and managed the nation's first real estate securities mutual fund. Mr. Steers has a BS degree from Georgetown University and an MBA degree from George Washington University. He is based in New York.

Joseph M. Harvey , president, is global chief investment officer and senior portfolio manager for all of Cohen & Steers' portfolios and a member of the firm's investment committee. He has 20 years of experience. Prior to joining the firm in 1992, Mr. Harvey was a vice president with Robert A. Stanger Co. for five years, where he was an analyst specializing in real estate and related securities for the firm's research and consulting activities. Mr. Harvey has a BSE degree from Princeton University. He is based in New York.

 

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James Corl , executive vice president, is the chief investment officer for all of Cohen & Steers' real estate securities portfolios, a portfolio manager for the firm's global and international real estate securities portfolios and a member of the investment committee. He has 17 years of experience. Prior to joining the firm in 1997, Mr. Corl was a vice president and co-portfolio manager for two years with Heitman/PRA Securities Advisors, a REIT fund manager. Previously, he was an associate in the real estate investment banking group of Credit Suisse First Boston, where he specialized in the initial public offerings of REITs. Mr. Corl has a BA degree with honors from Stanford University and an MBA degree from the Wharton School. He is based in New York.

Cohen & Steers utilizes a team-based approach in managing the Portfolio. Mr. Cohen, Mr. Steers and Mr. Harvey are the leaders of this team and they act in a supervisory capacity. Mr. Corl directs and supervises the execution of the Portfolio's investment strategy, and leads and guides the other members of the real estate securities investment team. In addition, Mr. Corl serves as chief investment officer of real estate securities investment management for Cohen & Steers and in this role he oversees Cohen & Steers' securities research analysts.


AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

The Portfolio is managed by a team of portfolio managers from PREI. The members of the team are Marc Halle, Richard J. Romano, Joanna Mulford, Gek Lang Lee and Antti-Jussi Ahveninen.

Mr. Halle is Senior Portfolio Manager for the Portfolio. Each Portfolio Manager has a primary responsibility for choosing securities in their respective region or sector as follows: Mr. Romano - United States, Ms. Mulford – private real estate-related securities, Ms. Lee - Asia, and Mr. Ahveninen - Europe.

Marc Halle is a Managing Director for PREI, where he is responsible for U.S. Merchant Banking activities and oversees PREI's public real estate securities investments in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Mr. Halle is also a portfolio manager for the PRECO series of real estate private equity funds and is the senior portfolio manager for global real estate securities funds. Mr. Halle joined Prudential in 1999 from Alpine Management Research, LLC where he was the Chief Operating Officer and Portfolio Manager of the Alpine Realty Income Growth Fund. Prior to forming Alpine, Mr. Halle was the senior real estate analyst and associate portfolio manager with Evergreen Asset Management, Inc., where he was jointly responsible for research, investment analysis and portfolio recommendations for real estate securities. Previously, Mr. Halle was Senior Vice President of W M Properties, Inc, a national real estate investment firm that held interests in office, multifamily and retail properties, where he was responsible for acquisitions and finance as well as for supervising property operations and development.

Richard J. Romano is a Principal for PREI, responsible for management of PREI's U.S. public securities investments. Mr. Romano joined Prudential in 1998 from Rockefeller Co., an investment management firm for the Rockefeller family and other high net worth clients, where he was an equity analyst covering real estate and leisure stocks globally in addition to covering domestic equity securities. Prior to joining Rockefeller Co., Mr. Romano was a senior investment analyst at the Prudential Realty Group.

Joanna Mulford is a Vice President of PREI, with portfolio management responsibility (since 2004) for a private REIT, a co-investment real estate program with an off-shore investor, and various commercial real estate properties. She joined PREI in 1997 from Prudential's Private Equity Group, where she was responsible for enterprise-wide reporting on domestic and global investments in private equity transactions. Previously (1990 – 1997) she was with the Comptrollers unit of Prudential Asset Management Company.

Gek Lang Lee, CFA, is a Principal and Portfolio Manager for PREI. Ms. Lee joined Prudential in June 2007 from Moon Capital LLC, where she was the global real estate sector head (from July 2005 – June 2007) responsible for managing a portfolio of real estate stocks spanning Asia and Latin America. From 1998 – July 2005, Ms. Lee was at UBS AG, where she headed the Singapore equities research team and was also the Singapore strategist and property analyst. From 1992 – 1998, Ms. Lee was head of Singapore equities at Indosuez W.I. Carr, as well as in charge of regional real estate research at the firm.

Antti-Jussi Ahveninen, a Portfolio Manager for PREI, is responsible for security analysis and trading in the European real estate markets. Mr. Ahveninen, who is based in London, United Kingdom, joined PREI in January 2007. Prior to joining PREI, Mr. Ahveninen was responsible (from 2004 – January 2007).for research and financial modeling of European real estate securities at IPD in London From early 2002 through 2003, Mr. Ahveninen was an equities trader with Conventum Securities Limited covering the Scandinavian equity markets.

 

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AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio

T. Rowe Price manages the Portfolio through an Investment Advisory Committee. The Committee Chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Portfolio and works with the Committee in developing and executing the Portfolio's investment program.Charles M. Ober is the Investment Advisory Committee Chairman for the Portfolio.

Mr. Ober is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is also a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst in the Equity Division. As an analyst, he covers global energy majors. Mr. Ober is President of the T. Rowe Price New Era Fund and Chairman of the Fund's Investment Advisory Committee. He also serves as a Vice President and Investment Advisory Committee member of the T. Rowe Price Real Estate Fund. Before joining the firm in 1980, Mr. Ober was employed as an Equity Analyst with Morgan Guaranty Trust in New York for five years, during which period he followed 12 industries. Mr. Ober earned a B.A. from Cornell University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation.


AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio

American Century will use a team of portfolio managers and analysts to manage the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio. The following portfolio managers have overall responsibility for coordinating the Portfolio's activities, including determining appropriate asset allocations, reviewing overall fund compositions for compliance with stated investment objectives and strategies, and monitoring cash flows.

Mr. Jeffrey R. Tyler, Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager, joined American Century as a portfolio manager in January 1988. In 2000, he was named to his current position. He has a bachelor's degree in business economics from the University of California—Santa Barbara and an MBA in finance and economics from Northwestern University. He is a CFA charterholder.

Ms. Irina Torelli, Portfolio Manager, joined American Century in July 1997 as a quantitative analyst and became a portfolio manager in February 2005. She has a bachelor's degree from the University of Rome and a master's degree in operations research from Stanford University. She is a CFA charterholder.

Responsibility for research, security selection and portfolio construction for specified portions of the Portfolio will be allocated among portfolio teams from American Century and American Century Global that represent various investment disciplines.


AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

Marsico Segment . Thomas F. Marsico is the Chief Investment Officer of Marsico Capital Management, LLC ("MCM") and has over 20 years of experience as a securities analyst and a portfolio manager.

T. Rowe Price Segment . T. Rowe Price manages the portion of the Portfolio managed by T. Rowe Price through an Investment Advisory Committee. The Committee Chairman has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Portfolio and works with the Committee in developing and executing the Portfolio's investment program.

Brian Rogers, David Giroux, and John Linehan are responsible for the day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio managed by T. Rowe Price.

Brian Rogers is the Chief Investment Officer of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. In addition he manages major institutional equity portfolios and serves as President of the Equity Income Fund. He serves on the Board of Directors of T. Rowe Price Group and is a member of the Management Committee. His other responsibilities include serving on the Equity, Fixed-income, International, and Asset Allocation committees. Prior to joining the firm in 1982, Brian was employed by Bankers Trust Company. He earned an A.B. from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

David Giroux is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is also a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst in the Equity Division following the automotive, electrical equipment, industrial manufacturing, and building materials/products industries. David is a Vice President and Investment Advisory Committee member of the Dividend Growth Fund, Value Fund, Capital Appreciation Fund, Capital Opportunity Fund, Growth Income Fund, and Equity Income Fund. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, he worked as a Commercial Credit Analyst with Hillsdale National Bank. David earned a B.A. in Finance and Political Economy with honors from Hillsdale College. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation.

 

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John Linehan is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc., and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. He is also a Portfolio Manager in the Equity Division. John is President of the Value Fund and Chairman of the fund's Investment Advisory Committee. He also co-manages several of the firm's separate account portfolios as a member of the Large-Cap Strategy Team and is the Lead Portfolio Manager for the SICAV U.S. Large-Cap Value Equity Fund. In addition, John is also a Vice President and member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Equity Income Fund, New Era Fund and Global Stock Fund. In addition, he is a Vice President of the Capital Appreciation Fund. John joined the firm in 1998 and has nine years of previous investment experience at Bankers Trust and E.T. Petroleum. He earned a B.A. from Amherst College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University where he was the Henry Ford II Scholar, an Arjay Miller Scholar, and the winner of the Alexander A. Robichek Award in Finance. He has also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst accreditation.

William Blair Segment . W. George Greig is responsible for the day-to-day management of the the portion of the Portfolio managed by William Blair. Mr.Greig, a principal of William Blair, has headed the firm's international investment management team since 1996. He serves as the Portfolio Manager for the William Blair International Growth Fund as well as leading the Portfolio Team on separately managed portfolios. Before joining William Blair, he headed international equities for PNC Bank in Philadelphia from 1995 to 1996 and previously served as Investment Director with London-based Framlington Group PLC as well as managing global and emerging markets funds there. He has over twenty-nine years of experience in domestic and international investment research and portfolio management. Education: B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology; M.B.A., Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

LSV Segment . The portfolio managers responsible for the day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio managed by LSV are Josef Lakonishok, Menno Vermeulen, CFA, and Puneet Mansharamani, CFA.

Mr. Lakonishok has served as CEO, Partner and Portfolio Manager for LSV since its founding in 1994. He has more than 25 years of investment and research experience. In addition to his duties at LSV, Mr. Lakonishok serves as the William G. Karnes Professor of Finance at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Mr. Vermeulen has served as a Portfolio Manager and Senior Quantitative Analyst of LSV since 1995 and a Partner since 1998. He has more than 13 years of investment experience. Prior to joining LSV, Mr. Vermeulen served as a portfolio manager for ABP Investments.

Mr. Mansharamani, CFA is a Partner and Portfolio Manager of LSV. Mr. Mansharamani has previously served as a Quantitative Analyst of LSV since 2000. He has more than 7 years of investment experience. Prior to joining LSV, Mr. Mansharamani was an Analyst at Institutional Trust National City Corporation and a Systems Consultant for Maximations, Inc.

PIMCO Segment . Mihir Worah, Sudi Mariappa, and Chris Dialynas are the portfolio managers responsible for the portion of the Portfolio managed by PIMCO.

Mihir Worah (Advanced Strategies I) is an Executive Vice President of PIMCO. Mr. Worah is a Portfolio Manager and member of the government and derivatives desk. He joined PIMCO in 2001 as a member of the analytics team. He has a PhD in theoritcal physics from the University of Chicago.

Scott Mather (Hedged International Bond) is a Managing Director, member of PIMCO's Investment Committee and head of global portfolio management. Prior to this he led portfolio management in Europe, managed Euro and pan-European portfolios and worked closely with many Allianz related companies where he also served as a Managing Director of Allianz Global Investors KAG. Prior to that, he co-headed PIMCO's mortgage and ABS team. Mr. Mather joined the firm in 1998, previously having been associated with Goldman Sachs in New York, where he was a fixed income trader specializing in a broad range of mortgage backed securities. He has fourteen years of investment experience and holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a bachelor's degree in finance from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Chris P. Dialynas (U.S. Fixed-Income) is a Managing Director, portfolio manager, and a senior member of PIMCO's investment strategy group. He joined PIMCO in 1980. Mr. Dialynas has written extensively and lectured on the topic of fixed income investing. He served on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Portfolio Management and was a member of Fixed Income Curriculum Committee of the Association for Investment Management and Research. He has twenty-nine years of investment experience and holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Pomona College, and holds an MBA in finance from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.

Prudential Investments Segment . Marcus Perl and Edward L. Campbell are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the portion of the Portfolio directly managed by Prudential Investments.

 

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Marcus Perl, is a portfolio manager for the Portfolio and a Vice President of PI. He focuses on the quantitative modelling of asset allocation strategies, financial market research, and the formulation of investment strategy. Prior to joining Prudential in October 2000, Mr. Perl was Vice President at FX Concepts where he was responsible for market risk modelling, performance analytics, and statistical research. He also worked as an Associate at Wilshire Associates. Mr. Perl holds an MA in Finance from the Warsaw School of Economics, an MA in Econometrics from California State University Long Beach, and an MA in Economics from the University of Southern California.

Edward L. Campbell, CFA, is a portfolio manager for the Portfolio and a Senior Associate at PI. He focuses on global macroeconomic and financial market research and the formulation of investment strategy. Prior to rejoining Prudential in August 2003, Mr. Campbell spent three years with Trilogy Advisors LLC, a $5 billion asset management firm. He also previously worked as a senior investment manager research analyst with Prudential Securities and PI. Mr. Campbell is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts and the CFA Institute. He received a BS in Economics and International Business from The City University of New York and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.


AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio

The Portfolio has an Investment Advisory Committee that has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Portfolio and developing and executing the Portfolio's investment program. Edmund M. Notzon, III, Ph.D., CFA is Chairman of the Investment Advisory Committee and is responsible for implementing and monitoring the Portfolio's overall investment strategy, as well as the allocation of the Portfolio's assets. Ned is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price and a Senior Portfolio Manager in the firm's Fixed Income Group. Prior to joining T. Rowe Price in 1989, Ned was a charter member of the U.S. Senior Executive Service and the Director of the Analysis and Evaluation Division in the Office of Water Regulations and Standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

E. Frederick Bair, CFA, CPA, is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price Associates,Inc. and a Portfolio Manager and Quantitative Analyst in the Systematic Equity Group. He is responsible for the Portfolio's U.S. small cap equity investments. Prior to joining the firm in 1998, Fred was an equity trader at Legg Mason.

Raymond A. Mills, Ph.D., CFA is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price and T. Rowe Price International, and is responsible for making recommendations regarding the Portfolio's foreign equity holdings. Prior to joining the firm in 1997 he was a Principal Systems Engineer on large space systems with The Analytic Sciences Corporation.

Daniel O. Shackelford, CFA, is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price and chairman of the firm's Fixed Income Strategy Committee. He is responsible for making recommendations regarding the Portfolio's high grade bond investments. Prior to joining the firm in 1999, Dan was the principal and head of fixed income for Investment Counselors of Maryland. The Portfolio's U.S. large cap equity investments are selected based on a research-driven strategy utilizing the investment recommendations of a group of the firm's equity research analysts.

Anna Dopkin, CFA, is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price, Co-Director of U.S. Equity Research and a member of the firm's Equity Steering Committee. Anna is responsible for implementing the Portfolio's overall strategy. Prior to joining the firm in 1996, Ms. Dopkin worked at Goldman Sachs in its Mortgage Securities Department in New York and London.

Mark J. Vaselkiv, is a Vice President of T. Rowe Price and a Portfolio Manager in the Fixed Income Group, heading taxable high-yield bond management. He is responsible for the Portfolio's investments in high-yield debt securities. Prior to joining the firm in 1988; Mark was a Vice President specializing in high-yield debt for Shenkman Capital Management, and a Private Placement Credit Analyst for Prudential Insurance Company.


AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio

Edwin Denson, Thomas Clarke and Neil Williams are the lead portfolio managers for the Portfolio. Messrs. Denson, Clarke and Williams have access to certain members of the fixed-income and equities investment management teams, each of whom is allocated a specified portion of the Portfolio over which he or she has independent responsibility for research, security selection, and portfolio construction. The team members also have access to additional portfolio managers and analysts within the various asset classes and markets in which the Portfolio invests. Mr. Denson and Mr. Williams, as senior portfolio managers for the Portfolio, have responsibility for allocating the Portfolio among the various managers and analysts, occasionally implementing trades on behalf of analysts on the team and reviewing the overall composition of the Portfolio to ensure its compliance with its stated investment objectives and strategies. Mr. Clarke, as senior portfolio manager for the Portfolio, has responsibility for setting the currency strategies and making all currency decisions for the Portfolio, occasionally implementing trades on behalf of analysts on the team and

 

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reviewing the overall composition of the portfolio to ensure its compliance with its stated investment objectives and strategies. Information about Messrs. Denson, Clarke and Williams is provided below.

Edwin Denson is an Executive Director and has been a senior asset allocation analyst at UBS Global Asset Management since 2005. Mr. Denson is a member of the Asset Allocation Analysis and Strategy team. Previously, he served as director and asset allocation analyst with UBS Global Asset Management since 2001. Mr. Denson has been involved with the management of the Portfolio since its inception and assumed his present role in 2007.

Thomas Clarke is a Managing Director and Head of Currency Analysis and Strategy at UBS Global Asset Management. Mr. Clarke has been an investment professional at UBS Global Asset Management since 2000. Mr. Clarke has been involved with the management of the Portfolio since its inception and assumed his present role in 2007.

Neil Williams is a Managing Director and has been Head of Asset Allocation at UBS Global Asset Management since 2003. Mr. Williams has been involved with the management of the Portfolio since its inception and assumed his present role in 2007.


AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

Robert F. Carey, Roger F. Testin, Jon C. Erickson, David G. McGarel, Walter Stubbings and Daniel J. Lindquist comprise the Investment Committee of First Trust that is responsible for the day-to-day management of each Portfolio.

Mr. Lindquist rejoined First Trust as Vice President in April 2004 after serving as Chief Operating Officer of Mina Capital Management LLC from January 2004 to April 2004 and Samaritan Asset Management Services, Inc. from April 2000 to January 2004 and has been a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP since September 2005. Mr. Lindquist is Chairman of the Investment Committee and presides over Investment Committee meetings.

Mr. Carey has been with First Trust since 1991 and is the Chief Investment Officer and a Senior Vice President of First Trust and a Senior Vice President of FTP. As First Trust's Chief Investment Officer, Mr. Carey consults with the Investment Committee on market conditions and First Trust's general investment philosophy.

Mr. Erickson has been with First Trust since 1994 and is a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP. As the head of First Trust's Equity Research Group, Mr. Erickson is responsible for determining the securities to be purchased and sold by funds that do not utilize quantitative investment strategies.

Mr. McGarel has been with First Trust since 1997 and is a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP. As the head of First Trust's Strategy Research Group, Mr. McGarel is responsible for developing and implementing quantitative investment strategies for those funds that have investment policies that require them to follow such strategies.

Since November 2003, Mr. Testin has been a Senior Vice President of First Trust and FTP. From August 2001 to November 2003, Mr. Testin was a Vice President of First Trust and FTP. Prior to joining First Trust, Mr. Testin was an analyst for Dolan Capital Management. As the head of First Trust's Portfolio Management Group, Mr. Testin is responsible for executing the instructions of the Strategy Research Group and Equity Research Group in the fund's portfolio.

Mr. Stubbings joined First Trust in July 2004 after serving as Assistant Vice President of Kansas City Life Insurance Company from May 1999 to July 2004. Mr. Stubbings' background also includes 9 years of fixed-income portfolio management with GE Financial Assurance (formerly The Signature Group). Mr. Stubbings is a Vice President of First Trust and FTP.

AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios

PI typically uses teams of portfolio managers and analysts to manage the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios. The following portfolio managers share overall responsibility for coordinating the Portfolios' activities, including determining appropriate asset allocations and Underlying Portfolio weights, reviewing overall Portfolio compositions for compliance with stated investment objectives and strategies, and monitoring cash flows.

Brian Ahrens is a portfolio manager for the Portfolios and Senior Vice President and Head of the Strategic Investment Research Group of Prudential Investments. He focuses on portfolio risk oversight, manager fulfillment, and the allocation of assets among managers. Mr. Ahrens oversees a staff of 17 investment professionals who focus on investment consulting, portfolio construction, and risk oversight activities. Currently, this team consults on over $110 billion in total assets and assists in the management of almost $20 billion in asset allocation portfolios. Mr. Ahrens has been with Prudential for over 15 years. Mr. Ahrens earned his M.B.A. in Finance

 

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from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He graduated from James Madison University with a double major in Finance and German. He is series 7, series 24 and series 63 certified, CIMA certified, and presently a candidate for the CFA.

Michael Lenarcic, PhD, is a portfolio manager for the Portfolios and has discretionary responsibility to implement the Portfolios' investment strategies and to invest cash flows for the Portfolios. Dr. Lenarcic is a Managing Director of Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA). Previously, he was a Vice President at Wilshire Associates, a leading pension consulting firm, where he was head of the Asset Allocation Division. Earlier, Dr. Lenarcic was an assistant professor at Northeastern University where he taught Finance and Economics. He earned a BA in Business Administration from Kent State University, and holds an AM and PhD in Business Economics from Harvard University.

Ted Lockwood is a portfolio manager for the Portfolios and a Managing Director of QMA. Previously, Mr. Lockwood was with AT&T and a member of the technical staff at AT&T Bell Laboratories. Mr. Lockwood graduated summa cum laude with a BE in Engineering from Stony Brook University and received an MS in Engineering and an MBA in Finance from Columbia University.

Marcus Perl, is a portfolio manager for the Portfolios and a Vice President of PI. He focuses on the quantitative modelling of asset allocation strategies, financial market research, and the formulation of investment strategy. Prior to joining Prudential in October 2000, Mr. Perl was Vice President at FX Concepts where he was responsible for market risk modelling, performance analytics, and statistical research. He also worked as an Associate at Wilshire Associates. Mr. Perl holds an MA in Finance from the Warsaw School of Economics, an MA in Econometrics from California State University Long Beach, and an MA in Economics from the University of Southern California.

Edward L. Campbell, CFA, is a portfolio manager for the Portfolios and a Senior Associate at PI. He focuses on global macroeconomic and financial market research and the formulation of investment strategy. Prior to rejoining Prudential in August 2003, Mr. Campbell spent three years with Trilogy Advisors LLC, a $5 billion asset management firm. He also previously worked as a senior investment manager research analyst with Prudential Securities and PI. Mr. Campbell is a member of the New York Society of Securities Analysts and the CFA Institute. He received a BS in Economics and International Business from The City University of New York and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.


AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios

Subject to the description of the investment process for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios contained in this Prospectus, Brian K. Ahrens, is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolio, including the establishment and interpretation of investment guidelines for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, and the selection of weighted combinations of Underlying Trust Portfolios for each "core" investment category for the Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios. Mr. Ahrens is a Senior Vice President and Head of the Strategic Investment Research Group of Prudential Investments. He focuses on portfolio risk oversight, manager fulfillment, and the allocation of assets among managers. Mr. Ahrens oversees a staff of 17 investment professionals who focus on investment consulting, portfolio construction, and risk oversight activities. Currently, this team consults on over $110 billion in total assets and assists in the management of almost $20 billion in asset allocation portfolios. Mr. Ahrens has been with Prudential for over 15 years. Mr. Ahrens earned his M.B.A. in Finance from the Stern School of Business at New York University. He graduated from James Madison University with a double major in Finance and German. He is series 7, series 24 and series 63 certified, CIMA certified, and presently a candidate for the CFA.

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio & AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio.
CLS utilizes a team approach for setting target asset allocations and selecting Underlying ETFs for the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio as described in this Prospectus, and from the team each CLS portfolio is assigned a lead and co-manager. The CLS portfolio management team includes: Robert Jergovic CFA, Scott Kubie CFA, and J.J.Schenkelberg CFA.

Mr. Jergovic, Chief Investment Officer of CLS, is primarily responsible for research and analysis of the financial markets. Mr. Kubie, Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Strategist of CLS, is responsible for the implementation of the risk budgeting methodology.

Mr. Jergovic has worked for CLS since 2000. Prior to joining CLS Investment Firm, LLC, Mr. Jergovic served as a registered representative for PFG Distribution Company (1998-1999) and Vice President of Investment Management and Assistant Treasurer for Guarantee Life Insurance Company (1994-2000).

Mr. Kubie has worked for CLS since March 2001 as a Portfolio Manager with CLS and its predecessor. Prior to joining CLS Investment Firm, LLC, Mr. Kubie worked as a consultant for an Equity Manager and Internet Investment Software Firm (1999-2001).

 

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Ms. Schenkelberg is Senior Portfolio Manager at CLS. Ms. Schenkelberg joined CLS in 2004. She received an MBA from Creighton University.

AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio & AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio .
The portfolio managers primarily responsible for setting target asset allocations and selecting Underlying ETFs for the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio as described in this Prospectus are Robert J. Cannon, Jeffrey J. Roach, PhD Candidate, and Thaddeus W. Cook, JD.

Mr. Cannon is President, CEO, Co-Founder and Managing Member of Horizon. He is a graduate of Furman University. Mr. Roach joined Horizon in 2006 and is Chief Economist at Horizon. He is a graduate of Bob Jones University and Clemson University. Mr. Cook, JD, is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer at Horizon. He is a graduate from the University of North Carolina and Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He joined Horizon in 2006.

AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio .
Don Neimann is the portfolio manager primarily responsible for setting target asset allocations and selecting Underlying ETFs for the assets of the AST Niemam Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio as described in this Prospectus. Mr. Niemann is President at Niemann Capital Management. He began his career in 1983 as a registered representative at Prudential Bache and later became Vice President of Investments at E.F. Hutton and Bateman Eichler Securities. In 1991, Mr. Niemann founded Niemann Capital Management.


AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio

The Portfolio has an investment advisory group that has day-to-day responsibility for managing the Portfolio and developing and executing the Portfolio's investment program. The advisory group consists of Ian Kelson, Christopher Rothery, Daniel O. Shackelford, Brian Brennan and Michael Conelius.

Mr. Kelson is the lead member of the Portfolio's advisory group, responsible for implementing and monitoring the Portfolio's overall investment strategy. Mr. Kelson joined T. Rowe Price International in November 2000 and is the firm's Head of International Fixed Income. From 1989 to 1999, Mr. Kelson was Head of Fixed Income at Morgan Grenfell/Deutsche Asset Management ("Morgan Grenfell") where he was responsible for $50 billion in global fixed income assets.

Mr. Rothery joined T. Rowe Price International in 1994 and has 16 years of experience managing multi-currency fixed-income portfolios. Mr. Rothery is responsible for making recommendations regarding the Portfolio's non-U.S. investment grade investments.

Mr. Shackelford joined T. Rowe Price in 1999; prior to that he was the Principal and Head of Fixed Income for Investment Counselors of Maryland.

Mr. Brennan joined T. Rowe Price in 2000; prior to that he was a fixed income manager at Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

Mr. Shackelford and Mr. Brennan are responsible for making recommendations regarding the fund's U.S. investment-grade investments. Mr. Conelius joined T. Rowe Price International in 1995 and focuses on the Portfolio's emerging market sovereign debt investments.


AST High Yield Portfolio

Mark T. Hudoff is an Executive Vice President and portfolio manager in the high yield area. He joined PIMCO in 1996, previously having been associated with BCA where he worked as a fixed income strategist. Mr. Hudoff started as a credit analyst for the high yield team and moved to Europe in 2000 to build and manage our European credit business, including the management of PIMCO's European High Yield funds. He currently oversees PIMCO's Global High Yield practice. Mr. Hudoff has over twenty years of investment experience and holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Arizona State University, and an MBA in finance from the University of Chicago School of Business.


AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

Lord Abbett uses a team of investment managers and analysts acting together to manage the investments of the Portfolio. Christopher

 

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J. Towle, CFA and Partner of Lord Abbett, heads the management team and is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Portfolio. Mr. Towle has been with Lord Abbett since 1987.


AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

William H. Gross, CFA, is a Managing Director, portfolio manager, and Chief Investment Officer. He was a founding partner of PIMCO in 1971. Mr. Gross has over thirty years of investment experience and is the author of Bill Gross on Investing . Mr. Gross has a bachelor's degree from Duke University and an MBA from the UCLA Graduate School of Business.


AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio

Paul A. McCulley is a Managing Director, generalist portfolio manager, member of the investment committee and head of PIMCO's Short-Term Desk. He also leads PIMCO's Cyclical Economic Forum and is author of the monthly research publication Global Central Bank Focus. Mr. McCulley joined the firm in 1999, previously serving as Chief Economist for the Americas for UBS Warburg. From 1996 and 1998, he was named to six seats on the Institutional Investor All-America Fixed Income Research team. He has over twenty years of investment experience and holds a bachelor's degree from Grinnell College and an MBA from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.


AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

The Portfolio is managed by a team of investment professionals at Western Asset, led by Chief Investment Officer S. Kenneth Leech, Deputy Chief Investment Officer Stephen A. Walsh and Portfolio Managers Carl L. Eichstaedt, Edward A. Moody and Mark S. Lindbloom.

Mr. Leech, Mr. Walsh, Mr. Eichstaedt and Mr. Moody have been employed as portfolio managers for Western Asset for the past five years. Mr. Lindbloom joined Western Asset in 2006 as a portfolio manager. Prior to Western Asset, Mr. Lindbloom worked for Citigroup Asset Management Portfolio Manager, 1986-2005; Brown Brothers Harriman Co. Portfolio Manager, 1981-1986 and The New York Life Insurance Company Analyst, 1979-1981.

The Portfolio is managed by a team of portfolio managers, sector specialists and other investment professionals. Mr. Leech and Mr. Walsh serve as co-team leaders responsible for day-today strategic oversight of the Portfolio's investments and for supervising the day-to-day operations of the various sector specialist teams dedicated to the specific asset classes in which the Portfolio invests. Mr. Eichstaedt, Mr. Moody and Mr. Lindbloom are responsible for portfolio structure, including sector allocation, duration weighting and term structure decisions.


AST Bond Portfolio 2015
AST Bond Portfolio 2018
AST Bond Portfolio 2019
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

Richard Piccirillo and Malcolm Dalrymple are primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of each Portfolio.

Richard Piccirillo is Principal and Portfolio Manager for PIM-Fixed Income's US Liquidity Unit. He has specialized in mortgage-backed securities since joining Prudential Financial in 1993. Mr. Piccirillo also specializes in structured products. Before joining Prudential Financial, Mr. Piccirillo was a fixed-income analyst with Fischer Francis Trees Watts. Mr. Piccirillo started his career as an analyst at Smith Barney, assisting in overseeing the fixed-income trading desks for the planning and analysis department. He received a BBA in Finance from George Washington University and an MBA in Finance and International Business from New York University.

Malcolm Dalrymple is Principal and Portfolio Manager for PIM-Fixed Income's Structured and Short Maturity Strategies Unit. Mr. Dalrymple is also a Portfolio Manager for the U.S. Investment-Grade Corporate Unit. He is also responsible for corporate security selection in Core portfolios. He has specialized in corporate bonds since 1990. From 1983 to 1990, Mr. Dalrymple was a money markets portfolio manager. He joined Prudential Financial in 1979 as a securities lending trader and a bank analyst. Mr. Dalrymple received a B.S. in finance from the University of Delaware and an M.B.A. in finance from Rutgers University.

 

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HOW TO BUY AND SELL SHARES OF THE PORTFOLIOS

Purchasing and Redeeming Shares of the Portfolios

The way to invest in the Portfolios is through certain variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts. Together with this prospectus, you should have received a prospectus for such a Contract. You should refer to that prospectus for further information on investing in the Portfolios.

Shares are redeemed for cash within seven days of receipt of a proper notice of redemption or sooner if required by law. There is no redemption charge. We may suspend the right to redeem shares or receive payment when the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is closed (other than weekends or holidays), when trading on the NYSE is restricted, or as permitted by the SEC.

Redemption in Kind

The Fund may pay the redemption price to certain affiliated shareholders (for example, the insurance company separate accounts holding Fund shares) in whole or in part by a distribution in-kind of securities from the relevant investment portfolio of the Fund, in lieu of cash, in conformity with applicable rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and procedures adopted by the Fund's Board of Trustees. Securities will be readily marketable and will be valued in the same manner as in a regular redemption. If shares are redeemed in kind, the recipient will incur transaction costs in converting such assets into cash. These procedures govern the redemption by the shareholder of record, generally an insurance company separate account. The procedures do not affect payments by an insurance company to a contract owner under a variable contract.

Frequent Purchases or Redemptions of Portfolio Shares

The Fund is part of the group of investment companies advised by PI that seeks to prevent patterns of frequent purchases and redemptions of shares by its investors (the "PI funds"). Frequent purchases and redemptions may adversely affect the investment performance and interests of long-term investors in the Portfolios. When an investor engages in frequent or short-term trading, the PI funds may have to sell portfolio securities to have the cash necessary to pay the redemption amounts. This may cause the PI funds to sell Portfolio securities at inopportune times, hurting their investment performance. When large dollar amounts are involved, frequent trading can also make it difficult for the PI funds to use long-term investment strategies because they cannot predict how much cash they will have to invest. In addition, if a PI fund is forced to liquidate investments due to short-term trading activity, it may incur increased transaction and tax costs.

Similarly, the PI funds may bear increased administrative costs as a result of the asset level and investment volatility that accompanies patterns of short-term trading. Moreover, frequent or short-term trading by certain investors may cause dilution in the value of PI fund shares held by other investors. PI funds that invest in foreign securities may be particularly susceptible to frequent trading, because time zone differences among international stock markets can allow an investor engaging in short-term trading to exploit fund share prices that may be based on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before the fund calculates its own share price. PI funds that invest in certain fixed income securities, such as high-yield bonds or certain asset-backed securities, may also constitute effective vehicles for an investor's frequent trading strategies.

The Boards of Directors/Trustees of the PI funds, including the Fund, have adopted policies and procedures designed to discourage or prevent frequent trading by investors. The policies and procedures for the Fund are limited, however, because the Fund does not directly sell its shares directly to the public. Instead, Portfolio shares are sold only to insurance company separate accounts that fund variable annuity contracts and variable life insurance policies (together, the "contracts"). Therefore, the insurance companies purchasing Portfolio shares (the "participating insurance companies"), not the Fund, maintain the individual contract owner account records. Each participating insurance company submits to the Fund's transfer agent daily aggregate orders combining the transactions of many contract owners. Therefore, the Fund and its transfer agent do not monitor trading by individual contract owners.

Under the Fund's policies and procedures, the Fund has notified each participating insurance company that the Fund expects the insurance company to impose restrictions on transfers by contract owners. The current participating insurance companies are Prudential and two insurance companies not affiliated with Prudential. The Fund may add additional participating insurance companies in the future. The Fund receives reports on the trading restrictions imposed by Prudential on variable contract owners investing in the Portfolios, and the Fund monitors the aggregate cash flows received from unaffiliated insurance companies. In addition, the Fund has entered shareholder information agreements with participating insurance companies as required by Rule 22c-2 under the Investment Company Act. Under these agreements, the participating insurance companies have agreed to: (i) provide certain information regarding contract owners who engage in transactions involving Portfolio shares and (ii) execute any instructions from the Fund to restrict or prohibit further purchases or exchanges of Portfolio shares by contract owners who have been identified by the Fund as having engaged in transactions in Portfolio shares that violate the Fund's frequent trading policies and procedures. The Fund and its transfer agent also reserve the right to reject all or a portion of a purchase order from a participating insurance company.

 

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If a purchase order is rejected, the purchase amount will be returned to the insurance company.

The Fund also employs fair value pricing procedures to deter frequent trading. Those procedures are described in more detail under "Net Asset Value," below.

The AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios and the AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios (together, the Asset Allocation Portfolios) are structured as "fund-of-funds." This means that each Asset Allocation Portfolio invests primarily or exclusively in other Portfolios of the Fund that are not operated as "funds-of-funds." The Portfolios in which the Asset Allocation Portfolios invest are referred to as Underlying Portfolios. The policies that have been implemented by the participating insurance companies to discourage frequent trading apply to transactions in Asset Allocation Portfolio shares. Transactions by the Asset Allocation Portfolios in Underlying Portfolio shares, however, are not subject to any limitations and are not considered frequent or short-term trading. For example, the Asset Allocation Portfolios may engage in significant transactions in Underlying Portfolio shares in order to: (i) change their investment focus, (ii) rebalance their investments to match the then-current asset allocation mix, (iii) respond to significant purchases or redemptions of Asset Allocation Portfolio shares, or (iv) respond to changes required by the underlying contracts. These transactions by the Asset Allocation Portfolios in Underlying Portfolio shares may be disruptive to the management of an Underlying Portfolio because such transactions may: (i) cause the Underlying Portfolio to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to have the cash necessary to pay redemption requests, hurting their investment performance, (ii) make it difficult for the subadvisers for the Underlying Portfolios to fully implement their investment strategies, and (iii) lead to increased transaction and tax costs.

The AST Bond Portfolios 2015, 2018, and 2019, the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio and certain other Portfolios may be used in connection with certain living benefit programs, including, without limitation, certain "guaranteed minimum accumulation benefit" programs and certain "guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit" programs. In order for the participating insurance companies to manage the guarantees offered in connection with these benefit programs, the insurance companies generally: (i) limit the number and types of variable sub-accounts in which contract holders may allocate their account values (referred to in this Prospectus as the Permitted Sub-Accounts) and (ii) require contract holders to participate in certain specialized asset transfer programs. Under these asset transfer programs, the participating insurance companies will monitor each contract owner's account value from time to time and, if necessary, will systematically transfer amounts among the Permitted Sub-Accounts as dictated by certain non-discretionary mathematical formulas. These mathematical formulas will generally focus on the amounts guaranteed at specific future dates or the present value of the estimated lifetime payments to be made, as applicable.

As an example of how these asset transfer programs will operate under certain market environments, a downturn in the equity markets (i.e., a reduction in a contract holder's account value within the Permitted Sub-Accounts) and certain market return scenarios involving "flat" returns over a period of time may cause participating insurance companies to transfer some or all of such contract owner's account value to a Target Maturity Portfolio or the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. In general terms, such transfers are designed to ensure that an appropriate percentage of the projected guaranteed amounts are offset by assets in investments like the Target Maturity Portfolios or the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.

The above-referenced asset transfer programs are an important part of the guarantees offered in connection with the applicable living benefit programs. Such asset transfers may, however, result in large-scale asset flows into and out of the relevant Portfolios. Such asset transfers could adversely affect a Portfolio's investment performance by requiring the relevant investment adviser or subadviser to purchase and sell securities at inopportune times and by otherwise limiting the ability of the relevant investment adviser or subadviser to fully implement the Portfolio's investment strategies. In addition, these asset transfers may result in relatively small asset bases and relatively high transaction costs and operating expense ratios for a Portfolio compared to other similar funds.

Investors seeking to engage in frequent trading activities may use a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the Fund and the participating insurance companies to prevent such trading, there is no guarantee that the Fund or the participating insurance companies will be able to identify these investors or curtail their trading practices. Therefore, some Fund investors may be able to engage in frequent trading, and, if they do, the other Fund investors would bear any harm caused by that frequent trading. The Fund does not have any arrangements intended to permit trading in contravention of the policies described above.

For information about the trading limitations applicable to you, please see the prospectus for your contract or contact your insurance company.

Net Asset Value

Any purchase or sale of Portfolio shares is made at the net asset value, or NAV, of such shares. The price at which a purchase or redemption is made is based on the next calculation of the NAV after the order is received in good order. The NAV of each share class of each Portfolio is determined on each day the NYSE is open for trading as of the close of the exchange's regular trading session (which is generally 4:00 p.m. New York time). The NYSE is closed on most national holidays and Good Friday. The Fund does not price, and shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem, the Fund's shares on days when the NYSE is closed but the primary

 

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markets for the Fund's foreign securities are open, even though the value of these securities may have changed. Conversely, the Fund will ordinarily price its shares, and shareholders may purchase and redeem shares, on days that the NYSE is open but foreign securities markets are closed.

The securities held by each of the Fund's portfolios are valued based upon market quotations or, if not readily available, at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures established by the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Fund may use fair value pricing if it determines that a market quotation is not reliable based, among other things, on market conditions that occur after the quotation is derived or after the closing of the primary market on which the security is traded, but before the time that the NAV is determined. This use of fair value pricing most commonly occurs with securities that are primarily traded outside of the U.S., because such securities present time-zone arbitrage opportunities when events or conditions affecting the prices of specific securities or the prices of securities traded in such markets generally occur after the close of the foreign markets but prior to the time that a Portfolio determines its NAV.

The Fund may also use fair value pricing with respect to U.S. traded securities if, for example, trading in a particular security is halted and does not resume before a Portfolio calculates its NAV or the exchange on which a security is traded closes early. In addition, fair value pricing is used for securities where the pricing agent or principal market maker does not provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of the Manager (or Subadviser) does not represent fair value. Different valuation methods may result in differing values for the same security. The fair value of a portfolio security that a Portfolio uses to determine its NAV may differ from the security's published or quoted price. If a Portfolio needs to implement fair value pricing after the NAV publishing deadline but before shares of the Portfolio are processed, the NAV you receive or pay may differ from the published NAV price. For purposes of computing the Fund's NAV, we will value the Fund's futures contracts 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Except when we fair value securities, we normally value each foreign security held by the Fund as of the close of the security's primary market.

Fair value pricing procedures are designed to result in prices for a Portfolio's securities and its NAV that are reasonable in light of the circumstances which make or have made market quotations unavailable or unreliable, and to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. There is no assurance, however, that fair value pricing will more accurately reflect the market value of a security than the market price of such security on that day or that it will prevent dilution of a Portfolio's NAV by short-term traders.

The NAV for each of the Portfolios other than the Money Market Portfolio is determined by a simple calculation. It's the total value of a Portfolio (assets minus liabilities) divided by the total number of shares outstanding. The NAV for the Money Market Portfolio will ordinarily remain at $1 per share. (The price of each share remains the same but you will have more shares when dividends are declared.)

To determine a Portfolio's NAV, its holdings are valued as follows:

Equity Securities for which the primary market is on an exchange (whether domestic or foreign) shall be valued at the last sale price on such exchange or market on the day of valuation or, if there was no sale on such day, at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day or at the last bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price. Securities included within the NASDAQ market shall be valued at the NASDAQ official closing price (NOCP) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP issued, at the last sale price on such day. Securities included within the NASDAQ market for which there is no NOCP and no last sale price on the day of valuation shall be valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day or at the last bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price. Equity securities that are not sold on an exchange or NASDAQ are generally valued by an independent pricing agent or principal market maker.

A Portfolio may own securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Portfolios do not price their shares. Therefore, the value of a Portfolio's assets may change on days when shareholders cannot purchase or redeem Portfolio shares.

All short-term debt securities held by the Money Market Portfolio are valued at amortized cost. The amortized cost valuation method is widely used by mutual funds. It means that the security is valued initially at its purchase price and then decreases in value by equal amounts each day until the security matures. It almost always results in a value that is extremely close to the actual market value. The Fund's Board of Trustees has established procedures to monitor whether any material deviation between valuation and market value occurs and if so, will promptly consider what action, if any, should be taken to prevent unfair results to Contract owners.

For each Portfolio other than the Money Market Portfolio, short-term debt securities, including bonds, notes, debentures and other debt securities, and money market instruments such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper, bankers' acceptances and obligations of domestic and foreign banks, with remaining maturities of more than 60 days, for which market quotations are readily available, are valued by an independent pricing agent or principal market maker (if available, otherwise a primary market dealer).

 

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Short-term debt securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued at cost with interest accrued or discount amortized to the date of maturity, unless such valuation, in the judgment of PI or a subadviser, does not represent fair value.

Convertible debt securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market, including listed convertible debt securities for which the primary market is believed by PI or a subadviser to be over-the-counter, are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices provided by a principal market maker (if available, otherwise a primary market dealer).

Other debt securities — those that are not valued on an amortized cost basis — are valued using an independent pricing service.

Options on stock and stock indexes that are traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on such exchange on the day of valuation or, if there was no such sale on such day, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on such exchange.

Futures contracts and options on futures contracts are valued at the last sale price at the close of the commodities exchange or board of trade on which they are traded. If there has been no sale that day, the securities will be valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on that exchange or board of trade.

Forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the cost of covering or offsetting such contracts calculated on the day of valuation. Securities which are valued in accordance herewith in a currency other than U.S. dollars shall be converted to U.S. dollar equivalents at a rate obtained from a recognized bank, dealer or independent service on the day of valuation.

Over-the-counter (OTC) options are valued at the mean between bid and asked prices provided by a dealer (which may be the counterparty). A subadviser will monitor the market prices of the securities underlying the OTC options with a view to determining the necessity of obtaining additional bid and ask quotations from other dealers to assess the validity of the prices received from the primary pricing dealer.

Valuation of Private Real Estate-Related Investments. Private real estate-related investments owned by the Global Real Estate Portfolio will be fair valued each day using a methodology set forth in Valuation Policies and Procedures adopted by the Board of the Trust that incorporate periodic independently appraised values of the properties and include an estimate each day of net operating income (which reflects operating income and operating losses) for each property. Estimates of net operating income are adjusted monthly on a going forward basis as actual net operating income is recognized monthly.

An appraisal is an estimate of market value and not a precise measure of realizable value. Generally, appraisals will consider the financial aspects of a property, market transactions and the relative yield for an asset measured against comparable real estate investments. On any day, PREI may recommend to the Board's Valuation Committee an adjustment to the value of a private real estate-related investment based on market events or issuer-specific events that have increased or decreased the realizable value of the security. For example, adjustments may be recommended by PREI for events indicating an impairment of a borrower's or lessee's ability to pay amounts due or events which affect property values of the surrounding area. Other major market events for which adjustments may be recommended by PREI include changes in interest rates, domestic or foreign government actions or pronouncements, suspended trading or closings of stock exchanges, natural disasters or terrorist attacks. There can be no assurance that the factors for which an adjustment may be recommended by PREI will immediately come to the attention of PREI.

Appraised values do not necessarily represent the price at which real estate would sell since market prices of real estate can only be determined by negotiation between a willing buyer and seller. The realizable market value of real estate depends to a great extent on economic and other conditions beyond the control of the Global Real Estate Portfolio.

Distributor

The Trust currently sells its shares only to insurance company separate accounts to fund variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts. The Trust has no principal underwriter or distributor.

 

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OTHER INFORMATION

Federal Income Taxes

Each Portfolio currently intends to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a result, each Portfolio's income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits are "passed through" pro rata directly to the participating insurance companies and retain the same character for federal income tax purposes. Distributions may be made to the various separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies in the form of additional shares (not in cash).

Holders of variable annuity contracts or variable life insurance policies should consult the prospectuses of their respective contracts or policies for information on the federal income tax consequences to such holders. In addition, variable contract owners may wish to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investments in the Fund, including the application of state and local taxes.

Monitoring for Possible Conflicts

The Fund sells its shares to fund variable life insurance contracts and variable annuity contracts and is authorized to offer its shares to qualified retirement plans. Because of differences in tax treatment and other considerations, it is possible that the interest of variable life insurance contract owners, variable annuity contract owners and participants in qualified retirement plans could conflict. The Fund will monitor the situation and in the event that a material conflict did develop, the Fund would determine what action, if any, to take in response.

Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of each Portfolio's portfolio securities is included in the Fund's SAI and on the Fund's website.

 

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FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Introduction

The financial highlights which follow will help you evaluate the financial performance of each Portfolio available under your Contract. The total return in each chart represents the rate that a shareholder earned on an investment in that share class of the Portfolio, assuming reinvestment of all dividends and other distributions. The charts do not reflect any charges under any variable contract. Because Contract charges are not included, the actual return that you will receive will be lower than the total return in each chart.

The financial highlights for the periods in the five years ended December 31 were part of the financial statements audited by KPMG LLP, the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, whose reports on these financial statements were unqualified.

No financial highlights are presented for the Portfolios listed below, as each Portfolio is new, and therefore no financial information is available:


  • AST Bond Portfolio 2015

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2018

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2019

  • AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

  • AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

  • AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

 

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    AST International Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 16.55     $ 13.85     $ 12.01     $ 10.44     $ 7.46  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income (loss)     0.18       0.08       0.07       0.06       (0.06 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     2.95       2.80       1.90       1.62       3.04  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    3.13       2.88       1.97       1.68       2.98  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.13 )     (0.11 )      
Distributions     (1.42 )     (0.18 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (1.42 )     (0.18 )     (0.13 )     (0.11 )      
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 18.26     $ 16.55     $ 13.85     $ 12.01     $ 10.44  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     19.05 %     20.97 %     16.56 %     16.15 %     39.95 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 2,773.4     $ 2,280.5     $ 1,811.2     $ 1,342.9     $ 641.5  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waivers

    1.11 %     1.10 %     1.08 %     1.15 %(b)     1.24 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waivers

    1.11 %     1.15 %     1.18 %     1.26 %(b)     1.34 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.97 %     0.55 %     0.48 %     0.31 %     0.46 %
Portfolio turnover rate     85 %     111 %     82 %     94 %     88 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.




    AST International Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 18.84     $ 14.92     $ 13.31     $ 11.15     $ 8.38  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.30       0.16       0.23       0.13       0.11  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     3.05       3.91       1.57       2.19       2.71  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    3.35       4.07       1.80       2.32       2.82  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.19 )     (0.16 )     (0.05 )
Distributions     (0.20 )     (0.15 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.20 )     (0.15 )     (0.19 )     (0.16 )     (0.05 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 21.99     $ 18.84     $ 14.92     $ 13.31     $ 11.15  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     17.81 %     27.45 %     13.71 %     21.04 %     33.91 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,536.3     $ 1,038.6     $ 258.6     $ 193.7     $ 172.1  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.12 %     1.13 %     1.13 %     1.22 %(b)     1.12 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.12 %     1.13 %     1.26 %     1.37 %(b)     1.27 %(b)

Net investment income

    1.70 %     2.03 %     2.11 %     1.08 %     1.22 %
Portfolio turnover rate     46 %     108 %     30 %     242 %     138 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.



 

227


    AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(d)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 24.37     $ 20.10     $ 18.31     $ 15.81     $ 12.22  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.39       0.36       0.24       0.22       0.14  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     1.92       4.18       1.75       2.46       3.56  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    2.31       4.54       1.99       2.68       3.70  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.20 )     (0.18 )     (0.11 )
Distributions     (0.40 )     (0.27 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.40 )     (0.27 )     (0.20 )     (0.18 )     (0.11 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 26.28     $ 24.37     $ 20.10     $ 18.31     $ 15.81  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     9.49 %     22.79 %     11.01 %     17.11 %     30.60 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 498.0     $ 524.2     $ 469.4     $ 379.6     $ 339.0  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.02 %     1.07 %     1.13 %(b)     1.14 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.03 %     1.07 %     1.13 %(b)     1.14 %(b)

Net investment income

    1.50 %     1.54 %     1.41 %     1.34 %     1.02 %
Portfolio turnover rate     16 %     16 %     7 %     91 %     50 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.




    AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 14.60     $ 12.98     $ 12.11     $ 10.25     $ 8.08  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.12       0.25       0.08       0.04       0.02  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     1.24       2.71       0.82       1.84       2.17  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.36       2.96       0.90       1.88       2.19  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.03 )     (0.02 )     (0.02 )
Distributions     (2.15 )     (1.34 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (2.15 )     (1.34 )     (0.03 )     (0.02 )     (0.02 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 13.81     $ 14.60     $ 12.98     $ 12.11     $ 10.25  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     9.40 %     24.30 %     7.57 %     18.39 %     27.14 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 188.9     $ 250.6     $ 152.7     $ 166.3     $ 102.9  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.20 %(e)     1.21 %(e)     1.26 %     1.35 %(b)     1.40 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.21 %     1.25 %     1.26 %     1.35 %(b)     1.40 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.77 %     2.33 %     0.58 %     0.41 %     0.32 %
Portfolio turnover rate     31 %     47 %     49 %     48 %     54 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
   
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
   
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.    
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.    
(e)   Includes loan interest expense of 0.02% for the year ended December 31, 2007 and 0.01% for the year ended December 31, 2006.    

228



    AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 16.08     $ 14.28     $ 14.07     $ 15.12     $ 10.41  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment loss     (0.06 )     (0.08 )     (0.08 )     (0.14 )     (0.09 )
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     1.21       1.88       0.29       (0.91 )     4.80  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.15       1.80       0.21       (1.05 )     4.71  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 17.23     $ 16.08     $ 14.28     $ 14.07     $ 15.12  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     7.15 %     12.61 %     1.49 %     (6.94 )%     45.24 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 162.8     $ 175.4     $ 187.5     $ 226.1     $ 338.2  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.05 %     1.07 %     1.07 %     1.16 %(b)     1.20 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.05 %     1.08 %     1.15 %     1.16 %(b)     1.20 %(b)

Net investment loss

    (0.26 )%     (0.48 )%     (0.53 )%     (0.87 )%     (0.65 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     39 %     69 %     113 %     237 %     107 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.




    AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(d)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 9.03     $ 8.38     $ 8.35     $ 7.63     $ 5.17  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment loss     (0.06 )     (0.04 )     (0.06 )     (0.06 )     (0.01 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     1.75       0.69       0.09       0.78       2.47  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.69       0.65       0.03       0.72       2.46  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 10.72     $ 9.03     $ 8.38     $ 8.35     $ 7.63  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     18.72 %     7.76 %     0.36 %     9.44 %     47.58 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 208.9     $ 214.4     $ 256.9     $ 340.8     $ 403.4  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waivers

    1.07 %     1.07 %     1.07 %     1.02 %(b)     1.02 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waivers

    1.07 %     1.11 %     1.15 %     1.17 %(b)     1.17 %(b)

Net investment loss

    (0.65 )%     (0.37 )%     (0.62 )%     (0.66 )%     (0.19 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     241 %     199 %     150 %     145 %     185 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.

229



      AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $11.49       $ 10.46       $ 10.41       $ 8.61       $ 5.09  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment loss       (0.01 )       (0.05 )       (0.04 )       (0.07 )       (0.05 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       1.28         1.39         0.90         2.03         3.57  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.27         1.34         0.86         1.96         3.52  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Distributions from net realized gains                       (0.81 )       (0.16 )        
Distributions       (1.21 )       (0.31 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (1.21 )       (0.31 )       (0.81 )       (0.16 )        
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $11.55       $ 11.49       $ 10.46       $ 10.41       $ 8.61  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       11.12 %       12.91 %       9.44 %       23.07 %       69.16 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $743.6       $ 643.9       $ 554.0       $ 347.7       $ 187.6  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.06 %       1.09 %       1.12 %       1.19 %(b)       1.22 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.06 %       1.09 %       1.12 %       1.19 %(b)       1.22 %(b)

Net investment loss

      (0.07 )%       (0.43 )%       (0.66 )%       (0.88 )%       (0.99 )%
Portfolio turnover rate       115 %       58 %       39 %       81 %       96 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.



    AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
                                                   
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year     $ 18.18       $ 18.53       $ 21.45       $ 18.12       $ 12.96  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.17         0.09         0.09         0.11         0.08  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (1.18 )       2.83         0.64         3.50         5.19  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      (1.01 )       2.92         0.73         3.61         5.27  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.07 )       (0.04 )       (0.11 )
Distributions from net realized gains                       (3.58 )       (0.24 )        
Distributions       (5.45 )       (3.27 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (5.45 )       (3.27 )       (3.65 )       (0.28 )       (0.11 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year     $ 11.72       $ 18.18       $ 18.53       $ 21.45       $ 18.12  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       (5.12 )%       17.24 %       4.98 %       20.18 %       41.08 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)     $ 149.0       $ 226.2       $ 258.8       $ 323.1       $ 343.4  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.08 %       1.13 %       1.17 %       1.22 %(b)       1.26 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.08 %       1.13 %       1.17 %       1.22 %(b)       1.26 %(b)

Net investment income

      0.88 %       0.46 %       0.45 %       0.48 %       0.40 %
Portfolio turnover rate       48 %       59 %       48 %       61 %       67 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

230


    AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 17.13     $ 15.04     $ 18.28     $ 15.70     $ 11.59  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.16       0.15       0.09       0.02       0.01  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     (1.15 )     2.79       0.71       2.56       4.13  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    (0.99 )     2.94       0.80       2.58       4.14  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.01 )     (c)     (0.03 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (4.03 )            
Distributions     (2.03 )     (0.85 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (2.03 )     (0.85 )     (4.04 )     (c)     (0.03 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 14.11     $ 17.13     $ 15.04     $ 18.28     $ 15.70  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     (5.61 )%     20.04 %     6.64 %     16.44 %     35.78 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 952.6     $ 1,126.8     $ 1,067.8     $ 922.1     $ 774.4  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.03 %     1.07 %     1.08 %(b)     1.10 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.03 %     1.07 %     1.08 %(b)     1.10 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.88 %     0.89 %     0.64 %     0.15 %     0.04 %
Portfolio turnover rate     57 %     70 %     59 %     124 %     26 %

(a)   Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)   Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Less than $0.005 per share.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.



 

      AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year     $ 13.44       $ 11.95       $ 12.85       $ 11.10       $ 7.75  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.19         0.09         0.06         0.03         0.03  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (2.59 )       2.20         0.06         2.31         3.33  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      (2.40 )       2.29         0.12         2.34         3.36  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.02 )       (0.02 )       (0.01 )
Distributions from net realized gains                       (1.00 )       (0.57 )        
Distributions       (1.94 )       (0.80 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (1.94 )       (0.80 )       (1.02 )       (0.59 )       (0.01 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year     $ 9.10       $ 13.44       $ 11.95       $ 12.85       $ 11.10  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       (17.70 )%       19.95 %       1.19 %       22.11 %       43.46 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)     $ 77.7       $ 120.6       $ 108.6       $ 111.8       $ 52.0  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.13 %       1.08 %       1.05 %       1.13%(b)         1.15 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.13 %       1.18 %       1.19 %       1.28%(b)         1.36 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.29 %       0.76 %       0.50 %       0.47 %       0.62 %
Portfolio turnover rate       165 %       195 %       226 %       215 %       193 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total returns for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

231



      AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year     $ 4.91       $ 4.62       $ 4.41       $ 3.79       $ 2.88  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment loss       (0.03 )       (0.03 )       (0.02 )       (0.02 )       (0.01 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.98         0.32         0.23         0.64         0.92  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.95         0.29         0.21         0.62         0.91  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year     $ 5.86       $ 4.91       $ 4.62       $ 4.41       $ 3.79  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       19.35 %       6.28 %       4.76 %       16.36 %       31.60 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)     $ 324.1       $ 316.3       $ 394.8       $ 276.7       $ 160.5  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waivers

      1.12 %       1.12 %       1.12 %       1.20 %(b)       1.31 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waivers

      1.12 %       1.15 %       1.18 %       1.32 %(b)       1.41 %(b)

Net investment loss

      (0.38 )%       (0.54 )%       (0.62 )%       (0.48 )%       (0.54 )%
Portfolio turnover rate       81 %       67 %       71 %       54 %       59 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.




    AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 18.42     $ 16.15     $ 14.23     $ 12.26     $ 9.39  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment loss     (0.05 )     (0.05 )     (0.05 )     (0.09 )     (0.09 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     4.14       2.32       1.97       2.06       2.96  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    4.09       2.27       1.92       1.97       2.87  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 22.51     $ 18.42     $ 16.15     $ 14.23     $ 12.26  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     22.20 %     14.06 %     13.49 %     16.07 %     30.56 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 869.7     $ 659.0     $ 718.1     $ 400.6     $ 360.0  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.01 %     1.04 %     1.15 %(b)     1.17 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.04 %     1.08 %     1.16 %(b)     1.17 %(b)

Net investment loss

    (0.27 )%     (0.28 )%     (0.58 )%     (0.71 )%     (0.83 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     70 %     33 %     105 %     90 %     150 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

232



    AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 19.37     $ 20.45     $ 21.30     $ 17.80     $ 13.09  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.23       0.13       0.10       0.03       0.02  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     0.35       1.92       2.08       3.94       4.72  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.58       2.05       2.18       3.97       4.74  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.03 )     (0.02 )     (0.03 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (3.00 )     (0.45 )      
Distributions     (3.07 )     (3.13 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (3.07 )     (3.13 )     (3.03 )     (0.47 )     (0.03 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 16.88     $ 19.37     $ 20.45     $ 21.30     $ 17.80  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     3.17 %     10.75 %     12.05 %     22.84 %     36.32 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,001.8     $ 1,229.5     $ 1,479.0     $ 1,309.8     $ 1,027.4  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.99 %     1.00 %     1.01 %     1.09 %(b)     1.15 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.99 %     1.00 %     1.03 %     1.10 %(b)     1.15 %(b)

Net investment income

    1.00 %     0.59 %     0.52 %     0.17 %     0.15 %
Portfolio turnover rate     71 %     61 %     103 %     68 %     70 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.




    AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 12.10     $ 12.63     $ 12.03     $ 10.46     $ 7.77  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.09       0.07       0.07       0.04       0.04  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     0.24       1.59       0.58       1.56       2.72  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.33       1.66       0.65       1.60       2.76  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.05 )     (0.03 )     (0.07 )
Distributions     (0.37 )     (2.19 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.37 )     (2.19 )     (0.05 )     (0.03 )     (0.07 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 12.06     $ 12.10     $ 12.63     $ 12.03     $ 10.46  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     2.75 %     14.24 %     5.43 %     15.32 %     35.85 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 219.4     $ 151.5     $ 161.2     $ 195.4     $ 181.9  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.09 %     1.16 %     1.17 %     1.21 %(b)     1.20 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.09 %     1.16 %     1.17 %     1.21 %(b)     1.20 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.90 %     0.52 %     0.45 %     0.40 %     0.41 %
Portfolio turnover rate     27 %     26 %     109 %     27 %     30 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

233



    AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 10.86     $ 10.28     $ 8.83     $ 8.35     $ 6.75  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income (loss)     0.01       0.02       (0.02 )     (0.01 )     (0.01 )
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     0.88       0.56       1.47       0.49       1.61  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.89       0.58       1.45       0.48       1.60  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Distributions:     (0.01 )                        
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 11.74     $ 10.86     $ 10.28     $ 8.83     $ 8.35  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     8.24 %     5.64 %     16.42 %     5.75 %     23.70 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 2,147.9     $ 1,504.6     $ 337.5     $ 258.1     $ 237.1  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.96 %     1.01 %     1.06 %     1.14 %(b)     1.16 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.96 %     1.01 %     1.11 %     1.17 %(b)     1.16 %(b)

Net investment income (loss)

    0.13 %     0.29 %     (0.32 )%     (0.07 )%     (0.14 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     66 %     35 %     165 %     95 %     63 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.



 
    AST MFS Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 9.42     $ 8.59     $ 8.08     $ 7.30     $ 5.94  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income (loss)     0.02                         (0.01 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     1.40       0.83       0.51       0.78       1.37  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.42       0.83       0.51       0.78       1.36  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (c)            
Distributions     (c)                        
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (c)           (c)            
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 10.84     $ 9.42     $ 8.59     $ 8.08     $ 7.30  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     15.11 %     9.66 %     6.32 %     10.69 %     22.90 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 406.9     $ 450.4     $ 557.4     $ 534.9     $ 593.3  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.02 %     1.02 %     1.05 %     1.08 %(b)     1.25 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.02 %     1.03 %     1.08 %     1.11 %(b)     1.25 %(b)

Net investment income (loss)

    0.21 %     0.03 %     0.00 %     0.01 %     (0.20 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     241 %     210 %     200 %     201 %     262 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Less than $0.005 per share.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

234



    AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 20.45     $ 19.08     $ 17.86     $ 15.44     $ 11.72  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income (loss)     0.07       0.05       0.01       (c)     (0.02 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     2.99       1.33       1.21       2.42       3.74  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    3.06       1.38       1.22       2.42       3.72  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Distributions:     (0.04 )     (0.01 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 23.47     $ 20.45     $ 19.08     $ 17.86     $ 15.44  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     14.97 %     7.24 %     6.83 %     15.67 %     31.74 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 5,544.5     $ 4,194.2     $ 3,296.1     $ 2,295.0     $ 1,710.6  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.98 %     1.00 %     1.00 %     1.05 %(b)     1.10 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.98 %     1.01 %     1.03 %     1.07 %(b)     1.11 %(b)

Net investment income (loss)

    0.36 %     0.26 %     0.07 %     (0.01 )%     (0.21 )%
Portfolio turnover rate     52 %     58 %     66 %     72 %     82 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Less than $0.005 per share.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 
      AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $24.44       $ 22.22       $ 21.62       $ 20.85       $ 16.71  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income (loss)       0.03         (0.01 )       (c)       0.10         (0.05 )
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       3.39         2.23         0.71         0.67         4.25  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      3.42         2.22         0.71         0.77         4.20  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends From Net Investment Income:                       (0.11 )               (0.06 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $27.86       $ 24.44       $ 22.22       $ 21.62       $ 20.85  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       13.99 %       9.99 %       3.32 %       3.69 %       25.25 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $590.4       $ 644.7       $ 755.1       $ 968.8       $ 1,151.2  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.86 %       0.92 %       0.97 %       1.04 %(b)       1.06 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.00 %       1.03 %       1.06 %       1.11 %(b)       1.13 %(b)

Net investment income (loss)

      0.11 %       (0.04 )%       (0.01 )%       0.43 %       (0.26 )%
Portfolio turnover rate       46 %       39 %       40 %       18 %       21 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Less than $0.005 per share.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

235




      AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $13.56       $ 12.50       $ 11.54       $ 9.85       $ 7.85  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.25         0.13         0.14         0.11         0.09  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (0.09 )       2.40         0.93         1.67         1.98  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.16         2.53         1.07         1.78         2.07  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.11 )       (0.09 )       (0.07 )
Distributions       (1.16 )       (1.47 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (1.16 )       (1.47 )       (0.11 )       (0.09 )       (0.07 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $12.56       $ 13.56       $ 12.50       $ 11.54       $ 9.85  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       1.18 %       21.73 %       9.33 %       18.17 %       26.59 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $309.6       $ 349.5       $ 174.1       $ 191.9       $ 133.8  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.00 %       1.01 %       0.99 %(b)       0.99 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.00 %       1.07 %       1.11 %(b)       1.09 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.52 %       1.53 %       1.20 %       1.24 %       1.13 %
Portfolio turnover rate       218 %       167 %       233 %       189 %       161 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.


 
    AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 20.16     $ 17.57     $ 16.66     $ 14.66     $ 12.55  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.34       0.18       0.21       0.18       0.24  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     (0.94 )     2.99       0.85       2.05       2.18  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    (0.60 )     3.17       1.06       2.23       2.42  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.15 )     (0.23 )     (0.31 )
Distributions     (0.79 )     (0.58 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.79 )     (0.58 )     (0.15 )     (0.23 )     (0.31 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 18.77     $ 20.16     $ 17.57     $ 16.66     $ 14.66  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     (2.99 )%     18.46 %     6.46 %     15.45 %     19.94 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 2,137.4     $ 2,151.3     $ 785.2     $ 636.8     $ 640.1  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.83 %     0.86 %     0.88 %     0.90 %(b)     0.98 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.83 %     0.86 %     0.91 %     0.94 %(b)     0.98 %(b)

Net investment income

    1.78 %     1.74 %     1.41 %     1.05 %     1.50 %
Portfolio turnover rate     78 %     94 %     92 %     127 %     100 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 

236


 
      AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $13.95       $ 12.45       $ 12.25       $ 11.17       $ 8.77  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.27         0.19         0.18         0.12         0.18  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (0.77 )       2.32         0.47         1.38         2.28  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      (0.50 )       2.51         0.65         1.50         2.46  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.15 )       (0.15 )       (0.06 )
Distributions from net realized gains                       (0.30 )       (0.27 )        
Distributions       (0.88 )       (1.01 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (0.88 )       (1.01 )       (0.45 )       (0.42 )       (0.06 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $12.57       $ 13.95       $ 12.45       $ 12.25       $ 11.17  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       (3.56 %)       21.34 %       5.51 %       13.92 %       28.31 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $386.3       $ 459.1       $ 290.2       $ 287.5       $ 192.5  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.86 %       0.89 %       0.94 %       1.04 %(b)       1.14 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.86 %       0.89 %       0.94 %       1.04 %(b)       1.14 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.91 %       1.80 %       1.43 %       1.48 %       1.55 %
Portfolio turnover rate       23 %       23 %       29 %       33 %       90 %
 
(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.
 
237



 
      AST QMA U.S. Equity Alpha Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(c)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $13.63       $ 12.23       $ 11.97       $ 10.98       $ 8.75  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.19         0.18         0.12         0.15         0.11  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.09         1.35         0.29         0.94         2.24  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.28         1.53         0.41         1.09         2.35  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.15 )       (0.10 )       (0.12 )
Distributions       (0.21 )       (0.13 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (0.21 )       (0.13 )       (0.15 )       (0.10 )       (0.12 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $13.70       $ 13.63       $ 12.23       $ 11.97       $ 10.98  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       2.08 %       12.60 %       3.54 %       9.98 %       27.32 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $370.7       $ 458.2       $ 512.6       $ 561.7       $ 541.5  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.72 %       0.74 %       0.77 %       0.81 %(b)       0.84 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.72 %       0.74 %       0.77 %       0.81 %(b)       0.84 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.33 %       1.24 %       1.00 %       1.27 %       1.03 %
Portfolio turnover rate       29 %       32 %       25 %       41 %       45 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 
238



      AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $15.71       $ 13.68       $ 13.30       $ 11.95       $ 9.41  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.30         0.26         0.25         0.21         0.15  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (0.32 )       2.02         0.35         1.28         2.51  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      (0.02 )       2.28         0.60         1.49         2.66  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.22 )       (0.14 )       (0.12 )
Distributions       (0.30 )       (0.25 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (0.30 )       (0.25 )       (0.22 )       (0.14 )       (0.12 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $15.39       $ 15.71       $ 13.68       $ 13.30       $ 11.95  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       (0.11 )%       16.86 %       4.63 %       12.59 %       28.78 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $307.2       $ 385.0       $ 393.3       $ 453.9       $ 305.8  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.86 %       0.90 %       0.93 %       0.99 %(b)       0.99 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.86 %       0.90 %       0.93 %       0.99 %(b)       0.99 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.29 %       1.61 %       1.64 %       1.86 %       1.46 %
Portfolio turnover rate       55 %       63 %       70 %       99 %       81 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.


 
      AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year     $ 23.50       $ 20.21       $ 19.52       $ 17.71       $ 13.57  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.31         0.27         0.19         0.24         0.14  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.86         3.22         0.73         1.70         4.19  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.17         3.49         0.92         1.94         4.33  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.23 )       (0.13 )       (0.19 )
Distributions from net realized gains                                        
Distributions       (1.05 )       (0.20 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (1.05 )       (0.20 )       (0.23 )       (0.13 )       (0.19 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year     $ 23.62       $ 23.50       $ 20.21       $ 19.52       $ 17.71  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       4.99 %       17.27 %       4.77 %       11.01 %       32.43 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)     $ 3,480.3       $ 3,005.9       $ 2,802.7       $ 2,152.2       $ 1,836.5  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.83 %       0.84 %       0.85 %       0.90 %(b)       0.97 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.83 %       0.86 %       0.88 %       0.93 %(b)       0.99 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.28 %       1.22 %       1.09 %       1.36 %       1.01 %
Portfolio turnover rate       82 %       63 %       70 %       50 %       62 %
 
(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.

239



      AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $20.86       $ 17.78       $ 17.17       $ 12.91       $ 10.05  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.49         0.48         0.59         0.41         0.49  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (4.61 )       5.54         1.58         4.36         3.02  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      (4.12 )       6.02         2.17         4.77         3.51  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.26 )       (0.32 )       (0.41 )
Distributions from net realized gains                       (1.30 )       (0.19 )       (0.24 )
Distributions       (4.62 )       (2.94 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (4.62 )       (2.94 )       (1.56 )       (0.51 )       (0.65 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $12.12       $ 20.86       $ 17.78       $ 17.17       $ 12.91  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       (19.90 )%       36.73 %       14.82 %       37.95 %       37.43 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end ofyear (in millions)       $271.6       $ 563.0       $ 410.3       $ 423.5       $ 289.5  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.12 %       1.13 %       1.09 %       1.12 %(b)       1.24 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.12 %       1.13 %       1.18 %       1.23 %(b)       1.24 %(b)

Net investment income

      2.46 %       2.73 %       3.27 %       3.49 %       5.43 %
Portfolio turnover rate       54 %       36 %       32 %       32 %       34 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.

 
    AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(d)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 29.38     $ 27.55     $ 22.63     $ 17.45     $ 13.56  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.27       0.25       0.12       0.10       0.12  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     11.54       3.92       6.58       5.28       4.25  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    11.81       4.17       6.70       5.38       4.37  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.06 )     (0.20 )     (0.20 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (1.72 )           (0.28 )
Distributions     (2.35 )     (2.34 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (2.35 )     (2.34 )     (1.78 )     (0.20 )     (0.48 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 38.84     $ 29.38     $ 27.55     $ 22.63     $ 17.45  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     40.51 %     15.87 %     31.40 %     31.19 %     33.52 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,054.3     $ 590.6     $ 418.4     $ 238.1     $ 170.9  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.03 %     1.08 %     1.17 %(b)     1.17 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    1.00 %     1.03 %     1.08 %     1.17 %(b)     1.17 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.76 %     0.95 %     0.59 %     0.49 %     0.77 %
Portfolio turnover rate     31 %     28 %     47 %     63 %     43 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.

240


 

 
      AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio
     
      Year Ended December 31,
     
      2007(d)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year       $15.01       $ 14.29       $ 13.89       $ 12.92       $ 11.14  
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.30         0.32         0.26         0.21         0.18  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       1.04         1.02         0.37         0.94         1.87  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.34         1.34         0.63         1.15         2.05  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.23 )       (0.18 )       (0.27 )
Distributions       (1.02 )       (0.62 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributions

      (1.02 )       (0.62 )       (0.23 )       (0.18 )       (0.27 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year       $15.33       $ 15.01       $ 14.29       $ 13.89       $ 12.92  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       8.99 %       9.67 %       4.61 %       8.99 %       18.87 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)       $214.6       $ 175.3       $ 205.4       $ 233.7       $ 235.8  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waivers

      1.10 %       1.04 %       1.05 %       1.09 %(b)       1.11 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waivers

      1.10 %       1.06 %       1.08 %       1.12 %(b)       1.11 %(b)

Net investment income

      1.91 %       1.92 %       1.70 %       1.56 %       1.57 %
Portfolio turnover rate       223 %       178 %       204 %       218 %       145 %

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles.

(b)  

Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.

(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.


    AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio
   
      Year       March 20, 2006(d)
      Ended         through  
    December 31,   December 31,
      2007           2006    
   
     
   
Per Share Operating Performance:                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.80         $ 10.00    
     
       
   
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                        
Net investment income       0.17           0.09    
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.85           0.71    
     
       
   

Total from investment operations

      1.02           0.80    
     
       
   
Less Distributions:       (0.06 )            
     
       
   
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 11.76         $ 10.80    
     
       
   
Total Return(a)       9.41 %         8.00 %  
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                        
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $1,538.6         $651.2    
Ratios to average net assets(e):                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.00 %(f)         1.09 %(c)  

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      1.00 %(f)         1.09 %(c)  

Net investment income

      2.55 %         2.39 %(c)  
Portfolio turnover rate       310 %         212 %(b)  
     
(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
(f)   Includes interest expense of 0.01%.

241




    AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(c)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 17.64     $ 17.12     $ 16.81     $ 15.36     $ 12.74  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.42       0.34       0.30       0.29       0.24  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     0.69       1.68       0.45       1.40       2.73  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.11       2.02       0.75       1.69       2.97  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.31 )     (0.24 )     (0.35 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (0.13 )            
Distributions     (0.70 )     (1.50 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.70 )     (1.50 )     (0.44 )     (0.24 )     (0.35 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 18.05     $ 17.64     $ 17.12     $ 16.81     $ 15.36  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     6.32 %     12.49 %     4.68 %     11.17 %     24.02 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,004.5     $ 473.1     $ 431.1     $ 430.7     $ 360.2  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.97 %     0.99 %     1.04 %     1.07 %(b)     1.12 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.97 %     0.99 %     1.08 %     1.12 %(b)     1.12 %(b)

Net investment income

    2.27 %     2.15 %     1.77 %     1.93 %     1.84 %
Portfolio turnover rate     88 %     62 %     65 %     83 %     94 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 
 
    AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(c)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 13.57     $ 12.56     $ 12.16     $ 11.07     $ 9.38  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.12       0.25       0.24       0.28       0.12  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     0.19       1.09       0.56       0.94       1.69  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.31       1.34       0.80       1.22       1.81  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.40 )     (0.13 )     (0.12 )
Distributions     (0.11 )     (0.33 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.11 )     (0.33 )     (0.40 )     (0.13 )     (0.12 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 13.77     $ 13.57     $ 12.56     $ 12.16     $ 11.07  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     2.24 %     11.14 %     6.94 %     11.09 %     19.53 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 437.1     $ 186.2     $ 202.2     $ 231.7     $ 264.8  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.94 %     0.19 %     0.16 %     0.14 %(b)     0.14 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.94 %     0.19 %     0.16 %     0.14 %(b)     0.14 %(b)

Net investment income

    0.86 %     1.70 %     1.72 %     2.12 %     1.08 %
Portfolio turnover rate     169 %     27 %     81 %     93 %     18 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

242




    AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio
   
    Year   March 20, 2006(d)
    Ended   through
    December 31,   December 31,
      2007(e)       2006(e)  
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                    
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.72         $10.00  
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                    
Net investment income       0.31         0.23  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.61         0.49  
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.92         0.72  
     
     
 
Less Distributions:       (0.05 )        
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 11.59         $10.72  
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       8.56 %       7.20 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                    
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 1,339.8         $525.3  
Ratios to average net assets(f):                    

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.06 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.06 %(c)

Net investment income

      2.70 %       2.87 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       38 %       5 %(b)

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 
    AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio
   
    Year   March 20, 2006(d)
    Ended   through
    December 31,   December 31,
      2007(e)       2006  
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                    
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.62       $ 10.00  
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                    
Net investment income       0.19         0.06  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       1.02         0.56  
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.21         0.62  
     
     
 
Less Distributions:       (0.03 )        
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 11.80       $ 10.62  
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       11.42 %       6.20 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                    
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 1,676.8       $ 577.9  
Ratios to average net assets(f):                    

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.04 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.96 %       1.04 %(c)

Net investment income

      1.68 %       1.71 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       47 %       6 %(b)

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

243


 
    AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
    Year Ended     December 5, 2005(e)
    December 31,     Through
   
    December 31,
      2007         2006         2005  
   
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                            
Net Asset Value, beginning of period   $ 11.55       $ 10.01       $ 10.00  
   
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                            
Net investment income (loss)     0.05         0.02         (d)
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments     1.09         1.52         0.01  
   
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

    1.14         1.54         0.01  
   
     
     
 
Less Distributions:     (0.09 )                
   
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period   $ 12.60       $ 11.55       $ 10.01  
   
     
     
 
Total Return(a)     9.84 %       15.38 %       0.10 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                            
Net assets, end of period (in millions)   $ 573.2       $ 378.1       $ 36.4  
Ratios to average net assets(f):                            

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.18 %       0.20 %       0.20 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.18 %       0.20 %       2.41 %(c)

Net investment income (loss)

    0.48 %       0.33 %       (0.20) %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate     41 %       35 %       3 %(b)
     
(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Less than $0.005.
(e)   Commencement of operations.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
 
 
      AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
     
      Year Ended     December 5, 2005(e)
      December 31,     through
     
    December 31,
      2007       2006       2005  
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                              
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 11.36       $ 10.02       $ 10.00  
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                              
Net investment income (loss)       0.08         0.04         (d)  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       1.06         1.30         0.02  
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.14         1.34         0.02  
     
     
     
 
Less Distributions:       (0.06 )                
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 12.44       $ 11.36       $ 10.02  
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       10.02 %       13.37 %       0.20 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                              
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 6,815.7       $ 3,805.6       $ 245.9  
Ratios to average net assets(f):                              

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.16 %       0.17 %       0.20 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.16 %       0.17 %       0.54 %(c)

Net investment income (loss)

      0.93 %       0.57 %       (0.20) %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       33 %       21 %       1 %(b)

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Less than $0.005.
(e)   Commencement of operations.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.

244



 
      AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
     
      Year Ended     December 5, 2005(e)
      December 31,     through
     
    December 31,
      2007(f)       2006(f)       2005  
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                              
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 11.18       $ 10.04       $ 10.00  
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                              
Net investment income (loss)       0.14         0.09         (d)
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.93         1.05         0.04  
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.07         1.14         0.04  
     
     
     
 
Less Distributions:       (0.07 )                
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 12.18       $ 11.18       $ 10.04  
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       9.59 %       11.35 %       0.40 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                              
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 5,135.0       $ 3,005.3       $ 216.3  
Ratios to average net assets(g):                              

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.16 %       0.17 %       0.20 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.16 %       0.17 %       0.58 %(c)

Net investment income (loss)

      1.15 %       0.85 %       (0.20) %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       28 %       22 %       2 %(b)

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Less than $0.005.
(e)   Commencement of operations.
(f)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(g)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
 

 
      AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
     
      Year Ended     December 5, 2005(e)
      December 31,     through
     
    December 31,
      2007(f)       2006(f)       2005  
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                              
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 11.08       $ 10.04       $ 10.00  
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                              
Net investment income (loss)       0.17         0.09         (d)
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.87         0.95         0.04  
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      1.04         1.04         0.04  
     
     
     
 
Less Distributions:       (0.06 )                
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 12.06       $ 11.08       $ 10.04  
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       9.36 %       10.36 %       0.40 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                              
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 1,622.2       $ 785.2       $ 51.7  
Ratios to average net assets(g):                              

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.17 %       0.19 %       0.20 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.17 %       0.19 %       2.02 %(c)

Net investment income (loss)

      1.48 %       0.90 %       (0.20 )%(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       32 %       32 %       2 %(b)

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Less than $0.005.
(e)   Commencement of operations.
(f)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(g)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.

245



    AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
      Year Ended December 5, 2005(e)
    December 31, through
     
  December 31,
      2007(f)     2006(f)   2005
     
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                          
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.84     $ 10.06     $ 10.00  
     
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                          
Net investment income (loss)       0.22       0.10       (d)
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.75       0.68       0.06  
     
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

      0.97       0.78       0.06  
     
   
   
 
Less Distributions:       (0.03 )            
     
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 11.78     $ 10.84     $ 10.06  
     
   
   
 
Total Return(a)       8.91 %     7.75 %     0.60 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                          
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 714.4     $ 309.4     $ 13.7  
Ratios to average net assets(g):                          

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.18 %     0.20 %     0.20 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.18 %     0.23 %     6.28 %(c)

Net investment income (loss)

      1.95 %     0.92 %     (0.19 )%(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       67 %     70 %     6 %(b)

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Less than $0.005.
(e)   Commencement of operations.
(f)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(g)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
 

    AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 11.57     $ 11.18     $ 12.16     $ 12.10     $ 11.10  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.36       0.41       0.28       0.17       0.27  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     0.75       0.27       (0.81 )     0.81       1.12  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    1.11       0.68       (0.53 )     0.98       1.39  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.43 )     (0.72 )     (0.37 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (0.02 )     (0.20 )     (0.02 )
Distributions     (0.32 )     (0.29 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.32 )     (0.29 )     (0.45 )     (0.92 )     (0.39 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 12.36     $ 11.57     $ 11.18     $ 12.16     $ 12.10  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     9.65 %     6.27 %     (4.49 )%     8.64 %     12.86 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 708.5     $ 507.7     $ 539.6     $ 362.0     $ 229.6  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.93 %     0.96 %     1.01 %     1.07 %(b)     1.06 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.93 %     0.96 %     1.01 %     1.07 %(b)     1.06 %(b)

Net investment income

    3.99 %     3.64 %     2.87 %     2.58 %     2.57 %
Portfolio turnover rate     120 %     131 %     109 %     111 %     196 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

246


 
 
    AST High Yield Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
      2007(c)       2006       2005       2004       2003  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                                  
Net Asset Value, beginning of year     $ 8.41       $ 8.29       $ 8.95       $ 8.77       $ 7.89  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                                  
Net investment income       0.59         0.53         0.83         0.70         0.62  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments       (0.39 )       0.28         (0.74 )       0.19         0.95  
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.20         0.81         0.09         0.89         1.57  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                                  
Dividends from net investment income                       (0.75 )       (0.71 )       (0.69 )
Distributions       (0.86 )       (0.69 )                        
     
     
     
     
     
 

Total dividends and distributons

      (0.86 )       (0.69 )       (0.75 )       (0.71 )       (0.69 )
     
     
     
     
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of year     $ 7.75         8.41       $ 8.29       $ 8.95       $ 8.77  
     
     
     
     
     
 
Total Return(a)       2.48 %       10.35 %       1.12 %       11.08 %       21.59 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                                  
Net assets, end of year (in millions)     $ 413.4       $ 648.1       $ 611.2       $ 804.6       $ 868.5  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                                  

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.87 %       0.89 %       0.93 %       0.93 %(b)       0.93 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.87 %       0.90 %       0.94 %       0.93 %(b)       0.93 %(b)

Net investment income

      6.94 %       6.94 %       7.32 %       7.15 %       7.56 %
Portfolio turnover rate       125 %       131 %       52 %       66 %       65 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
 


    AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 11.67     $ 11.33     $ 11.83     $ 11.44     $ 10.07  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.84       0.71       0.43       0.53       0.44  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     (0.13 )     0.35       (0.31 )     0.29       1.37  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.71       1.06       0.12       0.82       1.81  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.49 )     (0.39 )     (0.44 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (0.13 )     (0.04 )      
Distributions     (0.79 )     (0.72 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.79 )     (0.72 )     (0.62 )     (0.43 )     (0.44 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 11.59     $ 11.67     $ 11.33     $ 11.83     $ 11.44  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     6.09 %     9.80 %     1.16 %     7.42 %     18.74 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 513.5     $ 594.7     $ 668.5     $ 431.5     $ 346.4  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.89 %     0.89 %     0.91 %     0.97 %(b)     1.04 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.91 %     0.94 %     0.97 %     1.02 %(b)     1.04 %(b)

Net investment income

    5.73 %     5.52 %     5.10 %     5.15 %     6.31 %
Portfolio turnover rate     49 %     43 %     46 %     49 %     84 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

247



    AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(e)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 11.43     $ 11.45     $ 12.01     $ 11.99     $ 12.24  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.55       0.28       0.52       0.23       0.35  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     0.40       0.11       (0.23 )     0.36       0.27  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.95       0.39       0.29       0.59       0.62  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.45 )     (0.48 )     (0.43 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (0.40 )     (0.09 )     (0.44 )
Distributions     (0.28 )     (0.41 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.28 )     (0.41 )     (0.85 )     (0.57 )     (0.87 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 12.10     $ 11.43     $ 11.45     $ 12.01     $ 11.99  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     8.31 %     3.74 %     2.50 %     4.96 %     5.32 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 4,775.5     $ 3,347.2     $ 1,790.7     $ 2,318.2     $ 2,107.9  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.74 %(c)     0.77 %(c)     0.79 %     0.78 %(b)     0.78 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.74 %(c)     0.77 %(c)     0.80 %     0.81 %(b)     0.80 %(b)

Net investment income

    4.67 %     4.30 %     3.62 %     2.08 %     2.85 %
Portfolio turnover rate     297 %     238 %     238 %     253 %     222 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
   
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
   
(c)  
The expense ratio reflects the interest and fees expense related to the liablility for the floating rate notes issued in conjunction with inverse floater securities. The total expense ratio excluding interest and fees expense is 0.74% for the year ended December 31, 2007 and 0.76% for the year ended December 31, 2006.
   
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.    
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.    
 

    AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007(d)     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 11.18     $ 11.10     $ 11.12     $ 11.37     $ 11.36  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:                                        
Net investment income     0.51       0.52       0.27       0.17       0.22  
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments     0.24       (0.11 )     (0.09 )     0.06       0.14  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total from investment operations

    0.75       0.41       0.18       0.23       0.36  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (0.14 )     (0.35 )     (0.22 )
Distributions from net realized gains                 (0.06 )     (0.13 )     (0.13 )
Distributions     (0.57 )     (0.33 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.57 )     (0.33 )     (0.20 )     (0.48 )     (0.35 )
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 11.36     $ 11.18     $ 11.10     $ 11.12     $ 11.37  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     6.80 %     3.82 %     1.63 %     2.07 %     3.28 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,227.7     $ 1,366.9     $ 1,683.2     $ 1,232.8     $ 1,005.9  
Ratios to average net assets(c):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.76 %(e)     0.76 %     0.76 %     0.79 %(b)     0.82 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.76 %(e)     0.77 %     0.80 %     0.82 %(b)     0.82 %(b)

Net investment income

    4.45 %     4.04 %     2.86 %     1.65 %     1.74 %
Portfolio turnover rate     135 %     140 %     153 %     103 %     208 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
   
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
   
(c)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.    
(d)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year.    
(e)   Includes interest expense of 0.01%.    

248



 
    AST Money Market Portfolio
   
    Year Ended December 31,
   
    2007     2006     2005     2004     2003  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Per Share Operating Performance:                                        
Net Asset Value, beginning of year   $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Investment Income     0.05       0.04       (c)     0.01       (c)
   
   
   
   
   
 
Less Dividends and Distributions:                                        
Dividends from net investment income                 (c)     (0.01 )     (c)
Distributions from net realized gains                 (c)           (c)
Distributions     (0.05 )     (0.04 )                  
   
   
   
   
   
 

Total dividends and distributions

    (0.05 )     (0.04 )     (c)     (0.01 )     (c)
   
   
   
   
   
 
Net Asset Value, end of year   $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00     $ 1.00  
   
   
   
   
   
 
Total Return(a)     4.90 %     4.57 %     2.73 %     0.84 %     0.63 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:                                        
Net assets, end of year (in millions)   $ 1,969.2     $ 1,692.1     $ 1,639.6     $ 1,359.2     $ 1,762.1  
Ratios to average net assets(d):                                        

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.56 %     0.57 %     0.58 %     0.58 %(b)     0.59 %(b)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

    0.59 %     0.61 %     0.63 %     0.63 %(b)     0.64 %(b)
Net investment income     4.79 %     4.53 %     2.69 %     0.81 %     0.63 %

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each year reported and includes reinvestment of dividends and distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
(b)  
Includes commissions received by American Skandia Marketing, Inc. under the Portfolios Distribution Plan. The Distribution Plan was terminated by the Board of Trustees of the Trust effective November 18, 2004.
(c)   Less than $0.005 per share.
(d)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.
 

 
    AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
      November 19, 2007(d)  
      Through  
      December 31, 2007(e)  
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:              
Net Asset Value, beginning of period       $ 10.00    
       
   
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:              
Net investment income         0.10    
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments         1.43    
       
   

Total from investment operations

        1.53    
       
   
Net Asset Value, end of period       $ 11.53    
       
   
Total Return(a)         15.30 %  
Ratios/Supplemental Data:              
Net assets, end of period (in millions)       $ 13.5    
Ratios to average net assets(f):              

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

        0.53 %(c)(g)  

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

        5.73 %(c)  

Net investment income

        7.84 %(c)  
Portfolio turnover rate         80 %(b)  

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
(g)   Includes loan interest expense of 0.13%.

249



    AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
      November 19, 2007(d)  
      Through  
      December 31, 2007(f)  
     
 
Per Share Operating Performance:              
Net Asset Value, beginning of period       $ 10.00    
       
   
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:              
Net investment income         0.11    
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments         0.05    
       
   

Total from investment operations

        0.06    
       
   
Net Asset Value, end of period       $ 10.06    
       
   
Total Return(a)         0.60 %  
Ratios/Supplemental Data:              
Net assets, end of period (in millions)         $7.9    
Ratios to average net assets(e):              

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

        0.40 %(c)  

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

        8.31 %(c)  

Net investment income

        9.31 %(c)  
Portfolio turnover rate         19 %(b)  

(a)  

Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.

(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
(f)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
 
 
    AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
    November 19, 2007(d)
    through
    December 31, 2007(e)
   
Per Share Operating Performance:          
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.00  
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:          
Net investment income       0.10  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.11  
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.21  
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 10.21  
     
 
Total Return(a)       2.10 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in millions)       $4.9  
Ratios to average net assets(f):          

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.40 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      15.01 %(c)

Net investment income

      8.82 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       20 %(b)

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.

250



    AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
    November 19, 2007(d)
    through
    December 31, 2007(e)
   
Per Share Operating Performance:          
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.00  
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:          
Net investment income       0.15  
Net realized and unrealized gain on investments       0.05  
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.20  
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 10.20  
     
 
Total Return(a)       2.00 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in millions)       $2.8  
Ratios to average net assets(f):          

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.40 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      27.13 %(c)

Net investment income

      12.80 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       5 %(b)

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(f)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.

 
    AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
   
    November 19, 2007(d)
    through
    December 31, 2007(f)
   
Per Share Operating Performance:          
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.00  
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:          
Net investment income       0.08  
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments       (0.05 )
     
 

Total from investment operations

      0.03  
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 10.03  
     
 
Total Return(a)       0.30 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 5.0  
Ratios to average net assets(e):          

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.40 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      13.22 %(c)

Net investment income

      7.12 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       97 %(b)

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolios in which the Portfolio invests.
(f)   Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.

251


 
    AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio
   
    November 19, 2007(d)
    through
    December 31, 2007
   
Per Share Operating Performance:          
Net Asset Value, beginning of period     $ 10.00  
     
 
Income (Loss) From Investment Operations:          
Net investment income       0.03  
Net realized and unrealized loss on investments       (0.03 )
     
 

Total from investment operations

       
     
 
Net Asset Value, end of period     $ 10.00  
     
 
Total Return(a)       0.00 %
Ratios/Supplemental Data:          
Net assets, end of period (in millions)     $ 692.9  
Ratios to average net assets(e):          

Expenses After Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.91 %(c)

Expenses Before Advisory Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement

      0.91 %(c)

Net investment income

      4.54 %(c)
Portfolio turnover rate       5 %(b)

(a)  
Total return is calculated assuming a purchase of a share on the first day and a sale on the last day of each period reported and includes reinvestment of distributions and does not reflect the effect of insurance contract charges. Total return does not reflect expenses associated with the separate account such as administrative fees, account charges and surrender charges which, if reflected, would reduce the total return for all periods shown. Performance figures may reflect voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements. In the absence of voluntary fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements, the total return would be lower. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Total returns may reflect adjustments to conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Total returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
(b)   Not annualized.
(c)   Annualized.
(d)   Commencement of operations.
(e)   Does not include expenses of the underlying portfolio in which the Portfolio invests.

 

252




APPENDIX I

Target Asset Allocations for Growth Asset Allocation Portfolios

Asset Class CLS Horizon Niemann Allocation
and Growth Growth Capital Growth Guideline
Investment Asset Asset Asset Established
Category Allocation Allocation Allocation by PI
Core Equities 70.565% 61.240% 60.141% 60%-80%
Domestic Large & Mid Cap 53.761% 46.951% 50.117% 30%-80%
Large & Mid Cap Value 20.162% 15.310% 15.035% 15%-40%
Large & Mid Cap Growth 33.599% 31.641% 35.082% 15%-40%
Domestic Small Cap 0.000% 0.000% 0.000% 0%-7%
Small Cap Value 0.000% 0.000% 0.000% 0%-7%
Small Cap Growth 0.000% 0.000% 0.000% 0%-7%
International Large Cap 16.804% 14.289% 10.024% 0%-20%
Value 7.224% 6.124% 0.000% 0%-20%
Growth 9.580% 8.165% 10.024% 0%-20%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income 20.162% 31.126% 30.572% 20%-40%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) 13.105% 27.558% 10.384% 10%-40%
Cash/Money Market Instruments 7.057% 3.568% 20.188% 0%-30%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 9.273% 7.634% 9.287% 0%-10%

 

253

APPENDIX II

Target Asset Allocations for Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolios

Asset Class and Investment Category AST CLS
Moderate Asset
Allocation
AST Horizon
Moderate Asset
Allocation
Allocation
Guideline
Established by PI
Core Equities 50.573% 41.973% 40%-60%
Domestic Large & Mid Cap 37.840% 34.978% 20%-60%
Large & Mid Cap Value 10.115% 11.992% 10%-30%
Large & Mid Cap Growth 27.725% 22.986% 10%-30%
Domestic Small Cap 0.000% 0.000% 0%-6%
Small Cap Value 0.000% 0.000% 0%-6%
Small Cap Growth 0.000% 0.000% 0%-6%
International Large Cap 12.733% 6.995% 0%-15%
Value 5.256% 2.998% 0%-10%
Growth 7.477% 3.997% 0%-10%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income 40.459% 49.968% 40%-60%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) 28.321% 46.971% 20%-60%
Cash/Money Market Instruments 12.138% 2.997% 0%-40%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 8.968% 8.059% 0%-10%

 

254

APPENDIX III

Underlying Portfolio Weights for Asset Allocation Portfolios

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Asset Class and Investment Category Underlying Portfolio Estimated Weight
Core Equities 70.565%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 9.750%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 9.750%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Mid-Cap Value 0.670%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 19.490%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 13.000%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 1.110%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 7.230%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 9.580%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income Securities 20.162%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 13.105%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 7.057%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 9.273%
Commodities iPath Dow Jones-AIG Commodity Index (DJP) 1.861%
International Equity iShares MSCI Emerging Market Index Fund (EEM) 2.530%
Sector Equity iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (IXN) 4.882%
Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities Corporate Bond (HYG) 0.000%

 

255

AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
Asset Class and Investment Category Underlying Portfolio Estimated Weight
Core Equities 50.573%
Comestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 4.890%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 4.890%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Mid-Cap Value 0.330%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 16.080%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 10.730%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 0.910%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 5.260%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 7.480%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income Securities 40.459%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 28.320%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 12.140%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 8.970%
Commodities iPath Dow Jones—AIG Commodity Index (DJP) 1.803%
International Equity iShares MSCI Emerging Market Index (EEM) 2.451%
Sector Equity iShares S&P Global Technology Sector Index Fund (IXN) 4.715%
Non-Investment Grade Debt Securities iShares Corporate Bond (HYG) 0.000%

 

256

AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Asset Class and Investment Category Underlying Portfolio Estimated Weight
Core Equities 61.240%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 7.400%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 7.400%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Mid-Cap Value 0.510%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 18.350%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 12.240%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 1.040%
Domestic Small-Cap Growth AST Federated Aggressive Growth 0.000%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 6.120%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 8.170%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income/Cash 31.260%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 27.560%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 3.570%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 7.634%
Commodity PowerShares DB Commodity Index Fund (DBC) 3.068%
Sector Equity PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio 3.096%
International Equity iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (EWG) 0.000%
iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP) 1.471%
Short-Term Debt Securities iShares Lehman 1-3 Treasury 0.000%

 

257

AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
Asset Class and Investment Category Underlying Portfolio Estimated Weight
Core Equities 41.974%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 5.800%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 5.800%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Mid-Cap Value 0.400%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 13.330%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 8.900%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 0.760%
Domestic Small-Cap Value AST Small-Cap Value 0.000%
Domestic Small-Cap Growth AST Federated Aggressive Growth 0.000%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 3.000%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 4.000%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income/Cash 49.968%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds) AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 46.970%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 3.000%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 8.060%
Commodity PowerShares DB Commodity Index (DBC) 2.014%
Sector Equity PowerShares Cleantech Portfolio (PZD) 2.023%
International Equity iShares MSCI Germany Index Fund (EWG) 2.003%
iShares MSCI Spain Index Fund (EWP) 2.019%
Short-Term Debt Securities iShares Lehman 1-3 Treasury (TIP) 0.000%

 

258

AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio*
Asset Class and Investment Category Underlying Portfolio Estimated Weight
Core Equities 60.142%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 7.270%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 7.270%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Mid-Cap Value 0.500%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 20.350%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 13.580%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 1.160%
Domestic Small-Cap Growth AST Federated Agressive Growth 0.000%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 0.000%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 10.020%
Core Domestic Fixed-Income/Cash 30.572%
Domestic Fixed-Income (Core Bonds)** AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 10.380%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 20.190%
"Off-Benchmark" Investment Categories 9.290%
Sector Equity United States Oil Fund (USO) 2.030%
iShares Dow Jones U.S. Utilities Sector Index Fund (IDU) 2.014%
Select Sector SPDR (XLP) 2.018%
Domestic Fixed Income iShares Lehman TIPS Bond Fund (TIP) 2.000%
iShares Lehman 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Fund (IEF) 1.225%

259



APPENDIX IV

Description of Certain Debt Securities Ratings


STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

AAA : An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA : An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A : An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB : An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB : An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B : An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC : An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC : An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C : The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.

Plus (+) or Minus (-) : The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories

Commercial Paper Ratings

A-1 : This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.

A-2 : Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.

Notes Ratings

An S&P notes rating reflects the liquidity factors and market risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a notes rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment.

  • Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note.

  • Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

SP-1 : Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

 

260

SP-2 : Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (MOODY'S)

Debt Ratings

Aaa : Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

Aa : Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.

A : Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.

Baa : Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

Ba : Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.

B : Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

Caa : Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.

Ca : Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.

C : Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating category from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer is in the higher end of its letter rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; the modifier 3 indicates that the issuer is in the lower end of the letter ranking category.

Short-Term Ratings

Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor senior financial obligations and contracts. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.

PRIME-1 : Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:

  • Leading market positions in well-established industries.

  • High rates of return on Portfolios employed.

  • Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.

  • Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.

  • Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

PRIME-2 : Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This normally will be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage

 

261

ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

MIG 1 : This designation denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2 : This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the proceeding group.

FITCH, INC.

International Long-Term Credit Ratings

AAA : Highest Credit Quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA : Very High Credit Quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A : High Credit Quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB : Good Credit Quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.

BB : Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

B : Highly Speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

CCC, CC, C : High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.

 

262

APPENDIX V

Underlying Trust Portfolio Weights for Core Investment Categories

"Core" Investment Category Underlying Trust Portfolio Estimated Weight Within "Core" Investment Category
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Value AST Large-Cap Value 48.35%
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income 48.35%
AST Mid-Cap Value 3.30%
Domestic Large & Mid-Cap Growth AST Marsico Capital Growth 58.03%
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth 38.69%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth 3.28%
Domestic Small-Cap Value AST Small-Cap Value 100.00%
Domestic Small-Cap Growth AST Federated Aggressive Growth 100.00%
International Large-Cap Value AST International Value 100.00%
International Large-Cap Growth AST International Growth 100.00%
Domestic Fixed-Income Securities
Domestic Fixed-Income* AST PIMCO Total Return Bond 100.00%
Cash/Money Market Instruments AST Money Market 100.00%

 

263

INVESTOR INFORMATION SERVICES:

Shareholder inquiries should be made by calling (800) 778-2255 or by writing to Advanced Series Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. Additional information about the Portfolios is included in a Statement of Additional Information, which is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about the Portfolios' investments is available in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the annual reports, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Portfolio's performance during its last fiscal year. The Statement of Additional Information and additional copies of annual and semi-annual reports are available without charge by calling the above number. The Statement of Additional Information and the annual and semi-annual reports are also available without charge on the Fund's website at www.prudential.com.

Delivery of Prospectus and Other Documents to Households. To lower costs and eliminate duplicate documents sent to your address, the Fund, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, may begin mailing only one copy of the Fund's prospectus, prospectus supplements, annual and semi-annual reports, proxy statements and information statements, or any other required documents to your address even if more than one shareholder lives there. If you have previously consented to have any of these documents delivered to multiple investors at a shared address, as required by law, and you wish to revoke this consent or would otherwise prefer to continue to receive your own copy, you should call the number above, or write to the Fund at the above address. The Fund will begin sending individual copies to you within thirty days of revocation.

The information in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (including the Statement of Additional Information) is available from the Commission. Copies of this information may be obtained, upon payment of duplicating fees, by electronic request to publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing the Public Reference Section of the Commission, Washington, DC 20549-0102. The information can 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 the Commission at 1-202-551-8090. Finally, information about the Fund is available on the EDGAR database on the Commission's internet site at www.sec.gov.

Investment Company File Act No. 811-05186

ASTFUNDPROS

 


 

May 1, 2008

STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

This Statement of Additional Information (SAI) of Advanced Series Trust (the "Fund") is not a prospectus and should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus of the Fund dated May 1, 2008 and can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 778-2255 or by writing to the Fund at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102. The Fund's Prospectus is incorporated by reference into this SAI, and this SAI has been incorporated by reference into the Fund's Prospectus.


The Fund's audited financial statements are incorporated into this SAI by reference to the Fund's 2007 Annual Report (File No. 811-5186). You may request a copy of the Annual Report at no charge by calling the telephone number or writing to the address indicated above.

 

 

AST SAI 2008

 




Table of Contents
3 PART I
3 INTRODUCTION
3 FUND PORTFOLIOS, INVESTMENT POLICIES & STRATEGIES
13 FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
31 NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS
44 INFORMATION ABOUT TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS
48 MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS
61 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: OTHER ACCOUNTS
78 PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS POLICIES
115 OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS
116 PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE
126 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
128 PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS
138 FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
139 PART II
139 INVESTMENT RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS
161 NET ASSET VALUES
163 TAXATION
163 DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS
165 PROXY VOTING
166 CODES OF ETHICS
166 LICENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
168 APPENDIX I: DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS
172 APPENDIX II: PROXY VOTING POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISERS

 


PART I

INTRODUCTION

This SAI sets forth information about Advanced Series Trust (the Fund). Part I provides additional information about the Fund's Board of Trustees, certain investments and investment strategies which may be used by the Fund's Portfolios, the advisory services provided to and the management fees paid by the Fund, and information about other fees paid by and services provided to the Fund. Part II provides explanations of various investments and strategies that may be used by certain of the Fund's Portfolios, and should be read in conjunction with Part I.

FUND PORTFOLIOS, INVESTMENT POLICIES & STRATEGIES

The Fund is an open-end management investment company (commonly known as a mutual fund) that is intended to provide a range of investment alternatives through its separate Portfolios, each of which is, for investment purposes, in effect a separate fund (the Portfolios). The Portfolios currently offered by the Fund are set forth in the table below:

Portfolios Offered by Advanced Series Trust
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio AST Money Market Portfolio
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio
AST Global Real Estate Portfolio AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST High Yield Portfolio AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST International Growth Portfolio AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST International Value Portfolio AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio AST Neimann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
AST MFS Growth Portfolio

The Fund offers one class of shares of each Portfolio. Shares of the Fund are or may be sold to separate accounts of The Prudential Insurance Company of America, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey and Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Company (collectively, Prudential Insurance) as investment options under variable life insurance and variable annuity contracts. In addition, shares of the Portfolios may be offered to separate accounts of non-Prudential insurance companies for the same types of contracts (collectively, with the Prudential Insurance contracts, the Contracts). These separate accounts invest in shares of the Fund through subaccounts that correspond to the Portfolios. The separate accounts will redeem shares of the Fund to the extent necessary to provide benefits under the Contracts or for such other purposes as may be consistent with the Contracts.

Not every Portfolio is available under each Contract. The prospectus for each Contract lists the Portfolios currently available under that particular Contract.

In order to sell shares to both Prudential and non-Prudential insurance companies, the Fund has obtained an exemptive order (the Order) from the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The Fund and its Portfolios are managed in compliance with the terms and conditions of that Order.

 

3

The Portfolios are managed by Prudential Investments and AST Investment Services, Inc. (collectively referred to as PI, or the Manager) as discussed in the Fund's Prospectus. Each of the Portfolios has a different investment objective. For this reason, each Portfolio will have different investment results and be subject to different financial and market risks. As discussed in the Prospectus, several of the Portfolios may invest in money market instruments and comparable securities as part of assuming a temporary defensive position. The investment objectives of each Portfolio are discussed in the Prospectus.

The following table identifies certain types of investments and strategies that each Portfolio may use. The "Investment Risks and Considerations" Section in Part II of the SAI includes explanations of these investments and investment strategies, as well as the risks and considerations associated with these investments and investment strategies. The categories checked in the table do not represent an exclusive list of the investments and investment strategies that each Portfolio may use. Each Portfolio also may invest from time to time in certain types of investments and investment strategies that are either not listed below or are not identified below as relating to the Portfolio.

Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Advanced Strategies AllianceBernstein Core Value AllianceBernstein Growth & Income American Century Income & Growth American Century Strategic Allocation Bond Portfolio 2015 Bond Portfolio 2018 Bond Portfolio 2019 Cohen & Steers Realty DeAM Large Cap Value First Trust Capital Appreciation Target DeAM Small Cap Value Federated Aggressive Growth First Trust Balanced Target Global Real Estate
Asset-Backed Securities x x x x x x x x x x
Asset-Based Securities x x x x x
Precious Metal-Related Securities x
Borrowing and Leverage x x x x x x x
Convertible Securities x x x x x x x x
Corporate Loans x x x
Debt Securities x x x x x x x x x x
Depositary Receipts x x x x x x x x x
Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Hedging x x x x x x x x x x x
Indexed & Inverse Securities x x x x x x
Swap Agreements x x x x x x x x x x
Credit Default Swap Agreements x x x x x x x x x
Credit-Linked Securities x x x x x x x
Total Return Swap Agreements x x x x x x x x x
Options on Securities & Securities Indices x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Call Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Put Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Types of Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Futures x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x x
Forward Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x
Currency Futures x x x x x
Currency Options x x x x x
Limitations on Currency Hedging x x x x x
Risk Factors in Hedging Foreign Currency Risks x x x x x x x
Risk Factors in Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Credit Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Leverage Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Liquidity Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives x x x x x
Distressed Securities x x
Foreign Investment Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Market Risk and Economy Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk x x x x x x x x x
Governmental Supervison and Regulation/Accounting Standards x x x x x x x x x x x
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States x x x x x x x x x x x x
Settlement Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Illiquid or Restricted Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 4


Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Advanced Strategies AllianceBernstein Core Value AllianceBernstein Growth & Income American Century Income & Growth American Century Strategic Allocation Bond Portfolio 2015 Bond Portfolio 2018 Bond Portfolio 2019 Cohen & Steers Realty DeAM Large Cap Value First Trust Capital Appreciation Target DeAM Small Cap Value Federated Aggressive Growth First Trust Balanced Target Global Real Estate
Initial Public Offerings x x x x x x
Investment in Other Investment Companies x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Exchange-Traded Funds x x x x x x x x
Investment in Emerging Markets x x x x x x x x x
Restrictions on Certain Investments x x
Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries x x x x x x
Risks of Investments in Russia x x
Junk Bonds x x x x x x x
Money Market Instruments x x x x x x x x x x x x
Mortgage-Backed Securities x x x x x x x x x x x
Municipal Securities x x x x
Real Estate-Related Securities x x x x x x x x
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) x x x x x x x x x x
Repurchase Agreements x x x x x x x x x x
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls x x x
Securities Lending x x x x x x x x x x x x
Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies x x x x x x x
Short Sales and Short Sales Against-the-Box x x x x x x
Sovereign Debt x x x x
Standby Commitment Agreements x x x x
Stripped Securities x x x x
Structured Notes x x x x
Supranational Entities x x x x x
Temporary Defensive Strategy & Short-Term Investments x x x x x x x x x
U.S. Government Securities x x x x x x x x
Warrants and Rights x x x x x x x
When Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments x x x x x x x
Zero Coupon Bonds x x x x


 

Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value High Yield Intl Growth Intl Value Inv Grade Bond JPMorgan Intl Equity Large-Cap Value Lord-Abbett Bond Debenture MFS Global Equity MFS Growth Marsico Capital Growth Mid-Cap Value
Asset-Backed Securities x x x
Asset-Based Securities x x
Precious Metal-Related Securities x
Borrowing and Leverage x x x x x x x
Convertible Securities x x x x x x x
Corporate Loans x x x
Debt Securities x x x x x x x
Depositary Receipts x x x x x x x x x
Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x
Hedging x x x x x
Indexed & Inverse Securities x x x x
Swap Agreements x x x x x x
Credit Default Swap Agreements x x x
Credit-Linked Securities x x
Total Return Swap Agreements x x
Options on Securities & Securities Indices x x x x x x x x x x x

 

5





Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value High Yield Intl Growth Intl Value Inv Grade Bond JPMorgan Intl Equity Large-Cap Value Lord-Abbett Bond Debenture MFS Global Equity MFS Growth Marsico Capital Growth Mid-Cap Value
Call Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Put Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Types of Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Futures x x x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x x
Forward Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x
Currency Futures x x x x x x x x x
Currency Options x x x x x x x x x x
Limitations on Currency Hedging x x
Risk Factors in Hedging Foreign Currency Risks x x x x x x x
Risk Factors in Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x x x
Credit Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Leverage Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Liquidity Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives x x x x x
Distressed Securities x x x
Foreign Investment Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Market Risk and Economy Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk x x x x x x x x x x
Governmental Supervison and Regulation/Accounting Standards x x x x x x x x x x x
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States x x x x x x x x x x x
Settlement Risk x x x x x x x x x x
Illiquid or Restricted Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Initial Public Offerings x x x x
Investment in Other Investment Companies x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Exchange-Traded Funds x x
Investment in Emerging Markets x x x x x x x x
Restrictions on Certain Investments x x
Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries x x x x
Risks of Investments in Russia x
Junk Bonds x x x x x x x x x
Money Market Instruments x x x x x x
Mortgage-Backed Securities x x x
Municipal Securities x x
Real Estate-Related Securities x x
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) x x x x x x x
Repurchase Agreements x x x x
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls x x x x x x
Securities Lending x x x x x x x x x x x x
Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies x x
Short Sales and Short Sales Against-the-Box x x x x x x x x
Sovereign Debt x x
Standby Commitment Agreements x
Stripped Securities x x
Structured Notes x x
Supranational Entities x x x
Temporary Defensive Strategy & Short-Term Investments x x x x x x x x
U.S. Government Securities x x x
Warrants and Rights x x x x x x x
When Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments x x x x x x x x x
Zero Coupon Bonds x x x x


 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 6



Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Money Market Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Parametric Emerging Markets Equity PIMCO Total Return Bond PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond QMA US Equity Alpha Small-Cap Growth Small-Cap Value T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation T. Rowe Price Global Bond T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth T. Rowe Price Natural Resources UBS Dynamic Alpha Western Asset Core Plus Bond
Asset-Backed Securities x x x x x x x x x x
Asset-Based Securities x x x x
Precious Metal-Related Securities x x x
Borrowing and Leverage x x x x x x
Convertible Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Corporate Loans x x x x x x x
Debt Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Depositary Receipts x x x x x x x x x x
Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Hedging x x x x x x x
Indexed & Inverse Securities x x x
Swap Agreements x x x x x x x x
Credit Default Swap Agreements x x x x x x x
Credit-Linked Securities x x x x x x x
Total Return Swap Agreements x x x x x x x x
Options on Securities & Securities Indices x x x x x x x x x x x x
Call Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Put Options x x x x x x x x x x
Types of Options x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Futures x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x x x x x x
Forward Foreign Exchange Transactions x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Futures x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Options x x x x x x x x x x
Limitations on Currency Hedging x x x x x x
Risk Factors in Hedging Foreign Currency Risks x x x x x x x
Risk Factors in Derivatives x x x x x x x x x x x x
Credit Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Leverage Risk x x x x x x x x x x x
Liquidity Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives x x x x x x x x x
Distressed Securities x x x x
Foreign Investment Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Foreign Market Risk and Economy Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Currency Risk and Exchange Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x
Governmental Supervison and Regulation/Accounting Standards x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Certain Risks of Holding Fund Assets Outside the United States x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Settlement Risk x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Illiquid or Restricted Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Initial Public Offerings x x x x x x
Investment in Other Investment Companies x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Exchange-Traded Funds x x x x x x x x x
Investment in Emerging Markets x x x x x x x x
Restrictions on Certain Investments x x x x x
Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries x x x x
Risks of Investments in Russia x x x x x
Junk Bonds x x x x x x x x x x
Money Market Instruments x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Mortgage-Backed Securities x x x x x x x x x x
Municipal Securities x x x x
Real Estate-Related Securities x x x x x
Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) x x x x x x x x x
Repurchase Agreements x x x x x x x

7



Portfolio Investments and Strategies
Money Market Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Parametric Emerging Markets Equity PIMCO Total Return Bond PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond QMA US Equity Alpha Small-Cap Growth Small-Cap Value T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation T. Rowe Price Global Bond T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth T. Rowe Price Natural Resources UBS Dynamic Alpha Western Asset Core Plus Bond
Reverse Repurchase Agreements and Dollar Rolls x x x x x x x x x x x
Securities Lending x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Securities of Smaller or Emerging Growth Companies x x x x x x x
Short Sales and Short Sales Against-the-Box x x x x x
Sovereign Debt x x x x x x x x x x
Standby Commitment Agreements x x x
Stripped Securities x x x x x
Structured Notes x x x x x x x x
Supranational Entities x x x x x x x x x x
Temporary Defensive Strategy & Short-Term Investments x x x x x x x x x x
U.S. Government Securities x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Warrants and Rights x x x x x x x x x
When Issued Securities, Delayed Delivery Securities and Forward Commitments x x x x x x x x x x
Zero Coupon Bonds x x x x x x x x


NOTE: The preceding tables do not provide any information with respect to the AST Asset Allocation Portfolios, because each of these Portfolios invests only in other Portfolios of the Fund.

Set forth below are certain specific restrictions or limitations which are applicable to a Portfolio's investments and investment strategies as noted in the preceding tables.

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio: With respect to money market futures contracts, (which are cash settled contracts and are marked to market on a daily basis), the Portfolio may segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (or in other words the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any).

AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio: No more than 25% of the Portfolio's assets may be subject to call options. The Portfolio may not purchase or sell stock index futures if, immediately thereafter, more than 30% of total assets would be hedged by stock index futures. No stock index future may be purchased if, immediately thereafter, the amount of margin deposits on the Portfolio's existing futures positions would exceed 5% of the market value of the Portfolio's total assets.

AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio: The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of issuers with less than a three year operating history.

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio : Short sales may not at any one time exceed 25% of the Portfolio's net assets; the value of securities of any one issuer in which the Portfolio is short may not exceed the lesser of 2% of the Portfolio's net assets or 2% of the securities of any class of issuer.

AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio : The Portfolio may write call and put options up to 25% of net assets and may purchase put and call options so long as no more than 5% of net assets invested in premiums on such options. The Portfolio will not engage in OTC options if the amount invested by the Portfolio in other illiquid securities exceeds 15% of net Portfolio assets. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of assets in inverse floaters.

AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio : The Portfolio may write call and put options up to 25% of net assets and may purchase put and call options provided that no more than 5% of net assets are invested in premiums on such options. The Portfolio will not engage in OTC options if the amount invested by the Portfolio in other illiquid securities exceeds 15% of net Portfolio assets. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of assets in inverse floaters. The Portfolio will not enter into futures contracts or options on futures contracts if the aggregate of the contract value of the futures contracts subject to outstanding options exceeds 50% of the Portfolio's total assets.

AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio will not enter into futures contracts or options on futures contracts if the aggregate of the contract value of the futures contracts subject to outstanding options exceeds 50% of the Portfolio's total assets. The Portfolio does not intend to invest more than 5% of total assets in collateralized obligations.

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 8




AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio : The Portofolio will not engage in short sales if the market value of all Portfolio securities sold short would exceed 25% of net assets of the Portfolio. The value of the securities of any one issuer which may be shorted is limited to the lesser of 2% of the value of the Portfolio's net assets or 2% of the securities of any class of the issuer. Short sales against-the-box are not subject to these limits.

AST Global Real Estate Portfolio : The Portfolio will normally invest at least 80% of its investable assets (net assets plus any borrowings made for investment purposes) in equity-related securities of real estate companies. This means that the Portfolio will concentrate its investments in companies that derive at least 50% of their revenues from the ownership, construction, financing, management or sale of commercial, industrial or residential real estate or companies that have at least 50% of their assets in these types of real estate-related areas.The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of its net assets in ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in private real estate. The Portfolio will execute its strategy of acquiring ownership interests in commercial real estate through investments in, for example, single member limited liability companies where the Portfolio is the sole member, joint ventures, other equity-linked investments, and mezzanine debt.

AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio will not invest more than 35% of net assets in bonds rated below investment grade. The Portfolio will not enter into any futures contracts or options on futures contracts if the aggregate amount of the Portfolio's commitments under such contracts or options would exceed the value of the Portfolio's total assets. Forward foreign currency contracts may be invested in up to the market value of the Portfolio's assets.

AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio : The Portoflio may invest up to 25% of net assets in foreign currency-denominated securities and not publicly traded in the U.S. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of assets in inverse floaters. The Portfolio will not enter into futures contracts or options on futures if the aggregate amount of the Portfolio's committments under such contracts and options would exceed the value of the Portfolio's total assets. The Portfolio may invest in foreign forward currency contracts up to the value of the Portfolio's assets.

AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio : Unlisted options, together with other illiquid securities, are subject to a limit of 15% of the Portfolio's net assets. Premiums paid for foreign currency put options will not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio does not intend to write covered call options with respect to securities with an aggregate market value of moe than 5% of its gross assets at the time the option is written. The Portfolio will not write puts hving an aggregate exercise price of greater than 25% of net Portfolio assets. The Portfolio will not purchase options on stocks not held in the Portfolio's portfolio, and will not write call options on stocks or stock indices if after such purchase, the aggregate premiums paid for such options would exceed 20% of net Portfolio assets.

The Portfolio may make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, provided that when a short position is open the Portfolio owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible or exchangable for securities of the same issuer (without payment of additional consideration). Not more than 25% of Portfolio's net assets may be subject to short sales; the Portfolio does not intend to have more than 5% of net assets (determined at the time of the short sale) subject to short sales against-the-box. The Portfolio has no present intention to commit more than 5% of gross assets to investing in debt securities.

AST High Yield Portfolio: With respect to money market futures contracts, (which are cash settled contracts and are marked to market on a daily basis), the Portfolio may segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (or in other words the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any).

AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio : Investments in REITs will not exceed 5% of total Portfolio assets. Reverse repurchase agreements may not exceed 10% of total Portfolio assets. The Portfolio will not engage in leverage, and will not purchase additional securities while borrowings from banks exceed 5% of total Portfolio assets. The Portfolio will not enter into forward contracts, futures contracts or options unless it owns an offsetting position in securities, currencies, or other options, forward contracts or futures contracts or it has cash or liquid assets with value sufficient to covert its potential obligations. The Portfolio will not write options if, after such sale, the aggregate value of securities or obligations underlying the outstanding options exceeds 20% of the Portfolio's total assets, and will not purchase options if at the time of the investment the aggregate premiums paid for the options exceeds 5% of total Portfolio assets.

AST International Value Portfolio : The Portfolio will not enter into futures and options where the aggregate initial margins and premiums exceed 5% of the fair market value of its total assets after taking into account unrealized profits and losses on options entered into. The Portfolio may invest up to 5% of total assets in fixed-income securities which are unrated or rated below investment grade at either time of purchase or as a result of a reduction in rating after purchase.

 

9  



AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio : The Portfolio may borrow for temporary or emergency purposes in amounts not exceeding 10% of total Portfolio assets. No more than 25% of total Portfolio assets can be held as collateral for short sales at any one time.

AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio : The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of assets in foreign-currency denominated securities, and may invest above this limit in U.S.-dollar denominated securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of assets in securities of issuers in emerging market countries. The Portfolio's investments in money market instruments or obligations are subject to the following restrictions: (a) the Portfolio will not invest in fixed time deposits which are either not subject to prepayment or provide for withdrawal penalties for prepayment, if more than 15% of net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illliquid assets; (b) United States bank obligations are limited to United States banks which have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of investment and are either FDIC members, examined by the Comptroller of Currency, or members of the Federal Reserve System; (c) foreign bank obligations are limited to banks which meet the following criteria:

-the bank has more than $10 billion or the equivalent in other currencies, in total assets:
-the bank is among the 75 largest foreign banks in the world;
-the bank has branches or agencies in the United States;
-the subadvisor is of the opinion that the bank's obligations are of an investment quality comparable to obligations of U.S. banks.

The Portfolio will not enter into short sales (except short sales against-the-box) if immediately after such sale the aggregate value of all collateral plus the amount in a segregated account exceeds one-third of the value of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not enter into futures and related options that do not constitute bona fide hedging positions if, immediately thereafter, the aggregate initial margin deposits plus premiums paid by it for open options positions, less the amount by which such options are "in the money," would exceed 5% of total Portfolio assets.

The Fund may invest up to 10% of its net assets in Senior Loans. A Senior Loan is typically originated, negotiated and structured by a U.S. or foreign commercial bank, insurance company, finance company or other financial institution (the "Agent") for a group of loan investors ("Loan Investors"). The Agent typically administers and enforces the Senior Loan on behalf of the other Loan Investors in the syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the Agent, holds any collateral on behalf of the Loan Investors.

Senior Loans primarily include senior floating rate loans and secondarily senior floating rate debt obligations (including those issued by an asset-backed pool), and interests therein. Loan interests primarily take the form of assignments purchased in the primary or secondary market. Loan interests may also take the form of participation interests in, or novations of, a Senior Loan. Such loan interests may be acquired from U.S. or foreign commercial banks, insurance companies, finance companies or other financial institutions who have made loans or are Loan Investors or from other investors in loan interests.

The Fund typically purchases "Assignments" from the Agent or other Loan Investors. The purchase of an Assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations under the Loan Agreement of the assigning Loan Investor and becomes a Loan Investor under the Loan Agreement with the same rights and obligations as the assigning Loan Investor. Assignments may, however, be arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, and the rights and obligations acquired by the purchaser of an Assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning Loan Investor.

The Fund also may invest in "Participations." Participations by the Fund in a Loan Investor's portion of a Senior Loan typically will result in the Fund having a contractual relationship only with such Loan Investor, not with the Borrower. As a result, the Fund may have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the Loan Investor selling the Participation and only upon receipt by such Loan Investor of such payments from the Borrower. In connection with purchasing Participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the Borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights with respect to any funds acquired by other Loan Investors through set-off against the Borrower and the Fund may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the Senior Loan in which it has purchased the Participation. As a result, the Fund may assume the credit risk of both the Borrower and the Loan Investor selling the Participation. If a Loan Investor selling a Participation becomes insolvent, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of such Loan Investor. The selling Loan Investors and other persons interpositioned between such Loan Investors and the Fund with respect to such Participations likely will conduct their principal business activities in the banking, finance and financial services industries. Persons engaged in such industries may be more susceptible to, among other things, fluctuations in interest rates, changes in the Federal Open Market Committee's monetary policy, governmental regulations concerning such industries and concerning capital raising activities generally and fluctuations in the financial markets generally.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 10

The Fund intends to acquire Participations only if the Loan Investor selling the Participation, and any other persons interpositioned between the Fund and the Loan Investor, at the time of investment has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade (BBB or A-3 or higher by Standard Poor's Ratings Group ("SP") or Baa or P-3 or higher by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. ("Moody's") or comparably rated by another nationally recognized rating agency (each a "Rating Agency")) or determined by Lord Abbett to be of comparable quality. Securities rated Baa by Moody's have speculative characteristics. Similarly, the Fund will purchase an Assignment or Participation or act as a Loan Investor with respect to a syndicated Senior Loan only where the Agent as to such Senior Loan at the time of investment has outstanding debt or deposit obligations rated investment grade or determined by Lord Abbett to be of comparable quality. Long-term debt rated BBB by SP is regarded by SP as having adequate capacity to pay interest and repay principal and debt rated Baa by Moody's is regarded by Moody's as a medium grade obligation, i.e., it is neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Commercial paper rated A-3 by SP indicates that SP believes such obligations exhibit adequate protection parameters but that adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation and issues of commercial paper rated P-3 by Moody's are considered by Moody's to have an acceptable ability for repayment of senior short-term obligations. The effect of industry characteristics and market compositions may be more pronounced.

For some loans, such as revolving credit facility loans ("revolvers"), a Loan Investor may have certain obligations pursuant to the Loan Agreement that may include the obligation to make additional loans in certain circumstances. The Fund generally will reserve against these contingent obligations by segregating or otherwise designating a sufficient amount of permissible liquid assets. Delayed draw term loans are similar to revolvers, except that once drawn upon by the borrower during the commitment period, they remain permanently drawn and become term loans. A prefunded L/C term loan is a facility created by the Borrower in conjunction with an Agent, with the loan backed by letters of credit. Each participant in a prefunded L/C term loan fully funds its commitment amount to the Agent for the facility.

AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio wil not enter into any futures contracts or options on futures contracts if the aggregate amount of the Portfolio's commitments under outstanding futures contract positions and options on futures contracts would exceed the Portfolio's total assets. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% in high yield/high risk (junk bonds) and mortgage and asset-backed securities. The Portfolio will not enter into any interest rate swap, cap or floor transaction unless the unsecured senior debt or the claims-paying ability of the other party thereto is rated in one of the three highest rating categories of at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of entering into the transaction.

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio : The Portfolio may invest up to 25% of assets in more speculative convertible debt securities with a rating of , or equivalent of B or better by SP. The Portfolio may invest up to 5% of assets in junk bonds. The Portfolio may pledge, mortgage or hypothecate up to 20% of assets to secure permissible borrowings.

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio : The subadviser will limit counterparties in OTC options transactions to dealers with a net worth of at least $20 million as reported in their latest financial statements. The Portfolio will generally not enter into a foreign forward contract with a term of greater than one year. The Portfolio may write and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies in amounts not exceeding 5% of net Portfolio assets.

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio: The Portfolio will limit counterparties in OTC options transactions to dealers with at least $20 million in net worth as reported in their latest financial statements. The Portfolio may invest in lower-rated foreign debt securities subject to the Portfolio's 15% limitation on lower-rated debt securities. The Portfolio may not purchase any foreign currency-denominatd securities if, after such purchase more than 10% of total Portfolio assets would be invested in such securities. Where the Portfolio engages in foreign forward currency contracts for hedging purposes, it will not enter in such contracts to sell currency or maintain a net exposure to such contracts if their consummation would obligate the Portfolio to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of its portfolio securities or other assets denominated in that currency. The Portfolio will generally not enter into foreign forward currency contracts with a term of greater than one year.

The Portfolio may write and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies in amounts not exceeding 5% of net assets. The Portfolio may invest up to 5% of net assets in zero coupon bonds.

AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio : The Portfolio's investments in money market instruments or obligations are subject to the following restrictions: (a) the Portfolio will not invest in fixed time deposits which are either not subject to prepayment or provide for withdrawal penalties for prepayment if more than 15% of net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illliquid assets; (b) United States bank obligations are limited to United States banks which have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of investment and are either FDIC members, examined by the Comptroller of Currency, or members of the Federal Reserve System; (c) foreign bank obligations are limited to banks which meet the following

 

11  

criteria:

-the bank has more than $10 billion or the equivalent in other currencies, in total assets:
-the bank is among the 75 largest foreign banks in the world;
-the bank has branches or agencies in the United States;
-the subadvisor is of the opinion that the bank's obligations are of an investment quality comparable to obligations of U.S. banks.

The Portfolio does not intend to enter into short sales (other than those against-the-box) if immediately after such sale the aggregate value of all collateral plus the amount in a segregated account exceeds one-third of the value of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of net assets in any combination of inverse floater, interest only, or principal only securities.

With respect to money market futures contracts, (which are cash settled contracts and are marked to market on a daily basis), the Portfolio may segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (or in other words the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any).

AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio : The Portfolio's investments in money market instruments or obligations are subject to the following restrictions: (a) the Portfolio will not invest in fixed time deposits which are either not subject to prepayment or provide for withdrawal penalties for prepayment if more than 15% of net assets would be invested in such deposits, repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days and other illliquid assets; (b) United States bank obligations are limited to United States banks which have more than $1 billion in total assets at the time of investment and are either FDIC members, examined by the Comptroller of Currency, or members of the Federal Reserve System; (c) foreign bank obligations are limited to banks which meet the following criteria:

-the bank has more than $10 billion or the equivalent in other currencies, in total assets:
-the bank is among the 75 largest foreign banks in the world;
-the bank has branches or agencies in the United States;
-the subadvisor is of the opinion that the bank's obligations are of an investment quality comparable to obligations of U.S. banks.

The Portfolio does not intend to enter into short sales (other than those against-the-box) if immediately after such sale the aggregate value of all collateral plus the amount in a segregated account exceeds one-third of the value of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of net assets in any combination of inverse floater, interest only, or principal only securities.

With respect to money market futures contracts, (which are cash settled contracts and are marked to market on a daily basis), the Portfolio may segregate or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (or in other words the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any).

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio may not purchase any foreign-currency denominated securities if after such purchase more than 10% of total assets would be invested in such securities. The Portfolio will generally not enter into a foreign forward contract with a duration of more than one year. The Portfolio may write and purchase covered call and put options on foreign currencies in amounts not exceeding 5% of net assets.

AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio : The Portfolio's investments in junk bonds are limited to 5% of total assets. The Portfolio will not write a covered call option or put option if, as a result, the aggregate market value of all portfolio securities or currencies covering call or put options exceeds 25% of the market value of the Portfolio's net assets.

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio : The Portfolio will not write a covered call option or put option if, as a result, the aggregate market value of all portfolio securities or currencies covering call or put options exceeds 25% of the market value of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not commit more than 5% of its assets to premiums when purchasing call and put options.

The Portfolio may also invest in TIPS, or Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities.TIPSare inflation-linked securities issued by the U.S. government. Inflation-linked securities are income-generating instruments whose interest and principal payments are adjusted for inflation—a sustained increase in prices that erodes the purchasing power of money. Inflation linked bonds are also issued by corporations, U.S. government agencies, states, and foreign countries. The inflation adjustment, which is typically applied monthly to the principal of the bond, follows a designated inflation index, such as the consumer price index (CPI). A fixed coupon rate is applied to the inflation adjusted principal so that as inflation rises, both the principal value and the interest payments increase. This can provide investors with a hedge against inflation, as it helps preserve the purchasing power of your investment. Because of this

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 12

inflation-adjustment feature, inflation-protected bonds typically have lower yields than conventional fixed-rate bonds. Municipal inflation bonds generally have a fixed principal amount and the inflation component is reflected in the nominal coupon.

Inflation-protected bonds normally will decline in price when real interest rates rise. (A real interest rate is calculated by subtracting the inflation rate from a nominal interest rate. For example, if a 10-year Treasury note is yielding 5% and rate of inflation is 2%, the real interest rate is 3%.) If inflation is negative, the principal and income of an inflation-protected bond will decline and could result in losses for the portfolio.

AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio: The Portfolio may invest up to 20% of assets in below investment-grade high risk bonds and emerging market bonds. The Portfolio may invest up to 30% of its assets in mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities. The Portfolio will generally not invest more than 5% of its assets in any individual corporate issuer. However, the Portfolio may place assets in bank deposits or other short-term bank instruments with a maturity of up to 30 days provided that the bank has a short term credit rating of A1+ (or if unrated, the equivalent as determined by the subadviser); and the Portfolio may not maintain more than 10% of total assets with any single bank. The Portfolio may maintain more than 5% of its total assets, including cash and currencies, in custodial accounts or deposits of the Fund's custodian or subcustodians.
The Portfolio will not write covered call or put options if, as a result, the aggregate market value of all portfolio securities covering call or put options exceeds 25% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not commit more than 5% of total assets to premiums when purchasing call or put options.

AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio may invest up to 5% of assets in warrants and rights. The Portfolio may invest up to 15% of total assets in securities of foreign issuers. The Portfolio will not sell a call or put option written by it if, as a result of the sale, the aggregate of the Portfolio's portfolio securities subject to outstanding call or put options (valued at the lower of the option price or market value of such securities) would exceed 15% of the Portfolio's total assets. The aggregate cost of all outstanding options purchased and held by the Portfolio, including options on market indices, will at no time exceed 10% of the Portfolio's total assets.

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio : The Portfolio will not write covered call or put options if, as a result, the aggregate market value of all portfolio securities covering call or put options exceeds 25% of the Portfolio's net assets. The Portfolio will not commit more than 5% of total assets to premiums when purchasing call or put options. The Portfolio may invest up to 50% of total assets in U.S. dollar-denominated and non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities of foreign issuers.

AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio: The Portfolio intends to use futures, forward agreements, options, swaps and other derivatives (collectively Derivatives) to the extent permitted by the prospectus and shall not be limited by any contrary disclosure contained in Part II.. The Portfolio is not subject to the "Limitation on Currency Hedging" discussed in Part II and may engage in such hedging to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act.

AST International Growth Portfolio : The Portfolio may invest up to 10% of assets in zero coupon bonds, pay-in-kind and step securities.

FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

Set forth below are certain investment restrictions applicable to the Portfolios. Fundamental restrictions may not be changed without a majority vote of shareholders as required by the 1940 Act. Non-fundamental restrictions may be changed by the Board of Trustees without shareholder approval.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the Following Portfolios:

  • AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

  • AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio

  • AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

  • AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

  • AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio

  • AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

  • AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

  • AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

  • AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

  • AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

  • AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

  • AST MFS Growth Portfolio

 

13

  • AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

  • AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

  • AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

  • AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

  • AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio

  • AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

  • AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

1. No Portfolio may issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

2. With respect to each Portfolio other than the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio, no Portfolio may borrow money, except that a Portfolio may (i) borrow money for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes, and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies; provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. Subject to the above limitations, a Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

With respect only to the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio, the Portfolio may not borrow money, except that the Porfolio may borrow money from banks provided that the Portfolio maintains a ratio of assets to borrowings at all times in the manner set forth in the Investment Company Act of 1940. Notwithstanding the above limitation, the Portfolio may borrow money from any person to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

3. No Portfolio may underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

4. No Portfolio may purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5. No Portfolio may purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

6. No Portfolio may make loans, except that a Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. No Portfolio other than the AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio may purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). The AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio will invest at least 25% of its total assets in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

8. No Portfolio other than the AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio may, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be held by the Portfolio. The AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio may not, with respect to 50% of a Portfolio's total assets, invest in the securities of any one issuer (other than the U.S. Government and its agencies and instrumentalities), if immediately after and as a result of such investment more than 5% of the total assets of the Portfolio would be invested in such issuer.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 14

If a restriction on a Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restrictions (2)and (6), a Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

With respect to investment restriction (6), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit a Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restriction (7), the AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio and the AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security for purposes of determining the percentage of the Portfolios' assets invested in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the following Portfolios:

  • AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

  • AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio

  • AST High Yield Portfolio

  • AST Large Cap Value Portfolio

  • AST Money Market Portfolio

  • AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

1. A Portfolio will not underwrite securities issued by others except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter when purchasing or selling securities.

2. A Portfolio will not issue senior securities.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the Following Portfolios:

  • AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio

  • AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

  • AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

Under its fundamental investment restrictions, each Portfolio may not:

1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Investment Company Act).

2. Borrow money, except that a Portfolio may (i) borrow money for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes, and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies; provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3 % of the value of the Portfolio's assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. Subject to the above limitations, a Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

3. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that a Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

 

15

6. Make loans, except that a Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33- 1/3 % of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. Purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or to municipal securities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). For purposes of this limitation, investments in other investment companies shall not be considered an investment in any particular industry.

8. With respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be held by the Portfolio.

If a restriction on a Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of the Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restriction (6), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restriction (7), a Portfolio will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security for purposes of determining the percentage of the Portfolio's assets invested in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.

With respect to investment restrictions (2) and (6), a Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

Except as expressly specified immediately above, the investment objective and all other investment policies and restrictions of each Portfolio are not "fundamental" policies and may be changed by the Board of Trustees of the Fund without approval of the shareholders of the applicable Portfolio.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the AST Asset Allocation Portfolios:

  • AST Aggressive Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio

Under its fundamental investment restrictions, each Asset Allocation Portfolio may not:

1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the Investment Company Act).

2. Borrow money, except that an Asset Allocation Portfolio may (i) borrow money for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes, and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment objective and policies; provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. Subject to the above limitations, an Asset Allocation Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act, or to the extent permitted by

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 16

any exemption from the Investment Company Act that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

3. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that an Asset Allocation Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit an Asset Allocation Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit an Asset Allocation Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

6. Make loans, except that an Asset Allocation Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Asset Allocation Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. Purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or to municipal securities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). For purposes of this limitation, investments in other investment companies shall not be considered an investment in any particular industry.

If a restriction on an Asset Allocation Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of Asset Allocation Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Asset Allocation Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Asset Allocation Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restrictions (2)and (6), an Asset Allocation Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rulespermitting such transactions.

With respect to investment restriction (6), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit an Asset Allocation Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restriction (7), each Asset Allocation Portfolio will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security for purposes of determining the percentage of the Asset Allocation Portfolio's assets invested in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST International Growth Portfolio:

1. The Portfolio may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). If borrowings exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets by reason of a decline in net assets, the Portfolio will reduce its borrowings within three business days to the extent necessary to comply with the 33 1/3% limitation. This policy shall not prohibit reverse repurchase agreements, deposits of assets to margin or guarantee positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts, or the segregation of assets in connection with such contracts. Subject to the above limitations, the Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

2. The Portfolio will not, as to 75% of the value of its total assets, own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer, or purchase the securities of any one issuer (except cash items and "government securities" as defined under the 1940 Act as

 

17

amended), if immediately after and as a result of such purchase, the value of the holdings of the Portfolio in the securities of such issuer exceeds 5% of the value of its total assets.

3. The Portfolio will not invest more than 25% of the value of its assets in any particular industry (other than U.S. government securities).

4. The Portfolio will not invest directly in real estate or interests in real estate; however, the Portfolio may own debt or equity securities issued by companies engaged in those businesses.

5. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell physical commodities other than foreign currencies unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities (but this limitation shall not prevent the Portfolio from purchasing or selling options, futures, swaps and forward contracts or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities).

6. The Portfolio may not make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. The Portfolio will not act as an underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the disposition of its securities.

8. The Portfolio will not issue senior securities except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio:

The following fundamental policies should be read in connection with the notes set forth below. The notes are not fundamental policies. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Borrow money except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and program, provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. The Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. Purchase or sell physical commodities; except that it may enter into futures contracts and options thereon;

3. Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry;

4. Make loans, although the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities and participate in an interfund lending program to the extent permitted by applicable law, provided that no such loan may be made if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly-distributed or privately-placed debt securities and purchase debt; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

5. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of a single issuer, except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities;

6. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets, more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer would be held by the Portfolio (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 18

7. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business);

8. Issue senior securities except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

9. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, exceptto the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities in the ordinary course of pursuing its investment program.

Notes: The following notes should be read in connection with the above-described fundamental policies. The notes are not fundamental policies.

With respect to investment restrictions (1)and (4), the Portfolio will not borrow from or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rulespermitting such transactions.

With respect to investment restriction (2), the Portfolio does not consider currency contracts or hybrid investments to be commodities.

For purposes of investment restriction (3), U.S., state or local governments, or related agencies or instrumentalities, are not considered an industry.

For purposes of investment restriction (4), the Portfolio will consider the acquisition of a debt security to include the execution of a note or other evidence of an extension of credit with a term of more than nine months.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST International Value Portfolio:

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio will not:

1. Make loans of money or securities other than (a)through the purchase of securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment objective, (b)through repurchase agreements, (c)by lending portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed 33 1/3% of the Portfolio's total assets and (d)loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemptions therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. Underwrite securities issued by others except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter when purchasing or selling securities;

3. Issue senior securities;

4. Invest directly in physical commodities (other than foreign currencies), real estate or interests in real estate; provided, that the Portfolio may invest in securities of issuers which invest in physical commodities, real estate or interests in real estate; and, provided further, that this restriction shall not prevent the Portfolio from purchasing or selling options, futures, swaps and forward contracts, or from investing in securities or other instruments backed by physical commodities, real estate or interests in real estate;

5. Make any investment which would concentrate 25% or more of the Portfolio's total assets in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that this limitation does not apply to obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities;

6. Borrow money except from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, and then in amounts up to 33 1/3% of the Portfolio's total assets;

7. As to 75% of the value of its total assets, invest more than 5% of its total assets, at market value, in the securities of any one issuer (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities); or

8. As to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase more than 10% of any class of securities of any single issuer or purchase more than 10% of the voting securities of any single issuer.

 

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In applying the above restriction regarding investments in a single industry, the Portfolio uses industry classifications based, where applicable, on Baseline , Bridge Information Systems , Reuters , the S&P Stock Guide published by Standard & Poor's, information obtained from Bloomberg L.P. and Moody's International, and/or the prospectus of the issuing company. Selection of an appropriate industry classification resource will be made by the subadviser in the exercise of its reasonable discretion. (This note is not a fundamental policy.)

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio:

The following fundamental policies should be read in connection with the notes set forth below. The notes are not fundamental policies. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Borrow money except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and program, provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. The Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. Purchase or sell physical commodities; except that it may enter into futures contracts and options thereon;

3. Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry;

4. Make loans, although the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities provided that no such loan may be made if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets; (ii) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance; (iii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; and (iv) acquire publicly-distributed or privately-placed debt securities and purchase debt;

5. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of a single issuer, except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities;

6. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets, more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer would be held by the Portfolio (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

7. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business);

8. Issue senior securities except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

9. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities in the ordinary course of pursuing its investment program.

Notes: The following notes should be read in connection with the above-described fundamental policies. The notes are not fundamental policies.

With respect to investment restriction (2), the Portfolio does not consider currency contracts or hybrid investments to be commodities.

For purposes of investment restriction (3), U.S., state or local governments, or related agencies or instrumentalities, are not

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 20

considered an industry. Industries are determined by reference to the classifications of industries set forth in the Portfolio's semi-annual and annual reports.

For purposes of investment restriction (4), the Portfolio will consider the acquisition of a debt security to include the execution of a note or other evidence of an extension of credit with a term of more than nine months.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio:

1. As to 50% of the value of its total assets, the Portfolio will not purchase a security of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if as a result, (a) more than 5% of its total assets, at market value, would be invested in the securities of any one issuer or (b) the Portfolio would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.

2. The Portfolio will not purchase a security if as a result, more than 25% of its total assets, at market value, would be invested in the securities of issuers principally engaged in the same industry (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities).

3. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell real estate (although it may purchase securities secured by real estate interests or interests therein, or issued by companies or investment trusts which invest in real estate or interests therein).

4. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell physical commodities other than foreign currencies unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities (but this shall not prevent the Portfolio from purchasing or selling options, futures, swaps and forward contracts or from investing in securities and other instruments backed by physical commodities).

5. The Portfolio may not make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

6. The Portfolio may not borrow money except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and program, provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. The Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio:

1. As to 75% of the value of its total assets, the Portfolio will not purchase a security of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if as a result, (a) more than 5% of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of that issuer, or (b) the Portfolio would hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of that issuer.

2. The Portfolio may not make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

3. The Portfolio will not concentrate its investments in any one industry (the Portfolio's investment policy of keeping its assets in those securities which are selling at the most reasonable prices in relation to value normally results in diversification among many industries — consistent with this, the Portfolio does not intend to invest more than 25% of its assets in any one industry classification used by the Sub-advisor for investment purposes, although such concentration could, under unusual economic and market conditions, amount to 30% or conceivably somewhat more).

 

21  

4. The Portfolio will not borrow money except from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, and then in amounts not in excess of 33 1/3% of its total assets. The Portfolio may borrow at prevailing interest rates and invest the Portfolios in additional securities. The Portfolio's borrowings are limited so that immediately after such borrowing the value of the Portfolio's assets (including borrowings) less its liabilities (not including borrowings) is at least three times the amount of the borrowings. Should the Portfolio, for any reason, have borrowings that do not meet the above test then, within three business days, the Portfolio must reduce such borrowings so as to meet the necessary test. Under such a circumstance, the Portfolio have to liquidate securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so.

5. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell real estate (although it may purchase securities secured by real estate interests or interests therein, or issued by companies or investment trusts which invest in real estate or interests therein).

6. The Portfolio will not invest directly in oil, gas, or other mineral exploration or development programs; however, the Portfolio may purchase securities of issuers whose principal business activities fall within such areas.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio:

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Borrow money except from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, in excess of 33 1/3% of the value of its total net assets, and when borrowing, it is for temporary or emergency purposes;

2. Buy or sell real estate, commodities, commodity contracts (however, the Portfolio may purchase securities of companies investing in real estate);

3. Purchase securities if the purchase would cause the Portfolio, at the time, with respect to 75% of its total assets, to have more than 5% of its total assets invested in the securities of any one company or to own more than 10% of the voting securities of any one company (except obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies);

4. Make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance; or

5. Invest more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets in one particular industry.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio:

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio will not:

1. Make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. With respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the security of any one issuer if such purchase would cause more than 5% of the Portfolio's assets at market to be invested in the securities of such issuer, except United States government securities, or if the purchase would cause more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer to be held in the Portfolio;

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 22

3. Invest more than 25% of the assets of the Portfolio, exclusive of cash and U.S. government securities, in securities of any one industry;

4. Issue any senior security except in compliance with the 1940 Act;

5. Underwrite any securities except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed an underwriter when purchasing or selling securities;

6. Purchase or sell real estate. (In the opinion of the Sub-advisor, this restriction will not preclude the Portfolio from investing in securities of corporations that deal in real estate.);

7. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies or (ii) investing in securities of any kind; or

8. Borrow any money, except in an amount not in excess of 33 1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio, and then only for temporary, emergency and extraordinary purposes; this does not prohibit the escrow and collateral arrangements in connection with investment in interest rate futures contracts and related options by the Portfolio. Subject to the above limitations, the Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio:

The following fundamental policies should be read in connection with the notes set forth below. The notes are not fundamental policies. As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Borrow money except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may or may be deemed to involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies, provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings which come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. The Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. Purchase or sell physical commodities; except that it may enter into futures contracts and options thereon;

3. Purchase the securities of any issuer if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry;

4. Make loans, although the Portfolio may (i) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (ii) acquire publicly- distributed or privately placed debt securities and purchase debt; (iii) lend portfolio securities provided that no such loan may be made if, as a result, the aggregate of such loans would exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption there from that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

5. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of a single issuer, except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or any of its agencies or instrumentalities;

6. Purchase a security if, as a result, with respect to 75% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets, more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer would be held by the Portfolio (other than obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities);

7. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments (but this shall not prevent the Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or securities of companies engaged in the real estate business);

 

23

8. Issue senior securities except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

9. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that the Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 in connection with the purchase and sale of its portfolio securities in the ordinary course of pursuing its investment program.

Notes: The following notes should be read in connection with the above described fundamental policies. The notes are not fundamental policies.

With respect to investment restrictions (1)and (4), the Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

With respect to investment restriction (2), the Portfolio does not consider currency contracts on hybrid investments to be commodities.

For the purposes of investment restriction (3), United States federal, state or local governments, or related agencies and instrumentalities, are not considered an industry. Foreign governments are considered an industry.

For purposes of investment restriction (4), the Portfolio will consider the acquisition of a debt security to include the execution of a note or other evidence of an extension of credit with a term of more than nine months.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio:

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Borrow money, except for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes or except in connection with reverse repurchase agreements provided that the Portfolio maintains asset coverage of 300% for all borrowings. Subject to the above limitations, the Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

2. Purchase or sell real estate (except that the Portfolio may invest in (i) securities of companies which deal in real estate or mortgages, and (ii) securities secured by real estate or interests therein, and that the Portfolio reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Portfolio's ownership of securities) or purchase or sell physical commodities or contracts relating to physical commodities;

3. Act as underwriter of securities issued by others, except to the extent that it may be deemed an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities of the Portfolio;

4. Make loans to other persons, except (a) loans of portfolio securities, (b) to the extent the entry into repurchase agreements and the purchase of debt securities in accordance with its investment objectives and investment policies may be deemed to be loans, and (c) loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance;

5. Issue senior securities except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

6. Purchase any securities which would cause more than 25% of the market value of its total assets at the time of such purchase to be invested in the securities of one or more issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry, provided that there is no limitation with respect to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities (for the purposes of this restriction, telephone companies are considered to be in a separate industry from gas and electric public utilities, and wholly-owned finance companies are considered to be in the industry of their parents if their activities are primarily related to financing the activities of their parents).

Notes: The following notes should be read in connection with the above described fundamental policies. The notes are not fundamental policies.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 24

For purposes of investment restriction (4), the Portfolio will consider the acquisition of a debt security to include the execution of a note or other evidence of an extension of credit with a term of more than nine months.

For purposes of investment restriction (6), U.S., state or local governments, or related agencies or instrumentalities, are not considered an industry. It is the position of the Staff of the SEC that foreign governments are industries for purposes of this restriction. For as long as this staff position is in effect, the Portfolio will not invest more than 25% of its total assets in the securities of any single governmental issuer. For purposes of this restriction, governmental entities are considered separate issuers.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST High Yield Portfolio:

1. The Portfolio will not borrow money except for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes and then only from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, and only in amounts not in excess of 33 1/3% of the value of its net assets, taken at the lower of cost or market. In addition, to meet redemption requests without immediately selling portfolio securities, the Portfolio may borrow up to one-third of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less its liabilities (not including borrowings, but including the current fair market value of any securities carried in open short positions). This practice is not for investment leverage but solely to facilitate management of the portfolio by enabling the Portfolio to meet redemption requests when the liquidation of portfolio securities is deemed to be inconvenient or disadvantageous. If, due to market fluctuations or other reasons, the value of the Portfolio's assets falls below 300% of its borrowings, it will reduce its borrowings within three business days.

2. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities of any one issuer (except cash and cash instruments, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities, or instruments secured by these money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements).

3. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell real estate, although it may invest in marketable securities secured by real estate or interests in real estate, and it may invest in the marketable securities of companies investing or dealing in real estate.

4. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell commodities or commodity contracts or oil, gas, or other mineral exploration or development programs. However, it may invest in the marketable securities of companies investing in or sponsoring such programs.

5. The Portfolio may not make loans, except that the Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33-1/3% of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value; (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements; (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities; and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

6. The Portfolio will not invest more than 25% of the value of its total assets in one industry. However, for temporary defensive purposes, the Portfolio may at times invest more than that percentage in: cash and cash items; securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities; or instruments secured by these money market instruments, such as repurchase agreements.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio:

1. The Portfolio will not invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of investment) would be invested in securities of issuers of a particular industry, except that this restriction does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto);

2. The Portfolio will not, with respect to 75% of its total assets, invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, more than 5% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of investment) would be invested in the securities of any one issuer, except that this restriction does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto);

3. The Portfolio will not, with respect to 75% of its assets, invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, it would hold more than 10% (taken at the time of investment) of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer;

 

25

4. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell real estate (although it may purchase securities secured by real estate or interests therein, or securities issued by companies which invest in real estate, or interests therein);

5. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell commodities contracts or oil, gas or mineral programs. This restriction shall not prohibit the Portfolio, subject to restrictions stated in the Trust's Prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement, from purchasing, selling or entering into futures contracts, options on futures contracts, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currency options, or any interest rate, securities related or foreign currency-related hedging instrument, including swap agreements and other derivative instruments, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities laws or commodities laws;

6. The Portfolio will not borrow money, issue senior securities, pledge, mortgage, hypothecate its assets, except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, or enter into reverse repurchase agreements, or employ similar investment techniques, and pledge its assets in connection therewith, but only if immediately after each borrowing there is an asset coverage of 300% and (ii) enter into transactions in options, futures and options on futures and other derivative instruments as described in the Trust's Prospectus and this Statement (the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with the writing of covered put and call options and the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin deposits for future contracts and commitments entered into under swap agreements or other derivative instruments, will not be deemed to be pledges of the Portfolio's assets);

7. The Portfolio will not lend funds or other assets, except that the Portfolio may, consistent with its investment objective and policies: (a) invest in debt obligations, including bonds, debentures or other debt securities, bankers' acceptances and commercial paper, even though the purchase of such obligations may be deemed to be the making of a loan, (b) enter into repurchase agreements, (c) lend its Portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed one-third the value of its total assets, provided such loans are and in accordance with applicable guidelines established by the SEC; and (d) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio:

As a matter of fundamental policy, the Portfolio may not:

1. Invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, more than 25% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of such investment) would be invested in the securities of issuers in any particular industry, except that this restriction does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto);

2. With respect to 75% of its assets, invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, more than 5% of its total assets (taken at market value at the time of such investment) would be invested in securities of any one issuer, except that this restriction does not apply to securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies or instrumentalities;

3. With respect to 75% of its assets, invest in a security if, as a result of such investment, it would hold more than 10% (taken at the time of such investment) of the outstanding voting securities of any one issuer;

4. Purchase or sell real estate (although it may purchase securities secured by real estate or interests therein, or securities issued by companies which invest in real estate, or interests therein);

5. Purchase or sell commodities or commodities contracts or oil, gas or mineral programs. This restriction shall not prohibit the Portfolio, subject to restrictions described in the Prospectus and elsewhere in this Statement, from purchasing, selling or entering into futures contracts, options, or any interest rate, securities-related or foreign currency-related hedging instrument, including swap agreements and other derivative instruments, subject to compliance with any applicable provisions of the federal securities or commodities laws;

6. Borrow money, issue senior securities, or pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets, except that the Portfolio may (i) borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, or enter into reverse repurchase agreements, or employ similar investment techniques, and

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 26

pledge its assets in connection therewith, but only if immediately after each borrowing there is asset coverage of 300% and (ii) enter into transactions in options, futures and options on futures and other derivative instruments as described in the Prospectus and in this Statement (the deposit of assets in escrow in connection with the writing of covered put and call options and the purchase of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, collateral arrangements with respect to initial or variation margin deposits for futures contracts and commitments entered into under swap agreements or other derivative instruments, will not be deemed to be pledges of the Portfolio assets);

7. Lend any funds or other assets, except that a Portfolio may, consistent with its investment objective and policies: (a) invest in debt obligations, including bonds, debentures or other debt securities, banker' acceptance and commercial paper, even though the purchase of such obligations may be deemed to be the making of loans, (b) enter into repurchase agreements, (c) lend its portfolio securities in an amount not to exceed one-third of the value of its total assets, provided such loans are made in accordance with applicable guidelines established by the SEC; and (d) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Money Market Portfolio:

1. The Portfolio will not purchase a security if as a result, the Portfolio would own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of any issuer.

2. As to 75% of the value of its total assets, the Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of its total assets, at market value, in the securities of any one issuer (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities).

3. The Portfolio will not purchase a security if as a result, more than 25% of its total assets, at market value, would be invested in the securities of issuers principally engaged in the same industry (except securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government, its agencies or instrumentalities, negotiable certificates of deposit, time deposits, and bankers' acceptances of United States branches of United States banks).

4. The Portfolio will not enter into reverse repurchase agreements exceeding in the aggregate one-third of the market value of the Portfolio's total assets, less liabilities other than obligations created by reverse repurchase agreements.

5. The Portfolio will not borrow money, except from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law including the Investment Company Act of 1940, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the Investment Company Act of 1940 that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance, for temporary, extraordinary or emergency purposes and then only in amounts not to exceed 33 1/3% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets, taken at cost, at the time of such borrowing. The Portfolio may not mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any assets except in connection with any such borrowing. The Portfolio will not purchase securities while borrowings exceed 5% of the Portfolio's total assets. This borrowing provision is included to facilitate the orderly sale of securities, for example, in the event of abnormally heavy redemption requests, and is not for investment purposes and shall not apply to reverse repurchase agreements.

6. The Portfolio will not make loans, except through purchasing or holding debt obligations, or entering into repurchase agreements, or loans of Portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment objectives and policies, or making loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940 or any exemption therefrom that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. The Portfolio will not purchase or sell puts, calls, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof; real estate; commodities; or commodity contracts or interests in oil, gas or mineral exploration or development programs. However, the Portfolio may purchase bonds or commercial paper issued by companies which invest in real estate or interests therein including real estate investment trusts.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the Following Portfolios:

  • AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio

  • AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

 

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Under its fundamental investment restrictions, each Portfolio may not:

1. Issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act.

2. Borrow money, except that a Portfolio may (i) borrow money for non-leveraging, temporary or emergency purposes, and (ii) engage in reverse repurchase agreements and make other investments or engage in other transactions, which may involve a borrowing, in a manner consistent with the Portfolio's investment objective and policies; provided that the combination of (i) and (ii) shall not exceed 33 1/3 % of the value of the Portfolio's assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings) or such other percentage permitted by law. Any borrowings that come to exceed this amount will be reduced in accordance with applicable law. Subject to the above limitations, a Portfolio may borrow from persons to the extent permitted by applicable law, including the 1940 Act, or to the extent permitted by any exemption from the 1940 Act that may be granted by the SEC, or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

3. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that a Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

4. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

5. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

6. Make loans, except that a Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33 1/3 % of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any exemption there from that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

7. Purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or to municipal securities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). For purposes of this limitation, investments in other investment companies shall not be considered an investment in any particular industry.

8.Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio Only: With respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be held by the Portfolio.

If a restriction on a Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of the Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restriction (6), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restriction (7), a Portfolio will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security for purposes of determining the percentage of the Portfolio's assets invested in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.

With respect to investment restrictions (2) and (6), a Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 28

Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the Following Portfolios:

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2015

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2018

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2019

  • AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

Under its fundamental investment restrictions, each Portfolio may not:

1. Issue senior securities or borrow money or pledge its assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and rules thereunder, exemptive order, Commission release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations. For purposes of this restriction, the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, short sales, derivative and hedging transactions such as interest rate swap transactions, and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and transactions similar to any of the foregoing and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and obligations of a Portfolio to Trustees pursuant to any deferred compensation arrangements are not deemed to be a pledge of assets or the issuance of a senior security.

2. Underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that a Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

3. Purchase or sell real estate unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or other instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

4. Purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit a Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

5. Make loans, except that a Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33- 1 / 3 % of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any exemption there from that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

6. Purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities or to municipal securities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). For purposes of this limitation, investments in other investment companies shall not be considered an investment in any particular industry.

7. With respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be held by the Portfolio.

If a restriction on a Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of the Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restriction (5), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restriction (6), a Portfolio will not consider a bank-issued guaranty or financial guaranty insurance as a separate security for purposes of determining the percentage of the Portfolio's assets invested in the securities of issuers in a particular industry.

With respect to investment restrictions (1) and (5), a Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

 

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Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to the Following Portfolios:

  • AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

  • AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

The investment restrictions set forth below are "fundamental" policies.More information regarding "fundamental" policies of the Portfolios and the requirements for changing such "fundamental" policies is set forth in this SAI under the caption "Investment Objectives, Policies and Principal Risks."More information about the "non-fundamental" investment policies of the Portfolios is set forth in the Prospectus under the caption "Investment Objectives and Policies."

1.Neither Portfolio may issue senior securities or borrow money or pledge its assets, except as permitted by the 1940 Act and rules thereunder, exemptive order, Commission release, no-action letter or similar relief or interpretations. For purposes of this restriction, the purchase or sale of securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis, reverse repurchase agreements, dollar rolls, short sales, derivative and hedging transactions such as interest rate swap transactions, and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and transactions similar to any of the foregoing and collateral arrangements with respect thereto, and obligations of a Portfolio to Trustees pursuant to any deferred compensation arrangements are not deemed to be a pledge of assets or the issuance of a senior security.

2. Neither Portfolio may underwrite securities issued by other persons, except to the extent that a Portfolio may be deemed to be an underwriter (within the meaning of the Securities Act) in connection with the purchase and sale of portfolio securities.

3. Neither Portfolio may purchase or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments; provided, however, that this restriction shall not prohibit either Portfolio from investing in securities or other instruments backed by real estate or in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

4. Neither Portfolio may purchase or sell physical commodities unless acquired as a result of the ownership of securities or instruments; provided that this restriction shall not prohibit either Portfolio from (i) engaging in permissible options and futures transactions and forward foreign currency contracts in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies, or (ii) investing in securities of any kind.

5. Neither Portfolio may make loans, except that each Portfolio may (i) lend portfolio securities in accordance with the Portfolio's investment policies in amounts up to 33- 1 / 3 % of the total assets of the Portfolio taken at market value, (ii) purchase money market securities and enter into repurchase agreements, (iii) acquire publicly distributed or privately placed debt securities, and (iv) make loans of money to other investment companies to the extent permitted by the 1940 Act or any exemption there from that may be granted by the SEC or any SEC releases, no-action letters or similar relief or interpretive guidance.

6.The Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 25% of the value of the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio's assets would be invested in the securities of issuers having their principal business activities in the same industry; provided that this restriction does not apply to investments in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities (or repurchase agreements with respect thereto). The Global Real Estate Portfolio will invest at least 25% of its total assets in securities of companies engaged in the real estate business.

7. The Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio may not, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, purchase the securities of any issuer (other than securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or any of its agencies or instrumentalities) if, as a result, (i) more than 5% of the value of the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or (ii) more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer would be held by the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio.

If a restriction on a Portfolio's investments is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a subsequent change in the percentage of the Portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in average duration of the Portfolio's investment portfolio, resulting from changes in the value of the Portfolio's total assets, will not be considered a violation of the restriction; provided, however, that the asset coverage requirement applicable to borrowings shall be maintained in the manner contemplated by applicable law.

With respect to investment restriction (5), the restriction on making loans is not considered to limit the Portfolio's investments in loan participations and assignments.

With respect to investment restrictions (1) and (5), the Portfolio will not borrow or lend to any other fund unless it applies for and receives an exemptive order from the SEC, if so required, or the SEC issues rules permitting such transactions.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 30

NON-FUNDAMENTAL INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS


Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

The Portfolio may not:

1. Acquire more than 3% of the voting securities of another investment company; or
2. Invest more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company; or
3. Invest more than 10% of its total assets in other investment companies.


Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Purchase any security or evidence of interest therein on margin, except that such short-term credit as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities may be obtained and except that deposits of initial deposit and variation margin may be made in connection with the purchase, ownership, holding or sale of futures;

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management;

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

4. Invest more than 15% of the Portfolio's net assets (taken at the greater of cost or market value) in securities that are illiquid or not readily marketable, not including Rule 144A securities and commercial paper that is sold under section 4(2) of the 1933 Act that have been determined to be liquid under procedures established by the Board of Trustees.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio

The Portfolio may not:

1. Purchase the securities of any other investment company except in compliance with the 1940 Act; and

2. Sell securities short.

3. Pledge, mortgage, or hypothecate its assets — however, this provision does not apply to the grant of escrow receipts or the entry into other similar escrow arrangements arising out of the writing of covered call options.

4. Purchase securities of any issuer unless it or its predecessor has a record of three years' continuous operation, except that the Portfolio may purchase securities of such issuers through subscription offers or other rights it receives as a security holder of companies offering such subscriptions or rights, and such purchases will then be limited in the aggregate to 5% of the Portfolio's net assets at the time of investment.

5. Make short sales except short sales made "against the box" to defer recognition of taxable gains or losses.

6. Purchase a security if as a result, more than 5% of the value of that Portfolio's assets, at market value, would be invested in the securities of issuers which, with their predecessors, have been in business less than three years.

7. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

8. Buy any securities or other property on margin (except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions).

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Invest more than 15% of its assets in illiquid investments;

 

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2. Invest in the securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act;

3. Buy securities on margin or sell short (unless it owns, or by virtue of its ownership of, other securities has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold); however, the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with the use of any financial instrument or any transaction in securities permitted under its investment policies; or

4. Invest for control or for management.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions of AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of real estate related issuers unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest in illiquid securities, as defined in the prospectus under "Investment Objective and Policies, AST Cohen Steers Realty Portfolio" if immediately after such investment more than 15% of the Portfolio's net assets (taken at market value) would be invested in such securities;

3. Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or otherwise encumber its assets, except to secure permitted borrowings;

4. Participate on a joint or joint and several basis in any securities trading account;

5. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control;

6. Purchase securities of investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

7. (a) invest in interests in oil, gas, or other mineral exploration or development programs; or (b) purchase securities on margin, except for such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of transactions.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions of AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in large capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of another issuer.

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

4. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions of AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of another issuer.

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

4. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not purchase securities on margin, provided that the Portfolio may obtain short-term credits necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities, and further provided that the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 32

its use of financial options and futures, forward and spot currency contracts, swap transactions and other financial contracts or derivative instruments.

2. The Portfolio will not mortgage, pledge, or hypothecate any of its assets, provided that this shall not apply to the transfer of securities in connection with any permissible borrowing or to collateral arrangements in connection with permissible activities.

3. The Portfolio will not purchase securities for which there is no readily available market, or enter into repurchase agreements or purchase time deposits maturing in more than seven days, if immediately after and as a result, the value of such securities would exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Portfolio's net assets.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable to AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not purchase a security if as a result, more than 15% of its net assets in the aggregate, at market value, would be invested in securities which cannot be readily resold because of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or for which there is no readily available market, or repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days or securities used as a cover for written over-the-counter options, if any. The Trustees, or the Investment Manager or the Sub-advisor acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Trustees, may determine that a readily available market exists for securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, or any successor to such rule, and therefore that such securities are not subject to the foregoing limitation.

2. The Portfolio may borrow money for temporary or emergency purposes (not for leveraging or investment) in an amount not exceeding 25% of the value of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) less liabilities (other than borrowings). Any borrowings that come to exceed 25% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets by reason of a decline in net assets will be reduced within three business days to the extent necessary to comply with the 25% limitation. Under such a circumstance, the Portfolio may have to liquidate securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so. This policy shall not prohibit reverse repurchase agreements or deposits of assets to margin or guarantee positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts, or the segregation of assets in connection with such contracts.

3. The Portfolio will not enter into any futures contracts or options on futures contracts for purposes other than bona fide hedging transactions (as defined by the CFTC) if as a result the sum of the initial margin deposits and premium required to establish positions in futures contracts and related options that do not fall within the definition of bona fide hedging transactions would exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Portfolio's net assets.

4. The Portfolio will not enter into any futures contracts if the aggregate amount of the Portfolio's commitments under outstanding futures contracts positions of the Portfolio would exceed the market value of the total assets of the Portfolio.

5. The Portfolio will not sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short, and provided that transactions in options, swaps and forward futures contracts are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

6. The Portfolio will not mortgage or pledge any securities owned or held by the Portfolio in amounts that exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Portfolio's net asset value, provided that this limitation does not apply to reverse repurchase agreements or in the case of assets deposited to margin or guarantee positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts or placed in a segregated account in connection with such contracts.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. The Portfolio does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short without the payment of any additional consideration therefor, and provided that transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

3. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments and other deposits in connection with transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts shall not be deemed to constitute purchasing securities on margin.

4. The Portfolio may not mortgage or pledge any securities owned or held by the Portfolio in amounts that exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Portfolio's net asset value, provided that this limitation does not apply to reverse repurchase agreements, deposits of assets

 

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to margin, guarantee positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts, or the segregation of assets in connection with such contracts.

5. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase any security or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market. The Trustees, or the Portfolio's Sub-advisor acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Trustees, may determine that a readily available market exists for securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 ("Rule 144A Securities"), or any successor to such rule, Section 4(2) commercial paper and municipal lease obligations. Accordingly, such securities may not be subject to the foregoing limitation.

6. The Portfolio may not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control of management

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Effective July 31, 2002, change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Pledge its assets (other than to secure borrowings or to the extent permitted by the Portfolio's investment policies as permitted by applicable law);

3. Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position except to the extent permitted by applicable law;

4. Invest knowingly more than 15% of its net assets (at the time of investment) in illiquid securities, except for securities qualifying for resale under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933, deemed to be liquid by the Board of Trustees;

5. Invest in the securities of other investment companies except as permitted by applicable law;

6. Invest in real estate limited partnership interests or interests in oil, gas or other mineral leases, or exploration or other development programs, except that the Portfolio may invest in securities issued by companies that engage in oil, gas or other mineral exploration or other development activities; or

7. Write, purchase or sell puts, calls, straddles, spreads or combinations thereof, except to the extent permitted in this Statement and the Trust's Prospectus, as they may be amended from time to time.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST High Yield Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

(1) Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management;

(2) Invest more than 15% of the Fund's net assets in illiquid investments, including illiquid repurchase agreements with a notice or demand period of more than seven days, securities which are not readily marketable and restricted securities not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule144A under the 1933 Act;

(3) Purchase additional securities if the Fund's borrowings (excluding covered mortgage dollar rolls) exceed 5% of its net assets

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST International Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in securities of issuers that are economically tied to countries other than the United States unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. The Portfolio will not (i) enter into any futures contracts and related options for purposes other than bona fide hedging transactions within the meaning of CFTC regulations if the aggregate initial margin and premiums required to establish positions in futures contracts and related options that do not fall within the definition of bona fide hedging transactions will exceed 5% of the fair market value of the Portfolio's net assets, after taking into account unrealized profits and unrealized losses on any such contracts it has entered into; and (ii) enter into any futures contracts if the aggregate amount of the Portfolio's commitments under outstanding futures contracts positions would exceed the market value of its total assets.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 34

3. The Portfolio does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short without the payment of any additional consideration therefor, and provided that transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

4. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments and other deposits in connection with transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts shall not be deemed to constitute purchasing securities on margin.

5. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase securities of other investment companies, except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

6. The Portfolio may not mortgage or pledge any securities owned or held by the Portfolio in amounts that exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Portfolio's net asset value, provided that this limitation does not apply to reverse repurchase agreements, deposits of assets to margin, guarantee positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts, or the segregation of assets in connection with such contracts.

7. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase any security or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market. The Trustees, or the Sub-advisor acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Trustees, may determine that a readily available market exists for securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933 ("Rule 144A Securities"), or any successor to such rule, and Section 4(2) commercial paper. Accordingly, such securities may not be subject to the foregoing limitation.

8. The Portfolio may not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control of management.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST International Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest more than 15% of the market value of its net assets in securities which are not readily marketable, including repurchase agreements maturing in over seven days;

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act;

4. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

5. Purchase any securities on margin except to obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of transactions (and provided that margin payments and other deposits in connection with transactions in options, futures and forward contracts shall not be deemed to constitute purchasing securities on margin); or

6. Sell securities short.

In addition, in periods of uncertain market and economic conditions, as determined by the Subadvisers, the Portfolio may depart from its basic investment objective and assume a defensive position with up to 100% of its assets temporarily invested in high quality corporate bonds or notes and government issues, or held in cash.

If a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage beyond the specified limit that results from a change in values or net assets will not be considered a violation.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

 

35

2. Make investments for the purpose of gaining control of a company's management.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Pledge its assets (other than to secure borrowings, or to the extent permitted by the Portfolio's investment policies);

3. Make short sales of securities;

4. Invest knowingly more than 15% of its net assets (at the time of investment) in illiquid securities;

5. Invest in the securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act;

6. Invest in real estate limited partnership interests or interests in oil, gas or other mineral leases, or exploration or other development programs, except that the Portfolio may invest in securities issued by companies that engage in oil, gas or other mineral exploration or other development activities;

7. Write, purchase or sell puts, calls, straddles, spreads or combinations thereof, except to the extent permitted in this Statement and the Trust's Prospectus, as they may be amended from time to time;

8. Invest more than 10% of the market value of its gross assets at the time of investment in debt securities that are in default as to interest or principal.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in equity securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable to AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio does not currently intend to sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold short without the payment of any additional consideration therefor, and provided that transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts are not deemed to constitute selling securities short.

2. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase securities on margin, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions, and provided that margin payments and other deposits in connection with transactions in futures, options, swaps and forward contracts shall not be deemed to constitute purchasing securities on margin.

3. The Portfolio may not mortgage or pledge any securities owned or held by the Portfolio in amounts that exceed, in the aggregate, 15% of the Portfolio's net asset value, provided that this limitation does not apply to (i) reverse repurchase agreements; (ii) deposits of assets on margin; (iii) guaranteed positions in futures, options, swaps or forward contracts; or (iv) the segregation of assets in connection with such contracts.

4. The Portfolio does not currently intend to purchase any securities or enter into a repurchase agreement if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in repurchase agreements not entitling the holder to payment of principal and interest within seven days and in securities that are illiquid by virtue of legal or contractual restrictions on resale or the absence of a readily available market. The Trustees of the Trust, or the Sub-advisor acting pursuant to authority delegated by the Trustees, may determine that a readily available market exists for securities eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor to such rule, and Section 4(2) commercial paper. Accordingly, such securities may not be subject to the foregoing limitation.

5. The Portfolio may not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 36

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

The Portfolio may not:

1. Purchase securities on margin, but it may obtain such short-term credits from banks as may be necessary for the clearance of purchase and sales of securities;

2. Mortgage, pledge or hypothecate any of its assets except that, in connection with permissible borrowings, not more than 20% of the assets of the Portfolio (not including amounts borrowed) may be used as collateral;

3. Invest in the securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the Investment Company Act of 1940;

4. Invest, in the aggregate, more than 15% of the value of its total assets in securities for which market quotations are not readily available, securities that are restricted for public sale, or in repurchase agreements maturing or terminable in more than seven days;

5. Sell securities short, except that the Portfolio may make short sales if it owns the securities sold short or has the right to acquire such securities through conversion or exchange of other securities it owns; or

6. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Money Market Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not buy any securities or other property on margin (except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions).

2. Portfolio will not invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

3. The Portfolio will not acquire any illiquid securities, such as repurchase agreements with more than seven days to maturity or fixed time deposits with a duration of over seven calendar days, if as a result thereof, more than 10% of the market value of the Portfolio's total assets would be in investments which are illiquid.

4. The Portfolio will not purchase securities on margin, make short sales of securities, or maintain a short position, provided that this restriction shall not be deemed to be applicable to the purchase or sale of when-issued securities or of securities for delivery at a future date.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. The Portfolio may not purchase securities if outstanding borrowings, including any reverse repurchase agreements, exceed 5% of its total assets.

3. Except for the purchase of debt securities and engaging in repurchase agreements, the Portfolio may not make any loans other than securities loans.

4. The Portfolio may not purchase securities on margin from brokers, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of securities transactions. Margin payments in connection with transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute the purchase of securities on margin and shall not be deemed to violate the foregoing limitation.

5. The Portfolio may not sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold without payment of additional consideration. Transactions in futures contracts and options shall not constitute selling securities short.

6. The Portfolio may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the ordinary course of business for approximately the amount at which the Portfolio has valued the securities, such as repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

 

37

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in medium capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. The Portfolio may not purchase securities if outstanding borrowings, including any reverse repurchase agreements, exceed 5% of its total assets.

3. Except for the purchase of debt securities and engaging in repurchase agreements, the Portfolio may not make any loans other than securities loans.

4. The Portfolio may not purchase securities on margin from brokers, except that the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of securities transactions. Margin payments in connection with transactions in futures contracts and options on futures contracts shall not constitute the purchase of securities on margin and shall not be deemed to violate the foregoing limitation.

5. The Portfolio may not sell securities short, unless it owns or has the right to obtain securities equivalent in kind and amount to the securities sold without payment of additional consideration. Transactions in futures contracts and options shall not constitute selling securities short.

6. The Portfolio may not purchase any security if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in illiquid securities. Illiquid securities include securities that cannot be sold within seven days in the ordinary course of business for approximately the amount at which the Portfolio has valued the securities, such as repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

7. The Portfolio may not invest in puts, calls, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof, except that the Portfolio may (i) write (sell) covered call options against portfolio securities having a market value not exceeding 10% of its net assets and (ii) purchase call options in related closing transactions. The Portfolio does not construe the foregoing limitation to preclude it from purchasing or writing options on futures contracts.

8. The Portfolio may not invest more than 10% of the value of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers, provided that this limitation shall not apply to foreign securities denominated in U.S. dollars.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions of AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of another issuer.

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

4. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions of Applicably Only to AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. The Portfolio will not invest more than 15% of the assets of the Portfolio (taken at market value at the time of the investment) in "illiquid securities," illiquid securities being defined to include securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale (which may include private placements), repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, certain options traded over the counter that the Portfolio has purchased, securities being used to cover options a Portfolio has written, securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or other securities which legally or in the Sub-advisor's option may be deemed illiquid.

3. The Portfolio will not purchase securities for the Portfolio from, or sell portfolio securities to, any of the officers and directors or Trustees of the Trust or of the Investment Manager or of the Sub-advisor.

4. The Portfolio will not invest more than 5% of the assets of the Portfolio (taken at market value at the time of investment) in any combination of interest only, principal only, or inverse floating rate securities.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 38

5. The Portfolio will not maintain a short position, or purchase, write or sell puts, calls, straddles, spreads or combinations thereof, except as set forth in the Trust's Prospectus and this SAI.

6. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

7. Buy any securities or other property on margin (except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions).

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest more than 15% of the assets of the Portfolio (taken at market value at the time of the investment) in "illiquid securities," illiquid securities being defined to include securities subject to legal or contractual restrictions on resale (which may include private placements), repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days, certain options traded over the counter that a Portfolio has purchased, securities being used to cover such options a Portfolio has written, securities for which market quotations are not readily available, or other securities which legally or in the Sub-advisor's opinion may be deemed illiquid.

3. Invest more than 5% of the assets of the Portfolio (taken at market value at the time of investment) in any combination of interest only, principal only, or inverse floating rate securities.

4. Maintain a short position, or purchase, write or sell puts, calls, straddles, spreads or combinations thereof, except on such conditions as may be set forth in the Prospectus and in this SAI.

5. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising control or management.

6. Buy any securities or other property on margin (except for such short-term credits as are necessary for the clearance of transactions).

The Staff of the SEC has taken the position that purchased OTC options and the assets used as cover for written OTC options are illiquid securities. Therefore, the Portfolio has adopted an investment policy pursuant to which the Portfolio will not purchase or sell OTC options if, as a result of such transactions, the sum of the market value of OTC options currently outstanding which are held by the Portfolio, the market value of the underlying securities covered by OTC call options currently outstanding which were sold by the Portfolio and margin deposits on the Portfolio's existing OTC options on futures contracts exceeds 15% of the total assets of the Portfolio, taken at market value, together with all other assets of the Portfolio which are illiquid or are otherwise not readily marketable. However, if an OTC option is sold by the Portfolio to a primary U.S. Government securities dealer recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and if the Portfolio has the unconditional contractual right to repurchase such OTC option from the dealer at a predetermined price, then the Portfolio will treat as illiquid such amount of the underlying securities equal to the repurchase price less the amount by which the option is "in-the-money" (i.e., current market value of the underlying securities minus the option's strike price). The repurchase price with the primary dealers is typically a formula price which is generally based on a multiple of the premium received for the option, plus the amount by which the option is "in-the-money."

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its net assets plus borrowings, if any, for investment purposes in equity and equity-related securities of U.S. issuers unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders;

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management;

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

4. Invest more than 15% of the Portfolio's net assets (taken at the greater of cost or market value) in securities that are illiquid or not readily marketable, not including Rule 144A securities and commercial paper that is sold under section 4(2) of the 1933 Act that have been determined to be liquid under procedures established by the Board of Trustees.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio

 

39

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Invest for the purpose of exercising control or management of another issuer.

3. Purchase securities of other investment companies, except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

4. Invest more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in small capitalization companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders (this limitation is effective on July 31, 2002).

2. Purchase additional securities when money borrowed exceeds 5% of its total assets;

3. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control;

4. Purchase a futures contract or an option thereon if, with respect to positions in futures or options on futures which do not represent bona fide hedging, the aggregate initial margin and premiums on such options would exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net asset value;

5. Purchase illiquid securities if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such securities. Securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 may be subject to this 15% limitation;

6. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act or the conditions of any order of exemption from the SEC regarding the purchase of securities of money market funds managed by the Sub-advisor or its affiliates;

7. Purchase securities on margin, except (i) for use of short-term credit necessary for clearance of purchases of portfolio securities and (ii) the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with futures contracts or other permissible investments;

8. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or, in any manner, transfer any security owned by the Portfolio as security for indebtedness except as may be necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments and then such mortgaging, pledging or hypothecating may not exceed
33 1/3% of the Portfolio's total assets at the time of borrowing or investment;

9. Invest in puts, calls, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof, except to the extent permitted by the Trust's Prospectus and this Statement;

10. Sell securities short, except that the Portfolio may make short sales if it owns the securities sold short or has the right to acquire such securities through conversion or exchange of other securities it owns; or

11. Invest in warrants if, as a result thereof, more than 10% of the value of the net assets of the Portfolio would be invested in warrants, except that this restriction does not apply to warrants acquired as a result of the purchase of another security. For purposes of these percentage limitations, the warrants will be valued at the lower of cost or market.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Purchase additional securities when money borrowed exceeds 5% of the Portfolio's total assets;

2. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control;

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 40

3. Purchase illiquid securities if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such securities. Securities eligible for resale under Rule144A of the Securities Act of 1933 may be subject to this 15% limitation;

4. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act;

5. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or, in any manner, transfer any security owned by the Portfolio as security for indebtedness except as may be necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments and then such mortgaging, pledging or hypothecating may not exceed
33 1/3% of the Portfolio's total assets at the time of borrowing or investment;

6. Invest in puts, calls, straddles, spreads, or any combination thereof to the extent permitted by the Trust's Prospectus and this Statement;

7. Purchase securities on margin, except (i) for use of short-term credit necessary for clearance of purchases of portfolio securities and (ii) the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with futures contracts or other permissible investments;

8. Invest in warrants if, as a result thereof, more than 10% of the value of the total assets of the Portfolio would be invested in warrants, provided that this restriction does not apply to warrants acquired as the result of the purchase of another security. For purposes of these percentage limitations, the warrants will be valued at the lower of cost or market;

9. Effect short sales of securities; or

10. Purchase a futures contract or an option thereon if, with respect to positions in futures or options on futures which do not represent bona fide hedging, the aggregate initial margin and premiums on such positions would exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net assets.

Notwithstanding anything in the above fundamental and operating restrictions to the contrary, the Portfolio may, as a fundamental policy, invest all of its assets in the securities of a single open-end management investment company with substantially the same fundamental investment objectives, policies and restrictions as the Portfolio subject to the prior approval of the Investment Manager. The Investment Manager will not approve such investment unless: (a) the Investment Manager believes, on the advice of counsel, that such investment will not have an adverse effect on the tax status of the annuity contracts and/or life insurance policies supported by the separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies which purchase shares of the Trust; (b) the Investment Manager has given prior notice to the Participating Insurance Companies that it intends to permit such investment and has determined whether such Participating Insurance Companies intend to redeem any shares and/or discontinue purchase of shares because of such investment; (c) the Trustees have determined that the fees to be paid by the Trust for administrative, accounting, custodial and transfer agency services for the Portfolio subsequent to such an investment are appropriate, or the Trustees have approved changes to the agreements providing such services to reflect a reduction in fees; (d) the Sub-advisor for the Portfolio has agreed to reduce its fee by the amount of any investment advisory fees paid to the investment manager of such open-end management investment company; and (e) shareholder approval is obtained if required by law. The Portfolio will apply for such exemptive relief under the provisions of the 1940 Act, or other such relief as may be necessary under the then governing rulesand regulations of the 1940 Act, regarding investments in such investment companies.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable to AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. The Portfolio will not change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in fixed income securities unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Pledge, mortgage or hypothecate its assets in excess, together with permitted borrowings, of 1/3 of its total assets;

3. Purchase securities on margin, except (i) the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with futures contracts or other permissible investments and (ii) the Portfolio may obtain such short-term credits as may be necessary for the clearance of purchases and sales of securities;

4. Purchase illiquid securities if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such securities;

5. Buy options on securities or financial instruments, unless the aggregate premiums paid on all such options held by the Portfolio at

 

41  

any time do not exceed 20% of its net assets; or sell put options on securities if, as a result, the aggregate value of the obligations underlying such put options would exceed 50% of the Portfolio's net assets;

6. Enter into futures contracts or purchase options thereon which do not represent bona fide hedging unless immediately after the purchase, the value of the aggregate initial margin with respect to all such futures contracts entered into on behalf of the Portfolio and the premiums paid for such options on futures contracts does not exceed 5% of the Portfolio's total assets, provided that in the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in computing the 5% limit;

7. Purchase warrants if as a result warrants taken at the lower of cost or market value would represent more than 10% of the value of the Portfolio's total net assets, except that this restriction does not apply to warrants acquired as a result of the purchase of another security;

8. Make securities loans if the value of such securities loaned exceeds 30% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets at the time any loan is made; all loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized and marked to market daily. The Portfolio has no current intention of making loans of portfolio securities that would amount to greater than 5% of the Portfolio's total assets; or

9. Purchase or sell real estate limited partnership interests.

10. Invest more than 20% of its total assets in below investment grade, high-risk bonds, including bonds in default or those with the lowest rating;

11. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control;

12. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

13. Effect short sales of securities.

In addition to the restrictions described above, some foreign countries limit, or prohibit, all direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. However, the governments of some countries have authorized the organization of investment funds to permit indirect foreign investment in such securities. For tax purposes these funds may be known as Passive Foreign Investment Companies. The Portfolio is subject to certain percentage limitations under the 1940 Act relating to the purchase of securities of investment companies, and may be subject to the limitation that no more than 10% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets may be invested in such securities.

Restrictions with respect to repurchase agreements shall be construed to be for repurchase agreements entered into for the investment of available cash consistent with the Portfolio's repurchase agreement procedures, not repurchase commitments entered into for general investment purposes.

If a percentage restriction on investment or utilization of assets as set forth under "Investment Restrictions" and "Investment Policies" above is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from changes in the value or the total cost of Portfolio's assets will not be considered a violation of the restriction.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable to AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

9. Purchase or sell real estate limited partnership interests.

10. Invest more than 20% of its total assets in below investment grade, high-risk bonds, including bonds in default or those with the lowest rating;

11. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control;

12. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act; or

13. Effect short sales of securities.

In addition to the restrictions described above, some foreign countries limit, or prohibit, all direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. However, the governments of some countries have authorized the organization of investment funds to permit indirect foreign investment in such securities. For tax purposes these funds may be known as Passive Foreign Investment Companies. The Portfolio is subject to certain percentage limitations under the 1940 Act relating to the purchase of securities of investment

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 42



companies, and may be subject to the limitation that no more than 10% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets may be invested in such securities.

Restrictions with respect to repurchase agreements shall be construed to be for repurchase agreements entered into for the investment of available cash consistent with the Portfolio's repurchase agreement procedures, not repurchase commitments entered into for general investment purposes.

If a percentage restriction on investment or utilization of assets as set forth under "Investment Restrictions" and "Investment Policies" above is adhered to at the time an investment is made, a later change in percentage resulting from changes in the value or the total cost of Portfolio's assets will not be considered a violation of the restriction.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio

The Portfolio will not:

1. Change its policy to invest at least 80% of the value of its assets in the securities of natural resource companies unless it provides 60 days prior written notice to its shareholders.

2. Purchase additional securities when money borrowed exceeds 5% of its total assets;

3. Invest in companies for the purpose of exercising management or control;

4. Purchase a futures contract or an option thereon if, with respect to positions in futures or options on futures which do not represent bona fide hedging, the aggregate initial margin and premiums on such options would exceed 5% of the Portfolio's net asset value;

5. Purchase illiquid securities if, as a result, more than 15% of its net assets would be invested in such securities. Securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933 may be subject to this 15% limitation;

6. Purchase securities of open-end or closed-end investment companies except in compliance with the 1940 Act.

7. Purchase securities on margin, except (i) for use of short-term credit necessary for clearance of purchases of portfolio securities and (ii) the Portfolio may make margin deposits in connection with futures contracts or other permissible investments;

8. Mortgage, pledge, hypothecate or, in any manner, transfer any security owned by the Portfolio as security for indebtedness except as may be necessary in connection with permissible borrowings or investments and then such mortgaging, pledging or hypothecating may not exceed
33 1/3% of the Portfolio's total assets at the time of borrowing or investment;

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions Applicable Only to AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio

1. The Portfolio may invest in other investment companies, including investment companies managed by UBS or an affiliate, to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act and the rules thereunder.

2. The Portfolio may borrow from banks to purchase investments to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act.

3. The Portfolio may effect short sales "against the box," and may also sell securities short.

 

43

INFORMATION ABOUT TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS

Information about the Trustees and the Officers of the Fund is set forth below. Trustees who are not deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund, as defined in the 1940 Act, are referred to as "Independent Trustees." Trustees who are deemed to be "interested persons" of the Fund are referred to as "Interested Trustees." The Trustees are responsible for the overall supervision of the operations of the Fund and perform the various duties imposed on the directors of investment companies by the 1940 Act.

Independent Trustees
Name, Address, Age
No. of Portfolios Overseen
Principal Occupation(s) During Past Five Years Other Directorships Held
Saul K. Fenster, Ph.D. (74)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 87
Currently President Emeritus of New Jersey Institute of Technology (since 2002); formerly President (1978-2002) of New Jersey Institute of Technology; Commissioner (1998-2002) of the Middle States Association Commission on Higher Education; Commissioner (1985-2002) of the New Jersey Commission on Science and Technology; formerly Director (1998-2005) of Society of Manufacturing Engineering Education Foundation; formerly Director of Prosperity New Jersey; formerly a director or trustee of Liberty Science Center, Research and Development Council of New Jersey, New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, and National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering. Member (since 2006), Board of The Ridgefield Foundation and The Leir Foundation; Board of Directors of IDT Corporation (2000-2006).
Delayne Dedrick Gold (69)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
Marketing Consultant (1982-present); formerly Senior Vice President and Member of the Board of Directors, Prudential Bache Securities, Inc.
W. Scott McDonald, Jr. (70)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 87
Formerly Management Consultant (1997-2004) and of Counsel (2004-2005) at Kaludis Consulting Group, Inc. (company serving higher education); Formerly principal (1995-1997), Scott McDonald & Associates; Chief Operating Officer (1991-1995), Fairleigh Dickinson University; Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer (1975-1991), Drew University; interim President (1988-1990), Drew University; formerly Director of School, College and University Underwriters Ltd.
Thomas T. Mooney (66)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
Formerly Chief Executive Officer, Excell Partners, Inc.; formerly President of the Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce, Rochester City Manager; formerly Deputy Monroe County Executive.
Thomas M. O'Brien (57)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
President and COO (since November 2006) and CEO (since April 2007) of State Bancorp, Inc. and State Bank; Vice Chairman (January 1997-April 2000) of North Fork Bank; President and Chief Executive Officer (December 1984-December 1996) of North Side Savings Bank; formerly President and Chief Executive Officer (May 2000-June 2006) Atlantic Bank of New York. Formerly Director (December 1996-May 2000) of North Fork Bancorporation, Inc.; Formerly Director (May 2000-April 2006) of Atlantic Bank of New York; Director (since November 2006) of State Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: STBC) and State Bank of Long Island.
John A. Pileski (68)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
Retired (June 2000) Tax Partner of KPMG LLP. Director (since April 2001) of New York Bank Corp; Director (since May 1980) of Surf Club of Quogue, Inc.
F. Don Schwartz (72)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
Management Consultant (since April 1985).

Interested Trustees
David R. Odenath, Jr. (50)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 86
President of Prudential Annuities (since August 2002); Senior Vice President (since June 1999) of Prudential; Director (since June 2005) and Executive Vice President (since March 2006) of AST Investment Services, Inc; formerly Executive Vice President (May 2003-November 2007) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; formerly President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer and Officer in Charge (June 2005-March 2006) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
Robert F. Gunia (61)
No. of Portfolios Overseen: 149
Chief Administrative Officer (since September 1999) and Executive Vice President (since December 1996) of Prudential Investments LLC; President (since April 1999) of Prudential Investment Management Services LLC; Executive Vice President (since March 1999) and Treasurer (since May 2000) of Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC; Chief Administrative Officer, Executive Vice President and Director (since May 2003) of AST Investment Services, Inc. Vice President and Director (since May 1989) and Treasurer (since 1999) of The Asia Pacific Fund, Inc.; Vice President (since January 2007) of The Greater China Fund, Inc.

Advanced Series Trust—Trustee Length of Service
Saul K. Fenster, Ph.D. Delayne Dedrick Gold W. Scott McDonald, Jr. Thomas T. Mooney Thomas M. O'Brien John A. Pileski F. Don Schwartz David R. Odenath Robert F. Gunia

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 44

Trustee Since 2003 Trustee Since 2003 Independent Vice Chair since 2004 and Trustee Since 2003 Independent Chair and Trustee Since 2003 Trustee Since 1992 Trustee Since 2001 Trustee Since 1992 President since 2002 and Trustee Since 2003 Vice President and Trustee Since 2003

Fund Officers
Name, Address and Age
Position with the Fund
Principal Occupation(s) During the Past Five Years
Kathryn L. Quirk (55)
Chief Legal Officer
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since September 2004) of Prudential; Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (since July 2005) of Prudential Investments LLC (PI) and Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC (PMFS); Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since June 2005) and Secretary (since February 2006) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; formerly Senior Vice President and Assistant Secretary (November 2004-August 2005) of PI; formerly Assistant Secretary (June 2005-February 2006) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; formerly Managing Director, General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer, Chief Risk Officer and Corporate Secretary (1997-2002) of Zurich Scudder Investments, Inc.
Timothy J. Knierim (49)
Chief Compliance Officer
Chief Compliance Officer of Prudential Investment Management, Inc.(PIM) (since July 2007); formerly Chief Risk Officer of PIM and PI (2002-2007) and formerly Chief Ethics Officer of PIM and PI (2006-2007).
Grace C. Torres (48)
Treasurer and Principal Financial and Accounting Officer
Assistant Treasurer (since March 1999) and Senior Vice President (since September 1999) of PI; Assistant Treasurer (since May 2003) and Vice President (since June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.; Senior Vice President and Assistant Treasurer (since May 2003) of Prudential Annuities Advisory Services, Inc.; formerly Senior Vice President (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
Valerie M. Simpson (49)
Deputy Chief Compliance Officer
Chief Compliance Officer (since April 2007) of PI and AST Investment Services, Inc.; formerly Vice President-Financial Reporting (June 1999-March 2006) for Prudential Life and Annuities Finance.
Deborah A. Docs (50)
Secretary
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2001) of Prudential; Vice President (since December 1996) and Assistant Secretary (since March 1999) of PI; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
Noreen M. Fierro (43)
Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer
Vice President, Corporate Compliance (since May 2006) of Prudential; formerly Corporate Vice President, Associate General Counsel (April 2002-May 2005) of UBS Financial Services, Inc., in their Money Laundering Prevention Group; Senior Manager (May 2005-May 2006) of Deloitte Financial Advisory Services, LLP, in their Forensic and Dispute Services, Anti-Money Laundering Group.
Jonathan D. Shain (49)
Assistant Secretary
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since August 1998) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since May 2001) of PI; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since February 2001) of PMFS; formerly Vice President and Assistant Secretary (May 2003-June 2005) of AST Investment Services, Inc.
John P. Schwartz (36)
Assistant Secretary
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since April 2005) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of PI (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1997-2005).
Claudia DiGiacomo (33)
Assistant Secretary
Vice President and Corporate Counsel (since January 2005) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary of PI (since December 2005); Associate at Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP (1999-2004).
Andrew R. French (45)
Assistant Secretary
Director and Corporate Counsel (since May 2006) of Prudential; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PI; Vice President and Assistant Secretary (since January 2007) of PMFS; formerly Senior Legal Analyst of Prudential Mutual Fund Law Department (1997-2006).
M. Sadiq Peshimam (44)
Assistant Treasurer
Vice President (since 2005) and Director (2000-2005) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration.
Peter Parrella (49)
Assistant Treasurer
Vice President (since 2007) and Director (2004-2007) within Prudential Mutual Fund Administration; formerly Tax Manager at SSB Citi Fund Management LLC (1997-2004).
Alan Fu (51)
Assistant Treasurer
Vice President – Tax, The Prudential Insurance Company of America (1999 to October 2003); Vice President and Corporate Counsel – Tax, Prudential Financial, Inc. (since October 2003).

Advanced Series Trust—Officer Length of Service
Kathryn L. Quirk Timothy J. Knierim Valerie M. Simpson Grace C. Torres Deborah A. Docs Noreen M. Fierro Jonathan D. Shain John P. Schwartz Claudia DiGiacomo Andrew R. French Peter Parrella M. Sadiq Peshimam Alan Fu
Chief Legal Officer Since 2005 Chief Compliance Officer Since 2007 Deputy Chief Compliance Officer Since 2007 Principal Financial and Accounting Officer Since 2003 Secretary Since 2005 Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer Since 2006 Assistant Secretary Since 2005 Assistant Secretary Since 2006 Assistant Secretary Since 2005 Assistant Secretary Since 2006 Assistant Treasurer Since 2007 Assistant Treasurer Since 2006 Assistant Treasurer Since 2006

Explanatory Notes to Tables :

Trustees are deemed to be "Interested", as defined in the 1940 Act, by reason of their affiliation with Prudential Investments LLC and/or an affiliate of Prudential Investments LLC.

Unless otherwise noted, the address of all Trustees and Officers is c/o Prudential Investments LLC, Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.

There is no set term of office for Trustees or Officers. The Independent Trustees have adopted a retirement policy, which calls for the retirement of Trustees on December 31 of the year in which they reach the age of 75.

"Other Directorships Held" includes only directorships of companies required to register or file reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (that is, "public companies") or other investment companies registered under the 1940 Act.

"No. of Portfolios Overseen" includes all investment companies managed by Prudential Investments LLC. The investment companies for which PI serves as manager include the JennisonDryden Funds, Strategic Partners Funds, The Prudential Variable Contract Accounts, The Target Portfolio Trust, The Prudential Series Fund, Advanced Series Trust, The High Yield Income Fund, Inc., The High Yield Plus Fund, Inc., Nicholas-Applegate Fund, Inc. and Prudential's Gibraltar Fund, Inc.

 

45

Compensation of Trustees and Officers . Pursuant to a Management Agreement with the Fund, the Manager pays all compensation of Officers and employees of the Fund as well as the fees and expenses of all Interested Trustees. The Fund pays each of its Independent Trustees annual compensation in addition to certain out-of-pocket expenses. Trustees who serve on Board Committees may receive additional compensation. The amount of annual compensation paid to each Independent Trustee may change as a result of the introduction of additional funds on whose Boards the Trustee may be asked to serve.

Independent Trustees may defer receipt of their fees pursuant to a deferred fee agreement with the Fund. Under the terms of the agreement, the Fund accrues deferred Trustees' fees daily which, in turn, accrue interest at a rate equivalent to the prevailing rate to 90-day U.S. Treasury Bills at the beginning of each calendar quarter or, at the daily rate of return of any JennisonDryden or Strategic Partners mutual fund chosen by the Trustee. Payment of the interest so accrued is also deferred and becomes payable at the option of the Trustee. The Fund's obligation to make payments of deferred Trustees' fees, together with interest thereon, is a general obligation of the Fund. The Fund does not have a retirement or pension plan for its Trustees.

The following table sets forth the aggregate compensation paid by the Fund for the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year to the Independent Trustees for service on the Fund's Board, and the Board of any other investment company in the Fund Complex for the most recently completed calendar year. Trustees and officers who are "interested persons" of the Fund (as defined in the 1940 Act) do not receive compensation from the Fund Complex and therefore are not shown in the following table.

Compensation Received by Independent Trustees — Advanced Series Trust
Name Aggregate Fiscal Year Compensation from Fund Pension or Retirement Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses Estimated Annual Benefits Upon Retirement Total Compensation from Fund and Fund Complex for Most Recent Calendar Year
Saul K. Fenster $113,800 None None $214,000(4/83)*
Delayne Dedrick Gold $113,640 None None $210,000(3/82)*
W. Scott McDonald, Jr.** $124,120 None None $234,000(4/83)*
Thomas T. Mooney** $129,440 None None $240,000(3/82)*
Thomas M. O'Brien** $113,560 None None $210,000(3/82)*
John A. Pileski $113,520 None None $210,000(3/82)*
F. Don Schwartz** $108,280 None None $200,000(3/82)*

Explanatory Notes to Compensation Table

*Number of funds and portfolios represent those in existence as of December 31, 2007.

**Earnings stated above exclude the following earnings in calendar year 2007 on deferred compensation balances, for Trustees who had deferred their fees in calendar year 2007 or earlier:

W. Scott McDonald, Jr.: $7,500

Thomas T. Mooney: $93,590

Thomas M. O'Brien: $58,543

F. Don Schwartz: $17,733

Board Committees . The Board of Trustees (the Board) has established three standing committees in connection with governance of the Fund—Audit, Compliance and Governance. Information on the membership of each standing committee and its functions is set forth below.

Audit Committee . The Audit Committee consists of Mr. Pileski (chair) Mr. O'Brien, Ms. Gold and Mr. Mooney (ex-officio). The Board has determined that each member of the Audit Committee is not an "interested person" as defined in the 1940 Act. The responsibilities of the Audit Committee are to assist the Board in overseeing the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm, accounting policies and procedures, and other areas relating to the Fund's auditing processes. The Audit Committee is responsible for pre-approving all audit services and any permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm directly to the Funds. The Audit Committee is also responsible for pre-approving permitted non-audit services to be provided by the independent registered public accounting firm to (1) the Manager and (2) any entity in a control relationship with the Manager that provides ongoing services to the Fund, provided that the engagement of the independent registered public accounting firm relates directly to the operation and financial reporting of the Fund. The scope of the Audit Committee's responsibilities is oversight. It is management's responsibility to maintain appropriate systems for accounting and internal control and the independent registered public accounting firm's responsibility to plan and carry out an audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). The Audit Committee Charter is available at www.annuities.prudential.com . The number of Audit Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 46

Compliance Committee. The Compliance Committee consists of Mr. McDonald (chair), Ms. Gold, Mr. O'Brien and Mr. Mooney (ex-officio). The Board has determined that each member of the Compliance Committee is not an "interested person" as defined in the 1940 Act. The Compliance Committee serves as a liaison between the Board and the Funds' Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). The Compliance Committee is responsible for considering, in consultation with the Board's Chair and outside counsel, any material compliance matters that are identified and reported by the CCO to the Compliance Committee between Board meetings. The Compliance Committee is also responsible for considering, when requested by the CCO, the CCO's recommendations regarding the materiality of compliance matters to be reported to the Board. The Compliance Committee reviews compliance matters that it determines warrant review between Board meetings. Further, when the CCO wishes to engage an independent third party to perform compliance-related work at the Funds' expense, the Compliance Committee will evaluate with the CCO which third party to recommend to the Board as well as the appropriate scope of the work. The number of Compliance Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below.

Governance Committee . The Governance Committee of the Board is responsible for nominating Trustees and making recommendations to the Board concerning Board composition, committee structure and governance, director education, and governance practices. The members of the Governance Committee are Mr. Fenster (Chair), Mr. McDonald, Mr. Schwartz and Mr. Mooney (ex-officio). The Board has determined that each member of the Governance Committee is not an "interested person" as defined in the 1940 Act. The number of Governance Committee meetings held during the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year is set forth in the table below. The Governance Committee Charter is available on the Fund's website at www.annuities.prudential.com.

Selection of Director Nominees . The Governance Committee is responsible for considering trustee nominees for Trustees at such times as it considers electing new members to the Board. The Governance Committee may consider recommendations by business and personal contacts of current Board members, and by executive search firms which the Committee may engage from time to time and will also consider shareholder recommendations. The Governance Committee has not established specific, minimum qualifications that it believes must be met by a nominee. In evaluating nominees, the Governance Committee considers, among other things, an individual's background, skills, and experience; whether the individual is an "interested person" as defined in the 1940 Act; and whether the individual would be deemed an "audit committee financial expert" within the meaning of applicable Commission rules. The Governance Committee also considers whether the individual's background, skills, and experience will complement the background, skills, and experience of other nominees and will contribute to the diversity of the Board. There are no differences in the manner in which the Governance Committee evaluates nominees for the Board based on whether the nominee is recommended by a shareholder.

A shareholder who wishes to recommend a director for nomination should submit his or her recommendation in writing to the Chair of the Board (Thomas T. Mooney) or the Chair of the Governance Committee (Saul K. Fenster), in either case in care of the Fund), at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, New Jersey 07102-4077. At a minimum, the recommendation should include: the name, address, and business, educational, and/or other pertinent background of the person being recommended; a statement concerning whether the person is an "interested person" as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940; any other information that the Fund would be required to include in a proxy statement concerning the person if he or she was nominated; and the name and address of the person submitting the recommendation, together with the number of Fund shares held by such person and the period for which the shares have been held. The recommendation also can include any additional information which the person submitting it believes would assist the Governance Committee in evaluating the recommendation.

Shareholders should note that a person who owns securities issued by Prudential Financial, Inc. (the parent company of the Fund's investment adviser) would be deemed an "interested person" under the 1940 Act. In addition, certain other relationships with Prudential Financial, Inc. or its subsidiaries, with registered broker-dealers, or with the Fund's outside legal counsel may cause a person to be deemed an "interested person." Before the Governance Committee decides to nominate an individual to the Board, Committee members and other Board members customarily interview the individual in person. In addition, the individual customarily is asked to complete a detailed questionnaire which is designed to elicit information which must be disclosed under Commission and stock exchange rules and to determine whether the individual is subject to any statutory disqualification from serving on the board of a registered investment company.

Board Committee Meetings (for most recently completed fiscal year)
Fund Name Audit Committee Governance Committee Compliance Committee
Advanced Series Trust 4 2 4

Share Ownership . Information relating to each Trustee's share ownership in the indicated Fund(s) and in all registered funds in the PI-

 

47

advised funds that are overseen by the respective Trustee as of the most recently completed calendar year is set forth in the chart below.

Trustee Share Ownership: Independent Trustees
Name Dollar Range of Equity Securities in the Fund Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities Owned by Trustee in All Registered Investment Companies in Fund Complex
Saul K. Fenster None over $100,000
Delayne Dedrick Gold None over $100,000
Julian A. Lerner —————————— ——————————
W. Scott McDonald, Jr. None over $100,000
Thomas T. Mooney None over $100,000
Thomas M. O'Brien None over $100,000
John A. Pileski None $10,001 - $50,000
F. Don Schwartz None over $100,000
Trustee Share Ownership: Interested Trustees
David R. Odenath None over $100,000
Robert F. Gunia None over $100,000

None of the Independent Trustees, or any member of his / her immediate family, owned beneficially or of record any securities in an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund or a person (other than a registered investment company) directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with an investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Fund as of the most recently completed calendar year.

Shareholder Communications with the Board of Trustees . Shareholders of the Fund can communicate directly with the Board of Trustees by writing to the Chair of the Board, c/o the Fund, 1 Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. Shareholders can communicate directly with an individual Trustee by writing to that Trustee, c/o the Fund, 1 Corporate Drive, Shelton, CT 06484. Such communications to the Board or individual Trustees are not screened before being delivered to the addressee.

MANAGEMENT & ADVISORY ARRANGEMENTS

Co-Managers . The Managers of the Fund are Prudential Investments LLC (PI) and AST Investment Services, Inc. (collectively with PI, the Manager), Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102. As of December 31, 2007, PI served as the investment manager to all of the Prudential U.S. and offshore open-end investment companies, and as administrator to closed-end investment companies, with aggregate assets of approximately $121.1 billion. PI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PIFM HoldCo LLC, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Asset Management Holding Company, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. (Prudential).

Pursuant to Management Agreements with the Fund (collectively, the Management Agreement), the Manager, subject to the supervision of the Fund's Board and in conformity with the stated policies of the Fund, manages both the investment operations of each Portfolio and the composition of the Fund's portfolio, including the purchase, retention, disposition and loan of securities and other assets. In connection therewith, the Manager is obligated to keep certain books and records of the Fund. The Manager is authorized to enter into subadvisory agreements for investment advisory services in connection with the management of the Fund. The Manager will continue to have responsibility for all investment advisory services performed pursuant to any such subadvisory agreements. The Manager will review the performance of the Subadvisers and make recommendations to the Board with respect to the retention of investment advisers and the renewal of contracts. The Manager also administers the Fund's corporate affairs and, in connection therewith, furnishes the Fund with office facilities, together with those ordinary clerical and bookkeeping services which are not being furnished by, the Fund's custodian (the Custodian), and the Fund's transfer agent. The management services of the Manager to the Fund are not exclusive under the terms of the Management Agreement and the Manager is free to, and does, render management services to others.

In connection with its management of the corporate affairs of the Fund, the Manager bears the following expenses:

  • the salaries and expenses of all of its and the Fund's personnel except the fees and expenses of Independent Trustees;

  • all expenses incurred by the Manager or the Fund in connection with managing the ordinary course of a Fund's business, other than those assumed by the Fund as described below; and

  • the fees, costs and expenses payable to any investment subadvisers pursuant to Subadvisory Agreements between the Manager and such investment subadvisers.

Under the terms of the Management Agreement, the Fund is responsible for the payment of the following expenses:

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 48

  • the fees and expenses incurred by the Fund in connection with the management of the investment and reinvestment of the Fund's assets payable to the Manager;

  • the fees and expenses of Independent Trustees;

  • the fees and certain expenses of the custodian and transfer and dividend disbursing agent, including the cost of providing records to the Manager in connection with its obligation of maintaining required records of the Fund and of pricing the Fund's shares;

  • the charges and expenses of the Fund's legal counsel and independent auditors;

  • brokerage commissions and any issue or transfer taxes chargeable to the Fund in connection with its securities (and futures, if applicable) transactions;

  • all taxes and corporate fees payable by the Fund to governmental agencies;

  • the fees of any trade associations of which the Fund may be a member;

  • the cost of share certificates representing and/or non-negotiable share deposit receipts evidencing shares of the Fund;

  • the cost of fidelity, directors and officers and errors and omissions insurance;

  • the fees and expenses involved in registering and maintaining registration of the Fund and of its shares with the Commission and paying notice filing fees under state securities laws, including the preparation and printing of the Fund's registration statements and prospectuses for such purposes;

  • allocable communications expenses with respect to investor services and all expenses of shareholders' and Trustees' meetings and of preparing, printing and mailing reports and notices to shareholders;

  • litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund's business and distribution and service (12b-1) fees.

The Management Agreement provides that the Manager will not be liable for any error of judgment by PI or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Management Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from a breach of fiduciary duty with respect to the receipt of compensation for services (in which case any award of damages shall be limited to the period and the amount set forth in Section 36(b)(3) of the 1940 Act) or loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties. The Management Agreement provides that it will terminate automatically, if assigned (as defined in the 1940 Act), and that it may be terminated without penalty by either the Manager or a Fund by the Board or vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund, (as defined in the 1940 Act) upon not more than 60 days nor less than 30 days written notice. The Management Agreement will continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date of execution only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

Fees payable under the Management Agreement are computed daily and paid monthly. The Manager may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee and subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of a Portfolio. Management fee waivers and subsidies will increase a Portfolio's total return. These voluntary waivers may be terminated at any time without notice.

The table below sets forth the applicable contractual management fee rate and the management fees received by the Manager from the Fund for each Portfolio for the indicated fiscal years.

The manager-of-managers structure operates under an order issued by the SEC. The current order permits us to hire subadvisers or amend subadvisory agreements, without shareholder approval, only with subadvisers that are not affiliated with Prudential Financial, Inc. The current order imposes the following conditions:

1. The Manager will provide general management and administrative services to the Fund including overall supervisory responsibility for the general management and investment of the Fund's securities portfolio, and, subject to review and approval by the Board, will (a) set the Portfolios' overall investment strategies; (b) select subadvisers; (c) monitor and evaluate the performance of subadvisers; (d) allocate and, when appropriate, reallocate a Portfolio's assets among its subadvisers in those cases where a Portfolio has more than one subadviser; and (e) implement procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the subadvisers comply with the Fund's investment objectives, policies, and restrictions.

2. Before a Portfolio may rely on the order, the operation of the Portfolio in the manner described in the Application will be approved by a majority of its outstanding voting securities, as defined in the Investment Company Act, or, in the case of a new Portfolio whose public shareholders purchased shares on the basis of a prospectus containing the disclosure contemplated by condition (4) below, by the sole shareholder before offering of shares of such Portfolio to the public.

3. The Fund will furnish to shareholders all information about a new subadviser or subadvisory agreement that would be included in a proxy statement. Such information will include any change in such disclosure caused by the addition of a new subadviser or any proposed material change in a Portfolio's subadvisory agreement. The Fund will meet this condition by providing shareholders with

 

49

an information statement complying with the provisions of Regulation 14C under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), as amended, and Schedule 14C thereunder. With respect to a newly retained subadviser, or a change in a subadvisory agreement, this information statement will be provided to shareholders of the Portfolio a maximum of ninety (90) days after the addition of the new subadviser or the implementation of any material change in a subadvisory agreement. The information statement will also meet the requirements of Schedule 14A under the Exchange Act.

4. The Fund will disclose in its prospectus the existence, substance and effect of the order granted pursuant to the Application.

5. No Trustee or officer of the Fund or director or officer of the Manager will own directly or indirectly (other than through a pooled investment vehicle that is not controlled by such director or officer) any interest in any subadviser except for (a) ownership of interests in PI or any entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with PI, or (b) ownership of less than 1% of the outstanding securities of any class of equity or debt of a publicly-traded company that is either a subadviser or any entity that controls, is controlled by or is under common control with a subadviser.

6. The Manager will not enter into a subadvisory agreement with any subadviser that is an affiliated person, as defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act, of the Fund or the Manager other than by reason of serving a subadviser to one or more Portfolios (an "Affiliated Subadviser") without such agreement, including the compensation to be paid thereunder, being approved by the shareholders of the applicable Portfolio.

7. At all times, a majority of the members of the Board will be persons each of whom is not an "interested person" of the Fund as defined in Section 2(a)(19) of the Investment Company Act ("Independent Trustees"), and the nomination of new or additional Independent Trustees will be placed within the discretion of the then existing Independent Trustees.

8. When a subadviser change is proposed for a Portfolio with an Affiliated Subadviser, the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, will make a separate finding, reflected in the Board's minutes, that such change is in the best interests of the Portfolio and its shareholders and does not involve a conflict of interest from which the Manager or the Affiliated subadviser derives an inappropriate advantage.

Management Fee Rates and Management Fees Paid by the Fund
Portfolio Contractual Fee Rate 2007 2006 2005
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets $9,328,100 $1,906,194 N/A
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio 0.75% of average daily net assets 3,318,044 2,574,350 $2,185,892
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio 0.75% of average daily net assets 25,888,139 20,873,803 $18,562,548
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio 0.75% of average daily net assets 2,738,246 2,792,999 3,120,641
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets 1,602,400 1,573,139 1,836,395
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 (1) 0.65% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.64% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 (1) 0.65% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.64% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 (1) 0.65% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.64% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets 4,459,072 4,737,241 3,998,879
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets 3,137,794 1,982,370 1,483,772
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio 0.95% of average daily net assets 1,012,442 1,035,503 1,054,475
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio 0.95% of average daily net assets 7,008,714 5,909,002 4,038,282
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets 8,006,614 1,435,251 N/A
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets 9,031,134 1,606,483 N/A
AST Global Real Estate Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST  50

AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 5,639,818 6,198,365 7,393,742
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets 3,303,033 3,350,654 3,318,576
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio 0.95% of average daily net assets 1,859,049 2,304,755 2,668,423
AST High Yield Portfolio 0.75% of average daily net assets 3,969,406 4,601,097 4,702,052
AST International Growth Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets 25,472,242 20,779,295 14,870,948
AST International Value Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets 14,171,648 6,816,029 2,016,452
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio (1) 0.65% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.64% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets to $75 million;
0.85% of average daily net assets over $75 million
4,535,612 4,242,418 3,627,835
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio 0.75% of average daily net assets 16,228,533 11,065,961 5,079,230
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio 0.80% of average daily net assets 4,586,891 $4,744,453 $4,601,042
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio 1.00% of average daily net assets 2,142,049 1,743,177 1,646,668
AST MFS Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 3,825,726 4,389,413 4,845,699
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 44,196,409 32,469,245 24,221,096
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 0.95% of average daily net assets 2,016,301 1,401,827 1,682,366
AST Money Market Portfolio 0.50% of average daily net assets 10,115,922 9,950,901 9,488,352
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.85% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
7,151,856 6,242,663 3,550,417
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.85% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
10,349,945 11,741,529 12,231,152
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 0.95% of average daily net assets 1,962,656 2,327,584 2,664,636
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio 1.10% of average daily net assets
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio 0.65% of average daily net assets 26,548,074 16,156,763 11,414,875
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio 0.65% of average daily net assets 8,458,351 9,651,331 9,794,610
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
(formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio)
1.00% of average daily net assets 2,547,777 2,761,986 3,021,247
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 1,582,172 1,637,591 1,755,148
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 9,729,691 9,790,986 8,830,429
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.85% of average daily net assets 6,123,995 3,661,643 3,680,936
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio 0.80% of average daily net assets 4,660,227 3,988,737 3,524,834
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.85% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
15,412,435 8,068,816 2,108,086
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio 0.90% of average daily net assets 6,437,294 4,816,682 2,872,389
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio (2) 1.00% of average daily net assets 2,279,905 191,547 213,267
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio 0.70% of average daily net assets 329,316 N/A N/A
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.15% of average daily net assets 745,075 343,154 1,799
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.15% of average daily net assets 8,110,279 3,184,786 10,635
AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.l5% of average daily net assets 6,180,491 2,641,749 9,615

 

51  

AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.15% of average daily net assets 1,789,546 663,525 2,173
AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.15% of average daily net assets 747,706 242,257 641
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.30% of average daily net assets 2,174 N/A N/A
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.30% of average daily net assets 1,440 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.30% of average daily net assets 784 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.30% of average daily net assets 430 N/A N/A
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 0.30% of average daily net assets 892 N/A N/A

(1) The contractual investment management fee for each of the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019 and AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio is subject to certain breakpoints.

In the event the combined average daily net assets of the Portfolios do not exceed $500 million, each Portfolio's investment management fee rate will equal 0.65% of its average daily net assets. In the event the combined average daily net assets of the Portfolios exceed $500 million, the portion of a Portfolio's assets to which the investment management fee rate of 0.65% applies and the portion of a Portfolio's assets to which the investment management fee rate of 0.64% applies will be determined on a pro rata basis. Such fee would be computed as follows.

[0.65% x ($500 million x Individual Portfolio Assets divided by Combined Portfolio Assets)] + [0.64% x (Combined Portfolio Assets - $500 million) x Individual Portfolio Assets divided by Combined Portfolio Assets]

For purposes of calculating the investment management fee payable to the Investment Managers, the combined average daily net assets of the Portfolios will include the assets of future Portfolios of the Trust that are managed by the Investment Managers pursuant to similar target maturity or constant duration investment strategies and that are used in connection with non-discretionary asset transfers under certain living benefit programs.

(2) This Portfolio was known as the AST Global Allocation Portfolio until May 1, 2007, and the management fee rate for this Portfolio was 0.10% through April 30, 2007. Pursuant to shareholder approval, the management fee rate changed to 1.00% effective as of May 1, 2007.

Fee Waivers/Subsidies

PI may from time to time waive all or a portion of its management fee and/or subsidize all or a portion of the operating expenses of the Portfolios. Fee waivers and subsidies will increase a Portfolio's return.

PI has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or limit total expenses (expressed as an annual percentage of average daily net assets) for certain Portfolios of the Fund, as set forth in the table below. The expense limitations may be discontinued or otherwise modified at any time.

Fee Waivers & Expense Limitations
Portfolio Fee Waiver and/or Expense Limitation
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.25%
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.00%
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.00%
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.00%
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.45%
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.14%
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 0.86%
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.12%
AST High Yield Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 0.88%
AST International Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.75%
AST International Value Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.50%
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.00%
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.01%
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.20%
AST Lord-Abbett Bond Debenture Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 0.88%
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.18%
AST MFS Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.35%
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.35%
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.45%
AST Money Market Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 0.56%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.25%

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 52

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.25%
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio contractually limit Portfolio expenses to 1.05%
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.05%
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.25%
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio voluntarily limit Portfolio expenses to 1.35%
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Management fee waiver: The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive such portion of the management fee so that the management fee equals 0.30% of average daily net assets to $100 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $200 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $200 million.

Expense cap:
The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of their management fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the Portfolio's mangement fees plus other expenses (excluding certain expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of average daily net assets to $100 million; 0.35% from $100 million to $200 million; and 0.30% of average daily net assets over $200 million.
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio Management fee waiver: The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive such portion of the management fee so that the management fee equals 0.30% of average daily net assets to $100 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $200 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $200 million.

Expense cap:
The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of their management fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the Portfolio's mangement fees plus other expenses (excluding certain expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of average daily net assets to $100 million; 0.35% from $100 million to $200 million; and 0.30% of average daily net assets over $200 million.
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Management fee waiver: The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive such portion of the management fee so that the management fee equals 0.30% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $750 million.

Expense cap:
The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of their management fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the Portfolio's mangement fees plus other expenses (excluding certain expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.35% from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.30% of average daily net assets over $750 million.
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio Management fee waiver: The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive such portion of the management fee so that the management fee equals 0.30% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $750 million.

Expense cap:
The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of their management fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the Portfolio's mangement fees plus other expenses (excluding certain expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.35% from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.30% of average daily net assets over $750 million.
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Management fee waiver: The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive such portion of the management fee so that the management fee equals 0.30% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $750 million.

Expense cap:
The investment managers have agreed to voluntarily waive a portion of their management fees and/or reimburse expenses so that the Portfolio's mangement fees plus other expenses (excluding certain expenses) do not exceed 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.35% from $250 million to $750 million; and 0.30% of average daily net assets over $750 million.

 

53

Waiver of Administrative Services Fee. For each of the Portfolios of the Fund except the AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios and the AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios, 0.03% of the 0.10% administrative services fee is voluntarily waived. The AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios and the AST Tactical Asset Allocation Portfolios do not pay this 0.10% administrative service fee. This waiver is subject to the expense limitations set forth in the preceding table.

Subadvisers . The Manager has entered into Subadvisory Agreements with each of the Subadvisers named in the table appearing below. The Subadvisory Agreements provide that the Subadvisers will furnish investment advisory services in connection with the management of each Fund. In connection therewith, the Subadviser are obligated to keep certain books and records of the Trust. Under each Subadvisory Agreement, each Subadviser, subject to the supervision of the Manager, is responsible for managing the assets of a Portfolio in accordance with the Portfolio's investment objectives, investment program and policies. The Subadvisers determine what securities and other instruments are purchased and sold for each Portfolio and are responsible for obtaining and evaluating financial data relevant to the Portfolio. The Manager continues to have responsibility for all investment advisory services pursuant to the Management Agreement and supervises the Subadvisers' performance of such services.

Pursuant to each Subadvisory Agreement, the Manager pays each Subadviser a fee. The tables below set forth the current fee rates and fees paid by the Manager to each Subadviser for the three most recent fiscal years. The fee rates represent the fees as a percentage of average daily net assets.

As discussed in the Prospectus, the Manager employs each Subadviser under a "manager of managers" structure that allows the Manager to replace the Subadvisers or amend a Subadvisory Agreement without seeking shareholder approval. The Manager is authorized to select (with approval of the Board's independent trustees) one or more subadvisers to handle the actual day-to-day investment management of each Portfolio. The Manager monitors each subadviser's performance through quantitative and qualitative analysis and periodically reports to the Board as to whether each subadviser's agreement should be renewed, terminated or modified. It is possible that the Manager will continue to be satisfied with the performance record of the existing subadvisers and not recommend any additional subadvisers. The Manager is also responsible for allocating assets among the subadvisers if a Portfolio has more than one subadviser. In those circumstances, the allocation for each subadviser can range from 0% to 100% of the Portfolio's assets, and the Manager can change the allocations without Board or shareholder approval. The Manager will review the allocations periodically and may adjust them without prior notice. The annual update to the Fund's prospectus will reflect these adjustments. Shareholders will be notified of any new subadvisers or materially amended subadvisory agreements.

Portfolio Subadvisers and Fee Rates
Portfolio Subadviser Fee Rate*
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio Marsico Capital Management, LLC 0.40% of average daily net assets to $1.5 billion;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion
( domestic large cap growth category )
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.375% of average daily net assets over $250 million to $500 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $500 million
( domestic large cap value category )
William Blair & Company LLC 0.30% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $500 million to $1 billion;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
( international growth category )
LSV Asset Management (LSV) 0.45% of average daily net assets to $150 million;
0.425% of average daily net assets over $150 million to $300 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets from $300 million to $450 million;
0.375% of average daily net assets over $450 million to $750 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $750 million
( international value category )
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO) 0.25% of average daily net assets( Advanced Strategies — fixed income category )
PIMCO 0.25% of average daily net assets( hedged international bond category )
PIMCO 0.49% of average daily net assets( Advanced Strategies I category )
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio AllianceBernstein L.P. (AllianceBernstein) 0.25% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio AllianceBernstein 0.30% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $1 billion to $1.5 billion;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 54

AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century) 0.40% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $100 million to $500 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets exceeding $500 million
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio American Century 0.45% of average daily net assets to $50 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $50 million to $100 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $100 million to $500 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM) 0.15% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.14% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 PIM 0.15% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.14% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 PIM 0.15% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.14% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. 0.60% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $100 million to $250 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $250 million
Note: the subadviser has voluntarily agreed to waive the portion of its fee that exceeds the following :
0.30% of the portion not in excess of $350 million;
0.25% of assets over $350 million
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc. (Deutsche) 0.20% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets over $500 million but not exceeding $1 billion;
0.10% of average daily net assets exceeding $1 billion
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio Deutsche 0.35% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $100 million but not exceeding $300 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $300 million but not exceeding $500 million;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania 0.50% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets over $100 million but not exceeding $400 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $400 million but not exceeding $900 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $900 million
Federated MDTA LLC 0.50% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets over $100 million but not exceeding $400 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $400 million but not exceeding $900 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $900 million
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio First Trust Advisors L.P. (First Trust) 0.35% of average daily net assets up to and including $250 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $250 million up to and including $500 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $500 million to $1 billion;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio First Trust 0.35% of average daily net assets up to and including $250 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $250 million up to and including $500 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $500 million to $1 billion;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
AST Global Real Estate Portfolio Prudential Investment Management, Inc. 0.45% of average daily net assets to $50 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $50 million to $150 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $150 million
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (GSAM) 0.28% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio GSAM 0.28% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio GSAM 0.50% of average daily net assets
AST High Yield Portfolio PIMCO 0.25% of average daily net assets
AST International Growth Portfolio William Blair & Company LLC 0.30% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $500 million to $1 billion;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion

 

55

Marsico Capital Management, LLC 0.45% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets from $500 million to $1 billion;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
AST International Value Portfolio LSV 0.45% of average daily net assets to $150 million;
0.425% of average daily net assets over $150 million to $300 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets from $300 million to $450 million;
0.375% of average daily net assets over $450 million to $750 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $750 million
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. 0.35% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $100 million
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio PIM 0.15% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.14% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. (JP Morgan) 0.35% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.33% of average daily net assets over $250 million but not exceeding $500 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC 0.30% of average daily net assets
Dreman Value Management LLC (Dreman) 0.30% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $250 million to $500 million;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $500 million
JP Morgan 0.30% of average daily net assets to $300 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $300 million
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC 0.30% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $250 million but not exceeding $500 million;
0.20% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS) 0.425% of average daily net assets
AST MFS Growth Portfolio MFS 0.40% of average daily net assets to $300 million;
0.375% of average daily net assets over $300 million but not exceeding $600 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $600 million but not exceeding $900 million;
0.325% of average daily net assets over $900 million but not exceeding $1.5 billion;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio Marsico Capital Management, LLC 0.45% of average daily net assets
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio EARNEST Partners LLC 0.40% of average daily net assets
WEDGE Capital Management, LLP 0.75% of average daily net assets up to and including $10 million;
0.65% of average daily net assets over $10 million up to and including $25 million;
0.50% of average daily net assets over $25 million to $100 million;
(the following effective April 1, 2008)
0.40% of average daily net assets over $100 million up to and including $150 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $150 million
AST Money Market Portfolio Prudential Investment Management, Inc. 0.06% of average daily net assets to $500 million;
0.05% of average daily net assets above $500 million to $1 billion;
0.03% of average daily net assets above $1 billion to $2.5 billion;
0.02% of average daily net assets over $2.5 billion
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. (Neuberger Berman) Effective rate after March 1, 2007:
0.40% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
Effective rate prior to March 1, 2007:
0.45% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $100 million
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Neuberger Berman Effective rate after March 1, 2007: 0.40% of average daily net assets to $1 billion;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
Effective rate prior to March 1, 2007:
0.50% of average daily net assets to $750 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets to from $750 million to $1 billion;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $1 billion
LSV 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $250 million
(effective on/about July 21, 2008)

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 56

AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Neuberger Berman 0.50% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets over $100 million to $300 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $300 million
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC 0.50% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $500 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio` PIMCO 0.30% of average daily net assets to $150 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $150 million
Note: the subadviser has voluntarily agreed to waive a portion of its fee: 0.05% of average daily net assets to $150 million
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio PIMCO 0.30% of average daily net assets to $150 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $150 million
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio) Quantitative Management Associates LLC 0.45% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $250 million
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Neuberger Berman 0.50% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets on next $200 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $300 million
Eagle Asset Management 0.45% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.40% of average daily net assets over $100 million
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio JP Morgan 0.40% of average daily net assets
Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. 0.40% of average daily net assets
Dreman 0.40% of average daily net assets to $200 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $200 million up to and including $500 million;
0.30% of average daily net assets over $500 million
ClearBridge Advisors LLC 0.40% of average daily net assets
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price) 0.50% of average daily net assets to $25 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $25 million to $50 million;
0.25% of average daily net assets over $50 million
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio T. Rowe Price International, Inc. 0.40% of average daily net assets
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio T. Rowe Price 0.40% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.375% of average daily net assets over $250 million to $500 million;
0.35% of average daily net assets over $500 million
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio T. Rowe Price 0.60% of average daily net assets to $20 million;
0.50% of average daily net assets over $20 million to $50 million;
0.50% of average daily net assets over $50 million
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. 0.50% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.45% of average daily net assets over $100 million
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio -Western Asset Management Company
-Western Asset Management Company Limited
0.25% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.22% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $400 million;
0.20% of average daily net assets from $400 million to $1 billion;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $1 billion to $1.5 billion;
0.12% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion
AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios:

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
N/A Note: the Portfolio is advised by the Manager: no subadvisory fee is paid
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio CLS Investment Firm, LLC 0.20% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $200 million;
0.10% of average daily net assets over $200 million
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio CLS Investment Firm, LLC 0.20% of average daily net assets to $100 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $200 million;
0.10% of average daily net assets over $200 million
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Horizon Investments LLC 0.20% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million;
0.10% of average daily net assets over $750 million

 

57

AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio Horizon Investments LLC 0.20% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million;
0.10% of average daily net assets over $750 million
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Niemann Capital Management, Inc. 0.20% of average daily net assets to $250 million;
0.15% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $750 million;
0.10% of average daily net assets over $750 million

Aggregation Notes to Subadviser Fee Rate Table:

*For purposes of calculating the fee payable to certain Subadvisers, the assets managed by the Subadviser will be aggregated with one or more other Portfolios. Each aggregation arrangement is set out below:

CLS Investment Firm, LLC : For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee payable to CLS, the assets managed by CLS in the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by CLS in the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio and any other portfolio subadvised by CLS on behalf of AST and/or PI pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

Eagle Asset Management (Eagle) : The assets of the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio managed by Eagle will be aggregated with the assets of the series of the SP Small Cap Growth Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund (PSF) managed by Eagle which the Manager and Eagle identify as similar to the Portfolio.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L. P. (GSAM) : The assets of the AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio and the AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio will be aggregated.

Horizon Investments, LLC : For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee payable to Horizon, the assets managed by Horizon in the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by Horizon in the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio and any other portfolio subadvised by Horizon on behalf of AST and/or PI pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. (JP Morgan): the assets managed by JP Morgan in the AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by JP Morgan in: (i) the SP Large Cap Value Portfolio of PSF; (ii) the Large Capitalization Value Portfolio of The Target Portfolio Trust; (iii) the Target Conservative Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (iv) the Target Moderate Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (v) the Target Growth Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; and (vi) and any other portfolio subadvised by JP Morgan on behalf of AST and/or PI pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

LSV Asset Management (LSV) : For purposes of calculating the advisory fee payable to LSV, the assets managed by LSV in the AST International Value Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust will be aggregated with the assets managed by LSV in: (i) the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust; (ii) the SP International Value Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund; (iii) the Global Portfolio of PSF; (iv) the International Equity Portfolio of the Target Portfolio Trust; (v) the Target Moderate Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (vi) the Target Growth Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (vii) the Dryden International Value Fund of Prudential World Fund, Inc.; and (viii) and any other portfolio subadvised by LSV on behalf of AST and/or PI pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

For purposes of calculating the advisory fee payable to LSV, the assets managed by LSV in the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust will be aggregated with the assets managed by LSV in: (i) the AST International Value Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust; (ii) the SP International Value Portfolio of PSF; (iii) the Global Portfolio of PSF; (iv) the International Equity Portfolio of the Target Portfolio Trust; (v) the Target Moderate Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (vi) the Target Growth Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds; (vii) the Dryden International Value Fund of Prudential World Fund, Inc;.and (viii) and any other portfolio subadvised by LSV on behalf of AST and/or PI pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.
   
Marsico Capital Management, LLC (Marsico) : The assets of the Advanced Strategies Portfolio will be aggregated with: (i) the portion of the Global Portfolio of PSF that is managed by Marsico, (ii) the AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio of AST, (iii) the portion of the Target Conservative Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds managed by Marsico, (iv) the portion of the Target Moderate Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds that is managed by Marsico, (v) the portion of the Target Growth Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds that is managed by Marsico, (vi) the portion of the Target Large Cap Growth Fund of The Target Portfolio Trust, and (vii) other future large cap growth accounts under which Marsico provides substantially similar advisory or sub-advisory services and which Marsico and PI and/or AST, as applicable, mutually agree, in writing, may be included in determining the level of average daily net assets for purposes of the fee calculation.

The assets of the AST International Growth Portfolio managed by Marsico will be aggregated with the assets of the PSF SP International Growth Portfolio managed by Marsico, and any other portfolio subadvised by Marsico on behalf of PI, AST, or both, pursuant to substantially the same international investment strategy and for which Marsico and PI, and/or AST, as applicable, shall agree in writing will be aggregated for purposes of calculating the fee payable to Marsico.

Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. (Neuberger Berman) : The assets of the AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets of the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio managed by Neuberger Berman, and the assets managed by Neuberger Berman in the SP Small Cap Growth Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund, and any other portfolio subadvised by Neuberger Berman on behalf of PI and/or AST pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

The assets of the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio, managed by Neuberger Berman, will be aggregated with the assets of the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio, managed by Neuberger Berman.

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO). The assets of each PIMCO-subadvised portfolio managed on behalf of PI and/or AST by PIMCO under a total return mandate (as identified and agreed upon by PIMCO and PI/AST) shall be aggregated for purposes of the fee calculation when all such aggregated assets on any day total at least $3 billion. On any day when all such aggregated assets total at least $3 billion, the contractual annual subadvisory fee rate, calculated daily, shall be: 0.250% on aggregate assets up to $1 billion; and 0.225% on aggregate assets over $1 billion. On any day when the aggregated assets total less than $3 billion, the contractual subadvisory fee rate for that day shall be 0.25% of the assets of each PIMCO-subadvised portfolio.

Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM): The assets of the AST Money Market Portfolio and the assets of the Money Market Portfolio of PSF will be aggregated.

The combined average daily net assets of the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019 and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio will include the assets of future portfolios of the Fund that are subadvised by PIM pursuant to target maturity or constant duration investment strategies that are used in connection with non-disretionary asset transfers

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 58

under cetain living benefit programs.

Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. (Thornburg): The assets managed by Thornburg in the AST International Value Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by Thornburg in the PSF SP International Value Portfolio, the Dryden International Value Fund of Prudential World Fund, Inc., the Target Moderate Allocation Fund and Target Growth Allocation Fund of Target Asset Allocation Funds, the International Equity Portfolio of The Target Portfolio Trust, and any other portfolio subadvised by Thornburg on behalf of PI and/or ASTpursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price): The assets of the AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio and the T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio of PSF will be aggregated.

Western Asset Management Company (Western Asset) and Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML) : For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee payable to Western Asset, the assets managed by Western Asset in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by WAML in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio. For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee payable to WAML, the assets managed by WAML in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by Western Asset in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

William Blair & Company LLC (William Blair) : The assets in the Advanced Strategies Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by William Blair in the Global Portfolio of PSF, in the SP International Growth Portfolio of PSF, the AST International Growth Portfolio and in any other portfolio subadvised by William Blair on behalf of the Manager, pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

The assets of the AST International Growth Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by William Blair in the Advanced Strategies Portfolio and the series of PSF that the Manager and William Blair identify as similar to the Portfolio.

Fee Waiver Notes to Subadviser Fee Rate Table:

* Neuberger Berman: Neuberger Berman has agreed to a voluntary subadvisory fee waiver arrangement that will apply across each of the SP Small-Cap Growth Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund, the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio, the AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio, the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio, and the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio (collectively, the Neuberger Berman Portfolios). This voluntary fee waiver arrangement may be terminated by Neuberger Berman at any time. As described below, this voluntary group fee waiver will be applied to the effective subadvisory fees paid by PI and AST to Neuberger Berman and will be based upon the combined average daily net assets of the Neuberger Berman Portfolios. The investment management fees paid by each Neuberger Berman Portfolio will remain unchanged.

—Combined assets up to $750 million: No fee reduction.
—Combined assets between $750 million and $1.5 billion: 5% reduction to effective subadvisory fee.
—Combined assets between $1.5 billion and $3 billion: 7.5% reduction to effective subadvisory fee.
—Combined assets above $3 billion: 10% reduction to effective subadvisory fee.

T. Rowe Price : T. Rowe Price has agreed to a voluntary subadvisory fee waiver arrangement for the indicated Portfolios to the extent necessary to reduce the effective monthly subadvisory fees for the Portfolios listed below by the following percentages based on the combined average daily net assets of the indicated Portfolios:

—Combined assets up to $750 million: No fee reduction.
—Combined assets between $750 million and $1.5 billion: 5.0% fee reduction.
—Combined assets between $1.5 billion and $3.0 billion: 7.5% fee reduction.
—Assets above $3.0 billion: 10.0% fee reduction.

The assets for each Portfolio, or portion thereof subadvised by T. Rowe Price, and the subadvisory fees of the Portfolios listed below will be aggregated for purposes of calculating the amount of the monthly subadvisory fee waiver:

—Advanced Series Trust AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio
—Advanced Series Trust AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio
—Advanced Series Trust AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio
—Advanced Series Trust AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio
— Advanced Series Trust AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio
—The Prudential Series Fund Global Portfolio
—The Prudential Series Fund SP T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio

Subadvisory Fees Paid by PI
Portfolio Subadviser 2007 2006 2005
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio Marsico Capital Management, LLC $622,346 $100,720 N/A
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. 550,158 102,613 N/A
William Blair & Company LLC 312,090 61,851 N/A
LSV Asset Management (LSV) 475,379 122,035 N/A
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO) 1,252,790 266,490 N/A
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio AllianceBernstein L.P. (AllianceBernstein) 1,105,126 857,745 $1,264,631
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio AllianceBernstein 8,151,380 6,772,289 6,138,648
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio American Century Investment Management, Inc. (American Century) 1,335,499 1,345,959 1,506,298
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio American Century 722,837 703,337 807,685
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM) N/A N/A N/A
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 PIM N/A N/A N/A

 

59

AST Bond Portfolio 2019 PIM N/A N/A N/A
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. 1,285,033 1,474,496 1,174,681
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio Detusche Investment Management Americas, Inc. (Deutsche) 738,315 464,152 349,123
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio Deutsche 367,669 375,189 351,544
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania 2,616,381 2,722,254 1,935,706
Federated MDTA LLC 691,348 N/A N/A
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio First Trust Advisors L.P. 2,729,887 580,104 N/A
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio First Trust Advisors L.P. 3,031,220 646,694 N/A
AST Global Real Estate PIM N/A N/A N/A
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (GSAM) 1,727,505 1,869,062 2,207,821
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio GSAM 910,605 909,454 894,018
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio GSAM 978,498 1,206,051 1,407,469
AST High Yield Portfolio GSAM N/A 343,733 1,883,828
PIMCO 1,323,135 984,314 N/A
AST International Growth Portfolio William Blair & Company LLC 4,084,159 4,494,913 3,487,046
Marsico Capital Management, LLC 3,262,685 346,952 N/A
AST International Value Portfolio LSV 2,092,189 2,359,752 894,492
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. 2,624,568 214,346 N/A
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio PIM N/A N/A N/A
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. (JP Morgan) 1,761,124 1,653,100 1,414,777
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC 1,389,656 990,511 1,798,663
JP Morgan 2,617,303 1,999,149 27,245
Dreman Value Management LLC 1,747,290 1,043,657 N/A
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC 1,530,482 $1,552,242 1,526,793
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS) 910,342 765,614 643,301
AST MFS Growth Portfolio MFS 1,669,097 1,893,335 2,091,586
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio Marsico Capital Management LLC 17,827,789 13,200,438 10,009,800
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio EARNEST Partners LLC 416,703 288,401 82,564
WEDGE Capital Management, LLP 587,852 349,051 29,946
GAMCO Investors, Inc. N/A N/A 628,242
AST Money Market Portfolio Prudential Investment Management, Inc. 712,676 773,392 N/A
Wells Capital Management N/A N/A 930,733
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. 2,853,519 2,572,275 1,487,655
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. 4,161,395 4,912,285 5,164,570
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Deutsche 224,987 780,064 850,871
Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. 606,197 N/A N/A
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC N/A N/A N/A
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio PIMCO 10,210,831 6,200,872 4,393,345
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio PIMCO 3,253,227 3,707,227 3,770,177
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio) Quantitative Management Associates LLC N/A N/A N/A
AllianceBernstein 577,963 583,723 628,783
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. 350,239 417,458 395,520
Eagle Asset Management 421,744 416,351 386,932
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio Integrity Asset Management N/A 67,717 594,385
JPMorgan 2,370,261 2,375,787 2,855,089
Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. 801,805 688,891 581,111
Dreman Value Management LLC 730,028 619,772 N/A
ClearBridge Advisors LLC 419,948 529,392 12,927
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (T. Rowe Price) 1,713,434 1,114,791 1,173,137
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio T. Rowe Price 2,189,334 1,933,614 1,765,422
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio T. Rowe Price 5,899,924 3,200,806 183,475
Alliance N/A 68,596 753,030
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio T. Rowe Price 3,402,921 2,602,050 1,577,581
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio Deutsche N/A N/A 132,410
UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. 1,032,195 N/A N/A
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio -Western Asset Management Company -Western Asset Management Company Limited 103,486 N/A N/A
AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
N/A N/A N/A N/A

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 60

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio CLS Investment Firm, LLC 1,449 N/A N/A
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio CLS Investment Firm, LLC 960 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Horizon Investments, LLC 523 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio Horizon Investments, LLC 287 N/A N/A
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio Niemann Capital Management, Inc. 595 N/A N/A

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: OTHER ACCOUNTS

Additional Information About the Portfolio Managers – Other Accounts and Fund Ownership . The following tables set forth information about each Portfolio and accounts other than the Portfolio for which each Portfolio's portfolio managers are primarily responsible for the day-to-day portfolio management as of the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year. The table shows, for each portfolio manager, the number of accounts managed and the total assets in such accounts, within each of the following categories: registered investment companies, other pooled investment vehicles, and other accounts. For each category, the number of accounts and total assets in the accounts whose fees are based on performance is indicated in italics typeface. The tables also set forth the dollar range of equity securities of each Portfolio of the Fund beneficially owned by the Portfolio Managers as of the Fund's most recently completed fiscal year.

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Marsico Capital Management, LLC Thomas F. Marsico 40 other registered investment companies with $36.648 billion in total assets under management 15 other pooled investment vehicles with $2.899 billion in total assets under management 169 other accounts with $29.183 in total assets under management 1 other account with $13.117 billion in total assets under management None
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Brian C. Rogers 15 other registered investment companies with $33,958.4 million in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $860 million in total assets under management 15 other accounts with $1,541 in total assets under management None
David R. Giroux 3 other registered investment companies with $15,502.9 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicles with $101.1 million in total assets under management - None
John D. Linehan 9 registered investment companies with $10,175.1 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $259.3 million in total assets under management 15 other accounts with $1,011.3 million in total assets under management None
William Blair & Company LLC W. George Grieg 12 other registered investment companies with $16.237 billion in total assets under management 10 other pooled investment vehicles with $1.915 billion in total assets under management 2928 other accounts with $11.861 billion in total assets under management None
LSV Asset Management Josef Lakonishok 28 registered investment companies with $9.469 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Menno Vermeulen 28 registered investment companies with $9.469 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Puneet Mansharamani 28 registered investment companies with $9.469 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC Mihir Worah 14 registered investment companies with $31.017 billion in total assets under management 23 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.847 billion in total assets under management 39 other accounts with $12.015 billion in total assets under management 10 other accounts with $1.315 billion in total assets under management None

 

61  

Scott Mather 8 registered investment companies with $11.446 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $5.934 billion in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $2.643 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $239.7 million in total assets under management None
Chris D. Dialynas 12 registered investment companies with $3.045 billion in total assets under management 16 other pooled investment vehicles with $7.422 billion in total assets under management 103 other accounts with $46.657 billion in total assets under management 11 other accounts with $3.347 billion in total assets under management None
Prudential Investments LLC Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
Adviser Portfolio Manager(s) Registered Investment Companies* Other Pooled Investment Vehicles* Other Accounts*/** Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $16.6 billion in total assets under management - - None
Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Michael A. Lenarcic 30 registered investment companies with $29.7 billion in total assets under management 26 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 103 other accoutns with $20.6 billion in total assets under management None
Ted Lockwood 30 registered investment companies with $29.7 billion in total assets under management 26 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104 other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
AllianceBernstein L.P. Marilyn Fedak 143 registered investment companies with $76.528 billion in total assets under management 3 registered investment companies with $12.345 billion in total assets under management 134 other pooled investment vehicles with $33.671 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicles with $762 million in total assets under management 44,568 other accounts with $164.477 billion in total assets under management 103 other accounts with $17.446 billion in total assets under management None
John Mahedy 141 registered investment companies with $75.495 billion in total assets under management 3 registered investment companies with $12.345 billion in total assets under management 133 other pooled investment vehicles with $33.480 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicles with $762 million in total assets under management 44,551 other accounts with $161.921 billion in total assets under management 99 other accounts with $16.786 billion in total assets under management None

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 62

                              Christopher Marx 30 registered investment companies with $26.376 billion in total assets under management 1 registered investment companies with $6.706 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.505 billion in total assets under management 43,872 other accounts with $51.177 billion in total assets under management 12 other accounts with $2.543 billion in total assets under management None
John Phillips 30 registered investment companies with $25.990 billion in total assets under management 1 registered investment companies with $6.706 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.505 billion in total assets under management 43,872 other accounts with $51.177 billion in total assets under management 12 other accounts with $2.543 billion in total assets under management None

AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
AllianceBernstein L.P. Frank Caruso 3 registered investment companies with $6.390 billion in total assets under management - 5 other accounts with $470 million in total assets under management 1 other account with $2.182 billion in total assets under management None

AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
American Century Investment Management, Inc. Kurt Borgwardt 5 Registered Investment Companies with $4,700,170,750 in total assets under management - 4 Other Accounts with $7,686,067 in total assets under management None
John Schniedwind 6 Registered Investment Companies with $5,033,720,449 in total assets under management - 2 Other Accounts with $30,434,665 in total assets under management None
Zili Zhang 6 Registered Investment Companies with $4,708,655,944 in total assets under management - 3 Other Accounts with $32,673,656 in total assets under management None
Lynette Pang 5 Registered Investment Companies with $1,004,879,353 in total assets under management - 1 Other Accounts with $1,638,164 in total assets under management None

AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
American Century Investment Management, Inc. Jeff Tyler 13 Registered Investment Companies with $6,377,781,886 in total assets under management 41 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $2,015,033,613 in total assets under management None None
Irina Torelli 13 Registered Investment Companies with $6,377,781,886 in total assets under management 41 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $2,015,033,613 in total assets under management None None

AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
Adviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 reigstered investment companies with $12.3 billion in total assets under management - - None

 

63

                              Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Michael A. Lenarcic 30* registered investment companies with $23.4 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 103* other accounts with $20.6 billion in total assets under management** None
Ted Lockwood 30* registered investment companies with $23.4 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104* other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management** None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST Bond Portfolio 2015
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investment Management, Inc. Richard Piccirillo 8 registered investment companies with $3.724 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.712 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $910.2 million in total assets under management 36 other accounts with $8.254 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $9.070 million in total assets under management None
Malcolm Dalrymple 4 registered investment companies with $747.839 million in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $701.854 million in total assets under management 13 other accounts with $2.422 billion in total assets under management None

AST Bond Portfolio 2018
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investment Management, Inc. Richard Piccirillo 8 registered investment companies with $3.724 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.712 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $910.161 million in total assets under management 36 other accounts with $8.254 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $9.070 million in total assets under management None
Malcolm Dalrymple 4 registered investment companies with $747.839 million in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $701.854 million in total assets under management 13 other accounts with $2.422 billion in total assets under management None

AST Bond Portfolio 2019
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investment Management, Inc. Richard Piccirillo 8 registered investment companies with $3.724 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.712 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $910.161 million in total assets under management 36 other accounts with $8.254 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $9.070 million in total assets under management None
Malcolm Dalrymple 4 registered investment companies with $747.839 million in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $701.854 million in total assets under management 13 other accounts with $2.422 billion in total assets under management None

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Adviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies* Other Pooled Investment Vehicles* Other Accounts*/** Ownership of Fund Securities

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 64

Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $11.2 billion in total assets under management - - None
Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Michael A. Lenarcic 30 registered investment companies with $29.7 billion in total assets under management 26 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 103 other accoutns with $20.6 billion in total assets under management None
Ted Lockwood 30 registered investment companies with $29.7 billion in total assets under management 26 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104 other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Investment Manager /Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securiti es
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $17.0 billion in total assets under management - - None
CLS Investment Firm, LLC Robert Jergovic, CFA 8 registered investment companies with $1.614 billion in total assets under management - 51,107 other accounts with $3.479 billion in total assets under management None
Scott Kubie, CFA 4 registered investment companies with $216 million in total assets under management - 174 other accounts with $24 million in total assets under management None
J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA 4 registered investment companies with $216 million in total assets under management - 2,245 other accounts with $386 million in total assets under management None

AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
Investment Manager / Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $17.0 billion in total assets under management - - None
CLS Investment Firm, LLC Robert Jergovic, CFA 8 registered investment companies with $1.614 billion in total assets under management - 51,107 other accounts with $3.479 billion in total assets under management None
Scott Kubie, CFA 4 registered investment companies with $216 million in total assets under management - 174 other accounts with $24 million in total assets under management None
J.J. Schenkelberg, CFA 4 registered investment companies with $216 million in total assets under management - 2,245 other accounts with $386 million in total assets under management None

AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities

 

65

Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. Martin Cohen 20 registered investment companies with $16.852 billion in total assets under management 23 other pooled investment vehicles with $5.602 billion in total assets under management 52 other accounts with $4.152 billion in total assets under management None
Robert H. Steers 20 registered investment companies with $16.852 billion in total assets under management 23 other pooled investment vehicles with $5.602 billion in total assets under management 52 other accounts with $4.152 billion in total assets under management None
Joseph M. Harvey 20 registered investment companies with $16.852 billion in total assets under management 23 other pooled investment vehicles with $5.602 billion in total assets under management 52 other accounts with $4.152 billion in total assets under management None
Jon Cheigh, CFA 4 registered investment companies with $3.545 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $447 million in total assets under management 18 other accounts with $2.278 billion in total assets under management None

AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
Adviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $15.4 billion in total assets under management - - None
Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Michael A. Lenarcic 30* registered investment companies with $28.6 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 103* other accounts with $20.6 billion in total assets under management* None
Ted Lockwood 30* registered investment companies with $28.6 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104* other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management** None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc. Julie Abbett 23 registered investment companies with $11.2 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $110 million in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $587.4 million in total assets under management None
                                      Robert Wang  39 registered investment companies with $16.6 billion in total assets under management 22 other pooled investment vehicles with $669.3 million in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $291.8 million in total assets under management 43 other accounts with $8.307 billion in total assets under management 3 other accounts with $168.7 million in total assets under management None
Jin Chen 23 registered investment companies with $11.2 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $110 million in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $587.4 million in total assets under management None

 

AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc. Julie Abbett 23 registered investment companies with $11.2 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $110 million in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $587.4 million in total assets under management None
Robert Wang 39 registered investment companies with $16.6 billion in total assets under management 22 other pooled investment vehicles with $669.3 million in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $291.8 million in total assets under management 43 other accounts with $8.307 billion in total assets under management 3 other accounts with $168.7 million in total assets under management None
Jin Chen 23 registered investment companies with $11.2 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $110 million in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $587.4 million in total assets under management None

 

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 66



AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania Laurence Auriana 3 registered investment companies with $13.044 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $2.731 million in total assets under management - None
Aash Shah 1 registered investment company with $1.448 billion in total assets under management - - None
Hans Utsch 3 registered investment companies with $13.044 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $2.731 million in total assets under management - None
John Ettinger 1 registered investment company with $1.448 billion in total assets under management - - None
Federated MDTA LLC Dr. David Goldsmith 8 registered investment company with $862.12 million in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicle with $288.224 million in total assets under management 34 other accounts with $7,556.184 million in total assets under management None

AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities

 

67

First Trust Advisors L.P. Robert F. Carey 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Roger F. Testin 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Jon C. Erickson 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
David G. McGarel 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Daniel J. Lindquist 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Walter Stubbings - - - None

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
First Trust Advisors L.P. Robert F. Carey 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Roger F. Testin 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Jon C. Erickson 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
David G. McGarel 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Daniel J. Lindquist 59 registered investment companies with $1.858 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $534.989 million in total assets under management 4,096 other accounts with $980.909 million in total assets under management None
Walter Stubbings - - - None

AST Global Real Estate Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Real Estate Investors Marc Halle 1 registered investment company with $374.9 million in total assets under management 6 other pooled investment vehicles with $444.3 million in total assets under management - None
Richard J. Romano 1 registered investment company with $374.9 million in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $442 million in total assets under management - None
Joanna Mulford - 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.464 billion in total assets under management - None
Gek Lang Lee 1 registered investment company with $374.9 million in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $368.5 million in total assets under management - None
Antti-Jussi Ahveninen 1 registered investment company with $374.9 million in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $442 million in total assets under management - None

AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Dave Shell 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 million in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None
Steve Barry 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 million in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None
Greg Ekizian 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 million in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 68

AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Dave Shell 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None
Steve Barry 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None
Greg Ekizian 20 registered investment companies with $9.1 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 353 other accounts with $18.5 billion in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2.9 billion in total assets under management None

AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Chip Otness 5 registered investment companies with $2.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $315.0 million in total assets under management 22 other accounts with $3.4 billion in total assets under management 1 other accounts with $140.0 million in total assets under management None
Kelly Flynn 12 registered investment companies with $11.7 billion in total assets under management 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $345.6 million in total assets under management 56 other accounts with $16.0 billion in total assets under management 1 other accounts with $140.0 million in total assets under management None
Sally Pope Davis 5 registered investment companies with $2.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $315.0 million in total assets under management 22 other accounts with $3.4 billion in total assets under management 1 other accounts with $140.0 million in total assets under management None
Lisa Parisi 38 registered investment companies with $16.8 billion in total assets under management 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $345.6 million in total assets under management 289 other accounts with $31.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $250.2 million in total assets under management None
Dolores Bamford 38 registered investment companies with $16.8 billion in total assets under management 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $345.6 million in total assets under management 289 other accounts with $31.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $250.2 million in total assets under management None
Scott Carroll 38 registered investment companies with $16.8 billion in total assets under management 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $345.6 million in total assets under management 289 other accounts with $31.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $250.2 million in total assets under management None

 

69

                                  Robert Crystal 5 registered investment companies with $2.0 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $315.0 million in total assets under management 22 other accounts with $3.4 billion in total assets under management 1 other accounts with $140.0 million in total assets under management None

AST High Yield Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC Mark Hudoff 8 other accounts with $12.667 billion in total assets under management 27 other accounts with $7.706 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $308.12 million in total assets under management 21 other accounts with $4.197 billion in total assets under management None

AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Investment Manager / Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $17.1 billion in total assets under management - - None
Horizon Investments, LLC Robert J. Cannon - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None
Jeffrey J. Roach - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None
Thaddeus W. Cook - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None

AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio
Investment Manager / Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $17.1 billion in total assets under management - - None
Horizon Investments, LLC Robert J. Cannon - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None
Jeffrey J. Roach - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None
Thaddeus W. Cook - - 1668 other accounts with $136.6 million in total assets under management None

AST International Growth Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
William Blair & Company LLC W. George Grieg 12 registered investment companies with $14.466 billion in total assets under management 10 other pooled investment vehicles with $1.915 billion in total assets under management 2928 other accounts with $11.861 billion in total assets under management None
Marsico Capital Management, LLC James G. Gendelman 17 registered investment companies with $12.849 billion in total assets under management - 17 other accounts with $2.679 billion in total assets under management None

AST International Value Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 70

LSV Asset Management Josef Lakonishok 28 registered investment companies with $9.032 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Menno Vermeulen, CFA 28 registered investment companies with $9.032 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Puneet Mansharamani, CFA 28 registered investment companies with $9.032 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management 25 other accounts with $3.9 billion in total assets under management None
Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. William V. Fries, CFA 17 registered investment companies with $24.4 billion in total assets under management 13 other pooled investment vehicles with $2.2 billion in total assets under management 10,205 other accounts with $10.9 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $1.1 billion in total assets under management None
Wendy Trevisani 9 registered investment companies with $18.4 billion in total assets under management 7 other pooled investment vehicles with $640.5 million in total assets under management 7,379 other accounts with $7.2 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $122.3 million in total assets under management None
Lei Wang, CFA 9 registered investment companies with $18.4 billion in total assets under management 7 other pooled investment vehicles with $640.5 million in total assets under management 7,379 other accounts with $7.2 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $122.3 million in total assets under management None

AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investment Management, Inc. Richard Piccirillo 8 registered investment companies with $3.724 billion in total assets under management 19 other pooled investment vehicles with $3.712 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $910.161 million in total assets under management 36 other accounts with $8.254 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $9.070 million in total assets under management None
Malcolm Dalrymple 4 registered investment companies with $747.839 million in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $701.854 million in total assets under management 13 other accounts with $2.422 billion in total assets under management None

AST JP Morgan International Equity Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. James Fisher 9 registered investment companies with $6.032 billion in total assets under management 12 other pooled investment vehicles with $6.606 billion in total assets under management 31 other accounts with $7.019 billion in total aseets under management None

AST Large Cap Value Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities

 

71  

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC Sheldon Lieberman 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13,640 million in total assets under management 1 Registered Mutual Fund with $2,398 million in total assets under management 3 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $476 million in assets under management 1 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $177 million in assets under management 141 Other Accounts with $13,129 million in total assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $1,097 million in total assets under management None
George Davis 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13,640 million in total assets under management 1 Registered Mutual Fund with $2,398 million in total assets under management 3 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $476 million in assets under management 1 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $177 million in assets under management 141 Other Accounts with $13,129 million in total assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $1,097 million in total assets under management None
Patricia McKenna 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13,640 million in total assets under management 1 Registered Mutual Fund with $2,398 million in total assets under management 3 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $476 million in assets under management 1 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $177 million in assets under management 141 Other Accounts with $13,129 million in total assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $1,097 million in total assets under management None
Stan Majcher 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13,640 million in total assets under management 1 Registered Mutual Fund with $2,398 million in total assets under management 3 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $476 million in assets under management 1 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $177 million in assets under management 141 Other Accounts with $13,129 million in total assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $1,097 million in total assets under management None
David Green 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13,640 million in total assets under management 1 Registered Mutual Fund with $2,398 million in total assets under management 3 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $476 million in assets under management 1 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $177 million in assets under management 141 Other Accounts with $13,129 million in total assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $1,097 million in total assets under management None
Dreman Value Management LLC David N. Dreman 21 Registered Mutual Funds with $14.9 billion in total assets under management 9 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $414.6 million in assets under management 4 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicle with $71.9 million in assets under management 201 Other Accounts with $2.7 billion in total assets under management None
E. Clifton Hoover, Jr. 16 Registered Mutual Funds with $13.6 billion in total assets under management - 182 Other Accounts with $2.6 billion in total assets under management None
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. Raffaele Zingone 9 Registered Mutual Funds with $1.035 billion in total assets under management 2 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $1.726 billion in assets under management 10 Other Accounts with $8.483 billion in total assets under management None
Terence Chen 6 Registered Mutual Funds with $630.92 million in total assets under management 6 Unregistered Pooled Investment Vehicles with $1.057 billion in assets under management 7 Other Accounts with $5.46 billion in total assets under management None

AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC Christopher J. Towle 13 Registered Investment Companies with $15,051,200,000 in total assets under management 3 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $983,100,000 in total assets under management 4,434 Other Accounts with $2,488,200,000 in total assets under management None

AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 72

Massachusetts Financial Services Company David R. Mannheim* 16 registered investment companies with $11.5 billion in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $2.3 billion in total assets under management 89 other accounts with $24.3 billion in total assets under management None
Simon Todd** 4 registered investment companies with $1.5 billion in total assets under management 6 other pooled investment vehicles with $2.3 billion in total assets under management 67 other accounts with $17.8 billion in total assets under management None

AST MFS Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Massachusetts Financial Services Company Stephen Pesek 9 registered investment companies with $9.8 billion in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $172 million in total assets under management - None

AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Marsico Capital Management, LLC Thomas F. Marsico 40 registered investment companies with $36.648 billion in total assets under management 15 other pooled investment vehicles with $2.899 billion in total assets under management 169 other accounts with $29.183 billion in total assets under management 1 other account with $13.117 billion in total assets under management None

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
EARNEST Partners LLC Paul Viera 9 registered investment companies with $1.875 billion in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicle with $31.5 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $2.7 million in total assets under management 273 other accounts with $12.096 billion in total assets under management 11 other accounts with $861.3 million in total assets under management None
WEDGE Capital Management, LLP* Paul M. VeZolles 4 registered investment companies with $348.4 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $3.4 million in total assets under management 217 other accounts with $3.359 billion in total assets under management None
Gilbert Galle 4 registered investment companies with $348.4 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $3.4 million in total assets under management 217 other accounts with $3.359 billion in total assets under management None
John Norman 4 registered investment companies with $348.4 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $3.4 million in total assets under management 217 other accounts with $3.359 billion in total assets under management None

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. Kenneth J. Turek 3 registered investment companies with $1.6 billion in total assets under management 1 - 38 other accounts with $317 million in total assets under management 2 None

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. S. Basu Mullick 4 registered investment companies with $5.4 billion in total assets under management 1 - 7 other accounts with $1.8 billion in total assets under management 2 None

 

73

LSV Asset Management Josef Lakonishok 29 registered investment companies with $9.584 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management None
Menno Vermeulen, CFA 29 registered investment companies with $9.584 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management None
Puneet Mansharamani, CFA 29 registered investment companies with $9.584 billion in total assets under management 31 other pooled investment vehicles with $12.085 billion in total assets under management 514 other accounts with $51.021 billion in total assets under management None

AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. David Burshtan 1 registered investment company with $148 million in total assets under management 1 - 3 other accounts with $234 million in total assets under management 2 None

AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
Investment Manager / Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $17.1 billion in total assets under management - - None
Niemann Capital Management, Inc. Donald Niemann - 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $23.28 million in total assets under management 5117 other accounts with $1.147 billion in total assets under management 19 other accounts with $41.19 million in total assets under management None

AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC Thomas Seto 13 other accoutns with $6.552 billion in total assets under management - 12,760 other accounts with $18.348 billion in total assets under management None
David Stein 13 other accoutns with $6.552 billion in total assets under management - 12,760 other accounts with $18.348 billion in total assets under management None

AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC Paul A. McCulley 8 other accounts with $6.664 billion in total assets under management 12 other accounts with $1.338 billion in total assets under management 35 other accounts with $6.802 billion in total assets under management 2 other accounts with $114.47 million in total assets under management None

AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Pacific Investment Management Company LLC William H. Gross 35 other accounts with $152.892 billion in total assets under management 19 other accounts with $8.423 billion in total assets under management 3 other accounts with $837 million in total assets under management 66 other accounts with $42.264 billion in total assets under management 21 other accounts with $19.071 billion in total assets under management None

AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 74

Adviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Prudential Investments LLC Brian Ahrens 13 registered investment companies with $16.1 billion in total assets under management - - None
Marcus Perl 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None
Michael A. Lenarcic 30* registered investment companies with $29 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 103* other accoutns with $20.6 billion in total assets under management** None
Ted Lockwood 30* registered investment companies with $29 billion in total assets under management 26* other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104* other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management** None
Edward L. Campbell 14 registered investment companies with $20.2 billion in total assets under management - 1 other account with $145.5 million in total assets under management None

AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies* Other Pooled Investment Vehicles* Other Accounts* , ** Ownership of Fund Securities
Quantitative Management Associates LLC Margaret S. Stumpp, PhD 27 registered investment companies with $17.7 billion in total assets under management 29 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.7 billion in total assets under management 112 other accounts with $22.7 billion in total assets under management None
Ted Lockwood 23 registered investment companies with $17.1 billion in total assets under management 26 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.1 billion in total assets under management 104 other accounts with $20.7 billion in total assets under management None
Devang Gambhirwala 17 registered investment companies with $9.7 billion in total assets under management 23 other pooled investment vehicles with $10.0 billion in total assets under management 55 other accounts with $15.7 billion in total assets under management None

AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. Judith Vale, CFA 1 registered investment company with $11.618 billion in total assets under management - 267 other accounts with $1.893 billion in total assets under management None
Robert D'Alelio 1 registered investment company with $11.618 billion in total assets under management - 267 other accounts with $1.893 billion in total assets under management None
Eagle Asset Management Bert Boksen 11 registered investment companies with $1.011 billion in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $42.359 million in total assets under management 2776 other accounts with $1.409 billion in total assets under management None
Eric Mintz, CFA - - - None

AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio
Subadvisers Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. Chris T. Blum 4 Registered Investment Companies with $584.1 million in total assets under management 7 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $591 million in total assets under management 9 other accounts with $429 million in total assets under management None
Dennis Ruhl 13 Registered Investment Companies with $2.360 billion in total assets under management 7 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $591 million in total assets under management 9 other accounts with $429 million in total assets under management None

 

75

Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. R. Todd Vingers 13 Registered Investment Companies with $2.912 billion in total assets under management 4 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $68.149 million in total assets under management 42 other accounts with $1.091 billion in total assets under management 4 other accounts with $110.94 million in total assets under management None
Dreman Value Management LLC David N. Dreman 21 Registered Investment Companies with $15.5 billion in total assets under management 9 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $414.6 million in total assets under management 4 Other Pooled Investment Vehicle with $71.9 million in total assets under management 201 other accounts with $2.7 billion in total assets under management None
E. Clifton Hoover, Jr. 16 Registered Investment Companies with $14.15 billion in total assets under management - 182 other accounts with $2.6 billion in total assets under management None
Mark Roach 12 Registered Investment Companies with $3.23 billion in total assets under management - 19 other accounts with $108 million in total assets under management None
ClearBridge Advisors LLC Peter Hable 10 Registered Investment Companies with $7.79 billion in total assets under management. 4 Other Pooled Investment Vehicles with $360 million in total assets under management 1 Other Pooled Investment Vehicle with $10 million in total assets under management 47,666 other accounts with $11.31 billion in total assets under management. None

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Edmund M. Notzon* 25 registered investment companies with $50,005.7 million in total assets under management 57 other pooled investment vehicles with $5,476.7 million in total assets under management 17 other accounts with $1,850.9 million in total assets under management None
Fred Bair 7 registered investment companies with $11,798.5 million in total assets under management 2 other pooled investment vehicles with $3,748.3 million in total assets under management - None
Ray Mills 9 registered investment companies with $5,598.3 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $32.9 million in total assets under management 1 other account with $39 million in total assets under management None
Dan Shackleford 8 registered investment companies with $9,063.7 million in total assets under management - 7 other accounts with $955.2 million in total assets under management None
Anna Dopkin 6 registered investment companies with $2,127.7 million in total assets under management 3 other pooled investment vehicles with $810.7 million in total assets under management 41 other accounts with $15,543.9 in total assets under management None
Mark Vaselkiv 9 registered investment companies with $6,508.6 million in total assets under management 10 other pooled investment vehicles with $1,915.0 million in total assets under management 14 other accounts with $2,075.7 million in total assets under management None

AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Ian Kelson 4 registered investment companies with $3,816.8 million in total assets under management 9 other pooled investment vehicles with $350.2 million in total assets under management 1 other account with $52.8 million in total assets under management None

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 76

                                   Brian Brennan 5 registered investment companies with $963.2 million in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $2,847.1 million in total assets under management 9 other accounts with $757.6 million in total assets under management None
Michael Conelius 5 registered investment companies with $790.6 million in total assets under management 5 other pooled investment vehicles with $1,410.4 million in total assets under management - None
Chris Rothery 2 registered investment companies with $73 million in total assets under management - - None

AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Robert W. Sharps 5 registered investment companies with $3,755.3 million in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $1,205.7 million in total assets under management 44 other accounts with $9,319.0 million in total assets under management None

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. Charles M. Ober 1 registered investment company with $6,907.1 million in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicles with $181.9 million in total assets under management 5 other accounts with $414.4 million in total assets under management None

AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Manager Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. Curt Custard** N/A N/A N/A None
Edwin Denson 11 registered investment companies with $13.680 billion in total assets under management 21 other pooled investment vehicles with $26.984 billion in total assets under management* 25 other accounts with $5.206 billion in total assets under management None
Thomas Clarke 7 registered investment companies with $12.682 billion in total assets under management 21 other pooled investment vehicles with $27.065 billion in total assets under management* 11 other accounts with $3.185 billion in total assets under management None
Neil Williams 3 registered investment companies with $3.621 billion in total assets under management 4 other pooled investment vehicles with $5.175 billion in total assets under management 7 other accounts with $1.212 billion in total assets under management None

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio
Subadviser Portfolio Managers Registered Investment Companies Other Pooled Investment Vehicles Other Accounts Ownership of Fund Securities
Western Asset Management Company Western Asset Management Company Limited S. Kenneth Leech 114 registered investment companies with $121,113,127,582 in total assets under management 239 other pooled investment vehicles with $211,995,391,168 in total assets under management 1069 other accounts with $300,567,840,634 in total assets under management 95 other accounts with $32,730,534,560 in total assets under management None
Stephen A. Walsh 114 registered investment companies with $121,113,127,582 in total assets under management 239 other pooled investment vehicles with $211,995,391,168 in total assets under management 1069 other accounts with $300,567,840,634 in total assets under management 95 other accounts with $32,730,534,560 in total assets under management None

 

77

                                       Mark S. Lindbloom 13 registered investment companies with $7,126,679,996 in total assets under management 7 other pooled investment vehicles with $5,108,537,965 in total assets under management 12 other accounts with $816,212,414 in total assets under management 1 other accounts with $90,076,225 in total assets under management None
Edward A. Moody 2 registered investment companies with $135,834,619 in total assets under management 1 other pooled investment vehicle with $64,451,154 in total assets under management 88 other accounts with $17,049,446,178 in total assets under management 8 other accounts with $3,137,049,788 in total assets under management None
Carl L. Eichstaedt 12 registered investment companies with $3,191,570,542 in total assets under management 6 other pooled investment vehicles with $1,841,238,845 in total assets under management 98 other accounts with $20,235,499,347 in total assets under mamagement 3 other accounts with $1,075,804,167 in total assets under management None

Notes to Other Account and Fund Ownership Table:

Eagle
* "Other Pooled Investment Vehicles" includes a fund that receives a performance incentive fee in addition to an asset based management fee.

Marsico
* 1 of the "other accounts" is a wrap fee platform which includes approximately 32,572 underlying clients for total assets of approximately $12,512,700,000.

MFS
* Mr. Mannheim has 12 performance based accounts with $3.2 billion in assets.
** Mr. Todd has 11 performance based accounts with $2.8 billion in assets.

Neuberger Berman
1. Registered Investment Companies include all mutual funds managed by the portfolio maanger.
2. Other Accounts include: Institutional Separate Accounts, Sub-Advised, and Managed Accounts (WRAP)

QMA:
"Other Pooled Investment Vehicles" includes commingled insurance company separate accounts, commingled trust funds and other commingled investment vehicles. "Other Accounts" includes single client accounts, managed accounts (which are counted as one account per managed account platform), asset allocation clients, and accounts of affiliates.
* Accounts are managed on a team basis. If a portfolio manager is a member of a team, any account managed by that team is included in the number of accounts and total assets for such portfolio manager (even if such portfolio manager is not primarily involved in the day-to-day management of the account).
** Twelve of these accounts with aggregate assets of $5,832,921,816 are subject to performance-based advisory fees.

T. Rowe Price
* Includes assets of underlying registered investment companies and other portfolios in fund-of-funds where Mr. Notzon is the lead portfolio manager.

UBS
* One account with assets of approximately $187 million has an advisory fee based upon the performance of the account.
** Curt Custard joined UBS in March 2008. Consequently, other account information for Mr. Custard was not available at the time of filing.

WEDGE
*WEDGE utilizes a team-based approach in which the portfolio managers are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of Investment Accounts.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS: COMPENSATION AND CONFLICTS POLICIES

Additional Information About the Portfolio Managers — Compensation and Conflicts of Interest . Set forth below, for each Portfolio Manager, is an explanation of the structure of, and method(s) used by each Subadviser (or, where applicable, the Manager) to determine, portfolio manager compensation. Also set forth below, for each Portfolio Manager, is an explanation of any material conflicts of interest that may arise between a Portfolio Manager's management of a Portfolio's investments and investments in other accounts.

AllianceBernstein L.P.

Portfolio Manager Compensation

AllianceBernstein's compensation program for investment professionals is designed to be competitive and effective in order to attract and retain the highest caliber employees. The compensation program for investment professionals is designed to reflect their ability to generate long-term investment success for our clients, including shareholders of the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds. Investment

 

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professionals do not receive any direct compensation based upon the investment returns of any individual client account, nor is compensation tied directly to the level or change in level of assets under management. Investment professionals' annual compensation is comprised of the following:

(i) Fixed base salary: This is generally the smallest portion of compensation. The base salary is a relatively low, fixed salary within a similar range for all investment professionals. The base salary is determined at the outset of employment based on level of experience, does not change significantly from year?to?year and hence, is not particularly sensitive to performance.

(ii) Discretionary incentive compensation in the form of an annual cash bonus: AllianceBernstein's overall profitability determines the total amount of incentive compensation available to investment professionals. This portion of compensation is determined subjectively based on qualitative and quantitative factors. In evaluating this component of an investment professional's compensation, AllianceBernstein considers the contribution to his/her team or discipline as it relates to that team's overall contribution to the long-term investment success, business results and strategy of AllianceBernstein. Quantitative factors considered include, among other things, relative investment performance (e.g., by comparison to competitor or peer group funds or similar styles of investments, and appropriate, broad-based or specific market indices), and consistency of performance. There are no specific formulas used to determine this part of an investment professional's compensation and the compensation is not tied to any pre-determined or specified level of performance. AllianceBernstein also considers qualitative factors such as the complexity and risk of investment strategies involved in the style or type of assets managed by the investment professional; success of marketing/business development efforts and client servicing; seniority/length of service with the firm; management and supervisory responsibilities; and fulfillment of AllianceBernstein's leadership criteria.

(iii) Discretionary incentive compensation in the form of awards under AllianceBernstein's Partners Compensation Plan ("deferred awards"): AllianceBernstein's overall profitability determines the total amount of deferred awards available to investment professionals. The deferred awards are allocated among investment professionals based on criteria similar to those used to determine the annual cash bonus. There is no fixed formula for determining these amounts. Deferred awards, for which there are various investment options, vest over a four-year period and are generally forfeited if the employee resigns or AllianceBernstein terminates his/her employment. Investment options under the deferred awards plan include many of the same AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds offered to mutual fund investors, thereby creating a close alignment between the financial interests of the investment professionals and those of AllianceBernstein's clients and mutual fund shareholders with respect to the performance of those mutual funds. AllianceBernstein also permits deferred award recipients to allocate up to 50% of their award to investments in AllianceBernstein's publicly traded equity securities. [1]

(iv) Contributions under AllianceBernstein's Profit Sharing/401(k) Plan: The contributions are based on AllianceBernstein's overall profitability. The amount and allocation of the contributions are determined at the sole discretion of AllianceBernstein.

[1] Prior to 2002, investment professional compensation also included discretionary long-term incentive in the form of restricted grants of AllianceBernstein's Master Limited Partnership Units.

Investment Professional Conflict of Interest Disclosure

As an investment adviser and fiduciary, AllianceBernstein owes its clients and shareholders an undivided duty of loyalty. We recognize that conflicts of interest are inherent in our business and accordingly have developed policies and procedures (including oversight monitoring) reasonably designed to detect, manage and mitigate the effects of actual or potential conflicts of interest in the area of employee personal trading, managing multiple accounts for multiple clients, including AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds, and allocating investment opportunities. Investment professionals, including portfolio managers and research analysts, are subject to the above-mentioned policies and oversight monitoring to ensure that all clients are treated equitably. We place the interests of our clients first and expect all of our employees to meet their fiduciary duties.

Employee Personal Trading . AllianceBernstein has adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics that is designed to detect and prevent conflicts of interest when investment professionals and other personnel of AllianceBernstein own, buy or sell securities which may be owned by, or bought or sold for, clients. Personal securities transactions by an employee may raise a potential conflict of interest when an employee owns or trades in a security that is owned or considered for purchase or sale by a client, or recommended for purchase or sale by an employee to a client. Subject to the reporting requirements and other limitations of its Code of Business Conduct and Ethics, AllianceBernstein permits its employees to engage in personal securities transactions, and also allows them to acquire investments in the AllianceBernstein Mutual Funds through direct purchase, 401K/profit sharing plan investment and/or notionally in connection with deferred incentive compensation awards. AllianceBernstein's Code of Ethics and Business Conduct requires disclosure of all personal accounts and maintenance of brokerage accounts with designated broker-dealers approved by

 

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AllianceBernstein. The Code also requires preclearance of all securities transactions and imposes a one-year holding period for securities purchased by employees to discourage short-term trading.

Managing Multiple Accounts for Multiple Clients. AllianceBernstein has compliance policies and oversight monitoring in place to address conflicts of interest relating to the management of multiple accounts for multiple clients. Conflicts of interest may arise when an investment professional has responsibilities for the investments of more than one account because the investment professional may be unable to devote equal time and attention to each account. The investment professional or investment professional teams for each client may have responsibilities for managing all or a portion of the investments of multiple accounts with a common investment strategy, including other registered investment companies, unregistered investment vehicles, such as hedge funds, pension plans, separate accounts, collective trusts and charitable foundations. Among other things, AllianceBernstein's policies and procedures provide for the prompt dissemination to investment professionals of initial or changed investment recommendations by analysts so that investment professionals are better able to develop investment strategies for all accounts they manage. In addition, investment decisions by investment professionals are reviewed for the purpose of maintaining uniformity among similar accounts and ensuring that accounts are treated equitably. No investment professional that manages client accounts carrying performance fees is compensated directly or specifically for the performance of those accounts. Investment professional compensation reflects a broad contribution in multiple dimensions to long-term investment success for our clients and is not tied specifically to the performance of any particular client's account, nor is it directly tied to the level or change in level of assets under management.

Allocating Investment Opportunities. AllianceBernstein has policies and procedures intended to address conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities. These policies and procedures are designed to ensure that information relevant to investment decisions is disseminated promptly within its portfolio management teams and investment opportunities are allocated equitably among different clients. The investment professionals at AllianceBernstein routinely are required to select and allocate investment opportunities among accounts. Portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar accounts, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities. Nevertheless, investment opportunities may be allocated differently among accounts due to the particular characteristics of an account, such as size of the account, cash position, tax status, risk tolerance and investment restrictions or for other reasons.

AllianceBernstein's procedures are also designed to prevent potential conflicts of interest that may arise when AllianceBernstein has a particular financial incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, relating to an account. An investment professional may perceive that he or she has an incentive to devote more time to developing and analyzing investment strategies and opportunities or allocating securities preferentially to accounts for which AllianceBernstein could share in investment gains.

To address these conflicts of interest, AllianceBernstein's policies and procedures require, among other things, the prompt dissemination to investment professionals of any initial or changed investment recommendations by analysts; the aggregation of orders to facilitate best execution for all accounts; price averaging for all aggregated orders; objective allocation for limited investment opportunities (e.g., on a rotational basis) to ensure fair and equitable allocation among accounts; and limitations on short sales of securities. These procedures also require documentation and review of justifications for any decisions to make investments only for select accounts or in a manner disproportionate to the size of the account.

American Century Investment Management, Inc.

Compensation
American Century portfolio manager compensation is structured to align the interests of portfolio managers with those of the shareholders whose assets they manage. It includes the components described below, each of which is determined with reference to a number of factors such as overall performance, market competition, and internal equity. Compensation is not directly tied to the value of assets held in client portfolios.

Base Salary
Portfolio managers receive base pay in the form of a fixed annual salary.

Bonus
A significant portion of portfolio manager compensation takes the form of an annual incentive bonus tied to performance. Bonus payments are determined by a combination of factors. One factor is fund investment performance. For most American Century mutual funds, investment performance is measured by a combination of one- and three-year pre-tax performance relative to various benchmarks and/or internally-customized peer groups. The performance comparison periods may be adjusted based on a fund's inception date or a portfolio manager's tenure on the fund. Custom peer groups are constructed using all the funds in the indicated categories as a starting point. Funds are then eliminated from the peer group based on a standardized methodology designed to result

 

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in a final peer group that is both more stable over the long term (i.e., has less peer turnover) and that more closely represents the fund's true peers based on internal investment mandates.

Portfolio managers may have responsibility for multiple American Century mutual funds. In such cases, the performance of each is assigned a percentage weight appropriate for the portfolio manager's relative levels of responsibility.

Portfolio managers also may have responsibility for portfolios that are managed in a fashion similar to that of other American Century mutual funds. This is the case for the AST American Century Income Growth Portfolio and the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio. If the performance of a similarly managed account is considered for purposes of compensation, it is either measured in the same way as a comparable American Century mutual fund (i.e., relative to the performance of a benchmark and/or peer group) or relative to the performance of such mutual fund. Performance of the AST American Century Income Growth Portfolio and AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio are measured relative to the performance of a comparable American Century mutual fund. Performance of the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio is not separately considered in determining portfolio manager compensation.

A second factor in the bonus calculation relates to the performance of all American Century funds managed according to a particular investment style, such as U.S. growth or value. Performance is measured for each product individually as described above and then combined to create an overall composite for the product group. These composites may measure one-year performance (equal weighted) or a combination of one- and three-year performance (asset weighted) depending on the portfolio manager's responsibilities and products managed. This feature is designed to encourage effective teamwork among portfolio management teams in achieving long-term investment success for similarly styled portfolios.

A portion of some portfolio managers' bonuses may be tied to individual performance goals, such as research projects and the development of new products.

Finally, portfolio manager bonuses may occasionally be affected by extraordinarily positive or negative financial performance by American Century Companies, Inc. ("ACC"), the adviser's privately-held parent company. This feature has been designed to maintain investment performance as the primary component of portfolio manager bonuses while also providing a link to the adviser's ability to pay.

Restricted Stock Plans
Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of restricted stock of ACC. These grants are discretionary, and eligibility and availability can vary from year to year. The size of an individual's grant is determined by individual and product performance as well as other product-specific considerations. Grants can appreciate/depreciate in value based on the performance of the ACC stock during the restriction period (generally three years).

Deferred Compensation Plans
Portfolio managers are eligible for grants of deferred compensation. These grants are used in limited situations, primarily for retention purposes. Grants are fixed and can appreciate/depreciate in value based on the performance of the American Century mutual funds in which the portfolio manager chooses to invest them.

Ownership of Securities
The portfolio manager of the AST American Century Income Growth Portfolio did not own any shares of the Portfolio as of December 31, 2007.

Potential Conflicts of Interest
Certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple portfolios. Potential conflicts include, for example, conflicts among investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities. American Century has adopted policies and procedures that are designed to minimize the effects of these conflicts.

Responsibility for managing American Century client portfolios is organized according to investment discipline. Investment disciplines include, for example, quantitative equity, small- and mid-cap growth, large-cap growth, value, international, fixed income, asset allocation, and sector funds. Within each discipline are one or more portfolio teams responsible for managing specific client portfolios. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by the same team using the same objective, approach, and philosophy. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes, and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios, which minimizes the potential for conflicts of interest.

 

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For each investment strategy, one portfolio is generally designated as the "policy portfolio." Other portfolios with similar investment objectives, guidelines and restrictions, if any, are referred to as "tracking portfolios." When managing policy and tracking portfolios, a portfolio team typically purchases and sells securities across all portfolios that the team manages. American Century's trading systems include various order entry programs that assist in the management of multiple portfolios, such as the ability to purchase or sell the same relative amount of one security across several funds. In some cases a tracking portfolio may have additional restrictions or limitations that cause it to be managed separately from the policy portfolio. Portfolio managers make purchase and sale decisions for such portfolios alongside the policy portfolio to the extent the overlap is appropriate, and separately, if the overlap is not.

American Century may aggregate orders to purchase or sell the same security for multiple portfolios when it believes such aggregation is consistent with its duty to seek best execution on behalf of its clients. Orders of certain client portfolios may, by investment restriction or otherwise, be determined not available for aggregation. American Century has adopted policies and procedures to minimize the risk that a client portfolio could be systematically advantaged or disadvantaged in connection with the aggregation of orders. To the extent equity trades are aggregated, shares purchased or sold are generally allocated to the participating portfolios pro rata based on order size. Because initial public offerings (IPOs) are usually available in limited supply and in amounts too small to permit across-the-board pro rata allocations, American Century has adopted special procedures designed to promote a fair and equitable allocation of IPO securities among clients over time. Fixed income securities transactions are not executed through a centralized trading desk. Instead, portfolio teams are responsible for executing trades with broker/dealers in a predominantly dealer marketplace. Trade allocation decisions are made by the portfolio manager at the time of trade execution and orders entered on the fixed income order management system.

Finally, investment of American Century's corporate assets in proprietary accounts may raise additional conflicts of interest. To mitigate these potential conflicts of interest, American Century has adopted policies and procedures intended to provide that trading in proprietary accounts is performed in a manner that does not give improper advantage to American Century to the detriment of client portfolios.

CLS Investment Firm, LLC


Portfolio Manager Compensation

The compensation of CLS portfolio managers is based on a number of factors. These factors include an annual fixed salary that is based on various market factors and the skill and experience of the individual. The CLS portfolio managers are also eligible to receive a discretionary bonus. The discretionary bonus takes into account several factors, including CLS' profitability (net income and ability to pay a bonus), the value and number of accounts/portfolios overseen by the portfolio manager, the general performance of client accounts relative to market conditions, and the performance of the relevant CLS portfolios based on percent return, adjusted for dividends and capital gains, calculated on a pre-tax basis relative to the performance of the CLS portfolio's relevant benchmarks for the preceding one and three-year periods, or shorter if the CLS portfolio has not operated for these periods. The formula for determining these amounts may vary, and no individual's compensation is solely tied to the investment performance or asset value of any one product or strategy.


Conflicts of Interest

As indicated in the table above, the CLS portfolio managers may manage numerous accounts for multiple clients. These accounts may include registered investment companies, other types of pooled accounts (e.g., collective investment funds), and separate accounts (i.e., accounts managed on behalf of individuals or public or private institutions). CLS portfolio managers make investment decisions for each account based on the investment objectives and policies and other relevant investment considerations applicable to that portfolio. When a CLS portfolio manager has responsibility for managing more than one account, potential conflicts of interest may arise. Those conflicts could include preferential treatment of one account over others in terms of allocation of resources or of investment opportunities. For instance, CLS may receive fees from certain accounts that are higher than the fee it receives from another CLS portfolio, or it may receive a performance-based fee on certain accounts. In those instances, the portfolio manager may have an incentive to favor the higher and/or performance-based fee accounts over the relevant CLS portfolio. CLS has adopted policies and procedures designed to address these potential material conflicts. For instance, CLS portfolio managers are normally responsible for all accounts within a certain investment discipline, and do not, absent special circumstances, differentiate among the various accounts when allocating resources. Additionally, CLS and its advisory affiliates utilize a system for allocating investment opportunities among portfolios that is designed to provide a fair and equitable allocation.

ClearBridge Advisors, LLC

 

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Portfolio Manager Compensation

ClearBridge Advisors, LLC ("ClearBridge") investment professionals receive base salary and other employee benefits and are eligible to receive incentive compensation. Base salary is fixed and typically determined based on market factors and the skill and experience of individual investment personnel.

ClearBridge has an incentive and deferred compensation plan (the "Plan") for its investment professionals, including the fund's portfolio manager(s). Each investment professional works as a part of an investment team. The Plan is designed to align the objectives of ClearBridge investment professionals with those of fund shareholders and other ClearBridge clients. Under the Plan a "base incentive pool" is established for each team each year as a percentage of ClearBridge's revenue attributable to the team (largely management and related fees generated by funds and other accounts). A team's revenues are typically expected to increase or decrease depending on the effect that the team's investment performance as well as inflows and outflows have on the level of assets in the investment products managed by the team. The "base incentive pool" of a team is reduced by base salaries paid to members of the team and other employee expenses attributable to the team.

The investment team's incentive pool is then adjusted to reflect its ranking among a "peer group" of non-ClearBridge investment managers and the team's pre-tax investment performance against the applicable product benchmark (e.g. a securities index and, with respect to a fund, the benchmark set forth in the fund's prospectus to which the fund's average annual total returns are compared or, if none, the benchmark set forth in the fund's annual report). The peer group of non-ClearBridge investment managers is defined by product style/type, vehicle type and geography and selected by independent vendors that track and provide (for a fee paid by ClearBridge) relevant peer group performance and ranking data. Longer-term (5- year) performance is more heavily weighted than shorter-term (1- year) performance in the calculation of the performance adjustment factor. The incentive pool for a team may also be adjusted based on other qualitative factors by the applicable ClearBridge Chief Investment Officer.). The incentive pool will be allocated by the applicable ClearBridge chief investment officer to the team leader and, based on the recommendations of the team leader, to the other members of the team.

Up to 20% of an investment professional's annual incentive compensation is subject to deferral. For portfolio managers, 25% of this deferral tracks performance of their primary managed product, while another 25% tracks performance of an elected fund. Therefore, portfolio managers may potentially have 50% of their deferred award amount tracking the performance of their primary managed product. The remaining 50% of the deferral is received in the form of Legg Mason restricted stock shares.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

Potential conflicts of interest may arise when a Fund's portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to one or more other funds or other accounts, as is the case for [certain of] the portfolio managers listed in the table above.

The investment adviser and the fund(s) have adopted compliance policies and procedures that are designed to address various conflicts of interest that may arise for the investment adviser and the individuals that it employs. For example, ClearBridge seeks to minimize the effects of competing interests for the time and attention of portfolio managers by assigning portfolio managers to manage funds and accounts that share a similar investment style. ClearBridge has also adopted trade allocation procedures that are designed to facilitate the fair allocation of limited investment opportunities among multiple funds and accounts. There is no guarantee, however, that the policies and procedures adopted by ClearBridge and the fund(s) will be able to detect and/or prevent every situation in which an actual or potential conflict may appear.

These potential conflicts include:

Allocation of Limited Time and Attention . A portfolio manager who is responsible for managing multiple funds and/or accounts may devote unequal time and attention to the management of those funds and/or accounts. As a result, the portfolio manager may not be able to formulate as complete a strategy or identify equally attractive investment opportunities for each of those accounts as might be the case if he or she were to devote substantially more attention to the management of a single fund. The effects of this potential conflict may be more pronounced where funds and/or accounts overseen by a particular portfolio manager have different investment strategies.

Allocation of Limited Investment Opportunities . If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for multiple funds and/or accounts, the opportunity may be allocated among these several funds or accounts, which may limit a fund's ability to take full advantage of the investment opportunity.

 

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Pursuit of Differing Strategies . At times, a portfolio manager may determine that an investment opportunity may be appropriate for only some of the funds and/or accounts for which he or she exercises investment responsibility, or may decide that certain of the funds and/or accounts should take differing positions with respect to a particular security. In these cases, the portfolio manager may place separate transactions for one or more funds or accounts which may affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the detriment or benefit of one or more other funds and/or accounts.

Variation in Compensation . A conflict of interest may arise where the financial or other benefits available to the portfolio manager differ among the funds and/or accounts that he or she manages. If the structure of the investment adviser's management fee and/or the portfolio manager's compensation differs among funds and/or accounts (such as where certain funds or accounts pay higher management fees or performance-based management fees), the portfolio manager might be motivated to help certain funds and/or accounts over others. The portfolio manager might be motivated to favor funds and/or accounts in which he or she has an interest or in which the investment advisor and/or its affiliates have interests. Similarly, the desire to maintain or raise assets under management or to enhance the portfolio manager's performance record or to derive other rewards, financial or otherwise, could influence the portfolio manager to lend preferential treatment to those funds and/or accounts that could most significantly benefit the portfolio manager.

Selection of Broker/Dealers . Portfolio managers may be able to select or influence the selection of the brokers and dealers that are used to execute securities transactions for the funds and/or accounts that they supervise. In addition to executing trades, some brokers and dealers provide brokerage and research services (as those terms are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), which may result in the payment of higher brokerage fees than might otherwise be available. These services may be more beneficial to certain funds or accounts than to others. Although the payment of brokerage commissions is subject to the requirement that the sub-adviser determines in good faith that the commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided to the fund, a decision as to the selection of brokers and dealers could yield disproportionate costs and benefits among the funds and/or accounts managed. For this reason, the sub-adviser has formed a brokerage committee that reviews, among other things, the allocation of brokerage to broker/dealers, best execution and soft dollar usage.

Related Business Opportunities . The investment adviser or its affiliates may provide more services (such as distribution or recordkeeping) for some types of funds or accounts than for others. In such cases, a portfolio manager may benefit, either directly or indirectly, by devoting disproportionate attention to the management of fund and/or accounts that provide greater overall returns to the investment manager and its affiliates.

Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

Compensation

Portfolio managers and research analysts receive a base salary plus a performance-based incentive bonus (consisting of cash and equity in the form of restricted stock units), which is designed to be a meaningful portion of compensation. Portfolio managers are evaluated on performance relative to their benchmark on a one-and three-year basis and performance relative to peer groups. Research analysts' incentive compensation is on the quality of their research inputs to our valuation model and their investment cases, as well as their contribution to the investment process. Traders' incentive compensation is based on the efficiency of their trading execution measured, in part, by Abel/Noser. Other factors that contribute to total compensation include the firm's overall success, including growth and profitability, each person's contribution to that success and each individual's performance with regard to teamwork, attitude, leadership and values. The firm uses McLagan to benchmark compensation relative to market comparables, and our goal is to be in the top quartile of that survey.

All employees earning a threshold amount receive a significant portion of their total compensation in restricted stock units ("RSUs"), at least 15%–35%, which vest and convert to common stock ratably over four years. In addition, all employees may voluntarily defer up to 25% of their bonus to the optional Stock Purchase Program under the Stock Incentive Plan. Any such bonus amounts mandated or voluntarily deferred into RSUs are matched 25% by the firm in additional RSUs. All employees are eligible to participate in a stock purchase plan as well, whereby employees may purchase the firm's common stock at a 15% discount. A significant amount of the firm's equity is held by employees.

Conflicts of Interest

It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio managers' management of the Portfolio' s investments on the one hand and the investments of other accounts or vehicles for which the portfolio managers are responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities

 

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among the Portfolio and the other accounts or vehicles he advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions among the Portfolio and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Portfolio. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may provide more revenue to the Subadvisor. While this may appear to create additional conflicts of interest for the portfolio manager in the allocation of management time, resources and investment opportunities, the Subadvisor strives to ensure that portfolio managers endeavor to exercise their discretion in a manner that is equitable to all interested persons. In this regard, in the absence of specific account-related impediments (such as client-imposed restrictions or lack of available cash), it is the policy of the Subadvisor to allocate investment ideas pro rata to all accounts with the same primary investment objective

Deutsche Investment Management America, Inc.

Compensation of Portfolio Managers

The Fund has been advised that the Subadvisor seeks to offer its investment professionals competitive short-term and long-term compensation. Portfolio managers and research professionals are paid (i) base salaries, which are linked to job function, responsibilities and financial services industry peer comparison and (ii) variable compensation, which is linked to investment performance, individual contributions to the team and DWS Scudder's and Deutsche Bank's financial results. Variable compensation may include a cash bonus incentive and participation in a variety of long-term equity programs (usually in the form of Deutsche Bank equity).

Bonus and long-term incentives comprise a greater proportion of total compensation as an investment professional's seniority and compensation levels increase. Top performing investment professionals earn a total compensation package that is highly competitive, including a bonus that is a multiple of their base salary. The amount of equity awarded under the long-term equity programs is generally based on the individual's total compensation package and may comprise from 0%-40% of the total compensation award. As incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in Deutsche Bank equity also increases. Certain senior investment professionals may be subject to a mandatory diverting of a portion of their equity compensation into proprietary mutual funds that they manage.

To evaluate its investment professionals, the Subadvisor uses a Performance Management Process. Objectives evaluated by the process are related to investment performance and generally take into account peer group and benchmark related data. The ultimate goal of this process is to link the performance of investment professionals with client investment objectives and to deliver investment performance that meets or exceeds clients' risk and return objectives. When determining total compensation, the Subadvisor considers a number of quantitative and qualitative factors such as:

· DWS Scudder performance and the performance of Deutsche Asset Management, quantitative measures which include 1, 3 and 5 year pre-tax returns versus benchmark (such as the benchmark used in the prospectus) and appropriate peer group, taking into consideration risk targets. Additionally, the portfolio manager's retail/institutional asset mix is weighted, as appropriate for evaluation purposes.

· Qualitative measures include adherence to the investment process and individual contributions to the process, among other things. In addition, the subadvisor assesses compliance, risk management and teamwork skills.

· Other factors, including contributions made to the investment team as well as adherence to compliance, risk management, and "living the values" of the Subadvisor, are part of a discretionary component which gives management the ability to reward these behaviors on a subjective basis through bonus incentives.

In addition, the Subadvisor analyzes competitive compensation levels through the use of extensive market data surveys. Portfolio manager compensation is reviewed and may be modified each year as appropriate to reflect changes in the market, as well as to adjust the factors used to determine overall compensation to promote good sustained investment performance.


Conflicts of Interest

The Subadvisor is owned by Deutsche Bank AG, a multi-national financial services company. Therefore, the Subadvisor is affiliated with a variety of entities that provide, and/or engage in commercial banking, insurance, brokerage, investment banking, financial advisory, broker-dealer activities (including sales and trading), hedge funds, real estate and private equity investing, in addition to the provision of investment management services to institutional and individual investors. Since Deutsche Bank AG, its affiliates,

 

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directors, officers and employees (the "Firm") are engaged in businesses and have interests other than managing asset management accounts, such other activities involve real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest. These interests and activities include potential advisory, transactional and financial activities and other interests in securities and companies that may be directly or indirectly purchased or sold by the Firm for its clients' advisory accounts. These are considerations of which advisory clients should be aware and which may cause conflicts that could be to the disadvantage of the Subadvisor's advisory clients. The Subadvisor has instituted business and compliance policies, procedures and disclosures that are designed to identify, monitor and mitigate conflicts of interest and, as appropriate, to report them to the Fund's Board.

Real, potential or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or account, including the following:

· Certain investments may be appropriate for the Fund and also for other clients advised by the Subadvisor, including other client accounts managed by the Fund's portfolio management team. Investment decisions for the Fund and other clients are made with a view to achieving their respective investment objectives and after consideration of such factors as their current holdings, availability of cash for investment and the size of their investments generally. A particular security may be bought or sold for only one client or in different amounts and at different times for more than one but less than all clients. Likewise, because clients of the Subadvisor may have differing investment strategies, a particular security may be bought for one or more clients when one or more other clients are selling the security. The investment results achieved for the Fund may differ from the results achieved for other clients of the Subadvisor. In addition, purchases or sales of the same security may be made for two or more clients on the same day. In such event, such transactions will be allocated among the clients in a manner believed by the Subadvisor to be most equitable to each client, generally utilizing a pro rata allocation methodology. In some cases, the allocation procedure could potentially have an adverse effect or positive effect on the price or amount of the securities purchased or sold by the Fund. Purchase and sale orders for the Fund may be combined with those of other clients of the Subadvisor in the interest of achieving the most favorable net results to the Fund and the other clients.

· To the extent that a portfolio manager has responsibilities for managing multiple client accounts, a portfolio manager will need to divide time and attention among relevant accounts. The Subadvisor attempts to minimize these conflicts by aligning its portfolio management teams by investment strategy and by employing similar investment models across multiple client accounts.

· In some cases, an apparent conflict may arise where the Subadvisor has an incentive, such as a performance-based fee, in managing one account and not with respect to other accounts it manages. The Subadvisor will not determine allocations based on whether it receives a performance-based fee from the client. Additionally, the Subadvisor has in place supervisory oversight processes to periodically monitor performance deviations for accounts with like strategies.

· The subadvisor and its affiliates and the investment team of the Fund may manage other mutual funds and separate accounts on a long-short basis. The simultaneous management of long and short portfolios creates potential conflicts of interest including the risk that short sale activity could adversely affect the market value of the long positions (and vice versa), the risk arising from sequential orders in long and short positions, and the risks associated with receiving opposing orders at the same time. The subadvisor has adopted procedures that it believes are reasonably designed to mitigate these potential conflicts of interest. Included in these procedures are specific guidelines developed to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all clients whose accounts are managed by each Fund's portfolio management team. The subadvisor and the portfolio management team have established monitoring procedures, a protocol for supervisory reviews, as well as compliance oversight to ensure that potential conflicts of interest relating to this type of activity are properly addressed.

Dreman Value Management LLC

Portfolio Managers Compensaion

The Funds have been advised that the sub-adviser has implemented a highly competitive compensation plan which seeks to attract and retain exceptional investment professionals who have demonstrated that they can consistently outperform their respective fund's benchmark. The compensation plan is comprised of both a fixed component and a variable component. The variable component is determined by assessing the investment professional's performance measured utilizing both quantitative and qualitative factors.

The Sub-adviser's investment professionals are each paid a fixed base salary that is determined based on their job function and responsibilities. The base salary is deemed to be competitive with the marketplace and specifically with salaries in the financial services industry by utilizing various salary surveys compiled for the financial services industry specifically investment advisory firms. The variable component of the subadviser's compensation plan which takes the form of a cash bonus combined with employee

 

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retention bonus units payable over time is designed to reward and retain investment professionals including portfolio managers and research analysts for their contributions to the Fund's performance relative to its benchmark.

Investment professionals may also receive equity in the form of units or fractional units of membership interest in the subadviser or they may receive employee retention bonus units which enable them to participate in the growth of the firm. Investment professionals also participate in the subadviser's profit sharing plan, a defined contribution plan that allows the subadviser to contribute up to twenty percent of an employee's total compensation, subject to various regulatory limitations, to each employee's profit sharing account. The subadviser maintains both a qualified and non-qualified profit sharing plan which benefits employees of the firm including both portfolio managers and research analysts. Contributions to the subadvsier's profit sharing plan vest over a specified term. Finally all employees of the subadviser including investment professionals receive additional fringe benefits in the form of subsidized medical, dental, vision, group-term, and life insurance coverage.

The basis for determining the variable component of an investment professional's total compensation is determined through a subjective process which evaluates an investment professional performance against several quantitative and qualitative factors including the following:

Quantitative factors:

  • Relative ranking of the Fund's performance against its peers in the one, three and five year pre-tax investment performance categories. The Fund's performance is evaluated against peers in its fund category and performance is ranked from one to four on a declining scale depending on the quartile in which the portfolio manager's absolute performance falls. The portfolio manager is rewarded on a graduated scale for outperforming relative to his peers.

  • Relative performance of the Fund's performance against the pre-determined indices for the product strategy against which the Fund's performance is measured. The portfolio manager is rewarded on a graduated scale for outperforming relative to the Fund's benchmark index.

  • Performance of the Fund's portfolio measured through attribution analysis models which analyzes the portfolio manager's contribution from both an asset allocation or sector allocation perspective and security selection perspective. This factor evaluates how the investment professional performs in linking performance with the client's investment objective including investment parameters and risk and return objectives. This factor may include some qualitative characteristics.

Qualitative factors:

  • Ability to work well with other members of the investment professional team and mentor junior members.

  • Contributions to the organizational overall success with new product strategies.

  • Other factors such as contributing to the team in a leadership role and by being responsive to requests for assistance.

Conflicts of Interest

In addition to managing the assets of the Fund, the portfolio manager may manage other client accounts of the subadvisor. The tables below show, for each portfolio manager, the number and asset size of (1) SEC registered investment companies other than the Fund, (2) pooled investment vehicles that are not registered investment companies and (3) other accounts (e.g., accounts managed for individuals or organizations) managed by each portfolio manager. The tables also show the number of performance based fee accounts, as well as the total assets of the accounts for which the advisory fee is based on the performance of the account. This information is provided as of the Fund's most recent fiscal year end.

The subadvisor manages clients' accounts using a contrarian value investment strategy. For both its large capitalization and small capitalization strategies the subadvisor utilizes a model portfolio and rebalances clients accounts whenever changes are made to the model portfolio. In addition the subadvisor aggregates its trades and allocates the trades to all clients accounts in an equitable manner. The subadvisor strongly believes aggregating its orders protect all clients from being disadvantaged by price or time execution. The model portfolio approach and the trade aggregation policy of the subadvisor eliminates any potential or apparent conflicts of interest that could arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day portfolio management responsibilities with respect to more than one fund or account. The subadvisor does not receive any performance-based fees from any of its accounts with the exception of a hedge fund that is managed by an affiliated firm. However the hedge funds are treated like any other client account and trades done for the fund are generally aggregated with trades done for its regular client accounts.

The subadvisor's investment professional are compensated in the same manner for all client accounts irrespective of the type of account.

Eagle Asset Management

Description of Compensation Structure

 

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Mr. Boksen is paid a base salary that is competitive with other portfolio managers in the industry, based on industry surveys;

Mr. Boksen along with other Portfolio managers participate in a revenue-sharing program that provides incentives to build a successful investment program over the long term;

Additional deferred compensation plans are provided to key investment professionals;

Mr. Boksen along with all employees receive benefits from Eagle's parent company including a 401(k) plan, profit sharing, and Employee Stock Purchase Plan.

There is no difference between the method used to determine Mr. Boksen's compensation with respect to the Fund and other Funds managed by Mr. Boksen.

Mr. Boksen's additional compensation includes receipt of 50% of the net profits generated by the General Partner EB Management I.

Mr. Boksen also receives Stock option awards as part of his annual Bonus. These stock option awards vest over a three year period.

Mr. Boksen's compensation is based upon all accounts managed and performance is evaluated annually. Performance is evaluated on the entire composite of accounts and is pre-tax and account weighted.

Mr. Boksen's benchmarks for evaluation purposes includes LipperFund Index for Mutual Fund performance and the Russell 2000 index for separate accounts along with peer group rankings such as Callan Associates and Mercer Investment Consulting.

Potential Conflicts

Eagle currently holds a 51% ownership interests in EB Management I, LLC which acts as the general partner to a limited partnership formed for investment purposes. Bert Boksen is a 49% owner of EB Management and the Portfolio Manager for the Eagle Aggressive Growth Partners Fund I L.P.. Eagle also provides administrative and investment research services for the general partner. Certain officers and employees of Eagle have investment interests in the limited partnership.

On occasion, orders for the securities transactions of the limited partnership may be aggregated with orders for Eagle's client accounts. In such instances, Eagle will ensure that the allocation of securities among Eagle's clients and the partnership is equitable; price averaging may be used for trades executed in a series of transactions on the same day.

Eagle does not invest assets of clients' accounts in such limited partnership. Officers and employees of Raymond James Financial, Inc. and it's subsidiaries may have investment interest in such investment partnership.

Conflicts of Interest

Eagle's portfolio manager manages other accounts with investment strategies similar to the Portfolio. Certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple portfolios. As noted above, fees vary among these accounts and the portfolio manager may personally invest in some of these accounts. This could create potential conflicts of interest where a portfolio manager may favor certain accounts over others, resulting in other accounts outperforming the Portfolio. Other potential conflicts include conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities and aggregated trading. However, Eagle has developed and implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure that all clients are treated equitably. In addition, compliance oversight and monitoring ensures adherence to policies designed to avoid conflicts. Also, as indicated in Eagle's Code of Ethics there are certain procedures in place to avoid conflicts of interest when the Manager and other investment personnel of Eagle buy or sell securities also owned by, or bought or sold for Clients.

EARNEST Partners LLC

Compensation

EARNEST Partners: All EARNEST Partners personnel are paid a salary and a discretionary bonus. A portion of the bonus may consist of profit sharing and/or deferred compensation. The Company also matches a portion of employees' 401(k) contributions, if any. The bonus is a function of client satisfaction with respect to investment results and service. Equity ownership is another component of compensation for the portfolio managers. The firm is employee-owned.

Conflicts of Interest

 

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No material conflicts of interest exist. All accounts are managed to model portfolios that are approved by the investment committee, and trades are allocated pro-rata to all accounts so that no one account is advantaged over another pursuant to trade allocation policies and procedures.

Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania

Compensation Structure

Aash Shah is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager's experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based on multiple performance criteria using a Balanced Scorecard methodology, and may be paid entirely in cash, or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Investors, Inc. (Federated). There are three weighted performance categories in the Balanced Scorecard. Investment Product Performance (IPP) is the predominant factor. Of lesser importance are: Financial Success and Leadership/Teamwork/Communication. The total Balanced Scorecard "score" is applied against an annual incentive opportunity that is competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role to determine the annual incentive payment. As a separate matter, with respect to one of the other funds managed, Mr. Shah may receive additional consideration based on the achievement of specified revenue growth. IPP is measured on a rolling 1, 3, and 5 calendar year pre-tax gross return basis vs. the Fund's designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one-year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded. As noted above, Mr. Shah is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks. Additionally, Mr. Shah provides research and analytical support for other accounts. IPP is calculated with an equal weighting of each account he manages or for which he provides research and analytical support. Discretion may be applied to modify the above based on extenuating circumstances. Financial success is assessed by the revenue growth for the accounts managed or supported and is predicated on the trailing 5 year IPP vs. peer group being at or above the 50th percentile. Leadership/Teamwork/Communication is assessed by the Chief Investment Officer and Lead Portfolio Managers of the group.

Hans Utsch is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager's experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based on multiple performance criteria using a Balanced Scorecard methodology. There are three weighted performance categories in the Balanced Scorecard. Investment Product Performance (IPP) is the predominant factor. Of lesser importance are: Leadership and Client Satisfaction and Service. The total Balanced Scorecard "score" is applied against an annual incentive opportunity that is competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role to determine the annual incentive payment. As a separate matter, with respect to one of the other funds managed, Mr. Utsch may receive additional consideration based on the achievement of specified revenue growth. IPP is measured on a rolling 1, 3, and 5 calendar year pre-tax gross return basis vs. the Fund's designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one-year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded. As noted above, Mr. Auriana is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks. IPP is calculated with an equal weighting of each account managed by the portfolio manager. Discretion may be applied to modify the above based on extenuating circumstances. Leadership is assessed by the Chief Investment Officer in charge of the portfolio manager's group. Client Satisfaction and Service is assessed by Federated's senior management based on the quality, amount and effectiveness of client support, with input from sales management.

John Ettinger is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager's experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based on multiple performance criteria using a Balanced Scorecard methodology, and may be paid entirely in cash, or in a combination of cash and restricted stock of Federated Investors, Inc. (Federated). There are three weighted performance categories in the Balanced Scorecard. Investment Product Performance (IPP) is the predominant factor. Of lesser importance are: Financial Success and Leadership/Teamwork/Communication. The total Balanced Scorecard "score" is applied against an annual incentive opportunity that is competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role to determine the annual incentive payment. As a separate matter, with respect to one of the other funds managed, Mr. Ettinger may receive additional consideration based on the achievement of specified revenue growth. IPP is measured on a rolling 1, 3, and 5 calendar year pre-tax gross return basis vs. the Fund's designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one-year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded. As noted above, Mr. Ettinger is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks. Additionally, Mr. Ettinger provides research and analytical support for other accounts. IPP is calculated with an equal weighting of each account he manages or for which he provides research and analytical support. Discretion may be applied to

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modify the above based on extenuating circumstances. Financial success is assessed by the revenue growth for the accounts managed or supported and is predicated on the trailing 5 year IPP vs. peer group being at or above the 50th percentile. Leadership/Teamwork/Communication is assessed by the Chief Investment Officer and Lead Portfolio Managers of the group.

Lawrence Auriana is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager's experience and performance. The annual incentive amount is determined based on multiple performance criteria using a Balanced Scorecard methodology. There are three weighted performance categories in the Balanced Scorecard. Investment Product Performance (IPP) is the predominant factor. Of lesser importance are: Leadership and Client Satisfaction and Service. The total Balanced Scorecard "score" is applied against an annual incentive opportunity that is competitive in the market for this portfolio manager role to determine the annual incentive payment. As a separate matter, with respect to one of the other funds managed, Mr. Auriana may receive additional consideration based on the achievement of specified revenue growth. IPP is measured on a rolling 1, 3, and 5 calendar year pre-tax gross return basis vs. the Fund's designated peer group of comparable accounts. Performance periods are adjusted if a portfolio manager has been managing an account for less than five years; accounts with less than one-year of performance history under a portfolio manager may be excluded. As noted above, Mr. Auriana is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts may have different benchmarks. IPP is calculated with an equal weighting of each account managed by the portfolio manager. Discretion may be applied to modify the above based on extenuating circumstances. Leadership is assessed by the Chief Investment Officer in charge of the portfolio manager's group. Client Satisfaction and Service is assessed by Federated's senior management based on the quality, amount and effectiveness of client support, with input from sales management.

Conflicts of Interest

As a general matter, certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager's management of a fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible, on the other. For example, it is possible that the various accounts managed could have different investment strategies that, at times, might conflict with one another to the possible detriment of the Fund. Alternatively, to the extent that the same investment opportunities might be desirable for more than one account, possible conflicts could arise in determining how to allocate them. Other potential conflicts might include conflicts created by specific portfolio manager compensation arrangements, and conflicts relating to selection of brokers or dealers to execute fund portfolio trades and/or specific uses of commissions from Fund portfolio trades (for example, research, or "soft dollars"). The Adviser has adopted policies and procedures and has structured the portfolio managers' compensation in a manner reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund from being negatively affected as a result of any such potential conflicts.

Federated MDTA LLC

Compensation Structure

Dr. David Goldsmith is paid a fixed base salary and a variable annual incentive. Base salary is determined within a market competitive position-specific salary range, based on the portfolio manager's experience and performance. For purposes of calculating the annual incentive amount, each mutual fund and institutional account managed by the Adviser is categorized as reflecting one of several designated "Strategies." The annual incentive amount is based on current calendar year asset-weighted composite investment performance of each Strategy, which is measured on a total return basis gross of fees and expenses vs. the Strategy's designated benchmark (i.e., with respect to the Fund's Strategy, Russell 2000 Index). As noted above, Dr. Goldsmith is also the portfolio manager for other accounts in addition to the Fund. Such other accounts may be categorized as reflecting different Strategies, which may have different benchmarks. Although the performance of each Strategy composite is considered in calculating the annual incentive amount, their relative weightings differ. The performance of one of the other Strategies (which does not include the Fund in its composite performance) represents a significant portion of the calculation. The remaining Strategies are divided into two groups, with each Strategy within a group receiving equal weighting. The Strategy to which the Fund is assigned and the other Strategies in the same group receive higher weighting than Strategies in the other group. As a separate matter, pursuant to the terms of a business acquisition agreement, Dr. Goldsmith may receive additional consideration based on the achievement of specified revenue targets.

Conflicts of Interest

As a general matter, certain conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager's management of a fund's investments, on the one hand, and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible, on the other. For example, it is possible that the various accounts managed could have different investment strategies that, at times, might conflict with one another to the possible detriment of the Fund. Alternatively, to the extent that the same investment opportunities might be desirable for more than one account, possible conflicts could arise in determining how to allocate them. Other potential conflicts

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might include conflicts created by specific portfolio manager compensation arrangements, and conflicts relating to selection of brokers or dealers to execute fund portfolio trades and/or specific uses of commissions from Fund portfolio trades (for example, research, or "soft dollars"). The Adviser has structured the portfolio managers' compensation in a manner, and the Fund has adopted policies and procedures, reasonably designed to safeguard the Fund from being negatively affected as a result of any such potential conflicts.

First Trust Advisors L.P.

Compensation

The compensation structure for each member of the Investment Committee is based on a fixed salary as well as a discretionary bonus determined by the management of First Trust. Salaries are determined by management and are based on an individual's position and overall value to the firm. Bonuses are also determined by management and are based on an individual's overall contribution to the success of the firm and the profitability of the firm. Salaries and bonuses for members of the Investment Committee are not based on criteria such as a Portfolio's performance or the value of assets included in the Portfolio. In addition, Mr.Carey, Mr.Erickson, Mr. Lindquist and Mr.McGarel have an indirect ownership stake in the firm and will therefore receive their allocable share of ownership-related distributions.

Conflicts of Interest

None of the accounts managed by the Investment Committee pay an advisory fee that is based on the performance of the account. In addition, First Trust believes that there are no material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with the Investment Committee's management of the Portfolios' investments and the investments of the other accounts managed by the Investment Committee. However, because the investment strategies of the Portfolios and other accounts managed by the Investment Committee are based on fairly mechanical investment processes, the Investment Committee may recommend that certain clients sell and other clients buy a given security at the same time. In addition, because the investment strategies of the Portfolios and other accounts managed by the Investment Committee result in the clients investing in readily available securities, First Trust believes that there should not be material conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities between the Portfolios and other accounts managed by the Investment Committee. None of the members of the Investment Committee own interests in the Portfolios.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Portfolio Managers' Compensation

Base Salary and Performance Bonus . GSAM and the GSAM Value Team's (the "Value Team") compensation package for its portfolio managers is comprised of a base salary and a performance bonus. The performance bonus is a function of each portfolio manager's individual performance and his or her contribution to overall team performance. Portfolio managers are rewarded for their ability to outperform a benchmark while managing risk appropriately. Compensation is also influenced by the Value Team's total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees. Anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms may also be considered, but are not a principal factor.

The performance bonus is significantly influenced by 3 year period of investment performance. The following criteria are considered:

  • Individual performance (relative, absolute)

  • Team performance (relative, absolute)

  • Consistent performance that aligns with clients' objectives

  • Achievement of top rankings (relative and competitive)

The benchmark for this Portfolio is the Russell 2000 Value Index.

Other Compensation . In addition to base salary and performance bonus, GSAM has a number of additional benefits/deferred compensation programs for all portfolio managers in place including (i) a 401K program that enables employees to direct a percentage of their pretax salary and bonus income into a tax-qualified retirement plan; (ii) a profit sharing program to which Goldman, Sachs & Co. makes a pretax contribution; and (iii) investment opportunity programs in which certain professionals are eligible to participate subject to certain net worth requirements. Portfolio managers may also receive grants of restricted stock units and/or stock options as part of their compensation.

Certain GSAM portfolio managers may also participate in the firm's Partner Compensation Plan, which covers many of the firm's senior executives. In general, under the Partner Compensation Plan, participants receive a base salary and a bonus (which may be paid in cash or in the form of an equity-based award) that is linked to Goldman Sachs' overall financial performance.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

GSAM's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more Funds as well as other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades.

GSAM has a fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. It seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, GSAM has developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, GSAM has adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between a Fund and another client account. GSAM conducts periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies.

Compensation of Investment Managers

Base Salary and Performance Bonus. GSAM and the Growth Investment Team's (the "Growth Team") compensation packages for its portfolio managers are comprised of a base salary and performance bonus. The performance bonus is first and foremost tied to the Growth Team's pre-tax performance for its clients and the Growth Team's total revenues for the past year which in part is derived from advisory fees and for certain accounts, performance based fees. The Growth Team measures its performance on a market cycle basis which is typically measured over a three to seven year period, rather than being focused on short term gains in its strategies or short term contributions from a portfolio manager in any given year.

The performance bonus for portfolio managers is significantly influenced by the following criteria: (1) whether the team performed consistently with objectives and client commitments; (2) whether the team's performance exceeded performance benchmarks over a market cycle; (3) consistency of performance across accounts with similar profiles; and (4) communication with other portfolio managers within the research process. Benchmarks for measuring performance can either be broad based or narrow based indices which will vary based on client expectations.

The Growth Team also considers each portfolio manager's individual performance, his or her contribution to the overall performance of the strategy long-term and his/her ability to work as a member of the team. The Growth Team's decision may also be influenced by the following: the performance of GSAM, the profitability of Goldman, Sachs Co. and anticipated compensation levels among competitor firms.

Other Compensation. In addition to base salary and performance bonus, GSAM has a number of additional benefits/deferred compensation programs for all portfolio managers in place including (i) a 401(k) program that enables employees to direct a percentage of their pretax salary and bonus income into a tax-qualified retirement plan; (ii) a profit sharing program to which Goldman, Sachs Co. makes a pretax contribution; and (iii) investment opportunity programs in which certain professionals are eligible to participate subject to certain net worth requirements. Portfolio managers may also receive grants of restricted stock units and/or stock options as part of their compensation.

Certain GSAM portfolio managers may also participate in the firm's Partner Compensation Plan, which covers many of the firm's senior executives. In general, under the Partner Compensation Plan, participants receive a base salary and a bonus (which may be paid in cash or in the form of an equity-based award) that is linked to Goldman Sachs' overall financial performance.

Conflicts of Interest

GSAM's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more Funds as well as other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unregistered hedge funds. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades. GSAM has a fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. They seek to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, GSAM has developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, GSAM has adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between a Fund and another client account. GSAM conducts periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies.

 

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Horizon Investments, LLC

Portfolio Manager Compensation

Each Horizon portfolio manager is a member of the firm's Investment Committee. Members receive a salary (guaranteed payment) and bonus based on their individual performance, the performance of the investment team and the performance of the firm.


Conflicts of Interest

It is Horizon's opinion that no material conflicts exist in connection with Horizon's management of the investments for the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, on the one hand, and the investments for certain other accounts. While Horizon manages assets on a variety of investment platforms (including individual accounts on various variable annuity platforms), and the strategies underlying some of these accounts included aspects of the management strategy for the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, Horizon believes there should not be a situation where the use of types of strategies on either side would effect the strategy on the other.

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC (HWCM)

Compensation Disclosure

Portfolio Managers of the Portfolio are supported by the full research team of HWCM. Compensation is used to reward, attract and retain high quality investment professionals. An investment professional, such as a Portfolio Manager, has a base salary and is eligible for an annual bonus. Some Portfolio Managers also are involved in client servicing, marketing and in the general management of HWCM and are evaluated and compensated based on these functions as well as their investment management activities.

HWCM believes consistent execution of the proprietary research process results in superior, risk-adjusted portfolio returns. It is the quality of the investment professional's execution of this process rather than the performance of particular securities that is evaluated in determining compensation. Compensation likewise is not tied to performance of the Funds or separate accounts, specific industries within the Funds or separate accounts or to any type of asset or revenue related objective, other than to the extent that the overall revenues of HWCM attributable to such factors may affect the size of HWCM's overall bonus pool.

Bonuses and salaries for investment professionals are determined by the Chief Executive Officer of HWCM using tools which may include, but are not limited to, annual evaluations, compensation surveys, feedback from other employees and advice from members of HWCM's Executive Committee and HWCM's Compensation Committee. The amount of the bonus usually is shaped by the total amount of HWCM's bonus pool available for the year, which is generally a function of net income, but no investment professional receives a bonus that is a pre-determined percentage of net income.

The majority of the Portfolio Managers own equity in HWCM. HWCM believes that the ownership structure of the firm is a significant factor in ensuring a motivated and stable employee base.

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest

The Funds are managed by HWCM's investment team ("Investment Team"). The Investment Team also manages institutional accounts and other mutual funds in several different investment strategies. The portfolios within an investment strategy are managed using a target portfolio; however, each portfolio may have different restrictions, cash flows, tax and other relevant considerations which may preclude a portfolio from participating in certain transactions for that investment strategy. Consequently, the performance of portfolios may vary due to these different considerations. The Investment Team may place transactions for one investment strategy that are directly or indirectly contrary to investment decisions made on behalf of another investment strategy. HWCM may be restricted from purchasing more than a limited percentage of the outstanding shares of a company. If a company is a viable investment for more than one investment strategy, HWCM has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that all of its clients are treated fairly and equitably.

Different types of accounts and investment strategies may have different fee structures. Additionally, certain accounts pay HWCM performance-based fees, which may vary depending on how well the account performs compared to a benchmark. Because such fee arrangements have the potential to create an incentive for HWCM to favor such accounts in making investment decisions and

 

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allocations, HWCM has adopted polices and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that all of its clients are treated fairly and equitably, including in respect of allocation decisions, such as initial public offerings.

Since all accounts are managed to a target portfolio by the Investment Team, adequate time and resources are consistently applied to all accounts in the same investment strategy.

J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

Potential Conflicts

The potential for conflicts of interest exists when portfolio managers manage other accounts with similar investment objectives and strategies as the Fund ("Similar Accounts"). Potential conflicts may include, for example, conflicts between investment strategies and conflicts in the allocation of investment opportunities.

Responsibility for managing J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JP Morgan)'s and its affiliates clients' portfolios is organized according to investment strategies within asset classes. Generally, client portfolios with similar strategies are managed by portfolio managers in the same portfolio management group using the same objectives, approach and philosophy. Underlying sectors or strategy allocations within a larger portfolio are likewise managed by portfolio managers who use the same approach and philosophy as similarly managed portfolios. Therefore, portfolio holdings, relative position sizes and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across similar portfolios and strategies, which minimize the potential for conflicts of interest.

JP Morgan and/or its affiliates may receive more compensation with respect to certain Similar Accounts than that received with respect to the Fund or may receive compensation based in part on the performance of certain Similar Accounts. This may create a potential conflict of interest for JP Morgan and its affiliates or its portfolio managers by providing an incentive to favor these Similar Accounts when, for example, placing securities transactions. In addition, JP Morgan or its affiliates could be viewed as having a conflict of interest to the extent that JP Morgan or an affiliate has a proprietary investment in Similar Accounts, the portfolio managers have personal investments in Similar Accounts or the Similar Accounts are investment options in JP Morgan's or its affiliate's employee benefit plans. Potential conflicts of interest may arise with both the aggregation and allocation of securities transactions and allocation of limited investment opportunities because of market factors or investment restrictions imposed upon JP Morgan and its affiliates by law, regulation, contract or internal policies. Allocations of aggregated trades, particularly trade orders that were only partially completed due to limited availability and allocation of investment opportunities generally, could raise a potential conflict of interest, as JP Morgan or its affiliates may have an incentive to allocate securities that are expected to increase in value to favored accounts. Initial public offerings, in particular, are frequently of very limited availability. JP Morgan and its affiliates may be perceived as causing accounts it manages to participate in an offering to increase JP Morgan's or its affiliates' overall allocation of securities in that offering.

A potential conflict of interest also may be perceived to arise if transactions in one account closely follow related transactions in a different account, such as when a purchase increases the value of securities previously purchased by another account, or when a sale in one account lowers the sale price received in a sale by a second account. If JP Morgan or its affiliates manages accounts that engage in short sales of securities of the type in which the Fund invests, JP Morgan or its affiliates could be seen as harming the performance of the Fund for the benefit of the accounts engaging in short sales if the short sales cause the market value of the securities to fall.

As an internal policy matter, JP Morgan may from time to time maintain certain overall investment limitations on the securities positions or positions in other financial instruments JP Morgan or its affiliates will take on behalf of its various clients due to, among other things, liquidity concerns and regulatory restrictions. It should be recognized that such policies may preclude an account from purchasing particular securities or financial instruments, even if such securities or financial instruments would otherwise meet the account's objectives.

The goal of JP Morgan and its affiliates is to meet their fiduciary obligation with respect to all clients, JP Morgan and its affiliates have have policies and procedures designed to manage the conflicts. JP Morgan and its affiliates monitor a variety of areas, including compliance with fund guidelines, review of allocation decisions and compliance with JP Morgan's Codes of Ethics and JPMC's Code of Conduct. With respect to the allocation of investment opportunities, JP Morgan and its affiliates also have certain policies designed to achieve fair and equitable allocation of investment opportunities among its clients over time. For example:

Orders for the same equity security are aggregated on a continual basis throughout each trading day consistent with JP Morgan's duty of best execution for its clients. If aggregated trades are fully executed, accounts participating in the trade will be allocated their pro rata share on an average price basis. Partially completed orders generally will be allocated among the participating accounts on a

 

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pro-rata average price basis, subject to certain limited exceptions. For example, accounts that would receive a de minimis allocation relative to their size may be excluded from the order. Another exception may occur when thin markets or price volatility require that an aggregated order be completed in multiple executions over several days. If partial completion of the order would result in an uneconomic allocation to an account due to fixed transaction or custody costs, JP Morgan or its affiliates may exclude small orders until 50% of the total order is completed. Then the small orders will be executed. Following this procedure, small orders will lag in the early execution of the order, but will be completed before completion of the total order.

Purchases of money market instruments and fixed income securities cannot always be allocated pro rata across the accounts with the same investment strategy and objective. However, JP Morgan and its affiliates attempts to mitigate any potential unfairness by basing non-pro rata allocations traded through a single trading desk or system upon an objective predetermined criteria for the selection of investments and a disciplined process for allocating securities with similar duration, credit quality and liquidity in the good faith judgment of JP Morgan or its affiliates so that fair and equitable allocation will occur over time.

Portfolio Manager Compensation

J.P. Morgan Investment Management Inc. (JP Morgan)'s Portfolio managers participate in a competitive compensation program that is designed to attract and retain outstanding people and closely link the performance of investment professionals to client investment objectives. The total compensation program includes a base salary fixed from year to year and a variable performance bonus consisting of cash incentives and restricted stock and, in some cases, mandatory deferred compensation. These elements reflect individual performance and the performance of JP Morgan's business as a whole.

Each portfolio manager's performance is formally evaluated annually based on a variety of factors including the aggregate size and blended performance of the portfolios such portfolio manager manages. Individual contribution relative to client goals carries the highest impact. Portfolio manager compensation is primarily driven by meeting or exceeding clients' risk and return objectives, relative performance to competitors or competitive indices and compliance with firm policies and regulatory requirements. In evaluating each portfolio manager's performance with respect to the mutual funds he or she manages, the funds' pre-tax performance is compared to the appropriate market peer group and to each fund's benchmark index listed in the fund's prospectus over one, three and five year periods (or such shorter time as the portfolio manager has managed the fund). Investment performance is generally more heavily weighted to the long term.

Awards of restricted stock are granted as part of an employee's annual performance bonus and comprise from 0% to 35% of a portfolio manager's total bonus. As the level of incentive compensation increases, the percentage of compensation awarded in restricted stock also increases. Up to 50% of the restricted stock portion of a portfolio manager's bonus may instead be subject to a mandatory notional investment in selected mutual funds advised by the Adviser or its affiliates. When these deferred amounts vest, the portfolio manager receives cash equal to the market value of the notional investment in the selected mutual funds.

Lee Munder Investments, Ltd.

Compensation

Portfolio managers at Lee Munder Investments Ltd. ("LMIL") are compensated through a combination of salary, bonus and partnership participation. Bonuses are formula driven based on assets managed, revenues, and performance relative to peer groups. Partnership units will be granted, at no cost, based on achieving certain asset or revenue hurdles.

Conflicts of Interest

LMIL's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing one or more funds as well as other accounts, including proprietary accounts, separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as unrestricted partnerships. A portfolio manager may manage a separate account or other pooled investment vehicle which may have materially higher fee arrangements than the Fund and may also have a performance-based fee. The side-by-side management of these funds may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to cross trading, the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades.

LMIL has fiduciary responsibility to manage all client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. It seeks to provide best execution of all securities transactions and aggregate and then allocate securities to client accounts in a fair and timely manner. To this end, LMIL has developed policies and procedures designed to mitigate and manage the potential conflicts of interest that may arise from side-by-side management. In addition, LMIL has adopted policies limiting the circumstances under which cross-trades may be effected between a Fund and another client account. LMIL conducts periodic reviews of trades for consistency with these policies.

 

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Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC

Compensation of Investment Managers

Lord Abbett compensates its investment managers on the basis of salary, bonus and profit sharing plan contributions. The level of compensation takes into account the investment manager's experience, reputation and competitive market rates.

Fiscal year-end bonuses, which can be a substantial percentage of base level compensation, are determined after an evaluation of various factors. These factors include the investment manager's investment results and style consistency, the dispersion among funds with similar objectives, the risk taken to achieve the fund returns, and similar factors. Investment results are evaluated based on an assessment of the investment manager's three- and five-year investment returns on a pre-tax basis vs. both the appropriate style benchmarks and the appropriate peer group rankings. Finally, there is a component of the bonus that reflects leadership and management of the investment team. The evaluation does not follow a formulaic approach, but rather is reached following a review of these factors. No part of the bonus payment is based on the investment manager's assets under management, the revenues generated by those assets, or the profitability of the investment manager's unit. Lord Abbett does not manage hedge funds. Lord Abbett may designate a bonus payment of a manager for participation in the firm's senior incentive compensation plan, which provides for a deferred payout over a five-year period. The plan's earnings are based on the overall asset growth of the firm as a whole. Lord Abbett believes this incentive focuses investment managers on the impact their fund's performance has on the overall reputation of the firm as a whole and encourages exchanges of investment ideas among investment professionals managing different mandates.

Lord Abbett provides a 401(k) profit-sharing plan for all eligible employees. Contributions to an investment manager's profit-sharing account are based on a percentage of the investment manager's total base and bonus paid during the fiscal year, subject to a specified maximum amount. The assets of this profit-sharing plan are entirely invested in Lord Abbett-sponsored funds.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the investment managers' management of the investments of the Funds and the investments of the other accounts included in the table above. Such conflicts may arise with respect to the allocation of investment opportunities among the Funds and other accounts with similar investment objectives and policies. An investment manager potentially could use information concerning a Fund's transactions to the advantage of other accounts and to the detriment of the Funds. To address these potential conflicts of interest, Lord Abbett has adopted and implemented a number of policies and procedures. Lord Abbett has adopted Policies and Procedures for Evaluating Best Execution of Equity Transactions, as well as Trading Practices/Best Execution Procedures. The objective of these policies and procedures is to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of transactions and allocation of investment opportunities on behalf of all accounts managed by Lord Abbett. In addition, Lord Abbett's Code of Ethics sets forth general principles for the conduct of employee personal securities transactions in a manner that avoids any actual or potential conflicts of interest with the interests of Lord Abbett's clients including the Funds. Moreover, Lord Abbett's Statement of Policy and Procedures on Receipt and Use of Inside Information sets forth procedures for personnel to follow when they have inside information. Lord Abbett is not affiliated with a full service broker-dealer and therefore does not execute any portfolio transactions through such an entity, a structure that could give rise to additional conflicts. Lord Abbett does not conduct any investment bank functions and does not manage any hedge funds. Lord Abbett does not believe that any material conflicts of interest exist in connection with the investment managers' management of the investments of the Funds and the investments of the other accounts referenced in the table above.

LSV Asset Management

Portfolio Manager Compensation

LSV Portfolio Managers receive a base salary and bonus which is a function of overall firm profitability. In addition, each portfolio manager is a partner and receives a portion of the firm's net income.

Potential Conflicts

LSV's management of other accounts could give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with their management of the Funds' investments on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objective as the Funds. Therefore a potential conflict of interest may arise whereby LSV might be incented to favor one account over another. It is also possible that a potential conflict of interest may arise because LSV manages an account with a

 

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performance-based management fee in addition to the Funds and other accounts without a performance-based fee. LSV has in place means to establish that investment opportunities are fairly and equitably allocated.

Marsico Capital Management, LLC

Portfolio Manager Compensation

Compensation for MCM's portfolio managers and research analysts consists of a base salary (reevaluated at least annually), and periodic cash bonuses. Bonuses are typically based on two primary factors: (1) MCM's overall profitability for the period, and (2) individual achievement and contribution. In addition, MCM's portfolio managers and research analysts typically own equity interests in a company that indirectly owns MCM. In addition to salary and bonus, portfolio managers and research analysts may participate in other MCM benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans on the same basis as other MCM employees.

Portfolio manager compensation takes into account, among other factors, the overall performance of all accounts for which the manager provides investment advisory services. Portfolio managers do not receive special consideration based on the performance of particular accounts and do not receive compensation from accounts charging performance-based fees. Exceptional individual efforts are typically rewarded through salary readjustments and through greater participation in the bonus pool. Portfolio manager compensation comes solely from MCM.

MCM does not tie portfolio manager compensation to specific levels of performance relative to fixed benchmarks. Although performance may be a relevant consideration, to encourage a long-term horizon for managing portfolios, MCM evaluates a portfolio manager's performance over periods longer than the immediate compensation period, and may consider a variety of measures such as the performance of unaffiliated portfolios with similar strategies and other measurements. Other factors that may be significant in determining portfolio manager compensation include, without limitation, effectiveness of the manager's leadership within MCM's Investment Management Team, contributions to MCM's overall performance, discrete securities analysis, idea generation, ability to support and train other analysts, and other considerations.

Material Conflicts

As a general matter, MCM faces the same need to balance the interests of different clients that any investment adviser with multiple clients might experience. Portfolio managers make investment decisions for each portfolio based on the investment objectives, policies, practices and other relevant investment considerations that the managers believe are applicable to that portfolio. Consequently, portfolio managers may purchase (or sell) securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio, or may take similar actions for different portfolios at different times. As a result, the mix of securities purchased in one portfolio may perform better than the mix of securities purchased for another portfolio. Similarly, the sale of securities from one portfolio may cause that portfolio to perform better than others if the value of those securities subsequently decline.

The need to balance the interests of multiple clients may also arise when allocating and/or aggregating trades. MCM often aggregates into a single trade order several individual contemporaneous client trade orders in a single security. Under MCM's Portfolio Management and Trade Management Policy and Procedures, when trades are aggregated on behalf of more than one account, MCM seeks to allocate such trades to all participating client accounts in a fair and equitable manner. With respect to IPOs and other syndicated or limited offerings, it is MCM's policy to seek to ensure that over the long term, accounts with the same or similar investment objectives will receive an equitable opportunity to participate meaningfully and will not be unfairly disadvantaged. To deal with these situations, MCM has adopted policies and procedures for allocating transactions across multiple accounts. MCM's policies also seek to ensure that portfolio managers do not systematically allocate other types of trades in a manner that would be more beneficial to one account than another. MCM's compliance department monitors transactions made on behalf of multiple clients to seek to ensure adherence to its policies.

MCM has adopted and implemented policies and procedures that seek to minimize potential conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of a portfolio manager advising multiple accounts. In addition, MCM monitors a variety of areas, including compliance with primary Fund guidelines, the allocation of securities, and compliance with its Code of Ethics.

Massachusetts Financial Services Company

Compensation

Portfolio manager total cash compensation is a combination of base salary and performance bonus:

 

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  • Base Salary – Base salary represents a smaller percentage of portfolio manager total cash compensation (generally below 33%) than incentive compensation.

  • Performance Bonus – Generally, incentive compensation represents a majority of portfolio manager total cash compensation. The performance bonus is based on a combination of quantitative and qualitative factors, with more weight given to the former (generally over 60 %) and less weight given to the latter.

  • The quantitative portion is based on pre-tax performance of all of the accounts managed by the portfolio manager (which includes the Fund and any other accounts managed by the portfolio manager) over a one-, three- and five-year period relative to the appropriate Lipper peer group universe and/or one or more benchmark indices with respect to each account. (Generally the benchmark index used is a benchmark index set forth in the Portfolio's prospectus to which the Portfolio's performance is compared. With respect to Portfolios with multiple portfolio managers, the index used may differ for each portfolio manager, and may not be a benchmark index set forth in the Portfolio's prospectus, but will be an appropriate benchmark index based on the respective portfolio manager's role in managing the Portfolio.) Additional or different appropriate peer group or benchmark indices may also be used. Primary weight is given to portfolio performance over three-year and five-year time periods with lesser consideration given to portfolio performance over a one-year period (adjusted as appropriate if the portfolio manager has served for less than five years).

  • The qualitative portion is based on the results of an annual internal peer review process (conducted by other portfolio managers, analysts and traders) and management's assessment of overall portfolio manager contributions to investor relations and the investment process (distinct from fund and other account performance).

Portfolio managers also typically benefit from the opportunity to participate in the MFS Equity Plan. Equity interests and/or options to acquire equity interests in MFS or its parent company are awarded by management, on a discretionary basis, taking into account tenure at MFS, contribution to the investment process and other factors.

Finally, portfolio managers are provided with a benefits package including a defined contribution plan, health coverage and other insurance, which are available to other employees of MFS on substantially similar terms. The percentage of such benefits represent of any portfolio manager's compensation depends upon the length of the individual's tenure at MFS and salary level as well as other factors.

Potential Conflicts of Interest

MFS seek to identify potential conflicts of interest resulting from a portfolio manager's management of both the Portfolio and other accounts and has adopted policies and procedures designed to address such potential conflicts.

The management of multiple funds and accounts (including proprietary accounts) may give rise to potential conflicts of interest if the funds and accounts have different objectives and strategies, benchmarks, time horizons and fees as a portfolio manager must allocate his or her time and investment ideas across multiple funds and accounts. In certain instances there may be securities which are suitable for the Portfolio as well as for accounts of MFS or its subsidiaries with similar investment objectives. A Portfolio's trade allocation policies may give rise to conflicts of interest if the Portfolio's orders do not get fully executed or are delayed in getting executed due to being aggregated with those of other accounts of MFS or its subsidiaries. A portfolio manager may execute transactions for another fund or account that may adversely impact the value of the Portfolio's investments. Investments selected for funds or accounts other than the Portfolio may outperform investments selected for the Portfolio.

When two or more clients are simultaneously engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security, the securities are allocated among clients in a manner believed by MFS to be fair and equitable to each. It is recognized that in some cases this system could have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the security as far as the Portfolio is concerned. In most cases, however, MFS believes that the Portfolio's ability to participate in volume transactions will produce better executions for the Portfolio.

MFS does not receive a performance fee for its management of the Portfolio. As a result, MFS and/or a portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate favorable or limited opportunity investments or structure the timing of investments to favor accounts other than the Portfolio—for instance, those that pay a higher advisory fee and/or have a performance fee.

Neuberger Berman Management, Inc.

Portfolio Manager Compensation

A portion of the compensation paid to each portfolio manager is determined by comparisons to pre-determined peer groups and benchmarks, as opposed to a system dependent on a percent of management fees. The portfolio managers are paid a base salary that is not dependent on performance. Each portfolio manager also has a "target bonus," which is set each year and can be increased or decreased prior to payment based in part on performance measured against the relevant peer group and benchmark. Performance is measured on a three-year rolling average in order to emphasize longer-term performance. There is also a subjective component to

 

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determining the bonus, which consists of the following factors: (i) the individual's willingness to work with the marketing and sales groups; (ii) his or her effectiveness in building a franchise; and (iii) client servicing. Senior management determines this component in appropriate cases. There are additional components that comprise the portfolio managers' compensation packages, including: (i)
whether the manager was a partner/principal of NB prior to Neuberger Berman Inc.'s initial public offering; (ii) for more recent hires, incentives that may have been negotiated at the time the portfolio manager joined the Neuberger Berman complex; and (iii) the total amount of assets for which the portfolio manager is responsible.

Conflicts of Interest

While the portfolio managers' management of other accounts may give rise to the conflicts of interest discussed below, NB Management believes that it has designed policies and procedures to appropriately address those conflicts. From time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the investments of a Fund and the management of other accounts, which might have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Funds or track the same index a Fund tracks. Other accounts managed by the portfolio managers may hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to held, purchased or sold by the Funds. The other accounts might also have different investment objectives or strategies than the Funds.

As a result of the portfolio manager's day-to-day management of a Fund, the portfolio managers know the size, timing and possible market impact of a Fund's trades. While it is theoretically possible that the portfolio managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of a Fund, NB Management has policies and procedures to address such a conflict.

From time to time, a particular investment opportunity may be suitable for both a Fund and other types of accounts managed by the portfolio manager, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by a Fund and another account. NB Management has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to fairly allocate investment opportunities. Typically, when a Fund and one or more of the other NB Funds or other accounts managed by Neuberger Berman are contemporaneously engaged in purchasing or selling the same securities from or to third parties, transactions are averaged as to price and allocated, in terms of amount, in accordance with a formula considered to be equitable to the funds and accounts involved. Although in some cases this arrangement may have a detrimental effect on the price or volume of the securities as to the Fund, in other cases it is believed that the Fund's ability to participate in volume transactions may produce better executions for it.

Niemann Capital Management, Inc.

Portfolio Manager Compensation

Niemann Capital Management portfolio manager is compensated on a salary basis. No additional compensation is earned based on individual or overall investment performance.


Conflicts of Interest

Niemann Capital Management feels that no material conflicts exist in conjunction with its management for the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and other existing accounts. Niemann Capital Management manages assets across a variety of investment platforms (including accounts on multiple variable annuity platforms), and the underlying strategies of some accounts may include aspects of the management strategy for the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio. However, Niemann Capital Management believes there will not be a situation where use of strategies on any platform will affect the strategy or performance of the other.

Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC

Compensation

Parametric Compensation Structure . Compensation of Parametric portfolio managers and other investment professionals has three primary components: (1) a base salary, (2) a quarterly cash bonus, and (3) annual stock-based compensation consisting of options to purchase shares of EVC's nonvoting common stock. Parametric investment professionals also receive certain retirement, insurance and other benefits that are broadly available to Parametric employees. Compensation of Parametric investment professionals is reviewed primarily on an annual basis. Stock-based compensation awards and adjustments in base salary and bonus are typically paid and/or put into effect at or shortly after calendar year-end.

 

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Method Parametric uses to Determine Compensation . Parametric seeks to compensate portfolio managers commensurate with their responsibilities and performance, and competitive with other firms within the investment management industry. The performance of portfolio managers is evaluated primarily based on success in achieving portfolio objectives for managed funds and accounts. The compensation of portfolio managers with other job responsibilities (such as product development) will include consideration of the scope of such responsibilities and the managers' performance in meeting them. Salaries, bonuses and stock-based compensation are also influenced by the operating performance of Parametric and EVC, its parent company. Cash bonuses are determined based on a target percentage of Parametric profits. While the salaries of Parametric portfolio managers are comparatively fixed, cash bonuses and stock-based compensation may fluctuate substantially from year to year, based on changes in financial performance and other factors.

Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of Interest . It is possible that conflicts of interest may arise in connection with a portfolio manager's management of the investments of the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio on the one hand and the investments of other accounts for which the portfolio manager is responsible on the other. For example, a portfolio manager may have conflicts of interest in allocating management time, resources and investment opportunities among the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio and other accounts he or she advises. In addition, due to differences in the investment strategies or restrictions between a Fund or Portfolio and the other accounts, a portfolio manager may take action with respect to another account that differs from the action taken with respect to the Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio. In some cases, another account managed by a portfolio manager may compensate the investment adviser based

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC

Conflicts of Interest
From time to time, potential conflicts of interest may arise between a portfolio manager's management of the investments of a Fund, on the one hand, and the management of other accounts, on the other. The other accounts might have similar investment objectives or strategies as the Funds, track the same index a Fund tracks or otherwise hold, purchase, or sell securities that are eligible to be held, purchased or sold by the Funds. The other accounts might also have different investment objectives or strategies than the Funds.

Knowledge and Timing of Fund Trades. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager's day-to-day management of a Fund. Because of their positions with the Funds, the portfolio managers know the size, timing and possible market impact of a Fund's trades. It is theoretically possible that the portfolio managers could use this information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of a Fund.

Investment Opportunities. A potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the portfolio manager's management of a number of accounts with varying investment guidelines. Often, an investment opportunity may be suitable for both a Fund and other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Fund and the other accounts to participate fully. Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by a Fund and another account. PIMCO has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities on a fair and equitable basis over time.

Under PIMCO's allocation procedures, investment opportunities are allocated among various investment strategies based on individual account investment guidelines and PIMCO's investment outlook. PIMCO has also adopted additional procedures to complement the general trade allocation policy that are designed to address potential conflicts of interest due to the side-by-side management of the Funds and certain pooled investment vehicles, including investment opportunity allocation issues.

Performance Fees. A portfolio manager may advise certain accounts with respect to which the advisory fee is based entirely or partially on performance. Performance fee arrangements may create a conflict of interest for the portfolio manager in that the portfolio manager may have an incentive to allocate the investment opportunities that he or she believes might be the most profitable to such other accounts instead of allocating them to a Fund. PIMCO has adopted policies and procedures reasonably designed to allocate investment opportunities between the Funds and such other accounts on a fair and equitable basis over time.

Portfolio Manager Compensation
PIMCO has adopted a "Total Compensation Plan" for its professional level employees, including its portfolio managers, that is designed to pay competitive compensation and reward performance, integrity and teamwork consistent with the firm's mission statement. The Total Compensation Plan includes a significant incentive component that rewards high performance standards, work ethic and consistent individual and team contributions to the firm. The compensation of portfolio managers consists of a base salary, a bonus, and may include a retention bonus. Portfolio managers who are Managing Directors of PIMCO also receive compensation from PIMCO's profits. Certain employees of PIMCO, including portfolio managers, may elect to defer compensation through PIMCO's deferred compensation plan. PIMCO also offers its employees a non-contributory defined contribution plan through which

 

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PIMCO makes a contribution based on the employee's compensation. PIMCO's contribution rate increases at a specified compensation level, which is a level that would include portfolio managers.

Salary and Bonus. Base salaries are determined by considering an individual portfolio manager's experience and expertise and may be reviewed for adjustment annually. Portfolio managers are entitled to receive bonuses, which may be significantly more than their base salary, upon attaining certain performance objectives based on predetermined measures of group or department success. These goals are specific to individual portfolio managers and are mutually agreed upon annually by each portfolio manager and his or her manager. Achievement of these goals is an important, but not exclusive, element of the bonus decision process.

In addition, the following non-exclusive list of qualitative criteria (collectively, the "Bonus Factors") may be considered when determining the bonus for portfolio managers:

• 3-year, 2-year and 1-year dollar-weighted and account-weighted, pre-tax investment performance as judged against the applicable benchmarks for each account managed by a portfolio manager (including the Funds) and relative to applicable industry peer groups;

• Appropriate risk positioning that is consistent with PIMCO's investment philosophy and the Investment Committee/CIO approach to the generation of alpha;

• Amount and nature of assets managed by the portfolio manager;

• Consistency of investment performance across portfolios of similar mandate and guidelines (reward low dispersion);

• Generation and contribution of investment ideas in the context of PIMCO's secular and cyclical forums, portfolio strategy meetings, Investment Committee meetings, and on a day-to-day basis;

• Absence of defaults and price defaults for issues in the portfolios managed by the portfolio manager; • Contributions to asset retention, gathering and client satisfaction;

• Contributions to mentoring, coaching and/or supervising; and

• Personal growth and skills added.

A portfolio manager's compensation is not based directly on the performance of any Fund or any other account managed by that portfolio manager. Final bonus award amounts are determined by the PIMCO Compensation Committee.

Retention Bonuses. Certain portfolio managers may receive a discretionary, fixed amount retention bonus, based upon the Bonus Factors and continued employment with PIMCO. Each portfolio manager who is a Senior Vice President or Executive Vice President of PIMCO receives a variable amount retention bonus, based upon the Bonus Factors and continued employment with PIMCO.

Investment professionals, including portfolio managers, are eligible to participate in a Long Term Cash Bonus Plan ("Cash Bonus Plan"), which provides cash awards that appreciate or depreciate based upon the performance of PIMCO's parent company, Allianz Global Investors, and PIMCO over a three-year period. The aggregate amount available for distribution to participants is based upon Allianz Global Investors' profit growth and PIMCO's profit growth. Participation in the Cash Bonus Plan is based upon the Bonus Factors, and the payment of benefits from the Cash Bonus Plan, is contingent upon continued employment at PIMCO.

Profit Sharing Plan. Instead of a bonus, portfolio managers who are Managing Directors of PIMCO receive compensation from a non-qualified profit sharing plan consisting of a portion of PIMCO's net profits. Portfolio managers who are Managing Directors receive an amount determined by the Managing Director Compensation Committee, based upon an individual's overall contribution to the firm and the Bonus Factors. Under his employment agreement, William Gross receives a fixed percentage of the profit sharing plan.

Allianz Transaction Related Compensation. In May 2000, a majority interest in the predecessor holding company of PIMCO was acquired by a subsidiary of Allianz AG (currently known as Allianz SE) ("Allianz"). In connection with the transaction, Mr.Gross received a grant of restricted stock of Allianz, the last of which vested on May5, 2005.

From time to time, under the PIMCO Class B Unit Purchase Plan, Managing Directors and certain executive management (including Executive Vice Presidents) of PIMCO may become eligible to purchase Class B Units of PIMCO. Upon their purchase, the Class B Units are immediately exchanged for ClassA Units of PIMCO Partners, LLC, a California limited liability company that holds a minority interest in PIMCO and is owned by the Managing Directors and certain executive management of PIMCO. The ClassA Units of PIMCO Partners, LLC entitle their holders to distributions of a portion of the profits of PIMCO. The PIMCO Compensation

 

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Committee determines which Managing Directors and executive management may purchase Class B Units and the number of Class B Units that each may purchase. The Class B Units are purchased pursuant to full recourse notes issued to the holder. The base compensation of each Class B Unit holder is increased in an amount equal to the principal amortization applicable to the notes given by the Managing Director or member of executive management.

Portfolio managers who are Managing Directors also have long-term employment contracts, which guarantee severance payments in the event of involuntary termination of a Managing Director's employment with PIMCO.

Securities Ownership
The respective portfolio managers were not a beneficial owner of shares of a Fund that he managed as of 12/31/07.

Prudential Investments LLC

Portfolio Manager Compensation

Prudential provides compensation opportunities to eligible employees to motivate and reward the achievement of outstanding results by providing market-based programs that:

• Attract and reward highly qualified employees
• Align with critical business goals and objectives
• Link to the performance results relevant to the business segment and Prudential
• Retain top performers
• Pay for results and differentiate levels of performance
• Foster behaviors and contributions that promote Prudential's success

The components of compensation for a Vice President in Prudential Investments consists of base salary, annual incentive compensation and long term incentive compensation.

Base Pay Overview :
The Prudential compensation structure is organized in grades, each with its own minimum and maximum base pay (i.e., salary). The grades reflect pay patterns in the market. Each job in the plan – from CEO through an entry-level job – is included in one of the grades. The main determinant of placement in the base pay structure is market data. On an annual basis, Corporate Compensation collects and analyzes market data to determine if any change to the placement of job in the structure is necessary to maintain market competitiveness. If necessary, structural compensation changes (e.g., increases to base pay minimum and maximums) will be effective on the plan's effective date for base pay increases.

Annual Incentive Compensation Overview :
The plan provides an opportunity for all participants to share in the annual results of Prudential, as well as the results of their division or profit center. Results are reviewed and incentive payments are made as early as practicable after the close of the plan year. Incentive payments are awarded based on organizational performance – which determines the available dollar amounts – and individual performance. Individual performance will be evaluated on the basis of contributions relative to others in the organization. Incentive payments are granted from a budgeted amount of money that is made available by the Company. Initial budgets are developed by determining the competitive market rates for incentives as compared to our comparator companies. Each organization's budget pool may be increased or decreased based on organizational performance. Organizational performance is determined by a review of performance relative to our comparator group, as well as key measures indicated in our business plan, such as Return on Required Equity (RORE), earnings and revenue growth.

Long Term Incentive Compensation Overview :
In addition, executives at the Vice President level and above are eligible to participate in a long term incentive program to provide an ownership stake in Prudential Financial. Long-Term incentives currently consist of restricted stock and stock options. The stock options vest 1/3 per year over 3 years and the restricted stock vests 100% at the end of 3 years.

Compensation – Two of the portfolio managers for the AST Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios (Michael Lenarcic and Ted Lockwood) do not receive any compensation in connection with their services and activities for those portfolios. They are, however, compensated as employees of an affiliated investment adviser. Set forth below is an explanation of the material conflicts of interest that may arise as a result of this fact.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Two of the portfolio managers for the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios (the "Portfolios") are also employees and/or officers of an affiliated investment adviser of PI (the "Affiliate"). As a result, these portfolio managers will spend a significant portion of their time on matters unrelated to the Portfolios. In addition to their duties to the Portfolios, these managers are responsible as employees and/or officers of the Affiliate for managing certain accounts and portfolios (including asset allocation accounts and portfolios), including accounts of affiliates, institutional accounts, mutual funds (including those managed by PI), insurance company separate accounts, various pooled investment vehicles and accounts with performance based fees. As a result of the foregoing, conflicts of interest will arise, including those relating to allocation of management time, services and functions among PI, the Affiliate and their Clients.

As described above under "Compensation", these portfolio managers are not entitled to receive compensation for their roles as portfolio managers of the Dynamic Asset Allocation Portfolios. However, they are compensated as employees/officers of the Affiliate for their services and activities with respect to the Affiliate's client accounts and portfolios. The compensation is a combination of base salary, performance-based annual cash incentive bonus and long-term incentive grant. The long-term incentive grant is subject to increase or decrease based on the annual performance of certain accounts advised by the Affiliate (these could include sub-advised mutual funds and sleeve portfolios for which PI serves as investment manager). As a result of the foregoing, there may be an incentive for these portfolio managers to favor the Affiliate and the Affiliates' client accounts when allocating their time and attention among the matters relating to the Affiliate and PI.

PI follows Prudential Financial's policies on business ethics, personal securities trading by investment personnel, and information barriers and has adopted a code of ethics, allocation policies, supervisory procedures and conflicts of interest policies, among other policies and procedures, which are designed to ensure that clients are not harmed by these potential or actual conflicts of interests; however, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will detect and ensure avoidance, disclosure or mitigation of each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.

Prudential Investment Management, Inc.

Compensation

Prudential Investment Management, Inc.'s Fixed Income unit ("PIM Fixed Income") seeks to maintain a highly competitive compensation program designed to attract and retain outstanding investment professionals, which includes portfolio managers and research analysts, and to align the interests of its investment professionals with that of its clients and overall firm results. PIM Fixed Income's investment professionals are compensated through a combination of base salary, a performance-based annual cash incentive bonus and a long-term incentive grant. The long-term incentive grant is generally divided between restricted stock of Prudential Financial, providing investment professionals with an ownership stake, and interests in a phantom stock plan pursuant to which investment professionals are compensated based upon the three-year growth of certain portions of PIM Fixed Income's asset management business. Investment professionals are all covered by the same general compensation structure although they manage multiple accounts. All investment compensation is paid by the investment adviser and not from any assets of the investment company or other managed accounts.

The salary component is based on market data relative to similar positions within the industry as well as the past performance, experience and responsibility of the individual. Investment professionals' annual cash bonus is paid from an annual incentive pool. The size of the annual incentive pool is determined quantitatively based on three factors:

1) Investment performance (pre-tax) of all portfolios managed by PIM-Fixed Income, in the aggregate, which affect the size of the annual incentive pool. Performance of the portfolios is judged versus the benchmarks against which each of the portfolios is managed or versus the performance of appropriate market peer groups. These portfolios are managed utilizing a variety of strategies and against benchmarks appropriate for each portfolio, 2) PIM Fixed Income's business results as measured by financial indicators such as revenue growth, operating income growth and return on required equity, and 3) market-based data indicating trends and levels of overall compensation in the asset management industry in a given year.

A portfolio manager's long-term incentive grant of phantom stock units and restricted Prudential Financial stock is based on market data relative to similar positions within the industry as well as the past performance, experience and responsibility of the individual. The value of the phantom stock units will reflect the three-year growth of certain portions of PIM Fixed Income's asset management business but will exclude from this calculation the growth of PI-managed mutual funds.

 

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PIM Fixed Income regularly benchmarks its compensation program against leading asset management firms in the industry to monitor competitiveness. Each investment professional's incentive compensation payment, including the annual bonus and long-term incentive grant from the incentive pool, is primarily determined by how significantly he or she contributes to delivering investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines, and risk parameters, as well as the individual's qualitative contributions to the organization. The performance of each Fund is judged against the applicable Lipper performance peer group/peer universe, as part of this process.

The performance of each Portfolio subadvised by PIM is judged versus the Lipper categories identified below:

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2015: Lipper VP Target Maturity

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2018: Lipper VP Target Maturity

  • AST Bond Portfolio 2019: Lipper VP Target Maturity

  • AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio: Lipper Intermediate Grade Debt

Conflicts of Interest

PIM is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial. PIM is part of a full scale global financial services organization, affiliated with insurance companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers. PIM's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing multiple accounts, including accounts of affiliates, institutional accounts, mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts and various pooled investment vehicles, such as commingled trust funds and unregistered funds. These affiliations and portfolio management responsibilities may cause potential and actual conflicts of interest. PIM aims to conduct itself in a manner it considers to be the most fair and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all of its clients including the Fund.

A portion of PIM Fixed Income's long-term incentive grant includes phantom stock units, the value of which reflects the three-year growth of certain portions of PIM Fixed Income's asset management business. The calculation of growth does not include the growth of PI-managed mutual funds. A portfolio manager may face a conflict of interest given that a piece of his or her long-term compensation is not affected by the growth of PI-managed mutual funds, including this fund. A portfolio manager's compensation may be affected as discussed above by the performance of the mutual funds he or she manages.

Management of multiple accounts and funds side-by-side may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities, the aggregation and allocation of trades and cross trading. PIM has developed policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest.

There may be restrictions imposed by law, regulation or contract regarding how much, if any, of a particular security PIM may purchase or sell on behalf of the Fund, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. Such restrictions may come into play as a result of PIM's relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. The Fund may be prohibited from engaging in transactions with its affiliates even when such transactions may be beneficial for the Fund. Certain affiliated transactions are permitted in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund and reviewed by the independent directors of the Fund.

PIM may come into possession of material, non-public information with respect to a particular issuer and as a result be unable to execute purchase or sale transactions in securities of such issuer for the Fund. This can occur particularly with respect to fixed income investments because PIM has a bank loan unit that often invests in private loans that require the issuer to provide material, non-public information. PIM generally is able to avoid certain other potential conflicts due to the possession of material, non-public information by maintaining information barriers to prevent the transfer of this information between units of PIM as well as between affiliates and PIM. Additionally, in an effort to avoid potential conflicts of interest, PIM's fixed income unit has procedures in place to carefully consider whether or not to accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers, where appropriate.

Certain affiliates of PIM develop and may publish credit research that is independent from the research developed within PIM. PIM may hold different opinions on the investment merits of a given security, issuer or industry such that PIM may be purchasing or holding a security for the Fund and an affiliated entity may be selling or recommending a sale of the same security or other securities of the issuer. Conversely, PIM may be selling a security for the Fund and an affiliated entity may be purchasing or recommending a buy of the same security or other securities of the same issuer. In addition, PIM's affiliated broker-dealers or investment advisers may be executing transactions in the market in the same securities as the Fund at the same time.

PIM may cause securities transactions to be executed for the Fund concurrently with authorizations to purchase or sell the same securities for other accounts managed by PIM, including proprietary accounts or accounts of affiliates. In these instances, the executions of purchases or sales, where possible, are allocated equitably among the various accounts (including the Fund).

 

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PIM may buy or sell, or may direct or recommend that one client buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for the Fund, at prices which may be different. In addition, PIM may, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and trade in the opposite direction or not trade for any other account, including the Fund, due to differences in investment strategy or client direction.

The fees charged to advisory clients by PIM may differ depending upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the unit providing the advisory services, the particular strategy, the size of a portfolio being managed, the relationship with the client, the origination and service requirements and the asset class involved. Fees may also differ based on account type (e.g., commingled accounts, trust accounts, insurance company separate accounts, and corporate, bank or trust-owned life insurance products). Fees are negotiable so one client with similar investment objectives or goals may be paying a higher fee than another client. Fees paid by certain clients may also be higher due to performance based fees which increase based on the performance of a portfolio above an established benchmark.

Large clients generate more revenue for PIM than do smaller accounts. A portfolio manager may be faced with a conflict of interest when allocating scarce investment opportunities given the benefit to PIM of favoring accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PIM. To address this conflict of interest, PIM has adopted allocation policies as well as supervisory procedures that are intended to fairly allocate investment opportunities among competing client accounts.

PIM and its affiliates manage certain funds, including hedge funds, that are subject to incentive compensation on a side-by-side basis with other accounts including the Fund. PIM and/or certain of its affiliates may have an interest in such funds. PIM and its affiliates have implemented policies and procedures to address potential conflicts of interest arising out of such side-by-side management.

For example, the accounts may at times be precluded from taking positions over-weighted versus an index in securities and other instruments in which one or more of the funds hold short positions. Lending, borrowing and other financing opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is paying a premium rate over normal market rates and for which there may be limited additional demand will be allocated to the accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to such funds.

Conflicts of interest may also arise regarding proxy voting. A committee of senior business representatives together with relevant regulatory personnel oversees the proxy voting process and monitors potential conflicts of interest relating to proxy voting.

Prudential Financial and the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America ("PICA") may at times have various levels of financial or other interests in companies whose securities may be purchased or sold in PIM's client accounts, including the Fund. These financial interests may at any time be in potential or actual conflict or may be inconsistent with positions held or actions taken by PIM on behalf of the Fund. These interests can include loan servicing, debt or equity financing, services related to advising on merger and acquisition issues, strategic corporate relationships or investments and the offering of investment advice in various forms. Thus PIM may invest Fund assets in the securities of companies with which PIM or an affiliate of PIM has a financial relationship, including investment in the securities of companies that are advisory clients of PIM.

It is anticipated that there will be situations in which the interests of the Fund in a portfolio company may conflict with the interests of one or more affiliated accounts of PIM or other client accounts managed by PIM or its affiliates. This may occur because PIM affiliated accounts hold public and private debt and equity securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as the Fund, but at different levels in the capital structure. Investment by PIM affiliated accounts at different levels to that of the Fund in the capital structure of a portfolio company presents inherent conflicts of interest between the PIM affiliated accounts and the Fund.

For example, in the event of restructuring or insolvency, the holders of senior debt may exercise remedies and take other actions that are not in the interest of or are adverse to holders of junior debt. Similarly, a PIM affiliated account might hold secured debt of an issuer whose public unsecured debt is held by the Fund. Such conflicts may also exist among client accounts managed by PIM or its affiliates. While these conflicts cannot be eliminated, PIM has implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure that, notwithstanding these conflicts, investments of the Fund are originated and managed in its best interests.

In addition, portfolio managers may advise PIM affiliated accounts. PIM's portfolio manager(s) may have a financial interest in the accounts they advise, either directly or indirectly. To address potential conflicts of interest, PIM has procedures designed to ensure that — including to the extent that client accounts are managed differently from PIM affiliated accounts —each of the client accounts and each affiliated account is managed in a manner that is consistent with its investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions, as well as with PIM's fiduciary obligations. These procedures include supervisory review procedures.

 

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Potential conflicts of interest may exist where PIM or its affiliates determine that a specific transaction in a security is appropriate for a specific account based upon numerous factors (including, investment objectives, investment strategies or restrictions), while other accounts may take the opposite position in the security in accordance with that accounts' investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions. PIM periodically conducts reviews of these accounts and assesses the appropriateness of these differing positions.

Finally, because of the substantial size of PICA's general account, trading by PICA's general account in certain securities, particularly certain fixed income securities, may result in market changes in response to trades. Although PIM expects that PICA's general account will execute transactions that will move a market in a security infrequently, and generally in response to unusual market or issuer events, the execution of these transactions could have an adverse effect on transactions for or positions held by other clients.

PIM follows Prudential Financial's policies on business ethics, personal securities trading by investment personnel, and information barriers. PIM has adopted a code of ethics, allocation policies, supervisory procedures and conflicts of interest policies, which are designed to ensure that clients are not harmed by these potential or actual conflicts of interests. However, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will detect and ensure avoidance, disclosure or mitigation of each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.

Prudential Real Estate Investors

The managers of the fund are compensated based on the overall performance of PREI, including PREI's Global Merchant Banking Group (GMBG). Additionally, officers of GMBG (which includes the Portfolio Management team identified herein) receive compensation from carried interest that is generated by our real estate private equity funds. The carried interest compensation is tied to a multi-year vesting plan.

Compensation

Specifically, there are three elements of compensation: base salary, bonus and carried interest,

Base salary/bonus - reviews are completed for these components annually. Bonuses are generally based on investment performance, on the overall financial results of Prudential Investment Management, PREI and GMBG, as well as the individual's own performance and contribution. For officers, bonuses can range from 70% to 200% of base salary. PREI's incentive compensation program is designed to align the interests of each investment professional with those of our clients. Total compensation is designed to be competitive with the market, but an individual's actual compensation will vary. The size of the overall bonus pool available in a given year primarily depends on the financial performance of PREI and the investment performance of our clients' accounts measured against each account's benchmark. An individual's share of the pool is based on his or her contribution toward meeting these goals. The individual's contribution is determined based on a set of goals for that individual, the performance of the accounts in which the individual is involved and the judgment of senior management. Thus, the performance of our clients' accounts, PREI and the individual are all important factors in the size of the annual bonus awarded to an individual.

A major component of compensation is carried interest . Officers in GMBG receive carried interests on all real estate private equity funds. Each GMBG investment professional is allocated a portion of the carried interest in the portfolios on which they work based on the level of involvement. PREI and certain of its affiliates engage in various activities related to investment in real estate. For example, PREI or any of its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements with issuers of real estate securities, including the making of loans secured by the assets or by the credit of the issuer of the real estate securities and may, in certain circumstances, exercise of creditor or other remedies, against the issuer of such real estate securities in connection with such financing arrangements. In addition, PREI or any of its affiliates may buy or sell, or may direct or recommend that another person buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class, or from the same issuer as are purchased or sold for this or any other account under the direction of PREI or any of its affiliates. In addition, PREI or its affiliates as a part of its direct investment in real estate on behalf of clients, may obtain material non-public information regarding an issuer of securities that the fund may hold or wish to hold. As a consequence of these activities, PREI's ability to purchase or sell, or to chose the timing of purchase or sale of, real estate securities of a given issuer may be restricted by contract or by applicable laws, including ERISA or federal securities laws.

Conflicts of Interest

PREI is a division of PIM, which is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial. PIM is part of a full scale global financial services organization, affiliated with insurance companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers. PIM's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing multiple accounts, including accounts of affiliates, institutional accounts, mutual funds, insurance

 

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company separate accounts and various pooled investment vehicles, such as commingled trust funds and unregistered funds. These affiliations and portfolio management responsibilities may cause potential and actual conflicts of interest. PIM aims to conduct itself in a manner it considers to be the most fair and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all of its clients, including a Portfolio.

Management of multiple accounts and funds side-by-side may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities, the aggregation and allocation of trades and cross trading. PIM has developed policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest.

There may be restrictions imposed by law, regulation or contract regarding how much, if any, of a particular security PIM may purchase or sell on behalf of a Portfolio, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. Such restrictions may come into play as a result of PIM's relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. Each Portfolio may be prohibited from engaging in transactions with its affiliates even when such transactions may be beneficial for the Portfolio. Certain affiliated transactions are permitted in accordance with procedures adopted by the Trust and reviewed by the Independent Trustees of the Trust.

PIM may come into possession of material, non-public information with respect to a particular issuer and as a result be unable to execute purchase or sale transactions in securities of such issuer for a Portfolio. This can occur particularly with respect to fixed income investments because PIM has a bank loan unit that often invests in private loans that require the issuer to provide material, non-public information. PREI, on behalf of client portfolios, engages in real estate and other transactions with REITs and real estate operating companies and may thereby obtain material, non-public information about issuers, resulting in restrictions in trading in securities of such issuers. PIM generally is able to avoid certain other potential conflicts due to the possession of material, non-public information by maintaining information barriers to prevent the transfer of this information between units of PIM as well as between affiliates and PIM. Additionally, in an effort to avoid potential conflicts of interest, PIM's fixed income unit and PREI have procedures in place to carefully consider whether or not to accept material, non-public information with respect to certain issuers, where appropriate.

Certain affiliates of PIM develop and may publish credit research that is independent from the research developed within PIM. PIM may hold different opinions on the investment merits of a given security, issuer or industry such that PIM may be purchasing or holding a security for the Portfolio and an affiliated entity may be selling or recommending a sale of the same security or other securities of the issuer. Conversely, PIM may be selling a security for the Portfolio and an affiliated entity may be purchasing or recommending a buy of the same security or other securities of the same issuer. In addition, PIM's affiliated broker-dealers or investment advisers may be executing transactions in the market in the same securities as the Portfolio at the same time. PIM may cause securities transactions to be executed for the Portfolio concurrently with authorizations to purchase or sell the same securities for other accounts managed by PIM, including proprietary accounts or accounts of affiliates. In these instances, the executions of purchases or sales, where possible, are allocated equitably among the various accounts (including the Portfolio).

PIM may buy or sell, or may direct or recommend that one client buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for the Portfolio, at prices which may be different. In addition, PIM may, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and trade in the opposite direction or not trade for any other account, including the Portfolio, due to differences in investment strategy or client direction.

The fees charged to advisory clients by PIM may differ depending upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the unit providing the advisory services, the particular strategy, the size of a portfolio being managed, the relationship with the client, the origination and service requirements and the asset class involved. Fees may also differ based on account type (e.g., commingled accounts, trust accounts, insurance company separate accounts, and corporate, bank or trust-owned life insurance products). Fees are negotiable so one client with similar investment objectives or goals may be paying a higher fee than another client. Fees paid by certain clients may also be higher due to performance based fees which increase based on the performance of a portfolio above an established benchmark.

Large clients generate more revenue for PIM than do smaller accounts. A portfolio manager may be faced with a conflict of interest when allocating scarce investment opportunities given the benefit to PIM of favoring accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for PIM. To address this conflict of interest, PIM has adopted allocation policies as well as supervisory procedures that are intended to fairly allocate investment opportunities among competing client accounts. PIM and its affiliates manage certain funds, including hedge funds, that are subject to incentive compensation on a side-by-side basis with other accounts including the Portfolio.

PIM and/or certain of its affiliates may have an interest in such funds. PIM and its affiliates have implemented policies and procedures to address potential conflicts of interest arising out of such side-by-side management.

 

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For example, the accounts may at times be precluded from taking positions over-weighted versus an index in securities and other instruments in which one or more of the funds hold short positions. Lending, borrowing and other financing opportunities with respect to securities for which the market is paying a premium rate over normal market rates and for which there may be limited additional demand will be allocated to the accounts prior to allocating the opportunities to such funds.

Conflicts of interest may also arise regarding proxy voting. A committee of senior business representatives together with relevant regulatory personnel oversees the proxy voting process and monitors potential conflicts of interest relating to proxy voting.

PREI and certain of its affiliates engage in various activities related to investment in real estate. For example, PREI or any of its affiliates may enter into financing arrangements with issuers of real estate securities, including the making of loans secured by the assets or by the credit of the issuer of the real estate securities and may, in certain circumstances, exercise of creditor or other remedies, against the issuer of such real estate securities in connection with such financing arrangements. In addition, PREI or any of its affiliates may buy or sell, or may direct or recommend that another person buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class, or from the same issuer as are purchased or sold for this or any other account under the direction of the PREI or any of its affiliates. PREI or its affiliates as a part of its direct investment in real estate on behalf of clients, may obtain material non-public information regarding an issuer of securities that the fund may hold or wish to hold. As a consequence of these activities, PREI's ability to purchase or sell, or to chose the timing of purchase or sale of, real estate securities of a given issuer may be restricted by contract or by applicable laws, including ERISA or federal securities laws.

Prudential Financial and the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America ("PICA") may at times have various levels of financial or other interests in companies whose securities may be purchased or sold in PIM's client accounts, including the Portfolio. These financial interests may at any time be in potential or actual conflict or may be inconsistent with positions held or actions taken by PIM on behalf of the Portfolio. These interests can include loan servicing, debt or equity financing, services related to advising on merger and acquisition issues, strategic corporate relationships or investments and the offering of investment advice in various forms. Thus PIM may invest Portfolio assets in the securities of companies with which PIM or an affiliate of PIM has a financial relationship, including investment in the securities of companies that are advisory clients of PIM.

Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA)

Compensation

QMA's investment professionals are compensated through a combination of base salary, a performance-based annual cash incentive bonus and an annual long-term incentive grant. QMA regularly benchmarks its compensation program against leading asset management firms to monitor competitiveness.

The salary component is based on market data relative to similar positions within the industry as well as the past performance, experience and responsibility of the individual.

An investment professional's incentive compensation, including both the annual cash bonus and long-term incentive grant, is not based on the performance of the Fund (or any other individual account managed by QMA) or the value of the assets of the Fund (or any other individual account managed by QMA). Rather, the incentive compensation of each investment professional is primarily determined based on such person's contribution to QMA's goal of providing investment performance to clients consistent with portfolio objectives, guidelines and risk parameters, as well as such person's qualitative contributions to the organization. An investment professional's long-term incentive grant is currently divided into two components: (i) 80% of the value of the grant is subject to increase or decrease based on the annual performance of certain QMA advised accounts, and (ii) 20% of the value of the grant consists of stock options and restricted stock of Prudential Financial, Inc. (QMA's ultimate parent company). The long-term incentive grants are subject to vesting requirements.

The size of the annual cash bonus pool available for individual grants is determined quantitatively based on two primary factors: 1) investment performance (pre-tax) of composites representing QMA's various investment strategies on a 1-year and 3-year basis relative to appropriate market peer groups and benchmarks, and 2) business results as measured by QMA's pre-tax income.

The size of the annual long-term incentive pool available for individual grants is determined based on a percentage of the total compensation of QMA's eligible employees for the prior year.

Conflicts of Interest

QMA is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Prudential Financial, Inc. and is part of a full-scale global financial services

 

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organization, affiliated with insurance companies, investment advisers and broker-dealers. QMA's portfolio managers are often responsible for managing multiple accounts, including accounts of affiliates, institutional accounts, mutual funds, insurance company separate accounts and various pooled investment vehicles. These affiliations and portfolio management responsibilities may cause potential and actual conflicts of interest. QMA aims to conduct itself in a manner it considers to be the most fair and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to all of its clients.

Management of multiple accounts and funds side-by-side may raise potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities, the aggregation and allocation of trades and cross trading. QMA has developed policies and procedures designed to address these potential conflicts of interest.

The Fund may be prohibited from engaging in transactions with its affiliates even when such transactions may be beneficial for the Fund. Certain affiliated transactions are permitted in accordance with procedures adopted by the Fund and reviewed by the independent directors of the Fund.

There may be restrictions imposed by law, regulation or contract regarding how much, if any, of a particular security QMA may purchase or sell on behalf of a client, and as to the timing of such purchase or sale. Such restrictions may come into play as a result of QMA's relationship with Prudential Financial and its other affiliates. Also, QMA may come into possession of material, non-public information with respect to a particular issuer and as a result be unable to execute purchase or sale transactions in securities of such issuer for its clients. QMA generally is able to avoid a variety of potential conflicts due to the possession of material, non-public information by maintaining an "Information Barrier" to prevent the transfer of information between affiliates.

Certain affiliates of QMA develop and may publish credit research that is independent from the research developed within QMA. QMA may hold different opinions on the investment merits of a given security, issuer or industry such that QMA may be purchasing or holding a security for a client and an affiliated entity may be selling or recommending a sale of the same security or other securities of the same issuer. Conversely, QMA may be selling a security for a client and an affiliated entity may be purchasing or recommending a buy of the same security or other securities of the same issuer. In addition, QMA's affiliated brokers or investment advisers may be executing transactions in the market in the same securities as QMA at the same time. It is the policy of QMA not to engage in principal transactions with affiliated broker-dealers for unaffiliated institutional accounts managed by QMA.

QMA may cause securities transactions to be executed for a client's account concurrently with authorizations to purchase or sell the same securities for other accounts managed by QMA, including proprietary accounts or accounts of affiliates. In these instances, the executions of purchases or sales, where possible, are allocated equitably among the various accounts.

QMA may provide to non-discretionary clients the same model investment portfolios that it uses to manage discretionary client accounts. Delivery of the model portfolios to non-discretionary clients may be prior to or after execution of trades for discretionary accounts utilizing the same model. The discretionary clients may be disadvantaged where QMA initiates trading for such clients after it delivers the model investment portfolio to the non-discretionary clients, or vice versa. QMA believes the potential market impact of trading based on the model is unlikely to be significant given that the model typically calls for small trades.

QMA may buy or sell, or may direct or recommend that one client buy or sell, securities of the same kind or class that are purchased or sold for another client, at prices which may be different. In addition, QMA may, at any time, execute trades of securities of the same kind or class in one direction for an account and trade in the opposite direction or not trade for any other account due to differences in investment strategy or client direction.

The fees charged to advisory clients by QMA may differ depending upon a number of factors including, but not limited to, the particular strategy, the size of a portfolio being managed, the relationship with the client, the origination and service requirements and the asset class involved. Fees may also differ based on account type (e.g., commingled accounts, trust accounts, insurance company separate accounts, and corporate, bank or trust-owned life insurance products). Fees are negotiable so one client with similar investment objectives or goals may be paying a higher fee than another client. Fees paid by certain clients may also be higher due to performance based fees which increase based on the performance of a portfolio above an established benchmark. Also, large clients generate more revenue for QMA than do smaller accounts. A portfolio manager may be faced with a conflict of interest when allocating scarce investment opportunities given the benefit to QMA of favoring accounts that pay a higher fee or generate more income for QMA. To address this conflict of interest, QMA has adopted allocation policies as well as supervisory procedures that are intended to fairly allocate investment opportunities among competing client accounts.

Conflicts of interest may also arise regarding proxy voting. QMA's proxy voting committee oversees the proxy voting process and monitors potential conflicts of interest relating to proxy voting.

 

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Conflicts of interest may also arise in connection with securities holdings. Prudential Financial, the general account of The Prudential Insurance Company of America, QMA's proprietary accounts and accounts of other affiliates of QMA (collectively, the "Affiliated Accounts") may at times have various levels of financial or other interests, including but not limited to portfolio holdings, in companies whose securities may be held or purchased or sold in QMA's client accounts. These financial interests may at any time be in potential or actual conflict or may be inconsistent with positions held or actions taken by QMA on behalf of its client accounts. These interests can include loan servicing, debt or equity financing, services related to advising on merger and acquisition issues, strategic corporate relationships or investments and the offering of investment advice in various forms. Thus QMA may invest client assets in the securities of companies with which QMA or an affiliate of QMA has a financial relationship, including investment in the securities of companies that are advisory clients of QMA.

It is anticipated that there will be situations in which the interests of a client account in a portfolio company may conflict with the interests of one or more Affiliated Accounts or other client accounts managed by QMA or its affiliates. This may occur because Affiliated Accounts hold public and private debt and equity securities of a large number of issuers and may invest in some of the same companies as the client account but at different levels in the capital structure. While these conflicts cannot be eliminated, QMA has implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure that, notwithstanding these conflicts, investments of its clients are managed in their best interests.

In addition, portfolio managers may advise Affiliated Accounts. The value of a portion of the long-term incentive grant of certain investment professionals will increase or decrease based on the annual performance of certain advised accounts of QMA (the "LT Accounts") over a defined time period. As a result of (i) the management of the Affiliated Accounts, and (ii) long-term compensation reflecting the performance of the LT Accounts, QMA's portfolio managers from time to time have certain direct and indirect financial interests in the accounts they advise. To address potential conflicts related to these financial interests, QMA has procedures, including supervisory review procedures, designed to ensure that each of QMA's client accounts, and each Affiliated Account or LT Account, is managed in a manner that is consistent with its investment objectives, investment strategies and restrictions, as well as with QMA's fiduciary obligations.

QMA also engages in short sales for certain of its advisory clients (i.e., the sale of a borrowed security). For these clients, QMA may take a short position in securities that are held long in other client portfolios. QMA has adopted documentation and monitoring requirements to address the conflicts of interest that arise due to the management of long-short portfolios alongside long-only portfolios.

QMA follows Prudential Financial's policies on business ethics, personal securities trading by investment personnel, and information barriers and has adopted a code of ethics, allocation policies, supervisory procedures and conflicts of interest policies, among other policies and procedures, which are designed to ensure that clients are not harmed by these potential or actual conflicts of interests; however, there is no guarantee that such policies and procedures will detect and will ensure avoidance or disclosure of each and every situation in which a conflict may arise.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Portfolio Manager Compensation Structure

Portfolio manager compensation consists primarily of a base salary, a cash bonus, and an equity incentive that usually comes in the form of a stock option grant. Occasionally, portfolio managers will also have the opportunity to participate in venture capital partnerships. Compensation is variable and is determined based on the following factors:

Investment performance over one-, three-, five-, and 10-year periods is the most important input. We evaluate performance in absolute, relative, and risk-adjusted terms. Relative performance and risk-adjusted performance are determined with reference to the broad based index (ex. S&P 500) and an applicable Lipper index (ex. Large-Cap Growth), though other benchmarks may be used as well. Investment results are also measured against to comparably managed funds of competitive investment management firms. Performance is primarily measured on a pre-tax basis though tax-efficiency is considered and is especially important for tax efficient funds. Compensation is viewed with a long term time horizon. The more consistent a manager's performance over time, the higher the compensation opportunity. The increase or decrease in a fund's assets due to the purchase or sale of fund shares is not considered a material factor.

Contribution to our overall investment process is an important consideration as well. Sharing ideas with other portfolio managers, working effectively with and mentoring our younger analysts, and being good corporate citizens are important components of our long term success and are highly valued.

 

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All employees of T. Rowe Price, including portfolio managers, participate in a 401(k) plan sponsored by T. Rowe Price Group. In addition, all employees are eligible to purchase T. Rowe Price common stock through an employee stock purchase plan that features a limited corporate matching contribution. Eligibility for and participation in these plans is on the same basis as for all employees. Finally, all vice presidents of T. Rowe Price Group, including all portfolio managers, receive supplemental medical/hospital reimbursement benefits.

This compensation structure is used for all portfolios managed by the portfolio manager.

Conflicts of Interest

We are not aware of any material conflicts of interest that may arise in connection with the Portfolio Manager's management of the Fund's investments and the investments of the other account(s) included in response to this question.

Portfolio managers at T. Rowe Price typically manage multiple accounts. These accounts may include, among others, mutual funds, separate accounts (assets managed on behalf of institutions such as pension funds, colleges and universities, foundations), and commingled trust accounts. Portfolio managers make investment decisions for each portfolio based on the investment objectives, policies, practices and other relevant investment considerations that the managers believe are applicable to that portfolio. Consequently, portfolio managers may purchase (or sell) securities for one portfolio and not another portfolio. T. Rowe Price has adopted brokerage and trade allocation policies and procedures which it believes are reasonably designed to address any potential conflicts associated with managing multiple accounts for multiple clients. Also, as disclosed under the "Portfolio Manager Compensation" above, our portfolio managers' compensation is determined in the same manner with respect to all portfolios managed by the portfolio manager

Thornburg Investment Management, Inc.

Compensation

The compensation of the portfolio manager includes an annual salary annual bonus, and company-wide profit sharing. The portfolio manager also owns equity shares in the investment manager, Thornburg. Both the salary and bonus are reviewed approximately annually for comparability with salaries of other portfolio managers in the industry, using survey data obtained form compensation consultants. The annual bonus is subjective. Criteria that are considered in formulating the bonus include, but are not limited to, the following: revenues available to pay compensation of the portfolio manager, including the Fund; multiple year historical total return of accounts managed by the portfolio manager, including the Fund, relative to market performance and similar funds; single year historical total return of accounts managed by the portfolio manager, including the Fund, relative to market performance and similar funds; the degree of sensitivity of the portfolio manager to potential tax liabilities created for account holders in generating return, relative to overall return. There is no material difference in the method used to calculate the portfolio manager's compensation with respect to the Fund and other account managed by the portfolio manager, except that certain accounts managed by the portfolio manager may have no income or capital gains tax considerations. To the extent that the portfolio manager realizes benefits from capital appreciation and dividends paid to shareholders of the investment manager, such benefits accrue from the overall financial performance of the investment manager.

Conflicts of Interest

Most investment advisors and their portfolio managers manage investments for multiple clients, including mutual funds, private accounts, and retirement plans. In any case where a portfolio manager manages the investments of two or more accounts, there is a possibility that conflicts of interest could arise between the portfolio manager's management of the fund's investments and the manager's management of other accounts. These conflicts could include:

  • Allocating a favorable investment opportunity to one account but not another.

  • Directing one account to buy a security before purchases through other accounts increase the price of the security in the market place.

  • Giving substantially inconsistent investment directions at the same time to similar accounts, so as to benefit one account over another.

  • Obtaining services from brokers conducting trades for one account, which are used to benefit another account.

The fund's investment manager, Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. ("Thornburg") has informed the fund that it has considered the likelihood that any material conflicts of interest could arise between the portfolio manager's management of the fund's investments and the portfolio manager's management of other accounts. Thornburg has also informed the fund that it has not

 

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identified any such conflicts that may arise, and has concluded that it has implemented policies and procedures to identify and resolve any such conflict if it did arise.

UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc.

Compensation

The compensation received by the portfolio managers at UBS Global Asset Management, including the Funds' portfolio managers, includes a base salary and incentive compensation, as detailed below. UBS Global Asset Management's compensation and benefits programs are designed to provide its investment professionals with incentives to excel, and to promote an entrepreneurial, performance-oriented culture. They also align the interests of the investment professionals with the interests of UBS Global Asset Management's clients.

Overall compensation can be grouped into three categories:

- Competitive salary, benchmarked to maintain competitive compensation opportunities.
-Annual bonus, tied to individual contributions and investment performance.
-UBS equity awards, promoting company-wide success and employee retention.

Base salary is fixed compensation used to recognize the experience, skills and knowledge that the investment professionals bring to their roles. Salary levels are monitored and adjusted periodically in order to remain competitive within the investment management industry.

Annual bonuses are correlated with performance. As such, annual incentives can be highly variable, and are based on three components: 1) the firm's overall business success; 2) the performance of the respective asset class and/or investment mandate; and 3) an individual's specific contribution to the firm's results. UBS Global Asset Management strongly believes that tying bonuses to both long-term (3-year) and shorter-term (1-year) portfolio pre-tax performance closely aligns the investment professionals' interests with those of UBS Global Asset Management's clients. Each portfolio manager's bonus is based on the performance of each Fund the portfolio manager manages as compared to the Fund's broad-based index over a three-year rolling period.

UBS AG Equity . Senior investment professionals, including each portfolio manager of the Funds, may receive a portion of their annual performance-based incentive in the form of deferred or restricted UBS AG shares or employee stock options. UBS Global Asset Management believes that this reinforces the critical importance of creating long-term business value and also serves as an effective retention tool as the equity shares typically vest over a number of years. Broader equity share ownership is encouraged for all employees through "Equity Plus." This long-term incentive program gives employees the opportunity to purchase UBS stock with after-tax funds from their bonus and/or salary. Two UBS stock options are given for each share acquired and held for two years. UBS Global Asset Management feels this engages its employees as partners in the firm's success, and helps to maximize its integrated business strategy.

Conflicts of Interest

The portfolio management team's management of a Fund and other accounts could result in potential conflicts of interest if the Fund and other accounts have different objectives, benchmarks and fees because the portfolio management team must allocate its time and investment expertise across multiple accounts, including the Fund. A portfolio manager and his or her team manage a Fund and other accounts utilizing a model portfolio approach that groups similar accounts within a model portfolio. The Advisor manages accounts according to the appropriate model portfolio, including where possible, those accounts that have specific investment restrictions. Accordingly, portfolio holdings, position sizes and industry and sector exposures tend to be similar across accounts, which may minimize the potential for conflicts of interest.

If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one account or model portfolio, the Fund may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible model portfolios and accounts. To deal with these situations, the Advisor has adopted procedures for allocating portfolio trades across multiple accounts to provide fair treatment to all accounts. The management of personal accounts by a portfolio manager may also give rise to potential conflicts of interest. The Advisor and the Trust have adopted Codes of Ethics that govern such personal trading but there is no assurance that the Codes will adequately address all such conflicts.

 

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WEDGE Capital Management, LLP

Compensation

Incentive compensation plans have been structured to reward all professionals for their contribution to the overall growth and profitability of the firm. Compensation is not directly tied to fund performance or growth in assets for any fund or other account managed by a portfolio manager. General partners, including Paul M. VeZolles, Gilbert Gale, and John Norman, are compensated via a percentage of the firm's net profitability following a peer review, which focuses on performance in their specific area of responsibility, as well as their contribution to the general management of the firm, and their importance to the firm in the future. Other investment professionals receive a competitive salary and bonus based on the firm's investment and business success and their specific contribution to that record.

Conflicts of Interest

During the normal course of managing assets for multiple clients of varying types and asset levels, WEDGE will inevitably encounter conflicts of interest that could, if not properly addressed, be harmful to one or more of its clients. Those of a material nature that are encountered most frequently surround security selection, brokerage selection, employee personal securities trading, proxy voting and the allocation of securities. WEDGE is therefore, forced to consider the possible personal conflicts that occur for an analyst and portfolio manager as well as those for the firm when a security is recommended for purchase or sale. When trading securities, WEDGE must address the issues surrounding the selection of brokers to execute trades considering the personal conflicts of the trader and the firm's conflict to obtain best execution of client transactions versus offsetting the cost of research or enhancing its relationship with a broker for potential future gain. And finally, WEDGE must consider the implications that a limited supply or demand for a particular security poses on the allocation of that security across accounts.

To mitigate these conflicts and ensure its clients are not negatively impacted by the adverse actions of WEDGE or its employees, WEDGE has implemented a series of policies including its Personal Security Trading Policy, Proxy Voting Policy, Equity Trading Policy, Trading Error Policy, and others designed to prevent and detect conflicts when they occur. WEDGE reasonably believes that these and other policies combined with the periodic review and testing performed by its compliance professionals adequately protects the interests of its clients.

Western Asset Management Company
Western Asset Management Company Limited

Portfolio Manager Compensation

With respect to the compensation of the portfolio managers, the compensation system for Western Asset and WAML assigns each employee a total compensation "target" and a respective cap, which are derived from annual market surveys that benchmark each role with their job function and peer universe. This method is designed to reward employees with total compensation reflective of the external market value of their skills, experience, and ability to produce desired results.

Standard compensation includes competitive base salaries, generous employee benefits, and a retirement plan.

In addition, employees are eligible for bonuses. These are structured to closely align the interests of employees with those of Western Asset and WAML, and are determined by the professional's job function and performance as measured by a formal review process. All bonuses are completely discretionary. One of the principal factors considered in determining a portfolio manager's bonus is the portfolio manager's investment performance versus appropriate peer groups and benchmarks. Because portfolio managers are generally responsible for multiple accounts (including the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio) with similar investment strategies, they are compensated on the performance of the aggregate group of similar accounts, rather than a specific account. A smaller portion of a bonus payment is derived from factors that include client service, business development, length of service to the Western Asset and/or WAML, management or supervisory responsibilities, contributions to developing business strategy and overall contributions to the business of Western Asset and WAML.

Finally, in order to attract and retain top talent, all professionals are eligible for additional incentives in recognition of outstanding performance. These are determined based upon the factors described above and include Legg Mason, Inc. stock options and long-term incentives that vest over a set period of time past the award date.

 

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Conflicts of Interest

Potential conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the management of multiple accounts (including accounts managed in a personal capacity).These could include potential conflicts of interest related to the knowledge and timing of the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio's trades, investment opportunities and broker selection.Portfolio managers may be privy to the size, timing and possible market impact of such Portfolio's trades.

It is possible that an investment opportunity may be suitable for both the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio and other accounts managed by a portfolio manager, but may not be available in sufficient quantities for both the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio and the other accounts to participate fully.Similarly, there may be limited opportunity to sell an investment held by the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio and another account.A conflict may arise where the portfolio manager may have an incentive to treat an account preferentially as compared to the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio because the account pays a performance-based fee or the portfolio manager, Western Asset, WAML, or an affiliate has an interest in the account. Western Asset and WAML have adopted procedures for allocation of portfolio transactions and investment opportunities across multiple client accounts on a fair and equitable basis over time.All eligible accounts that can participate in a trade share the same price on a pro-rata allocation basis in an attempt to mitigate any conflict of interest.Trades are allocated among similarly managed accounts to maintain consistency of portfolio strategy, taking into account cash availability, investment restrictions and guidelines, and portfolio composition versus strategy.

With respect to securities transactions for the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio, Western Asset and WAML determine which broker or dealer to use to execute each order, consistent with their duty to seek best execution of the transaction.However, with respect to certain other accounts (such as pooled investment vehicles that are not registered investment companies and other accounts managed for organizations and individuals), Western Asset and WAML may be limited by the client with respect to the selection of brokers or dealers or may be instructed to direct trades through a particular broker or dealer.In these cases, trades for the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio in a particular security may be placed separately from, rather than aggregated with, such other accounts.Having separate transactions with respect to a security may temporarily affect the market price of the security or the execution of the transaction, or both, to the possible detriment of the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio or the other account(s) involved.Additionally, the management of multiple investment portfolios and/or other accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio and/or other account.

It is theoretically possible that portfolio managers could use information to the advantage of other accounts they manage and to the possible detriment of the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.For example, a portfolio manager could short sell a security for an account immediately prior to the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio's sale of that security.To address this conflict, Western Asset and WAML have adopted procedures for reviewing and comparing selected trades of alternative investment accounts (which may make directional trades such as short sales) with long only accounts (which include the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio) for timing and pattern related issues.Trading decisions for alternative investment and long only accounts may not be identical even though the same portfolio manager may manage both types of accounts.Whether Western Asset or WAML allocates a particular investment opportunity to only alternative investment accounts or to alternative investment and long only accounts will depend on the investment strategy being implemented. If, under the circumstances, an investment opportunity is appropriate for both its alternative investment and long only accounts, then it will be allocated to both on a pro-rata basis.

A portfolio manager may also face other potential conflicts of interest in managing the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio, and the description above is not a complete description of every conflict of interest that could be deemed to exist in managing both the Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio and the other accounts listed above.

William Blair & Company LLC

Compensation

The compensation of William Blair portfolio managers is based on the firm's mission: "to achieve success for its clients." The Fund's portfolio manager is a principal of William Blair, and as of December 31, 2007 his compensation consists of a base salary, a share of the firm's profits and, in some instances, a discretionary bonus. The portfolio manager's compensation is determined by the head of William Blair's Investment Management Department, subject to the approval of the firm's Executive Committee. The base salary is fixed and the portfolio manager's ownership stake can vary over time based upon the portfolio manager's sustained contribution to the firm's revenue, profitability, long-term investment performance, intellectual capital and brand reputation. In addition, the discretionary bonus (if any) is based, in part, on the long-term investment performance, profitability and assets under management of

 

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all accounts managed by the portfolio manager, including the Fund.


Conflicts of Interest

Since the portfolio manager manages other accounts in addition to the Fund, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with the portfolio manager's management of the Fund's investments on the one hand and the investments of such other accounts on the other hand. However, William Blair has adopted policies and procedures designed to address such conflicts, including, among others, policies and procedures relating to allocation of investment opportunities, soft dollars and aggregation of trades.

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Custodians . With the exception of the Target Maturity Portfolios and the Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, PFPC Trust Company (PFPC), 103 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809 serves as Custodian for the Fund's portfolio securities and cash, and in that capacity, maintains certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with the Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any foreign assets held outside the United States.

For the Target Maturity Portfolios (AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019) and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio, The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. (BNY), One Wall Street, New York, New York 10286, serves as Custodian for the portfolio securities and cash of each Portfolio, and in that capacity, maintains certain financial accounting books and records pursuant to an agreement with the Fund. Subcustodians provide custodial services for any foreign assets held outside the United States.

Transfer Agent and Shareholder Servicing Agent . PFPC Inc., 103 Bellevue Parkway, Wilmington, Delaware 19809, a Delaware corporation that is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of PNC Financial Corp., serves as the Transfer and Shareholder Servicing Agent for the Fund.

As the transfer, registrar and dividend disbursing agent of the Fund, PFPC, Inc. provides customary transfer agency services to each Portfolio, including the handling of shareholder communications, the processing of shareholder transactions, the maintenance of shareholder account records, the payment of dividends and distributions, and related functions. For these services, PFPC, Inc. receives a monthly fee of $1,500 per Portfolio and a $0.20 fee for certain accounts for anti-money laundering services, and a $2.25 customer identification fee per certain new customers. PFPC, Inc. is also reimbursed for its out-of-pocket expenses, including but not limited to postage, stationery, printing, allocable communications expenses and other costs.

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm . KPMG LLP, 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154, served as the Fund's independent registered public accounting firm for the five fiscal years ended December 31, 2007, and in that capacity will audit the annual financial statements for the Fund for the next fiscal year.

Consulting Arrangement . As described in the Prospectus, in connection with the establishment of the strategic allocation for each Asset Allocation Portfolio, Morningstar will provide PI with generalized economic and statistical information based primarily on historical risk/reward correlations and long-term models. PI will consider this analysis in conjunction with its own forward-looking assessment of macroeconomic, market, financial, security valuation, and other factors to establish the strategic allocation for the Asset Allocation Portfolio. Morningstar will employ various quantitative and qualitative research methods to propose Underlying Portfolio allocations that are consistent with the strategic allocations. PI will consider these proposals along with its own quantitative and qualitative research methods in establishing the Underlying Portfolio allocation. As compensation for providing the consulting services and a related license grant to the Investment Managers, the Investment Managers will pay Morningstar a monthly fee at an annual rate based on the aggregate average daily net assets of the Asset Allocation Portfolios under the following fee schedule: (i) 0.10% on aggregate average daily net assets of the Asset Allocation Portfolios of less than or equal to $1 billion, plus (ii) 0.09% on aggregate average daily net assets of the Asset Allocation Portfolios of greater than $1 billion but less than or equal to $1.5 billion, plus (iii) 0.08% on aggregate average daily net assets of the Asset Allocation Portfolios of greater than $1.5 billion. In addition, Prudential Annuities Distributors Incorporated (PAD), the distributor of certain contracts using the Fund, will reimburse Morningstar for reasonable disbursements that are directly related to providing certain marketing services to PAD in connection with the Asset Allocation Portfolios.

The Asset Allocation Portfolios and holders of Contracts will not directly pay any compensation to Morningstar and will not make any reimbursements for expenses to Morningstar. Morningstar is not acting as an investment adviser to the Asset Allocation Portfolio. The Investment Managers shall have full discretion with respect to the establishment of all strategic allocations and all Underlying Portfolio allocations and the effecting of all transactions.

 

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Securities Lending Agent . Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM) serves as securities lending agent for the Portfolios of the Fund and in that role administers the Portfolios' securities lending program. For its services, PIM receives a portion of the amount earned by lending securities. During the most recently completed fiscal year, PIM received the amounts indicated in the table below as securities lending agent for the indicated Portfolios.

Compensation Received by PIM for Securities Lending
Portfolio Amount
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio $4,178
AST International Growth Portfolio 101,209
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio 2,974
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 152,897
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 103,088
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio 1,000,427
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio 95,924
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 706,349
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio 116,558
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 156,971
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 345,376
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 805,210
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 41,556
AST T.Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio 168,856
AST T.Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio 357,140
AST MFS Growth Portfolio 51,042
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio 859,758
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio 93,488
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio 44,770
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio 263,996
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio 54,052
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500) 67,374
AST American Century Income and Growth Portfolio 107,535
AST AllianceBernstein Growth and Income Portfolio 266,654
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 26,418
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio 142,885
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio 30,914
AST High Yield Portfolio 193,545
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio 153,570
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio 127,275
AST First Trust Balanced Portfolio 157,161
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio 280,986

The Fund currently sells its shares only to insurance company separate accounts to fund the Contracts. The Fund has no principal underwriter or distributor. See the prospectus for your Contract for more information on distribution arrangements related to your Contract.

PORTFOLIO TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE

The Fund has adopted a policy pursuant to which the Fund and its Manager, Subadviser(s), and principal underwriter are prohibited from directly or indirectly compensating a broker-dealer for promoting or selling Fund shares by directing brokerage transactions to that broker. The Fund has adopted procedures for the purpose of deterring and detecting any violations of the policy. The policy permits the Fund, the Manager, and the Subadviser(s) to use selling brokers to execute transactions in portfolio securities so long as the selection of such selling brokers is the result of a decision that executing such transactions is in the best interest of the Fund and is not influenced by considerations about the sale of Fund shares.

The Manager is responsible for decisions to buy and sell securities, futures contracts and options on such securities and futures for the Fund, the selection of brokers, dealers and futures commission merchants to effect the transactions and the negotiation of brokerage commissions, if any. On a national securities exchange, broker-dealers may receive negotiated brokerage commissions on Fund portfolio transactions, including options, futures, and options on futures transactions and the purchase and sale of underlying securities upon the exercise of options. On a foreign securities exchange, commissions may be fixed. For purposes of this section, the term "Manager" includes the investment Subadviser(s). Orders may be directed to any broker or futures commission merchant including, to the extent and in the manner permitted by applicable laws, Wachovia Securities and its affiliates, Prudential Equity Group LLC ("Prudential Equity") and its affiliates or one of the affiliates of the Subadviser(s) (an affiliated broker). Brokerage

 

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commissions on U.S. securities, options and futures exchanges or boards of trade are subject to negotiation between the Manager and the broker or futures commission merchant.

In the over-the-counter market, securities are generally traded on a "net" basis with dealers acting as principal for their own accounts without a stated commission, although the price of the security usually includes a profit to the dealer. In underwritten offerings, securities are purchased at a fixed price which includes an amount of compensation to the underwriter, generally referred to as the underwriter's concession or discount. On occasion, certain money market instruments and U.S. government agency securities may be purchased directly from the issuer, in which case no commissions or discounts are paid. The Fund will not deal with an affiliated broker in any transaction in which an affiliated broker acts as principal except in accordance with the rules of the Commission. Thus, it will not deal in the over-the-counter market with Wachovia Securities or Prudential Equity acting as market maker, and it will not execute a negotiated trade with an affiliated broker if execution involves Wachovia Securities or Prudential Equity acting as principal with respect to any part of the Fund's order.

In placing orders for portfolio securities of the Fund, the Manager's overriding objective is to obtain the best possible combination of favorable price and efficient execution. The Manager seeks to effect such transaction at a price and commission that provides the most favorable total cost of proceeds reasonably attainable in the circumstances. The factors that the Manager may consider in selecting a particular broker, dealer or futures commission merchant (firms) are the Manager's knowledge of negotiated commission rates currently available and other current transaction costs; the nature of the portfolio transaction; the size of the transaction; the desired timing of the trade; the activity existing and expected in the market for the particular transaction; confidentiality; the execution, clearance and settlement capabilities of the firms; the availability of research and research related services provided through such firms; the Manager's knowledge of the financial stability of the firms; the Manager's knowledge of actual or apparent operational problems of firms; and the amount of capital, if any, that would be contributed by firms executing the transaction. Given these factors, the Fund may pay transaction costs in excess of that which another firm might have charged for effecting the same transaction.

When the Manager selects a firm that executes orders or is a party to portfolio transactions, relevant factors taken into consideration are whether that firm has furnished research and research-related products and/or services, such as research reports, research compilations, statistical and economic data, computer data bases, quotation equipment and services, research-oriented computer software, hardware and services, reports concerning the performance of accounts, valuations of securities, investment related periodicals, investment seminars and other economic services and consultations. Such services are used in connection with some or all of the Manager's investment activities; some of such services, obtained in connection with the execution of transactions for one investment account, may be used in managing other accounts, and not all of these services may be used in connection with the Fund. The Manager maintains an internal allocation procedure to identify those firms who have provided it with research and research-related products and/or services, and the amount that was provided, and to endeavor to direct sufficient commissions to them to ensure the continued receipt of those services that the Manager believes provide a benefit to the Fund and its other clients. The Manager makes a good faith determination that the research and/or service is reasonable in light of the type of service provided and the price and execution of the related portfolio transactions .

When the Manager deems the purchase or sale of equities to be in the best interests of the Fund or its other clients, including Prudential, the Manager may, but is under no obligation to, aggregate the transactions in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the transactions, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Manager in the manner it considers to be most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to its clients. The allocation of orders among firms and the commission rates paid are reviewed periodically by the Fund's Board of Trustees. Portfolio securities may not be purchased from any underwriting or selling syndicate of which any affiliated broker, during the existence of the syndicate, is a principal underwriter (as defined in the 1940 Act), except in accordance with rules of the Commission. This limitation, in the opinion of the Fund, will not significantly affect the Fund's ability to pursue its present investment objective. However, in the future in other circumstances, the Fund may be at a disadvantage because of this limitation in comparison to other funds with similar objectives but not subject to such limitations.

Subject to the above considerations, an affiliated broker may act as a broker or futures commission merchant for the Fund. In order for an affiliated broker to effect any portfolio transactions for the Fund, the commissions, fees or other remuneration received by the affiliated broker must be reasonable and fair compared to the commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to other firms in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities or futures being purchased or sold on an exchange or board of trade during a comparable period of time. This standard would allow the affiliated broker to receive no more than the remuneration which would be expected to be received by an unaffiliated firm in a commensurate arm's-length transaction. Furthermore, the Trustees of the Fund, including a majority of the non-interested Directors, have adopted procedures which are reasonably designed to provide that any commissions, fees or other remuneration paid to the affiliated broker (or any affiliate) are consistent with the foregoing standard. In accordance with Section 11 (a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, an affiliated broker may

 

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not retain compensation for effecting transactions on a national securities exchange for the Fund unless the Fund has expressly authorized the retention of such compensation. The affiliated broker must furnish to the Fund at least annually a statement setting forth the total amount of all compensation retained by it from transactions effected for the Fund during the applicable period. Brokerage transactions with an affiliated broker are also subject to such fiduciary standards as may be imposed upon the broker by applicable law. Transactions in options by the Fund will be subject to limitations established by each of the exchanges governing the maximum number of options which may be written or held by a single investor or group of investors acting in concert, regardless of whether the options are written or held on the same or different exchanges or are written or held in one or more accounts or through one or more brokers. Thus, the number of options which the Fund may write or hold may be affected by options written or held by the Manager and other investment advisory clients of the Manager. An exchange may order the liquidation of positions found to be in excess of these limits, and it may impose certain other sanctions.

The tables below set forth information concerning the payment of brokerage commissions by the Fund, including the amount of brokerage commissions paid to Wachovia Securities, Prudential Equity, or any other affiliated broker for the three most recently completed fiscal years:

Total Brokerage Commissions Paid by the Fund
Portfolio 2007 2006 2005
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio $884,757 $272,613 N/A
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio 111,452 115,672 $139,600
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio 3,845,753 3,824,188 3,845,666
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio 217,374 263,989 618,707
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 175,920 116,512 253,684
AST Bond Portfolio 2015 N/A N/A N/A
AST Bond Portfolio 2018 N/A N/A N/A
AST Bond Portfolio 2019 N/A N/A N/A
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio 545,982 351,648 347,115
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio 355,232 190,481 214,129
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio 225,695 262,720 305,329
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio 2,348,445 1,781,746 1,252,761
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio 979,134 400,599 -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio 1,656,518 543,523 N/A
AST Global Real Estate Portfolio N/A N/A N/A
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio 410,762 555,216 918,074
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 411,396 422,463 546,864
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio 261,682 419,750 478,553
AST High Yield Portfolio 13,463 - -
AST International Growth Portfolio 6,059,053 6,477,704 5,617,023
AST International Value Portfolio 1,422,381 489,677 90,708
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio N/A N/A N/A
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio 259,846 219,701 121,122
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio 1,757,374 2,092,853 317,032
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio 8,999 6,429 24,310
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio 208,062 244,604 232,012
AST MFS Growth Portfolio 1,766,680 1,776,653 1,598,013
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio 3,402,627 3,524,896 3,458,144
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 186,303 100,757 205,855
AST Money Market Portfolio N/A N/A N/A
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 1,106,646 673,172 1,845,745
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 2,404,323 2,699,123 2,026,681
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 776,786 645,396 691,718
AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio N/A N/A N/A
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio 551,155 269,796 185,176

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 118

AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio 179,981 20,888 11,175
AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500) 129,718 168,722 390,184
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 191,600 299,912 247,034
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 1,482,660 2,431,217 1,561,036
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio 397,892 244,135 264,617
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio N/A N/A 1,016
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio 1,776,565 999,145 406,581
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio 337,505 252,688 369,410
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio 360,421 N/A N/A
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio N/A N/A N/A
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
N/A N/A N/A
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 462 N/A N/A
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio 184 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 261 N/A N/A
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio 107 N/A N/A
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio 117 N/A N/A

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities and/or Prudential Equity: 2007
Portfolio Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Involving Commissions Effected Through Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio $47,729 5.39% 9.18%
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio 176 0.16% 0.08%
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio - - -
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio 3,808 1.75% 0.87%
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 883 0.50% 0.17%
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio 116 0.02% 0.01%
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST High Yield Portfolio - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - -
AST JP Morgan International Equity Portfolio - - -
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio 15,744 0.90% 1.04%
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio - - -

 

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AST Money Market Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 665 0.03% 0.03%
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - -
AST QMA US Equity Alpha (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500) 3,408 2.63% 0.68%
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 163 0.08% 0.10%
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 3,134 0.21% 0.21%
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - -
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio - - -
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios —AST Aggressive Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Other Affiliated Brokers: Fiscal Year 2007
Portfolio Affiliated Broker Commissions Paid % of Commissions Paid % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Effected Through Affiliated Broker
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio - - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio - - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC $273,097 7.10% 4.25%
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio JPMorgan Securities, Inc. 1,009 0.46% 0.16%
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio JPMorgan Securities, Inc. 764 0.43% 0.08%
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio - - - -
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio Federated Securities Corp. 372 0.02% 0.01%
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Goldman Sachs & Co. 4 0.00% 0.00%

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 120

AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio Goldman Sachs & Co. 6 0.00% 0.00%
AST High Yield Portfolio - - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - - -
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio JPMorgan Securities, Inc. 1,568 .60% .38%
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Money Market Portfolio - - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 41,311 3.73% 6.00%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 76,167 3.17% 3.78%
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 16,250 2.09% 2.18%
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST QMA US Equity Alpha (formerly, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500) - - -
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 1,887 0.98% 1.16%
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 959 0.50% 0.36%
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio J.P. Morgan Securities, Inc. 4 0.00% 0.00%
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - - -
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio UBS Securities LLC 321 0.09% 0.05%
AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
- - - -
AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio - - - -

 

121

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities and/or Prudential Equity: 2006
Portfolio Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Involving Commissions Effected Through Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio $27,706 10.16% 15.11%
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio 53,317 1.39% 1.06%
AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio - - -
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio 2,788 1.06% 0.46%
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 1,371 1.18% 0.69%
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio 30 0.01% 0.01%
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio 3,806 0.21% 0.15%
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio 64 0.02% 0.01%
AST High Yield Portfolio - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - -
AST JP Morgan International Equity Portfolio - - -
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio $39,695 1.90% 2.30%
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio 4,888 0.14% 0.08%
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Money Market Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 22,110 0.82% 0.92%
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - -
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 7,312 2.44% 1.82%
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 689 0.03% 0.02%
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - -
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios —AST Aggressive Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio —AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Other Affiliated Brokers: Fiscal Year 2006

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 122

Portfolio Affiliated Broker Commissions Paid % of Commissions Paid % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Effected Through Affiliated Broker
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio - - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio - - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC 313,007 8.18% 5.92%
AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio - - - -
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio - - - -
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio - - - -
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio Goldman Sachs & Co. 10,475 2.50% 3.42%
AST High Yield Portfolio - - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - - -
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio - - - -
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST Money Market Portfolio - - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 96,041 14.27% 18.98%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 264,351 9.79% 10.66%
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Lehman Brothers, Inc. 15,455 5.15% 5.60%
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio Raymond James & Associates, Inc. 2,229 0.74% 0.94%
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio - - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - - -

 

123

AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio - - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
- - - -

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities and/or Prudential Equity: Fiscal Year 2005
Portfolio Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Commissions Paid to Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Involving Commissions Effected Through Wachovia Securities/Prudential Equity
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio $1,584 1.13% 0.67%
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio 18,279 0.48% 0.33%
AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio 828 0.21% 0.18%
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio 1,955 0.32% 0.14%
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio 116 0.05% 0.01%
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio 1,238 0.36% 0.44%
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - -
AST Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 2,620 0.48% 0.15%
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio 15 - 0.01%
AST High Yield Portfolio - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - -
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio - - -
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio 3,210 1.01% 0.18%
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio 3,939 0.11% 0.11%
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Money Market Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio 3,140 1.37% 0.93%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio 18,055 0.89% 1.13%
AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - -
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio 5,405 2.19% 1.23%
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio 4,646 0.25% 0.20%
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - -

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 124

AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio 270 0.07% 0.07%
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - -
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
- - -

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Other Affiliated Brokers: Fiscal Year 2005
Portfolio Affiliated Broker Commissions Paid % of Commissions Paid % of Dollar Amount of Transactions Effected Through Affiliated Broker
AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio - - -
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. $45,063 32.28% 18.05%
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. 427,418 11.11% 9.60%
AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. 136,562 35.00% 25.07%
AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio - - -
AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio - - -
AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio - - -
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio Goldman Sachs 31,860 0.67% 0.89%
AST High Yield Portfolio - - -
AST International Growth Portfolio - - -
AST International Value Portfolio - - -
AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio Chase Securities 118 0.10% 0.07%
AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio - - -
AST MFS Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Gabelli, South Eastern Advisory Group 98,899 48.04% 16.16%
AST Money Market Portfolio - - -
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio Fred Alger, Lehman Brothers 531,069 28.77% 29.84%
AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio Lehman Brothers 308,524 15.21% 16.65%

 

125

AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio - - -
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio - - -
AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio - - -
AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio - - -
AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio Sanford C. Bernstein & Co. 14,850 3.65% 1.80%
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio - - -
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio - - -
AST Asset Allocation Portfolios

- AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio
- AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio
- - -

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Fund History . The Fund is a managed, open-end investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust, the separate Portfolios of which are diversified, unless otherwise indicated. Formerly, the Fund was known as the Henderson International Growth Fund, which consisted of only one Portfolio (The Henderson International Growth Fund is currently known as the AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Strong International Equity Portfolio, the AST AIM International Equity Portfolio, the AST Putnam International Equity Portfolio and the Seligman Henderson International Equity Portfolio)).The Investment Manager was Henderson International,Inc. Shareholders of what was, at the time, the Henderson International Growth Fund, approved certain changes in a meeting held April 17, 1992. These changes included engagement of a new Investment Manager, engagement of a Sub-advisor and election of new Trustees. Subsequent to that meeting, the new Trustees adopted a number of resolutions, including, but not limited to, resolutions renaming the Trust. Since that time the Trustees have adopted a number of resolutions, including, but not limited to, making new Portfolios available and adopting forms of Investment Management Agreements and subadvisory Agreements between the Investment Managers and the Fund and the Investment Managers and each subadviser, respectively.

The AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Alliance Growth and Income Portfolio and as the AST Lord Abbett Growth and Income Portfolio) was first offered as of May 1, 1992. The AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST JanCap Growth Portfolio) and the AST Money Market Portfolio were first offered as of November 4, 1992. The AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the Federated Utility Income Portfolio) and the AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Global Allocation Portfolio, the DeAM Global Allocation Portfolio, the AIM Balanced Portfolio, the AST Putnam Balanced Portfolio and the AST Phoenix Balanced Asset Portfolio) were first offered as of May 1, 1993. The AST High Yield Portfolio (formerly known as the Goldman Sachs High Yield Portfolio and the AST Federated High Yield Portfolio), the AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST State Street Research Small-Cap Growth Portfolio, the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the PBHG Small-Cap Growth Portfolio), the AST Janus Small-Cap Growth Portfolio and the Founders Capital Appreciation Portfolio), the Large-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Hotchkis Wiley Large-Cap Value Portfolio and the AST INVESCO Capital Income Portfolio) and the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio were first offered as of December 31, 1993. The AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Scudder International Bond Portfolio) was first offered as of May 1, 1994. The AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the Berger Capital Growth Portfolio) was first offered as of October 19, 1994.

The AST International Value Portfolio (formerly known as the AST LSV International Value Portfolio, the AST DeAM International Equity Portfolio,the AST Founders Passport Portfolio and the Seligman Henderson International Small Cap Portfolio), the AST T. Rowe

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 126

Price Natural Resources Portfolio and the AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio were first offered as of May 2, 1995. The AST AllianceBernstein Large-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Alliance Growth Portfolio, AST Oppenheimer Large-Cap Growth Portfolio, and the Robertson Stephens Value + Growth Portfolio) was first offered as of May 2, 1996. The AST International Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST William Blair International Growth Portfolio and the AST Janus Overseas Growth Portfolio), the AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Gabelli Small-Cap Value Portfolio and the AST T. Rowe Price Small Company Value Portfolio), the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio (formerly known as the AST American Century Strategic Balanced Portfolio) and the AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Putnam Value Growth Income Portfolio) were first offered as of January 2, 1997. The AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio was first offered as of December 22, 1997. The AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Lord Abbett Small Cap Value Portfolio), the AST Cohen Steers Realty Portfolio, and the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (formerly known as the AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio, the AST Sanford Bernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio and as the AST Bankers Trust Managed Index 500 Portfolio) were first offered as of January 2, 1998. The AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST DeAM Small-Cap Growth Portfolio and the AST Scudder Small-Cap Growth Portfolio) was first offered as of January 4, 1999. The AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio and the AST MFS Growth Portfolio were first offered as of October 18, 1999. The AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Janus Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio) was first offered as of May 1, 2000. The AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio, the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the AST Gabelli All-Cap Value Portfolio), the AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio (formerly known as the Janus Strategic Value Portfolio) and the AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio were first offered on October 23, 2000. The AST AllianceBernstein Core Value (formerly known as the AST Sanford Bernstein Core Value) Portfolio was first offered on May 1, 2001.

Effective as of December 2, 2005, the AST Alger All-Cap Growth Portfolio and the AST AllianceBernstein Growth + Value Portfolio were reorganized into the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio and the AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio, respectively, and ceased to exist.

The AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio, and the AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio were each first offered on or about December 5, 2005.

The AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio, the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio and the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio were each first offered on or about March 20, 2006.

The AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio, the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, and the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio were each first offered on or about November 17, 2007.

The AST Bond Portfolio 2015, the AST Bond Portfolio 2018, the AST Bond Portfolio 2019, and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio were each first offered on or about January 28, 2008.

The AST Global Real Estate Portfolio and the AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio were each first offered on or about April 28, 2008.

If approved by the Trustees, the Fund may add more Portfolios and may cease to offer any existing Portfolios in the future.

Effective as of May 1, 2007, the Fund changed its name from American Skandia Trust to Advanced Series Trust.

Description of Shares and Organization . As of the date of this SAI, the beneficial interest in the Fund is divided into 55 separate Portfolios, each offering one class of shares.

The Fund's Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust, dated December 1, 2005, which governs certain Fund matters, permits the Fund's Board of Trustees to issue multiple classes of shares, and within each class, an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with a par value of $.001 per share. Each share entitles the holder to one vote for the election of Trustees and on all other matters that are not specific to one class of shares, and to participate equally in dividends, distributions of capital gains and net assets of each applicable Portfolio. Only shareholders of shares of a specific Portfolio may vote on matters specific to that Portfolio. Shares of one class may not bear the same economic relationship to the Fund as shares of another class. In the event of dissolution or liquidation, holders of shares of a Portfolio will receive pro rata, subject to the rights of creditors, the proceeds of the sale of the assets held in such Portfolio less the liabilities attributable to such Portfolio. Shareholders of a Portfolio will not be liable for the expenses, obligations or debts of another Portfolio.

 

127

No preemptive or conversion rights apply to any of the Fund's shares. The Fund's shares, when issued, will be fully paid, non-assessable and transferable. The Trustees may at any time create additional series of shares without shareholder approval.

Generally, there will not be annual meetings of shareholders of any Portfolio of the Fund. A Trustee may, in accordance with certain rulesof the SEC, be removed from office when the holders of record of not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares either present a written declaration to the Fund'scustodian or vote in person or by proxy at a meeting called for this purpose. In addition, the Trustees will promptly call a meeting of shareholders to remove a Trustee(s) when requested to do so in writing by record holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares. Finally, the Trustees shall, in certain circumstances, give such shareholders access to a list of the names and addresses of all other shareholders or inform them of the number of shareholders and the cost of mailing their request.

Under Massachusetts law, shareholders could, under certain circumstances, be held liable for the obligations of the Fund. However, the Declaration of Trust disclaims shareholder liability for acts or obligations of the Fund and requires that notice of such disclaimer be given in each agreement, obligation or instrument entered into or executed by the Fund or the Trustees to all parties, and each party thereto must expressly waive all rights of action directly against shareholders. The Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification out of the Fund's property for all loss and expense of any shareholder of the Fund held liable on account of being or having been a shareholder. Thus, the risk of a shareholder incurring financial loss on account of shareholder liability is limited to circumstances in which the Fund would be unable to meet its obligations wherein the complaining party was held not to be bound by the disclaimer.

The Declaration of Trust further provides that the Trustees will have no personal liability to any person in connection with the Fund property or affairs of the Fund except for that arising from his bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duty to that person. All persons must look solely to the Fund property for satisfaction of claims of any nature arising in connection with the Fund's affairs. In general, the Declaration of Trust provides for indemnification by the Fund of the Trustees and officers of the Fund except with respect to any matter as to which the Trustee or officer acted in bad faith, or with willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties.

From time to time, Prudential Financial,Inc. and/or its insurance company affiliates have purchased shares of the Fund to provide initial capital and to enable the Portfolios to avoid unrealistically poor investment performance that might otherwise result because the amounts available for investment are too small. Prudential will not redeem any of its shares until a Portfolio is large enough so that redemption will not have an adverse effect upon investment performance. Prudential will vote its shares in the same manner and in the same proportion as the shares held by the separate accounts that invest in the Fund, which in turn, are generally voted in accordance with instructions from Contract owners.

PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS

To the knowledge of the Fund, the following persons/entities owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of the Portfolios of the Fund as of the date indicated:

Principal Portfolio Shareholders (as of April 1, 2008)
Portfolio Name Shareholder Name/Address No. Shares/% of Portfolio
AST JP Morgan International Equity PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
13,629,202.06/ 91.8779
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
990,506.78/ 6.6773
AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
71,362,825.12/ 50.6288

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 128

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
31,790,540.75/ 22.5540
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
22,689,722.26/ 16.0974
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
7,406,068.97/ 5.2543
AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
18,288,469.67/ 94.6036
AST Money Market PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,364,716,115.80/ 96.9862
AST Neuberger Berman Mid Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
48,987,806.90/ 96.4863
AST UBS Dynamic Alpha PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
40,521,549.84/ 88.0572
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
4,863,001.89/10.5678
AST High Yield Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
40,621,764.27/ 91.5409
AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
45,674,006.58/ 81.3882
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
9,327,391.11/16.6208
AST PIMCO Total Return Bond PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
126,229,950.67/ 32.4429

 

129

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
90,988,742.14/ 23.3854
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
78,040,261.28/ 20.0575
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
44,983,716.07/ 11.5615
AST Large Cap Value ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
38,983,244.48/ 34.5871
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
27,730,491.14/ 24.6033
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
27,685,872.88/ 24.5637
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
8,861,369.65/ 7.8621
AST Small Cap Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
8,210,843.61/ 96.9078
AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
35,490,269.40/ 64.6140
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
6,034,076.45/ 10.9857
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
5,462,368.62/ 9.9449

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 130

AST Neuberger Berman Mid Cap Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
25,231,189.56/ 77.1366
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,675,386.35/ 8.1792
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
1,915,088.78/ 5.8548
AST International Value Portfolio ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
19,997,277.50/ 33.8983
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
15,725,648.32/ 26.6573
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
14,217,217.22/ 24.1003
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
4,398,860.88/7.4567
AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
12,386,754.81/ 49.4855
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
4,499,994.58/ 17.9776
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
3,086,739.06/ 12.3316
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,869,765.96/ 11.4648
AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
94,469,824.37/ 97.6750

 

131

AST T. Rowe Price Large Cap Growth ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
68,203,220.33/ 38.8582
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
46,965,127.00/ 26.7580
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
30,806,451.95/ 17.5517
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
15,202,931.01/ 8.6617
AST International Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
69,787,652.28/ 51.5366
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
30,026,461.88/ 22.1739
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
21,470,904.95/ 15.8558
AST American Century Income & Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
16,654,666.89/ 94.6894
AST American Century Strategic Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
12,523,624.00/ 85.7486
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
1,602,968.87/ 10.9754
AST Small Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
45,479,937.43/ 78.7397
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
5,167,597.21/ 8.9467

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 132

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
3,462,197.92/ 5.9941
AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
10,824,393.40/ 97.0527
AST Marsico Capital Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
87,391,732.98/ 39.5326
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
51,642,186.97/ 23.3609
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
36,125,881.82/ 16.3419
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
11,730,334.99/ 5.3063
AST QMA U.S. Equity Alpha Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
21,569,785.50/ 94.7769
AST Cohen & Steers Realty PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
17,866,283.53/ 91.3951
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
1,416,570.97/ 7.2465
Neuberger Berman Small Cap Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
16,551,034.12/ 93.9844
AST MFS Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
33,801,271.63/ 96.7147
AST MFS Global Equity PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
10,803,652.79/ 91.5838

 

133

PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
851,677.91/ 7.2198
AST Goldman Sachs Mid Cap Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
41,778,529.55/ 94.2391
AST Federated Aggressive Growth PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
33,276,287.44/ 59.7331
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
10,275,337.08/ 18.4449
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
6,859,454.45/ 12.3132
AST Mid-Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
7,844,821.02/ 46.9042
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
3,661,674.90/ 21.8932
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,820,029.58/ 16.8610
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
898,494.68/ 5.3721
AST AllianceBernstein Core Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
24,936,079.10/ 96.4949
AST DeAm Large Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
17,723,427.24/ 91.2776
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
1,403,451.86/ 7.2279

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 134

AST Lord Abbett Bond Debenture PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
35,271,914.46/ 95.9477
AST DeAm Small Cap Value PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
6,757,962.98/ 90.9711
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK , NJ 07102
573,174.40/ 7.7157
AST Preservation Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
84,809,533.20/ 83.3101
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
15,641,723.26/ 15.3652
AST Balanced Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
295,190,129.42/ 72.4048
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
101,316,303.98/ 24.8510
AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
373,945,292.69/ 74.6129
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
119,541,209.10/ 23.8519
AST Aggressive Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
27,479,700.69/ 83.3052
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
5,213,968.62/ 15.8063
AST First Trust Capital Appreciation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
116,644,343.53/ 81.3347
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
24,841,518.22/ 17.3217

 

135

AST First Trust Balanced Target PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
96,373,201.30/ 83.7724
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
17,246,622.91/ 14.9916
AST Advanced Strategies PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
107,749,543.19/ 77.8516
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
28,961,386.04/ 20.9253
CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
4,119,858.33/ 100.0000
CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
4,508,955.83/ 100.0000
Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,105,524.84/ 100.0000
Horizon Moderate Allocation Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,866,642.10/ 100.0000
Niemann Capitalization Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
2,593,739.44/ 100.0000
Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
27,878,512.82/ 26.0039
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CAPITAL GROWTH ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
23,800,529.03/ 22.2002
ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST CONSERVATIVE ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
13,724,685.97/ 12.8018

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 136

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST
AST PRESERVATION ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
13,301,255.03/ 12.4069
PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
10,757,840.95/ 10.0345
PRUDENTIAL SERIES
FUND INC
BALANCED ASSET
ALLOCATION PORTFOLIO
GATEWAY CENTER THREE
100 MULBERRY ST
NEWARK, NJ 07102
8,191,096.60/ 7.6403
Bond Portfolio 2015 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST.,7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
373,977.50/ 59.9345
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
250,000.00/ 40.0656
Bond Portfolio 2018 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
250,000.00/ 50.0000
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
250,000.00/ 50.0000
Bond Portfolio 2019 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
250,000.00/ 50.0000
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
250,000.00/ 50.0000
Investment Grade Bond Portfolio PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
311,896.28/ 54.4974
PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
260,418.20/ 45.5026
Conservative Asset Allocation PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL
ATTN WALTER SMITH
SEPARATE ACCOUNT B
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
107,046,091.79/ 69.8415

 

137

PRUCO LIFE INSURANCE
COMPANY OF ARIZONA
ATTN WALTER SMITH
213 WASHINGTON ST., 7TH FL
NEWARK, NJ 07102
40,686,707.55/ 26.5458

As of the date indicated, the Trustees and Officers of the Fund, as a group owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest of the Fund.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007 incorporated by reference into this SAI by reference to the annual report to shareholders, have been so incorporated in reliance on the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm. KPMG LLP's principal business address is 345 Park Avenue, New York, New York 10154.

The Fund's Annual Report, for the year ended December 31, 2007, can be obtained, without charge, by calling (800) 778-2255 or by writing to the Fund at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST 138

PART II

INVESTMENT RISKS AND CONSIDERATIONS

Set forth below are descriptions of some of the types of investments and investment strategies that a Portfolio may use, and the risks and considerations associated with those investments and investment strategies. Please see the Prospectus and the "Fund Portfolios, Investment Objectives and Policies" Section in Part I of the SAI, which identifies the types of investments and investment strategies that may be used by each Portfolio.Information contained in this section about the risks and considerations associated with a Portfolio's investments and/or investment strategies applies only to those Portfolios specifically identified in Part I of the SAI as making a type of investment or using an investment strategy (each, a "Covered Portfolio"). Information that does not apply to a Covered Portfolio does not form a part of the SAI as it relates to the Covered Portfolio and should not be relied on by investors in that Covered Portfolio. Only information that is clearly identified as applicable to a Covered Portfolio is considered to form a part of the SAI as it relates to a Covered Portfolio.

ASSET-BACKED SECURITIES . Certain Portfolios may invest in asset-backed securities. Asset-backed securities directly or indirectly represent a participation interest in, or are secured by and payable from, a stream of payments generated by particular assets such as motor vehicle or credit card receivables. Payments of principal and interest may be guaranteed up to certain amounts and for a certain time period by a letter of credit issued by a financial institution unaffiliated with the entities issuing the securities. Asset-backed securities may be classified as pass-through certificates or collateralized obligations.

Pass-through certificates are asset-backed securities which represent an undivided fractional ownership interest in an underlying pool of assets. Pass-through certificates usually provide for payments of principal and interest received to be passed through to their holders, usually after deduction for certain costs and expenses incurred in administering the pool. Because pass-through certificates represent an ownership interest in the underlying assets, the holders thereof bear directly the risk of any defaults by the obligors on the underlying assets not covered by any credit support.

Asset-backed securities issued in the form of debt instruments, also known as collateralized obligations, are generally issued as the debt of a special purpose entity organized solely for the purpose of owning such assets and issuing such debt. Such assets are most often trade, credit card or automobile receivables. The assets collateralizing such asset-backed securities are pledged to a trustee or custodian for the benefit of the holders thereof. Such issuers generally hold no assets other than those underlying the asset-backed securities and any credit support provided. As a result, although payments on such asset-backed securities are obligations of the issuers, in the event of defaults on the underlying assets not covered by any credit support, the issuing entities are unlikely to have sufficient assets to satisfy their obligations on the related asset-backed securities.

Credit-Related Asset-Backed Securities. This type of asset-backed security is collateralized by a basket of corporate bonds or other securities, including junk bonds. Unlike the traditional asset-backed securities described above, these asset-backed securities often do have the benefit of a security interest or ownership interest in the related collateral. With a credit-related asset-backed security, the underlying bonds have the risk of being prepaid prior to maturity. Although generally not pre-payable at any time, some of the underlying bonds may have call options, while others may have maturity dates that are earlier than the asset-backed security itself. As with traditional asset-backed securities described above, the Portfolio bears the risk of loss of the resulting increase or decrease in yield to maturity after a prepayment of an underlying bond. However, the primary risk associated with credit-related asset-backed securities is the potential loss of principal associated with losses on the underlying bonds.

BORROWING AND LEVERAGE . A Portfolio may borrow up to 33 1/3% of the value of its total assets (calculated at the time of the borrowing). The Portfolio may pledge up to 33 1/3% of its total assets to secure these borrowings. If the Portfolio's asset coverage for borrowings falls below 300%, the Portfolio will take prompt action to reduce its borrowings. If the Portfolio borrows to invest in securities, any investment gains made on the securities in excess of interest paid on the borrowing will cause the net asset value of the shares to rise faster than would otherwise be the case. On the other hand, if the investment performance of the additional securities purchased fails to cover their cost (including any interest paid on the money borrowed) to the Portfolio, the net asset value of the Portfolio's shares will decrease faster than would otherwise be the case. This is the speculative factor known as "leverage."

A Portfolio may borrow from time to time, at the investment subadviser's discretion, to take advantage of investment opportunities, when yields on available investments exceed interest rates and other expenses of related borrowing, or when, in the investment adviser's opinion, unusual market conditions otherwise make it advantageous for the Portfolio to increase its investment capacity. A Portfolio will only borrow when there is an expectation that it will benefit a Portfolio after taking into account considerations such as interest income and possible losses upon liquidation. Borrowing by a Portfolio creates an opportunity for increased net income but, at the same time, creates risks, including the fact that leverage may exaggerate changes in the net asset value of Portfolio shares and in the yield ona Portfolio. A Portfolio may borrow through forward rolls, dollar rolls or reverse repurchase agreements, although no Portfolio currently has any intention of doing so.

 

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CONVERTIBLE SECURITIES . Convertible securities entitle the holder to receive interest payments paid on corporate debt securities or the dividend preference on a preferred stock until such time as the convertible security matures or is redeemed or until the holder elects to exercise the conversion privilege. The characteristics of convertible securities make them appropriate investments for an investment company seeking a high total return from capital appreciation and investment income. These characteristics include the potential for capital appreciation as the value of the underlying common stock increases, the relatively high yield received from dividend or interest payments as compared to common stock dividends and decreased risks of decline in value relative to the underlying common stock due to their fixed-income nature. As a result of the conversion feature, however, the interest rate or dividend preference on a convertible security is generally less than would be the case if the securities were issued in nonconvertible form.

In analyzing convertible securities, the Manager will consider both the yield on the convertible security relative to its credit quality and the potential capital appreciation that is offered by the underlying common stock, among other things.

Convertible securities are issued and traded in a number of securities markets. Even in cases where a substantial portion of the convertible securities held by a Portfolio are denominated in U.S. dollars, the underlying equity securities may be quoted in the currency of the country where the issuer is domiciled. With respect to convertible securities denominated in a currency different from that of the underlying equity securities, the conversion price may be based on a fixed exchange rate established at the time the security is issued. As a result, fluctuations in the exchange rate between the currency in which the debt security is denominated and the currency in which the share price is quoted will affect the value of the convertible security. As described below, a Portfolio is authorized to enter into foreign currency hedging transactions in which it may seek to reduce the effect of such fluctuations.

Apart from currency considerations, the value of convertible securities is influenced by both the yield of nonconvertible securities of comparable issuers and by the value of the underlying common stock. The value of a convertible security viewed without regard to its conversion feature (i.e., strictly on the basis of its yield) is sometimes referred to as its "investment value." To the extent interest rates change, the investment value of the convertible security typically will fluctuate. However, at the same time, the value of the convertible security will be influenced by its "conversion value," which is the market value of the underlying common stock that would be obtained if the convertible security were converted. Conversion value fluctuates directly with the price of the underlying common stock. If, because of a low price of the common stock the conversion value is substantially below the investment value of the convertible security, the price of the convertible security is governed principally by its investment value.

To the extent the conversion value of a convertible security increases to a point that approximates or exceeds its investment value, the price of the convertible security will be influenced principally by its conversion value. A convertible security will sell at a premium over the conversion value to the extent investors place value on the right to acquire the underlying common stock while holding a fixed-income security. The yield and conversion premium of convertible securities issued in Japan and the Euromarket are frequently determined at levels that cause the conversion value to affect their market value more than the securities' investment value.

Holders of convertible securities generally have a claim on the assets of the issuer prior to the common stockholders but may be subordinated to other debt securities of the same issuer. A convertible security may be subject to redemption at the option of the issuer at a price established in the charter provision, indenture or other governing instrument pursuant to which the convertible security was issued. If a convertible security held by a Portfolio is called for redemption, the Portfolio will be required to redeem the security, convert it into the underlying common stock or sell it to a third party. Certain convertible debt securities may provide a put option to the holder, which entitles the holder to cause the security to be redeemed by the issuer at a premium over the stated principal amount of the debt security under certain circumstances.

Synthetic convertible securities may be either (i) a debt security or preferred stock that may be convertible only under certain contingent circumstances or that may pay the holder a cash amount based on the value of shares of underlying common stock partly or wholly in lieu of a conversion right (a "Cash-Settled Convertible"), (ii) a combination of separate securities chosen by the Manager in order to create the economic characteristics of a convertible security, i.e., a fixed income security paired with a security with equity conversion features, such as an option or warrant ( a "Manufactured Convertible") or (iii) a synthetic security manufactured by another party.

Synthetic convertible securities may include either Cash-Settled Convertibles or Manufactured Convertibles. Cash-Settled Convertibles are instruments that are created by the issuer and have the economic characteristics of traditional convertible securities but may not actually permit conversion into the underlying equity securities in all circumstances. As an example, a private company may issue a Cash-Settled Convertible that is convertible into common stock only if the company successfully completes a public offering of its common stock prior to maturity and otherwise pays a cash amount to reflect any equity appreciation. Manufactured

 

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Convertibles are created by the Manager by combining separate securities that possess one of the two principal characteristics of a convertible security, i.e., fixed income ("fixed income component") or a right to acquire equity securities ("convertibility component"). The fixed income component is achieved by investing in nonconvertible fixed income securities, such as nonconvertible bonds, preferred stocks and money market instruments. The convertibility component is achieved by investing in call options, warrants, or other securities with equity conversion features ("equity features") granting the holder the right to purchase a specified quantity of the underlying stocks within a specified period of time at a specified price or, in the case of a stock index option, the right to receive a cash payment based on the value of the underlying stock index.

A Manufactured Convertible differs from traditional convertible securities in several respects. Unlike a traditional convertible security, which is a single security having a unitary market value, a Manufactured Convertible is comprised of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. Therefore, the total "market value" of such a Manufactured Convertible is the sum of the values of its fixed-income component and its convertibility component.

More flexibility is possible in the creation of a Manufactured Convertible than in the purchase of a traditional convertible security. Because many corporations have not issued convertible securities, the Manager may combine a fixed income instrument and an equity feature with respect to the stock of the issuer of the fixed income instrument to create a synthetic convertible security otherwise unavailable in the market. The Manager may also combine a fixed income instrument of an issuer with an equity feature with respect to the stock of a different issuer when the Manager believes such a Manufactured Convertible would better promote a Portfolio's objective than alternate investments. For example, the Manager may combine an equity feature with respect to an issuer's stock with a fixed income security of a different issuer in the same industry to diversify the Portfolio's credit exposure, or with a U.S. Treasury instrument to create a Manufactured Convertible with a higher credit profile than a traditional convertible security issued by that issuer. A Manufactured Convertible also is a more flexible investment in that its two components may be purchased separately and, upon purchasing the separate securities, "combined" to create a Manufactured Convertible. For example,a Portfolio may purchase a warrant for eventual inclusion in a Manufactured Convertible while postponing the purchase of a suitable bond to pair with the warrant pending development of more favorable market conditions.

The value of a Manufactured Convertible may respond differently to certain market fluctuations than would a traditional convertible security with similar characteristics. For example, in the event a Portfolio created a Manufactured Convertible by combining a short-term U.S. Treasury instrument and a call option on a stock, the Manufactured Convertible would likely outperform a traditional convertible of similar maturity that is convertible into that stock during periods when Treasury instruments outperform corporate fixed income securities and underperform during periods when corporate fixed-income securities outperform Treasury instruments.

CORPORATE LOANS . Commercial banks and other financial institutions make corporate loans to companies that need capital to grow or restructure. Borrowers generally pay interest on corporate loans at rates that change in response to changes in market interest rates such as the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or the prime rate of U.S. banks. As a result, the value of corporate loan investments is generally less responsive to shifts in market interest rates. Because the trading market for corporate loans is less developed than the secondary market for bonds and notes, a Portfolio may experience difficulties from time to time in selling its corporate loans. Borrowers frequently provide collateral to secure repayment of these obligations. Leading financial institutions often act as agent for a broader group of lenders, generally referred to as a "syndicate." The syndicate's agent arranges the corporate loans, holds collateral and accepts payments of principal and interest. If the agent develops financial problems, a Portfolio may not recover its investment, or there might be a delay in the Portfolio's recovery. By investing in a corporate loan, a Portfolio becomes a member of the syndicate.

As in the case of junk bonds, the Corporate Loans in which a Portfolio may invest can be expected to provide higher yields than higher-rated fixed income securities but may be subject to greater risk of loss of principal and income. There are, however, some significant differences between Corporate Loans and junk bonds. Corporate Loans are frequently secured by pledges of liens and security interests in the assets of the borrower, and the holders of Corporate Loans are frequently the beneficiaries of debt service subordination provisions imposed on the borrower's bondholders. These arrangements are designed to give Corporate Loan investors preferential treatment over junk bond investors in the event of a deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer. Even when these arrangements exist, however, there can be no assurance that the principal and interest owed on the Corporate Loans will be repaid in full. Corporate Loans generally bear interest at rates set at a margin above a generally recognized base lending rate that may fluctuate on a day-to-day basis, in the case of the Prime Rate of a U.S. bank, or that may be adjusted on set dates, typically 30 days but generally not more than one year, in the case of LIBOR. Consequently, the value of Corporate Loans held by a Portfolio may be expected to fluctuate significantly less than the value of fixed rate junk bond instruments as a result of changes in the interest rate environment. On the other hand, the secondary dealer market for Corporate Loans is not as well developed as the secondary dealer market for junk bonds, and therefore presents increased market risk relating to liquidity and pricing concerns.

 

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A Portfolio may acquire interests in Corporate Loans by means of a novation, assignment or participation. In a novation, a Portfolio would succeed to all the rights and obligations of the assigning institution and become a contracting party under the credit agreement with respect to the debt obligation. As an alternative, a Portfolio may purchase an assignment, in which case the Portfolio may be required to rely on the assigning institution to demand payment and enforce its rights against the borrower but would otherwise typically be entitled to all of such assigning institution's rights under the credit agreement. Participation interests in a portion of a debt obligation typically result in a contractual relationship only with the institution selling the participation interest and not with the borrower. In purchasing a loan participation, a Portfolio generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Portfolio may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the debt obligation in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, a Portfolio will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the institution selling the participation to the Portfolio.

DEBT SECURITIES . Debt securities, such as bonds, involve credit risk. This is the risk that the issuer will not make timely payments of principal and interest. The degree of credit risk depends on the issuer's financial condition and on the terms of the bonds. Changes in an issuer's credit rating or the market's perception of an issuer's creditworthiness may also affect the value of a Portfolio's investment in that issuer. Credit risk is reduced to the extent a Portfolio limits its debt investments to U.S. Government securities. All debt securities, however, are subject to interest rate risk. This is the risk that the value of the security may fall when interest rates rise. In general, the market price of debt securities with longer maturities will go up or down more in response to changes in interest rates than the market price of shorter-term securities.

DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS . A Portfolio may invest in the securities of foreign issuers in the form of Depositary Receipts or other securities convertible into securities of foreign issuers. Depositary Receipts may not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as the underlying securities into which they may be converted. American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") and American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") are receipts or shares typically issued by an American bank or trust company that evidence ownership of underlying securities issued by a foreign corporation. European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") are receipts issued in Europe that evidence a similar ownership arrangement. Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs") are receipts issued throughout the world that evidence a similar arrangement. Generally, ADRs and ADSs, in registered form, are designed for use in the U.S. securities markets, and EDRs, in bearer form, are designed for use in European securities markets. GDRs are tradable both in the United States and in Europe and are designed for use throughout the world. A Portfolio may invest in unsponsored Depositary Receipts. The issuers of unsponsored Depositary Receipts are not obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may be less information available regarding such issuers and there may not be a correlation between such information and the market value of the Depositary Receipts. Depositary Receipts are generally subject to the same risks as the foreign securities that they evidence or into or for which they may be converted or exchanged.

DERIVATIVES . A Portfolio may use instruments referred to as derivatives. Derivatives are financial instruments the value of which is derived from another security, a commodity (such as gold or oil), a currency or an index (a measure of value or rates, such as the S&P 500 Index or the prime lending rate). Derivatives allow a Portfolio to increase or decrease the level of risk to which the Portfolio is exposed more quickly and efficiently than transactions in other types of instruments. Each Portfolio may use Derivatives for hedging purposes. Certain Portfolios may also use derivatives to seek to enhance returns. The use of a Derivative is speculative if the Portfolio is primarily seeking to achieve gains, rather than offset the risk of other positions. When the Portfolio invests in a Derivative for speculative purposes, the Portfolio will be fully exposed to the risks of loss of that Derivative, which may sometimes be greater than the Derivative's cost. No Portfolio may use any Derivative to gain exposure to an asset or class of assets that it would be prohibited by its investment restrictions from purchasing directly.

HEDGING . Hedging is a strategy in which a Derivative or security is used to offset the risks associated with other Portfolio holdings. Losses on the other investment may be substantially reduced by gains on a Derivative that reacts in an opposite manner to market movements. While hedging can reduce losses, it can also reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a different manner than anticipated by the Portfolio or if the cost of the Derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge. Hedging also involves the risk that changes in the value of the Derivative will not match those of the holdings being hedged as expected by a Portfolio, in which case any losses on the holdings being hedged may not be reduced or may be increased. The inability to close options and futures positions also could have an adverse impact on a Portfolio's ability to hedge effectively its portfolio. There is also a risk of loss by the Portfolio of margin deposits or collateral in the event of bankruptcy of a broker with whom the Portfolio has an open position in an option, a futures contract or a related option. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio's hedging strategies will be effective or that hedging transactions will be available to a Portfolio. No Portfolio is required to engage in hedging transactions and each Portfolio may choose not to do so.

INDEXED AND INVERSE SECURITIES . A Portfolio may invest in securities the potential return of which is based on an index or interest rate. As an illustration, a Portfolio may invest in a security whose value is based on changes in a specific index or that pays interest based on the current value of an interest rate index, such as the prime rate. A Portfolio may also invest in a debt security that

 

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returns principal at maturity based on the level of a securities index or a basket of securities, or based on the relative changes of two indices. In addition, certain Portfolios may invest in securities the potential return of which is based inversely on the change in an index or interest rate (that is, a security the value of which will move in the opposite direction of changes to an index or interest rate). For example, a Portfolio may invest in securities that pay a higher rate of interest when a particular index decreases and pay a lower rate of interest (or do not fully return principal) when the value of the index increases. If a Portfolio invests in such securities, it may be subject to reduced or eliminated interest payments or loss of principal in the event of an adverse movement in the relevant interest rate, index or indices. Indexed and inverse securities may involve credit risk, and certain indexed and inverse securities may involve leverage risk, liquidity risk and currency risk. A Portfolio may invest in indexed and inverse securities for hedging purposes or to seek to increase returns. When used for hedging purposes, indexed and inverse securities involve correlation risk. (Furthermore, where such a security includes a contingent liability, in the event of such an adverse movement, a Portfolio may be required to pay substantial additional margin to maintain the position.)

The Manager recently reevaluated the financial statement presentation of certain inverse securities, which are commonly referred to as inverse floaters, under the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 140 ("FAS 140"). The application of the provisions of FAS 140 entailed a reclassification of transactions in which a Portfolio sells a municipal bond to a special purpose trust in order to create an inverse floater which the Portfolio receives from such trust in a financing transaction. The trust also issues floating rate notes to third parties. The Portfolio receives interest payments on inverse floaters that bear an inverse relationship to the interest paid on the floating rate notes. These transactions were previously classified as a sale for financial statement presentation purposes. While such inverse floaters expose the Portfolio to leverage risk, they do not constitute borrowings for purposes of the Portfolio's restrictions on borrowings. The application of the provisions of FAS 140 with respect to inverse floaters otherwise acquired by the Portfolio is not currently subject to this reevaluation.

Future financial statements for a Portfolio will reflect the application of the provisions of FAS 140, regardless of materiality. Pursuant to FAS 140, the Portfolio will record interest on the full amount of the municipal bonds held in the special purpose trusts as interest income and the Portfolio also will record the interest to holders of the floating rate certificates and fees associated with the trust as interest expense in the Statement of Operations. This change will cause the Portfolio's expense ratio to increase. However, neither the Portfolio's net income nor its distributions to shareholders is impacted since the increase in interest expense will be offset by a corresponding amount of increased income on the bonds now deemed to be owned by the Portfolio (instead of only the interest the Portfolio received on the inverse floater certificates it held directly).

To the extent that a Portfolio owns such inverse floaters as of the financial reporting period end, another important change pursuant to FAS 140 is that the Portfolio's gross assets would increase by the par amount of the floating rate certificates issued by the affected special purpose trusts, with a corresponding increase in the Portfolio's liabilities. The Portfolio's net assets and net asset value per share should not be affected by this change in accounting because the increase in gross assets will be offset by a corresponding increase in liabilities.

SWAP AGREEMENTS . Certain Portfolios may enter into swap transactions, including but not limited to, interest rate, index, credit default, total return and, to the extent that it may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities, currency exchange rate swap agreements. In addition,certain Portfolios may enter into options on swap agreements (swap options). These swap transactions are entered into in an attempt to obtain a particular return when it is considered desirable to do so, possibly at a lower cost to the Portfolio than if the Portfolio had invested directly in an instrument that yielded that desired return.

Swap agreements are two party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods typically ranging from a few weeks to more than one year. In a standard "swap" transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on or calculated with respect to particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or "swapped" between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a "notional amount," that is, the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate or in a "basket" of securities representing a particular index or other investments or instruments.

Most swap agreements entered into by a Portfolio would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a "net basis." Consequently the Portfolio's current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement will generally be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the "net amount"). The Portfolio's current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Portfolio) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the segregation of liquid assets.

To the extent that a Portfolio enters into swaps on other than a net basis, the amount maintained in a segregated account will be the full amount of the Portfolio's obligations, if any, with respect to such swaps, accrued on a daily basis. Inasmuch as segregated accounts are established for these hedging transactions, the investment adviser and the Portfolio believe such obligations do not

 

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constitute senior securities and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to its borrowing restrictions. If there is a default by the other party to such a transaction, the Portfolio will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction. Since swaps are individually negotiated, the Portfolio expects to achieve an acceptable degree of correlation between its rights to receive a return on its portfolio securities and its rights and obligations to receive and pay a return pursuant to swaps. The Portfolio will enter into swaps only with parties meeting creditworthiness standards of the investment subadviser. The investment subadviser will monitor the creditworthiness of such parties.

CREDIT DEFAULT SWAP AGREEMENTS AND SIMILAR INSTRUMENTS . Certain Portfolios may enter into credit default swap agreements and similar agreements, and may also buy credit-linked securities. The credit default swap agreement or similar instrument may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by a Portfolio. The protection "buyer" in a credit default contract may be obligated to pay the protection "seller" an up front or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract provided generally that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the "par value" (full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. A Portfolio may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If a Portfolio is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Portfolio recovers nothing if the swap is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer may elect to receive the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value. As a seller, a Portfolio generally receives an up front payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the swap, provided that there is no credit event. If a credit event occurs, generally the seller must pay the buyer the full notional value of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity that may have little or no value.

Credit default swaps and similar instruments involve greater risks than if a Portfolio had invested in the reference obligation directly, since, in addition to general market risks, they are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risks. A Portfolio will enter into credit default swap agreements and similar instruments only with counterparties who are rated investment grade quality by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating organization at the time of entering into such transaction or whose creditworthiness is believed by the Manager to be equivalent to such rating. A buyer also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the swap is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the up front or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the Portfolio. When a Portfolio acts as a seller of a credit default swap or a similar instrument, it is exposed to many of the same risks of leverage since, if a credit event occurs, the seller may be required to pay the buyer the full notional value of the contract net of any amounts owed by the buyer related to its delivery of deliverable obligations.

CREDIT LINKED SECURITIES . Among the income producing securities in which a Portfolio may invest are credit linked securities, which are issued by a limited purpose trust or other vehicle that, in turn, invests in a derivative instrument or basket of derivative instruments, such a credit default swaps, interest rate swaps and other securities, in order to provide exposure to certain fixed income markets. For instance, a Portfolio may invest in credit linked securities as a cash management tool in order to gain exposure to a certain market and/or to remain fully invested when more traditional income producing securities are not available.

Like an investment in a bond, investments in these credit linked securities represent the right to receive periodic income payments (in the form of distributions) and payment of principal at the end of the term of the security. However, these payments are conditioned on the issuer's receipt of payments from, and the issuer's potential obligations to, the counterparties to the derivative instruments and other securities in which the issuer invests. For instance, the issuer may sell one or more credit default swaps, under which the issuer would receive a stream of payments over the term of the swap agreements provided that no event of default has occurred with respect to the referenced debt obligation upon which the swap is based. If a default occurs, the stream of payments may stop and the issuer would be obligated to pay the counterparty the par (or other agreed upon value) of the referenced debt obligation. This, in turn, would reduce the amount of income and principal that a Portfolio would receive. A Portfolio's investments in these instruments are indirectly subject to the risks associated with derivative instruments, including, among others, credit risk, default or similar event risk, counterparty risk, interest rate risk, leverage risk and management risk. It is also expected that the securities will be exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933. Accordingly, there may be no established trading market for the securities and they may constitute illiquid investments.

TOTAL RETURN SWAP AGREEMENTS . Certain Portfolios may enter into total return swap agreements. Total return swap agreements are contracts in which one party agrees to make periodic payments based on the change in market value of the underlying assets, which may include a specified security, basket of securities or securities indices during the specified period, in return for periodic payments based on a fixed or variable interest rate or the total return from other underlying assets. Total return swap agreements may be used to obtain exposure to a security or market without owning or taking physical custody of such security or market. Total return swap agreements may effectively add leverage to the Portfolio's portfolio because, in addition to its total net assets, the Portfolio

 

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would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the swap. Total return swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Portfolio thereunder. Swap agreements also bear the risk that the Portfolio will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty. Generally, the Portfolio will enter into total return swaps 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). The net amount of the excess, if any, of the Portfolio's obligations over its entitlements with respect to each total return swap will be accrued on a daily basis, and an amount of cash or liquid instruments having an aggregate net asset value at least equal to the accrued excess will be segregated by the Portfolio. If the total return swap transaction is entered into on other than a net basis, the full amount of the Portfolio's obligations will be accrued on a daily basis, and the full amount of the Portfolio's obligations will be segregated by the Portfolio in an amount equal to or greater than the market value of the liabilities under the total return swap agreement or the amount it would have cost the Portfolio initially to make an equivalent direct investment, plus or minus any amount the Portfolio is obligated to pay or is to receive under the total return swap agreement.

Unless otherwise noted, a Portfolio's net obligations in respect of all swap agreements (i.e., the aggregate net amount owed by the Portfolio) is limited to 15% of its net assets.

OPTIONS ON SECURITIES AND SECURITIES INDEXES . A Portfolio may invest in options on individual securities, baskets of securities or particular measurements of value or rate (an "index"), such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short term interest rates.

Types of Options . A Portfolio may engage in transactions in options on individual securities, baskets of securities or securities indices, or particular measurements of value or rate (an "index"), such as an index of the price of treasury securities or an index representative of short term interest rates. Such investments may be made on exchanges and in the over-the-counter markets. In general, exchange-traded options have standardized exercise prices and expiration dates and require the parties to post margin against their obligations, and the performance of the parties' obligations in connection with such options is guaranteed by the exchange or a related clearing corporation. OTC options have more flexible terms negotiated between the buyer and the seller, but generally do not require the parties to post margin and are subject to greater credit risk. OTC options also involve greater liquidity risk. See "Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives" below.

A Portfolio will write only "covered" options. A written option is covered if, so long as a Portfolio is obligated the option, it (1) owns an offsetting position in the underlying security or currency or (2) segregates cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to or greater than its obligation under the option.

CALL OPTIONS . A Portfolio may purchase call options on any of the types of securities or instruments in which it may invest. A call option gives a Portfolio the right to buy, and obligates the seller to sell, the underlying security at the exercise price at any time during the option period. A Portfolio also may purchase and sell call options on indices. Index options are similar to options on securities except that, rather than taking or making delivery of securities underlying the option at a specified price upon exercise, an index option gives the holder the right to receive cash upon exercise of the option if the level of the index upon which the option is based is greater than the exercise price of the option.

Each Portfolio may only write (i.e., sell) covered call options on the securities or instruments in which it may invest and to enter into closing purchase transactions with respect to certain of such options. A covered call option is an option in which a Portfolio either owns an offsetting position in the underlying security or currency, or the Portfolio segregates cash or other liquid assets in an amount equal to or greater than its obligation under the option. The principal reason for writing call options is the attempt to realize, through the receipt of premiums, a greater return than would be realized on the securities alone. By writing covered call options, a Portfolio gives up the opportunity, while the option is in effect, to profit from any price increase in the underlying security above the option exercise price. In addition, a Portfolio's ability to sell the underlying security will be limited while the option is in effect unless the Portfolio enters into a closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction cancels out a Portfolio's position as the writer of an option by means of an offsetting purchase of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has written. Covered call options also serve as a partial hedge to the extent of the premium received against the price of the underlying security declining.

PUT OPTIONS . A Portfolio may purchase put options to seek to hedge against a decline in the value of its securities or to enhance its return. By buying a put option, a Portfolio acquires a right to sell such underlying securities or instruments at the exercise price, thus limiting the Portfolio's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of the securities or instruments until the put option expires. The amount of any appreciation in the value of the underlying securities or instruments will be partially offset by the amount of the premium paid for the put option and any related transaction costs. Prior to its expiration, a put option may be sold in a closing sale transaction and profit or loss from the sale will depend on whether the amount received is more or less than the premium paid for the put option plus the related transaction costs. A closing sale transaction cancels out a Portfolio's position as the purchaser of an option

 

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by means of an offsetting sale of an identical option prior to the expiration of the option it has purchased. A Portfolio also may purchase uncovered put options.

Each Portfolio may write (i.e., sell) put options on the types of securities or instruments that may be held by the Portfolio, provided that such put options are covered, meaning that such options are secured by segregated, liquid instruments. A Portfolio will receive a premium for writing a put option, which increases the Portfolio's return. A Portfolio will not sell puts if, as a result, more than 25% of the Portfolio's net assets would be required to cover its potential obligations under its hedging and other investment transactions.

FUTURES . A Portfolio may engage in transactions in futures and options thereon. Futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts which obligate a purchaser to take delivery, and a seller to make delivery, of a specific amount of an asset at a specified future date at a specified price. No price is paid upon entering into a futures contract. Rather, upon purchasing or selling a futures contract a Portfolio is required to deposit collateral ("margin") equal to a percentage (generally less than 10%) of the contract value. Each day thereafter until the futures position is closed, the Portfolio will pay additional margin representing any loss experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day or be entitled to a payment representing any profit experienced as a result of the futures position the prior day. Futures involve substantial leverage risk.

The sale of a futures contract limits a Portfolio's risk of loss through a decline in the market value of portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract prior to the futures contract's expiration date. In the event the market value of the portfolio holdings correlated with the futures contract increases rather than decreases, however, a Portfolio will realize a loss on the futures position and a lower return on the portfolio holdings than would have been realized without the purchase of the futures contract.

The purchase of a futures contract may protect a Portfolio from having to pay more for securities as a consequence of increases in the market value for such securities during a period when the Portfolio was attempting to identify specific securities in which to invest in a market the Portfolio believes to be attractive. In the event that such securities decline in value or a Portfolio determines not to complete an anticipatory hedge transaction relating to a futures contract, however, the Portfolio may realize a loss relating to the futures position.

A Portfolio is also authorized to purchase or sell call and put options on futures contracts including financial futures and stock indices in connection with its hedging activities. Generally, these strategies would be used under the same market and market sector conditions (i.e., conditions relating to specific types of investments) in which the Portfolio entered into futures transactions. A Portfolio may purchase put options or write (i.e., sell) call options on futures contracts and stock indices rather than selling the underlying futures contract in anticipation of a decrease in the market value of its securities. Similarly, a Portfolio can purchase call options, or write put options on futures contracts and stock indices, as a substitute for the purchase of such futures to hedge against the increased cost resulting from an increase in the market value of securities which the Portfolio intends to purchase.

A Portfolio may only write "covered" put and call options on futures contracts. A Portfolio will be considered "covered" with respect to a call option it writes on a futures contract if the Portfolio owns the assets that are deliverable under the futures contract or an option to purchase that futures contract having a strike price equal to or less than the strike price of the "covered" option and having an expiration date not earlier than the expiration date of the "covered" option, or if it segregates for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets equal to the fluctuating value of the optioned future. A Portfolio will be considered "covered" with respect to a put option it writes on a futures contract if it owns an option to sell that futures contract having a strike price equal to or greater than the strike price of the "covered" option, or if it segregates for the term of the option cash or other liquid assets at all times equal in value to the exercise price of the put (less any initial margin deposited by the Portfolio with its custodian with respect to such option). There is no limitation on the amount of a Portfolio's assets that can be segregated.

With respect to futures contracts that are not legally required to "cash settle," a Portfolio may cover the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the market value of the futures contact. With respect to futures that are required to "cash settle," however, a Portfolio is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Portfolio's daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the Portfolio's daily net liability, if any) rather than the market value of the futures contract. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures, a Portfolio will have the ability to employ leverage to a greater extent than if the Portfolio were required to segregate assets equal to the full market value of the futures contract.

Each Portfolio has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") pursuant to Rule 4.5 under the CEA. The Manager is not, therefore, subject to registration or regulation as a "commodity pool operator" under the CEA and each Portfolio is operated so as not to be deemed to be a "commodity pool" under the regulations of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

 

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FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS . A Portfolio may engage in spot and forward foreign exchange transactions and currency swaps, purchase and sell options on currencies and purchase and sell currency futures and related options thereon (collectively, "Currency Instruments") for purposes of hedging against the decline in the value of currencies in which its portfolio holdings are denominated against the U.S. dollar or, with respect to certain Portfolios, to seek to enhance returns. Such transactions could be effected with respect to hedges on non-U.S. dollar denominated securities owned by a Portfolio, sold by a Portfolio but not yet delivered, or committed or anticipated to be purchased by a Portfolio. As an illustration, a Portfolio may use such techniques to hedge the stated value in U.S. dollars of an investment in a yen-denominated security. In such circumstances, for example, the Portfolio may purchase a foreign currency put option enabling it to sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date. To the extent the hedge is successful, a loss in the value of the yen relative to the dollar will tend to be offset by an increase in the value of the put option. To offset, in whole or in part, the cost of acquiring such a put option, the Portfolio may also sell a call option which, if exercised, requires it to sell a specified amount of yen for dollars at a specified price by a future date (a technique called a "straddle"). By selling such a call option in this illustration, the Portfolio gives up the opportunity to profit without limit from increases in the relative value of the yen to the dollar. "Straddles" of the type that may be used by a Portfolio are considered to constitute hedging transactions and are consistent with the policies described above. No Portfolio will attempt to hedge all of its foreign portfolio positions.

FORWARD FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRANSACTIONS . Forward foreign exchange transactions are OTC contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a specified currency or multinational currency unit at a price and future date set at the time of the contract. Spot foreign exchange transactions are similar but require current, rather than future, settlement. A Portfolio will enter into foreign exchange transactions for purposes of hedging either a specific transaction or a portfolio position, or, with respect to certain Portfolios, to seek to enhance returns. A Portfolio may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a specific transaction by, for example, purchasing a currency needed to settle a security transaction or selling a currency in which the Portfolio has received or anticipates receiving a dividend or distribution. A Portfolio may enter into a foreign exchange transaction for purposes of hedging a portfolio position by selling forward a currency in which a portfolio position of the Portfolio is denominated or by purchasing a currency in which the Portfolio anticipates acquiring a portfolio position in the near future. A Portfolio may also hedge portfolio positions through currency swaps, which are transactions in which one currency is simultaneously bought for a second currency on a spot basis and sold for the second currency on a forward basis. Forward foreign exchange transactions involve substantial currency risk, and also involve credit and liquidity risk.

CURRENCY FUTURES . A Portfolio may also seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency against the U.S. dollar through use of currency futures or options thereon. Currency futures are similar to forward foreign exchange transactions except that futures are standardized, exchange-traded contracts. See "Futures" above. Currency futures involve substantial currency risk, and also involve leverage risk.

CURRENCY OPTIONS . A Portfolio may also seek to enhance returns or hedge against the decline in the value of a currency against the U.S. dollar through the use of currency options. Currency options are similar to options on securities, but in consideration for an option premium the writer of a currency option is obligated to sell (in the case of a call option) or purchase (in the case of a put option) a specified amount of a specified currency on or before the expiration date for a specified amount of another currency. A Portfolio may engage in transactions in options on currencies either on exchanges or OTC markets. See "Types of Options" above and "Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives" below. Currency options involve substantial currency risk, and may also involve credit, leverage or liquidity risk.

LIMITATIONS ON CURRENCY HEDGING . Most Portfolios will not speculate in Currency Instruments although certain Portfolios may use such instruments to seek to enhance returns. Accordingly, a Portfolio will not hedge a currency in excess of the aggregate market value of the securities that it owns (including receivables for unsettled securities sales), or has committed to or anticipates purchasing, which are denominated in such currency. A Portfolio may, however, hedge a currency by entering into a transaction in a Currency Instrument denominated in a currency other than the currency being hedged (a "cross-hedge"). A Portfolio will only enter into a cross-hedge if the Manager believes that (i) there is a demonstrable high correlation between the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated and the currency being hedged, and (ii) executing a cross-hedge through the currency in which the cross-hedge is denominated will be significantly more cost-effective or provide substantially greater liquidity than executing a similar hedging transaction by means of the currency being hedged.

RISK FACTORS IN HEDGING FOREIGN CURRENCY RISKS. Hedging transactions involving Currency Instruments involve substantial risks, including correlation risk. While a Portfolio's use of Currency Instruments to effect hedging strategies is intended to reduce the volatility of the net asset value of the Portfolio's shares, the net asset value of the Portfolio's shares will fluctuate. Moreover, although Currency Instruments will be used with the intention of hedging against adverse currency movements, transactions in Currency Instruments involve the risk that anticipated currency movements will not be accurately predicted and that the Portfolio's hedging strategies will be ineffective. To the extent that a Portfolio hedges against anticipated currency movements that do not occur,

 

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the Portfolio may realize losses and decrease its total return as the result of its hedging transactions. Furthermore, a Portfolio will only engage in hedging activities from time to time and may not be engaging in hedging activities when movements in currency exchange rates occur.

In connection with its trading in forward foreign currency contracts, a Portfolio will contract with a foreign or domestic bank, or foreign or domestic securities dealer, to make or take future delivery of a specified amount of a particular currency. There are no limitations on daily price moves in such forward contracts, and banks and dealers are not required to continue to make markets in such contracts. There have been periods during which certain banks or dealers have refused to quote prices for such forward contracts or have quoted prices with an unusually wide spread between the price at which the bank or dealer is prepared to buy and that at which it is prepared to sell. Governmental imposition of credit controls might limit any such forward contract trading. With respect to its trading of forward contracts, if any, a Portfolio will be subject to the risk of bank or dealer failure and the inability of, or refusal by, a bank or dealer to perform with respect to such contracts. Any such default would deprive the Portfolio of any profit potential or force the Portfolio to cover its commitments for resale, if any, at the then market price and could result in a loss to the Portfolio.

It may not be possible for a Portfolio to hedge against currency exchange rate movements, even if correctly anticipated, in the event that (i) the currency exchange rate movement is so generally anticipated that the Portfolio is not able to enter into a hedging transaction at an effective price, or (ii) the currency exchange rate movement relates to a market with respect to which Currency Instruments are not available and it is not possible to engage in effective foreign currency hedging. The cost to a Portfolio of engaging in foreign currency transactions varies with such factors as the currencies involved, the length of the contract period and the market conditions then prevailing. Since transactions in foreign currency exchange usually are conducted on a principal basis, no fees or commissions are involved.

RISK FACTORS IN DERIVATIVES . Derivatives are volatile and involve significant risks, including:

Leverage Risk — the risk associated with certain types of investments or trading strategies (such as borrowing money to increase the amount of investments) that relatively small market movements may result in large changes in the value of an investment. Certain investments or trading strategies that involve leverage can result in losses that greatly exceed the amount originally invested.

Liquidity Risk — the risk that certain securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that the seller would like or at the price that the seller believes the security is currently worth.

Use of Derivatives for hedging purposes involves correlation risk. If the value of the Derivative moves more or less than the value of the hedged instruments, a Portfolio will experience a gain or loss that will not be completely offset by movements in the value of the hedged instruments.

A Portfolio intends to enter into transactions involving Derivatives only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such instruments or, in the case of illiquid instruments traded in OTC transactions, such instruments satisfy the criteria set forth below under "Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives." However, there can be no assurance that, at any specific time, either a liquid secondary market will exist for a Derivative or the Portfolio will otherwise be able to sell such instrument at an acceptable price. It may therefore not be possible to close a position in a Derivative without incurring substantial losses, if at all.

FOREIGN INVESTMENT RISKS . Certain Portfolios may invest in foreign equity and/or debt securities. Foreign debt securities include certain foreign bank obligations and U.S. dollar or foreign currency-denominated obligations of foreign governments or their subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities, international agencies and supranational entities.

Foreign Market Risk . Portfolios that may invest in foreign securities offer the potential for more diversification than a Portfolio that invests only in the United States because securities traded on foreign markets have often (though not always) performed differently than securities in the United States. However, such investments involve special risks not present in U.S. investments that can increase the chances that a Portfolio will lose money. In particular, a Portfolio is subject to the risk that, because there are generally fewer investors on foreign exchanges and a smaller number of shares traded each day, it may be difficult for the Portfolio to buy and sell securities on those exchanges. In addition, prices of foreign securities may fluctuate more than prices of securities traded in the United States.

Foreign Economy Risk . The economies of certain foreign markets often do not compare favorably with that of the United States with respect to such issues as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources, and balance of payments position. Certain such economies may rely heavily on particular industries or foreign capital and are more vulnerable to diplomatic

 

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developments, the imposition of economic sanctions against a particular country or countries, changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers, and other protectionist or retaliatory measures. Investments in foreign markets may also be adversely affected by governmental actions such as the imposition of capital controls, nationalization of companies or industries, expropriation of assets, or the imposition of punitive taxes. In addition, the governments of certain countries may prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on foreign investing in their capital markets or in certain industries. Any of these actions could severely affect security prices, impair a Portfolio's ability to purchase or sell foreign securities or transfer the Portfolio's assets or income back into the United States, or otherwise adversely affect a Portfolio's operations. Other foreign market risks include foreign exchange controls, difficulties in pricing securities, defaults on foreign government securities, difficulties in enforcing favorable legal judgments in foreign courts, and political and social instability. Legal remedies available to investors in certain foreign countries may be less extensive than those available to investors in the United States or other foreign countries.

Currency Risk and Exchange Risk . Securities in which a Portfolio invests may be denominated or quoted in currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Changes in foreign currency exchange rates will affect the value of a Portfolio's portfolio. Generally, when the U.S. dollar rises in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency loses value because the currency is worth fewer U.S. dollars. Conversely, when the U.S. dollar decreases in value against a foreign currency, a security denominated in that currency gains value because the currency is worth more U.S. dollars. This risk, generally known as "currency risk," means that a stronger U.S. dollar will reduce returns for U.S. investors while a weak U.S. dollar will increase those returns.

Governmental Supervision and Regulation/Accounting Standards . Many foreign governments supervise and regulate stock exchanges, brokers and the sale of securities less than does the United States. Some countries may not have laws to protect investors comparable to the U.S. securities laws. For example, some foreign countries may have no laws or rules against insider trading. Insider trading occurs when a person buys or sells a company's securities based on nonpublic information about that company. Accounting standards in other countries are not necessarily the same as in the United States. If the accounting standards in another country do not require as much detail as U.S. accounting standards, it may be harder for Portfolio management to completely and accurately determine a company's financial condition.

Certain Risks of Holding Portfolio Assets Outside the United States . A Portfolio generally holds its foreign securities and cash in foreign banks and securities depositories. Some foreign banks and securities depositories may be recently organized or new to the foreign custody business. In addition, there may be limited or no regulatory oversight over their operations. Also, the laws of certain countries may put limits on a Portfolio's ability to recover its assets if a foreign bank or depository or issuer of a security or any of their agents goes bankrupt. In addition, it is often more expensive for a Portfolio to buy, sell and hold securities in certain foreign markets than in the United States. The increased expense of investing in foreign markets reduces the amount a Portfolio can earn on its investments and typically results in a higher operating expense ratio for the Portfolio as compared to investment companies that invest only in the United States.

Settlement Risk . Settlement and clearance procedures in certain foreign markets differ significantly from those in the United States. Foreign settlement procedures and trade regulations also may involve certain risks (such as delays in payment for or delivery of securities) not typically generated by the settlement of U.S. investments. Communications between the United States and emerging market countries may be unreliable, increasing the risk of delayed settlements or losses of security certificates. Settlements in certain foreign countries at times have not kept pace with the number of securities transactions; these problems may make it difficult for a Portfolio to carry out transactions. If a Portfolio cannot settle or is delayed in settling a purchase of securities, it may miss attractive investment opportunities and certain of its assets may be uninvested with no return earned thereon for some period. If a Portfolio cannot settle or is delayed in settling a sale of securities, it may lose money if the value of the security then declines or, if it has contracted to sell the security to another party, the Portfolio could be liable to that party for any losses incurred.

Dividends or interest on, or proceeds from the sale of, foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes, thereby reducing the amount available for distribution to shareholders.

Certain transactions in Derivatives (such as futures transactions or sales of put options) involve substantial leverage risk and may expose a Portfolio to potential losses, which exceed the amount originally invested by the Portfolio. When a Portfolio engages in such a transaction, the Portfolio will deposit in a segregated account at its custodian liquid securities with a value at least equal to the Portfolio's exposure, on a mark-to-market basis, to the transaction (as calculated pursuant to requirements of the Commission). Such segregation will ensure that a Portfolio has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction, but will not limit the Portfolio's exposure to loss.

Additional Risk Factors of OTC Transactions; Limitations on the Use of OTC Derivatives. Certain Derivatives traded in OTC markets, including indexed securities, swaps and OTC options, involve substantial liquidity risk. The absence of liquidity may make it difficult or impossible for a Portfolio to sell such instruments promptly at an acceptable price. The absence of liquidity may also make it more

 

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difficult for a Portfolio to ascertain a market value for such instruments. A Portfolio will, therefore, acquire illiquid OTC instruments (i) if the agreement pursuant to which the instrument is purchased contains a formula price at which the instrument may be terminated or sold, or (ii) for which the Manager anticipates the Portfolio can receive on each business day at least two independent bids or offers, unless a quotation from only one dealer is available, in which case that dealer's quotation may be used.

Because Derivatives traded in OTC markets are not guaranteed by an exchange or clearing corporation and generally do not require payment of margin, to the extent that a Portfolio has unrealized gains in such instruments or has deposited collateral with its counterparty the Portfolio is at risk that its counterparty will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations. A Portfolio will attempt to minimize the risk that a counterparty will become bankrupt or otherwise fail to honor its obligations by engaging in transactions in Derivatives traded in OTC markets only with financial institutions that appear to have substantial capital or that have provided the Portfolio with a third-party guaranty or other credit enhancement.

DISTRESSED SECURITIES . A Portfolio may invest in securities, including corporate loans purchased in the secondary market, which are the subject of bankruptcy proceedings or otherwise in default as to the repayment of principal and/or interest at the time of acquisition by the Portfolio or are rated in the lower rating categories (Ca or lower by Moody's and CC or lower by S&P or Fitch) or which, if unrated, are in the judgment of the Manager of equivalent quality ("Distressed Securities"). Investment in Distressed Securities is speculative and involves significant risks. Distressed Securities frequently do not produce income while they are outstanding and may require a Portfolio to bear certain extraordinary expenses in order to protect and recover its investment.

A Portfolio will generally make such investments only when the Manager believes it is reasonably likely that the issuer of the Distressed Securities will make an exchange offer or will be the subject of a plan of reorganization pursuant to which the Portfolio will receive new securities. However, there can be no assurance that such an exchange offer will be made or that such a plan of reorganization will be adopted. In addition, a significant period of time may pass between the time at which a Portfolio makes its investment in Distressed Securities and the time that any such exchange offer or plan of reorganization is completed. During this period, it is unlikely that a Portfolio will receive any interest payments on the Distressed Securities, the Portfolio will be subject to significant uncertainty as to whether or not the exchange offer or plan of reorganization will be completed and the Portfolio may be required to bear certain extraordinary expenses to protect and recover its investment. Even if an exchange offer is made or plan of reorganization is adopted with respect to Distressed Securities held by a Portfolio, there can be no assurance that the securities or other assets received by a Portfolio in connection with such exchange offer or plan of reorganization will not have a lower value or income potential than may have been anticipated when the investment was made. Moreover, any securities received by a Portfolio upon completion of an exchange offer or plan of reorganization may be restricted as to resale. As a result of a Portfolio's participation in negotiations with respect to any exchange offer or plan of reorganization with respect to an issuer of Distressed Securities, the Portfolio may be restricted from disposing of such securities.

ILLIQUID OR RESTRICTED SECURITIES . Each Portfolio may invest in securities that lack an established secondary trading market or otherwise are considered illiquid. Liquidity of a security relates to the ability to dispose easily of the security and the price to be obtained upon disposition of the security, which may be less than would be obtained for a comparable more liquid security. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments. Investment of a Portfolio's assets in illiquid securities may restrict the ability of the Portfolio to dispose of its investments in a timely fashion and for a fair price as well as its ability to take advantage of market opportunities. The risks associated with illiquidity will be particularly acute where a Portfolio's operations require cash, such as when the Portfolio redeems shares or pays dividends, and could result in the Portfolio borrowing to meet short term cash requirements or incurring capital losses on the sale of illiquid investments. A Portfolio may invest in securities that are not registered ("restricted securities") under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act").

Restricted securities may be sold in private placement transactions between issuers and their purchasers and may be neither listed on an exchange nor traded in other established markets. In many cases, privately placed securities may not be freely transferable under the laws of the applicable jurisdiction or due to contractual restrictions on resale. As a result of the absence of a public trading market, privately placed securities may be less liquid and more difficult to value than publicly traded securities. To the extent that privately placed securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from the sales, due to illiquidity, could be less than those originally paid by the Portfolio or less than their fair market value. In addition, issuers whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that may be applicable if their securities were publicly traded. If any privately placed securities held by a Portfolio are required to be registered under the securities laws of one or more jurisdictions before being resold, the Portfolio may be required to bear the expenses of registration. Certain of the Portfolio's investments in private placements may consist of direct investments and may include investments in smaller, less seasoned issuers, which may involve greater risks. These issuers may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources or they may be dependent on a limited management group. In making investments in such securities, a Portfolio may obtain access to material nonpublic information, which may restrict the Portfolio's ability to conduct portfolio transactions in such securities.

 

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Specific Portfolio Limits: Each Portfolio, other than the Money Market Portfolio may hold up to 15% of net assets in illiquid securities. The Money Market Portfolio may hold up to 10% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING RISK . The volume of initial public offerings and the levels at which the newly issued stocks trade in the secondary market are affected by the performance of the stock market overall. If initial public offerings are brought to the market, availability may be limited and the Portfolio may not be able to buy any shares at the offering price, or if it is able to buy shares, it may not be able to buy as many shares at the offering price as it would like. In addition, the prices of securities involved in initial public offerings are often subject to greater and more unpredictable price changes than more established stocks.

INVESTMENT IN EMERGING MARKETS . Certain Portfolios may invest in the securities of issuers domiciled in various countries with emerging capital markets. Specifically, a country with an emerging capital market is any country that the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, the United Nations or its authorities has determined to have a low or middle income economy. Countries with emerging markets can be found in regions such as Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe and Africa.

Investments in the securities of issuers domiciled in countries with emerging capital markets involve certain additional risks not involved in investments in securities of issuers in more developed capital markets, such as (i) low or non-existent trading volume, resulting in a lack of liquidity and increased volatility in prices for such securities, as compared to securities of comparable issuers in more developed capital markets, (ii) uncertain national policies and social, political and economic instability, increasing the potential for expropriation of assets, confiscatory taxation, high rates of inflation or unfavorable diplomatic developments, (iii) possible fluctuations in exchange rates, differing legal systems and the existence or possible imposition of exchange controls, custodial restrictions or other foreign or U.S. governmental laws or restrictions applicable to such investments, (iv) national policies that may limit a Portfolio's investment opportunities such as restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests, and (v) the lack or relatively early development of legal structures governing private and foreign investments and private property. In addition to withholding taxes on investment income, some countries with emerging markets may impose differential capital gains taxes on foreign investors.

Such capital markets are emerging in a dynamic political and economic environment brought about by events over recent years that have reshaped political boundaries and traditional ideologies. In such a dynamic environment, there can be no assurance that these capital markets will continue to present viable investment opportunities for a Portfolio. In the past, governments of such nations have expropriated substantial amounts of private property, and most claims of the property owners have never been fully settled. There is no assurance that such expropriations will not reoccur. In such an event, it is possible that a Portfolio could lose the entire value of its investments in the affected markets.

Also, there may be less publicly available information about issuers in emerging markets than would be available about issuers in more developed capital markets, and such issuers may not be subject to accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards and requirements comparable to those to which U.S. companies are subject. In certain countries with emerging capital markets, reporting standards vary widely. As a result, traditional investment measurements used in the United States, such as price/earnings ratios, may not be applicable. Emerging market securities may be substantially less liquid and more volatile than those of mature markets, and companies may be held by a limited number of persons. This may adversely affect the timing and pricing of the Portfolio's acquisition or disposal of securities.

Practices in relation to settlement of securities transactions in emerging markets involve higher risks than those in developed markets, in part because a Portfolio will need to use brokers and counterparties that are less well capitalized, and custody and registration of assets in some countries may be unreliable. The possibility of fraud, negligence, undue influence being exerted by the issuer or refusal to recognize ownership exists in some emerging markets, and, along with other factors, could result in ownership registration being completely lost. A Portfolio would absorb any loss resulting from such registration problems and may have no successful claim for compensation.

Restrictions on Certain Investments . A number of publicly traded closed-end investment companies have been organized to facilitate indirect foreign investment in developing countries, and certain of such countries, such as Thailand, South Korea, Chile and Brazil have specifically authorized such Portfolios. There also are investment opportunities in certain of such countries in pooled vehicles that resemble open-end investment companies. In accordance with the Investment Company Act, a Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment companies, not more than 5% of which may be invested in any one such company. In addition, under the Investment Company Act, a Portfolio may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company. These restrictions on investments in securities of investment companies may limit opportunities for a Portfolio to invest indirectly in certain developing countries. New shares of certain investment companies may at times be acquired only at market prices representing premiums to their net asset values. If a Portfolio acquires shares of other investment companies,

 

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shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of expenses of the Portfolio (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of such other investment companies. SEE ALSO "INVESTMENTS IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES."

Risks of Investing in Asia-Pacific Countries . In addition to the risks of foreign investing and the risks of investing inemerging markets, the developing market Asia-Pacific countries in which a Portfolio may invest are subject to certain additional or specific risks. Certain Portfolios may make substantial investments in Asia-Pacific countries. There is a high concentration of market capitalization and trading volume in a small number of issuers representing a limited number of industries, as well as a high concentration of investors and financial intermediaries. Many of these markets also may be affected by developments with respect to more established markets in the region such as in Japan and Hong Kong. Brokers in developing market Asia-Pacific countries typically are fewer in number and less well capitalized than brokers in the United States. These factors, combined with the U.S. regulatory requirements for open-end investment companies and the restrictions on foreign investment discussed below, result in potentially fewer investment opportunities for a Portfolio and may have an adverse impact on the investment performance of the Portfolio.

Many of the developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be subject to a greater degree of economic, political and social instability than is the case in the United States and Western European countries. Such instability may result from, among other things: (i) authoritarian governments or military involvement in political and economic decision-making, including changes in government through extra-constitutional means; (ii) popular unrest associated with demands for improved political, economic and social conditions; (iii) internal insurgencies; (iv) hostile relations with neighboring countries; and (v) ethnic, religious and racial disaffection. In addition, the governments of many of such countries, such as Indonesia, have a heavy role in regulating and supervising the economy. Another risk common to most such countries is that the economy is heavily export oriented and, accordingly, is dependent upon international trade. The existence of overburdened infrastructure and obsolete financial systems also present risks in certain countries, as do environmental problems. Certain economies also depend to a significant degree upon exports of primary commodities and, therefore, are vulnerable to changes in commodity prices that, in turn, may be affected by a variety of factors.

The legal systems in certain developing market Asia-Pacific countries also may have an adverse impact on the Portfolio. For example, while the potential liability of a shareholder in a U.S. corporation with respect to acts of the corporation is generally limited to the amount of the shareholder's investment, the notion of limited liability is less clear in certain emerging market Asia-Pacific countries. Similarly, the rights of investors in developing market Asia-Pacific companies may be more limited than those of shareholders of U.S. corporations. It may be difficult or impossible to obtain and/or enforce a judgment in a developing market Asia-Pacific country.

Governments of many developing market Asia-Pacific countries have exercised and continue to exercise substantial influence over many aspects of the private sector. In certain cases, the government owns or controls many companies, including the largest in the country. Accordingly, government actions in the future could have a significant effect on economic conditions in developing market Asia-Pacific countries, which could affect private sector companies and a Portfolio itself, as well as the value of securities in the Portfolio's portfolio. In addition, economic statistics of developing market Asia-Pacific countries may be less reliable than economic statistics of more developed nations.

In addition to the relative lack of publicly available information about developing market Asia-Pacific issuers and the possibility that such issuers may not be subject to the same accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards as U.S. companies, inflation accounting rules in some developing market Asia-Pacific countries require companies that keep accounting records in the local currency, for both tax and accounting purposes, to restate certain assets and liabilities on the company's balance sheet in order to express items in terms of currency of constant purchasing power. Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits for certain developing market Asia-Pacific companies.

Satisfactory custodial services for investment securities may not be available in some developing Asia-Pacific countries, which may result in the Portfolio incurring additional costs and delays in providing transportation and custody services for such securities outside such countries.

Certain developing Asia-Pacific countries, such as the Philippines, India and Turkey, are especially large debtors to commercial banks and foreign governments.

Portfolio management may determine that, notwithstanding otherwise favorable investment criteria, it may not be practicable or appropriate to invest in a particular developing Asia-Pacific country. A Portfolio may invest in countries in which foreign investors, including management of the Portfolio, have had no or limited prior experience.

Restrictions on Foreign Investments in Asia-Pacific Countries . Some developing Asia-Pacific countries prohibit or impose substantial restrictions on investments in their capital markets, particularly their equity markets, by foreign entities such as a Portfolio. As illustrations, certain countries may require governmental approval prior to investments by foreign persons or limit the amount of

 

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investment by foreign persons in a particular company or limit the investment by foreign persons to only a specific class of securities of a company which may have less advantageous terms (including price) than securities of the company available for purchase by nationals. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio will be able to obtain required governmental approvals in a timely manner. In addition, changes to restrictions on foreign ownership of securities subsequent to a Portfolio's purchase of such securities may have an adverse effect on the value of such shares. Certain countries may restrict investment opportunities in issuers or industries deemed important to national interests.

The manner in which foreign investors may invest in companies in certain developing Asia-Pacific countries, as well as limitations on such investments, also may have an adverse impact on the operations of a Portfolio. For example, a Portfolio may be required in certain of such countries to invest initially through a local broker or other entity and then have the shares purchased re-registered in the name of the Portfolio. Re-registration may in some instances not be able to occur on a timely basis, resulting in a delay during which a Portfolio may be denied certain of its rights as an investor, including rights as to dividends or to be made aware of certain corporate actions. There also may be instances where a Portfolio places a purchase order but is subsequently informed, at the time of re-registration, that the permissible allocation of the investment to foreign investors has been filled, depriving the Portfolio of the ability to make its desired investment at that time.

Substantial limitations may exist in certain countries with respect to a Portfolio's ability to repatriate investment income, capital or the proceeds of sales of securities by foreign investors. A Portfolio could be adversely affected by delays in, or a refusal to grant, any required governmental approval for repatriation of capital, as well as by the application to the Portfolio of any restrictions on investments. For example, in September 1998, Malaysia imposed currency controls that limited a Portfolio's ability to repatriate proceeds of Malaysian investments. It is possible that Malaysia, or certain other countries may impose similar restrictions or other restrictions relating to their currencies or to securities of issuers in those countries. To the extent that such restrictions have the effect of making certain investments illiquid, securities may not be available to meet redemptions. Depending on a variety of financial factors, the percentage of a Portfolio's portfolio subject to currency controls may increase. In the event other countries impose similar controls, the portion of the Portfolio's assets that may be used to meet redemptions may be further decreased. Even where there is no outright restriction on repatriation of capital, the mechanics of repatriation may affect certain aspects of the operations of a Portfolio. For example, Portfolios may be withdrawn from the People's Republic of China only in U.S. or Hong Kong dollars and only at an exchange rate established by the government once each week. In certain countries, banks or other financial institutions may be among the leading companies or have actively traded securities. The Investment Company Act restricts a Portfolio's investments in any equity securities of an issuer that, in its most recent fiscal year, derived more than 15% of its revenues from "securities related activities," as defined by the rules thereunder. These provisions may restrict a Portfolio's investments in certain foreign banks and other financial institutions.

Risks of Investments in Russia . A Portfolio may invest a portion of its assets in securities issued by companies located in Russia. Because of the recent formation of the Russian securities markets as well as the underdeveloped state of Russia's banking system, settlement, clearing and registration of securities transactions are subject to significant risks. Ownership of shares is defined according to entries in the company's share register and normally evidenced by extracts from the register. These extracts are not negotiable instruments and are not effective evidence of securities ownership. The registrars are not necessarily subject to effective state supervision nor are they licensed with any governmental entity. Also, there is no central registration system for shareholders and it is possible fora Portfolio to lose its registration through fraud, negligence or mere oversight. Whilea Portfolio will endeavor to ensure that its interest continues to be appropriately recorded either itself or through a custodian or other agent inspecting the share register and by obtaining extracts of share registers through regular confirmations, these extracts have no legal enforceability and it is possible that subsequent illegal amendment or other fraudulent act may deprivea Portfolio of its ownership rights or improperly dilute its interest. In addition, while applicable Russian regulations impose liability on registrars for losses resulting from their errors, it may be difficult fora Portfolio to enforce any rights it may have against the registrar or issuer of the securities in the event of loss of share registration. Whilea Portfolio intends to invest directly in Russian companies that use an independent registrar, there can be no assurance that such investments will not result in a loss toa Portfolio.

INVESTMENT IN OTHER INVESTMENT COMPANIES . Each Portfolio may invest in other investment companies, including exchange traded Portfolios. In accordance with the1940 Act, a Portfolio may invest up to 10% of its total assets in securities of other investment companies. In addition, under the1940 Act a Portfolio may not own more than 3% of the total outstanding voting stock of any investment company and not more than 5% of the value of the Portfolio's total assets may be invested in securities of any investment company. (These limits do not restrict a Feeder Portfolio from investing all of its assets in shares of its Master Portfolio.) Each Portfolio has received an exemptive order from the Commission permitting it to invest in affiliated registered money market Portfolios and short-term bond Portfolios without regard to such limitations, provided however, that in all cases the Portfolio's aggregate investment of cash in shares of such investment companies shall not exceed 25% of the Portfolio's total assets at any time. As with other investments, investments in other investment companies are subject to market and selection risk. In addition, if a Portfolio acquires

 

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shares in investment companies, shareholders would bear both their proportionate share of expenses in the Portfolio (including management and advisory fees) and, indirectly, the expenses of such investment companies (including management and advisory fees). Investments by a Portfolio in wholly owned investment entities created under the laws of certain countries will not be deemed an investment in other investment companies. SEE ALSO "RESTRICTIONS ON CERTAIN INVESTMENTS."

JUNK BONDS . Junk bonds are debt securities that are rated below investment grade by the major rating agencies or are unrated securities thatthe Managerbelieves are of comparable quality. Although junk bonds generally pay higher rates of interest than investment grade bonds, they are high risk investments that may cause income and principal losses for a Portfolio. The major risks in junk bond investments include the following:

  • Junk bonds are issued by less credit worthy companies. These securities are vulnerable to adverse changes in the issuer's industry and to general economic conditions. Issuers of junk bonds may be unable to meet their interest or principal payment obligations because of an economic downturn, specific issuer developments or the unavailability of additional financing.

  • The issuers of junk bonds may have a larger amount of outstanding debt relative to their assets than issuers of investment grade bonds. If the issuer experiences financial stress, it may be unable to meet its debt obligations. The issuer's ability to pay its debt obligations also maybe lessened by specific issuer developments, or the unavailability of additional financing.

  • Junk bonds are frequently ranked junior to claims by other creditors. If the issuer cannot meet its obligations, the senior obligations are generally paid off before the junior obligations.

  • Junk bonds frequently have redemption features that permit an issuer to repurchase the security from a Portfolio before it matures. If an issuer redeems the junk bonds, a Portfolio may have to invest the proceeds in bonds with lower yields and may lose income.

  • Prices of junk bonds are subject to extreme price fluctuations. Negative economic developments may have a greater impact on the prices of junk bonds than on other higher rated fixed income securities.

  • Junk bonds may be less liquid than higher rated fixed income securities even under normal economic conditions. There are fewer dealers in the junk bond market, and there may be significant differences in the prices quoted for junk bonds by the dealers. Because they are less liquid, judgment may play a greater role in valuing certain of a Portfolio's portfolio securities than in the case of securities trading in a more liquid market.

  • A Portfolio may incur expenses to the extent necessary to seek recovery upon default or to negotiate new terms with a defaulting issuer.

MONEY MARKET INSTRUMENTS . Certain Portfolios may invest in money market instruments. Money market instruments include cash equivalents and short-term obligations of U.S. banks, certificates of deposit, short-term obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Government or its agencies. Money market instruments also include bankers' acceptances, commercial paper, certificates of deposit and Eurodollar obligations issued or guaranteed by bank holding companies in the U.S., their subsidiaries and foreign branches, by foreign banking institutions, and by the World Bank and other multinational instrumentalities, as well as commercial paper and other short-term obligations of, and variable amount master demand notes, variable rate notes and similar agreements issued by, U.S. and foreign corporations.

MORTGAGE-BACKED SECURITIES . Investing in mortgage-backed securities involves certain unique risks in addition to those generally associated with investing in fixed-income securities and in the real estate industry in general. These unique risks include the failure of a party to meet its commitments under the related operative documents, adverse interest rate changes and the effects of prepayments on mortgage cash flows. Mortgage-backed securities are "pass-through" securities, meaning that principal and interest payments made by the borrower on the underlying mortgages are passed through to a Portfolio. The value of mortgage-backed securities, like that of traditional fixed-income securities, typically increases when interest rates fall and decreases when interest rates rise. However, mortgage-backed securities differ from traditional fixed-income securities because of their potential for prepayment without penalty. The price paid by a Portfolio for its mortgage-backed securities, the yield the Portfolio expects to receive from such securities and the average life of the securities are based on a number of factors, including the anticipated rate of prepayment of the underlying mortgages. In a period of declining interest rates, borrowers may prepay the underlying mortgages more quickly than anticipated, thereby reducing the yield to maturity and the average life of the mortgage-backed securities. Moreover, when a Portfolio reinvests the proceeds of a prepayment in these circumstances, it will likely receive a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on the security that was prepaid.

To the extent that a Portfolio purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, mortgage foreclosures and principal prepayments may result in a loss to the extent of the premium paid. If a Portfolio buys such securities at a discount, both scheduled payments of principal and unscheduled prepayments will increase current and total returns and will accelerate the recognition of income which, when distributed to shareholders, will be taxable as ordinary income. In a period of rising interest rates, prepayments of the underlying mortgages may occur at a slower than expected rate, creating maturity extension risk. This particular risk may effectively change a security that was considered short or intermediate-term at the time of purchase into a long-term security. Since long-term securities generally fluctuate more widely in response to changes in interest rates than shorter-term securities, maturity extension risk

 

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could increase the inherent volatility of the Portfolio. Under certain interest rate and prepayment scenarios, a Portfolio may fail to recoup fully its investment in mortgage-backed securities notwithstanding any direct or indirect governmental or agency guarantee.

Most mortgage-backed securities are issued by Federal government agencies such as the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), or by government sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac") or the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"). Principal and interest payments on mortgage-backed securities issued by the Federal government and some Federal government agencies, such as Ginnie Mae, are guaranteed by the Federal government and backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Mortgage-backed securities issued by other government agencies or government sponsored enterprises, such as Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae, are backed only by the credit of the government agency or enterprise and are not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Such securities generally have very little credit risk, but may be subject to substantial interest rate risks. Private mortgage-backed securities are issued by private corporations rather than government agencies and are subject to credit risk and interest rate risk.

MUNICIPAL SECURITIES . Certain Portfolios may, from time to time, invest in municipal bonds including general obligation and revenue bonds. General obligation bonds are secured by the issuer's pledge of its faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest, whereas revenue bonds are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or, in some cases, from the proceeds of a special excise or other specific revenue source. A Portfolio may also invest in municipal notes including tax, revenue and bond anticipation notes which are issued to obtain Portfolios for various public purposes.

Municipal securities include notes and bonds issued by or on behalf of states, territories and possessions of the United States and their political subdivisions, agencies and instrumentalities and the District of Columbia, the interest on which is generally eligible for exclusion from federal income tax and, in certain instances, applicable state or local income and personal property taxes. Such securities are traded primarily in the over-the-counter market.

The interest rates payable on certain municipal bonds and municipal notes are not fixed and may fluctuate based upon changes in market rates. Municipal bonds and notes of this type are called "variable rate" obligations. The interest rate payable on a variable rate obligation is adjusted either at predesignated intervals or whenever there is a change in the market rate of interest on which the interest rate payable is based. Other features may include the right wherebya Portfolio may demand prepayment of the principal amount of the obligation prior to its stated maturity (a demand feature) and the right of the issuer to prepay the principal amount prior to maturity. The principal benefit of a variable rate obligation is that the interest rate adjustment minimizes changes in the market value of the obligation. As a result, the purchase of variable rate obligations should enhance the ability ofa Portfolio to maintain a stable NAV per share and to sell an obligation prior to maturity at a price approximating the full principal amount of the obligation.

Variable or floating rate securities includeparticipation interests therein and inverse floaters. Floating rate securities normally have a rate of interest that is set as a specific percentage of a designated base rate, such as the rate on Treasury Bonds or Bills. The interest rate on floating rate securities changes whenever there is a change in the designated base interest rate. Variable rate securities provide for a specific periodic adjustment in the interest rate based on prevailing market rates and generally would allowa Portfolio to demand payment of the obligation on short notice at par plus accrued interest, which amount may, at times, be more or less than the amount the Portfolio paid for them. Some floating rate and variable rate securities have maturities longer than 397 calendar days but afford the holder the right to demand payment at dates earlier than the final maturity date. Such floating rate and variable rate securities will be treated as having maturities equal to the demand date or the period of adjustment of the interest rate whichever is longer.

An inverse floater is a debt instrument with a floating or variable interest rate that moves in the opposite direction of the interest rate on another security or the value of an index. Changes in the interest rate on the other security or index inversely affect the residual interest rate paid on the inverse floater, with the result that the inverse floater's price will be considerably more volatile than that of a fixed rate bond. Generally, income from inverse floating rate bonds will decrease when short-term interest rates increase, and will increase when short-term interest rates decrease. Such securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage, since they may increase or decrease in value in response to changes, as an illustration, in market interest rates at a rate that is a multiple (typically two) of the rate at which fixed-rate, long-term, tax-exempt securities increase or decrease in response to such changes. As a result, the market values of such securities generally will be more volatile than the market values of fixed-rate tax-exempt securities. For additional information relating to inverse floaters, please see "Indexed and Inverse Securities."

REAL ESTATE RELATED SECURITIES . Although no Portfolio may invest directly in real estate, certain Portfolios may invest in equity securities of issuers that are principally engaged in the real estate industry. Therefore, an investment in such a Portfolio is subject to certain risks associated with the ownership of real estate and with the real estate industry in general. These risks include, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage Portfolios or other limitations on access to capital; overbuilding; risks associated with leverage; market

 

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illiquidity; extended vacancies of properties; increase in competition, property taxes, capital expenditures and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws or other governmental regulation; costs resulting from the clean-up of, and liability to third parties for damages resulting from, environmental problems; tenant bankruptcies or other credit problems; casualty or condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents, including decreases in market rates for rents; investment in developments that are not completed or that are subject to delays in completion; and changes in interest rates. To the extent that assets underlying a Portfolio's investments are concentrated geographically, by property type or in certain other respects, the Portfolio may be subject to certain of the foregoing risks to a greater extent. Investments by a Portfolio in securities of companies providing mortgage servicing will be subject to the risks associated with refinancings and their impact on servicing rights. In addition, if a Portfolio receives rental income or income from the disposition of real property acquired as a result of a default on securities the Portfolio owns, the receipt of such income may adversely affect the Portfolio's ability to retain its tax status as a regulated investment company because of certain income source requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Code.

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS ("REITS") . Investing in REITs involves certain unique risks in addition to those risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, may not be diversified geographically or by property type, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, default by borrowers and self-liquidation. REITs must also meet certain requirements under the Code to avoid entity level tax and be eligible to pass-through certain tax attributes of their income to shareholders. REITs are consequently subject to the risk of failing to meet these requirements for favorable tax treatment and of failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act. REITs are also subject to the risks of changes in the Code, affecting their tax status.

REITs (especially mortgage REITs) are also subject to interest rate risks. When interest rates decline, the value of a REIT's investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a REIT's investment in fixed rate obligations can be expected to decline. In contrast, as interest rates on adjustable rate mortgage loans are reset periodically, yields on a REIT's investments in such loans will gradually align themselves to reflect changes in market interest rates, causing the value of such investments to fluctuate less dramatically in response to interest rate fluctuations than would investments in fixed rate obligations.

Investing in certain REITs involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small capitalization companies. These REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in limited volume and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. Historically, small capitalization stocks, such as these REITs, have been more volatile in price than the larger capitalization stocks included in the S&P 500 Index. The management of a REIT may be subject to conflicts of interest with respect to the operation of the business of the REIT and may be involved in real estate activities competitive with the REIT. REITs may own properties through joint ventures or in other circumstances in which the REIT may not have control over its investments. REITs may incur significant amounts of leverage.

REPURCHASE AGREEMENTS . A Portfolio may invest in securities pursuant to repurchase agreements. A Portfolio will enter into repurchase agreements only with parties meeting creditworthiness standards as set forth in the Portfolio's repurchase agreement procedures.

Under such agreements, the other party agrees, upon entering into the contract with a Portfolio, to repurchase the security at a mutually agreed-upon time and price in a specified currency, thereby determining the yield during the term of the agreement. This results in a fixed rate of return insulated from market fluctuations during such period, although such return may be affected by currency fluctuations. In the case of repurchase agreements, the prices at which the trades are conducted do not reflect accrued interest on the underlying obligation. Such agreements usually cover short periods, such as under one week. Repurchase agreements may be construed to be collateralized loans by the purchaser to the seller secured by the securities transferred to the purchaser.

In the case of a repurchase agreement, as a purchaser, a Portfolio will require all repurchase agreements to be fully collateralized at all times by cash or other liquid assets in an amount at least equal to the resale price. The seller is required to provide additional collateral if the market value of the securities falls below the repurchase price at any time during the term of the repurchase agreement. In the event of default by the seller under a repurchase agreement construed to be a collateralized loan, the underlying securities are not owned by the Portfolio but only constitute collateral for the seller's obligation to pay the repurchase price. Therefore, the Portfolio may suffer time delays and incur costs or possible losses in connection with disposition of the collateral.

A Portfolio may participate in a joint repurchase agreement account with other investment companies managed by PI pursuant to an order of the Commission. On a daily basis, any uninvested cash balances of the Portfolio may be aggregated with those of such investment companies and invested in one or more repurchase agreements. Each Portfolio participates in the income earned or accrued in the joint account based on the percentage of its investment.

 

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DOLLAR ROLLS . Certain Portfolios may enter into dollar rolls. In a dollar roll,a Portfolio sells securities for delivery in the current month and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar (same type and coupon) securities on a specified future date from the same party. During the roll period, a Portfolio foregoes principal and interest paid on the securities. A Portfolio is compensated by the difference between the current sale price and the 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. The Portfolio will establish a segregated account in which it will maintain cash or other liquid assets, marked to market daily, having a value equal to its obligations in respect of dollar rolls.

Dollar rolls involve the risk that the market value of the securities retained by the Portfolio may decline below the price of the securities, the Portfolio has sold but is obligated to repurchase under the agreement. In the event the buyer of securities under a dollar roll files for bankruptcy or becomes insolvent, the Portfolio's use of the proceeds of the agreement may be restricted pending a determination by the other party, or its trustee or receiver, whether to enforce the Portfolio's obligation to repurchase the securities. Cash proceeds from dollar rolls may be invested in cash or other liquid assets.

SECURITIES LENDING . Consistent with applicable regulatory requirements,a Portfolio may lend its portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and financial institutions, provided that outstanding loans of a Portfolio do not exceed in the aggregate 33 1/ 3% of the value of a Portfolio's total assets and provided that such loans are callable at any time by a Portfolio and are at all times secured by cash or equivalent collateral (including a line of credit) that is equal to at least 100% of the market value, determined daily, of the loaned securities. During the time portfolio securities are on loan, the borrower will pay a Portfolio an amount equivalent to any dividend or interest paid on such securities and a Portfolio may invest the cash collateral and earn additional income, or it may receive an agreed-upon amount of interest income from the borrower. The advantage of such loans is thata Portfolio continues to receive payments in lieu of the interest and dividends of the loaned securities, while at the same time earning interest either directly from the borrower or on the collateral which will be invested in short-term obligations.

A loan may be terminated by the borrower on one business day's notice or by a Portfolio at any time. If the borrower fails to maintain the requisite amount of collateral, the loan automatically terminates, and a Portfolio could use the collateral to replace the securities while holding the borrower liable for any excess of replacement cost over collateral. As with any extensions of credit, there are risks of delay in recovery and in some cases loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower of the securities fail financially. However, these loans of portfolio securities will only be made to firms determined to be creditworthy pursuant to procedures approved by the Board of a Portfolio. On termination of the loan, the borrower is required to return the securities to a Portfolio, and any gain or loss in the market price during the loan would inure to a Portfolio. Since voting or consent rights which accompany loaned securities pass to the borrower,a Portfolio will follow the policy of calling the loan, in whole or in part as may be appropriate, to permit the exercise of such rights if the matters involved would have a material effect ona Portfolio's investment in the securities which are the subject of the loan.A Portfolio will pay reasonable finders', administrative and custodial fees in connection with a loan of its securities or may share the interest earned on collateral with the borrower.

SECURITIES OF SMALLER OR EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES . Investment in smaller or emerging growth companies involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in more established companies. The securities of smaller or emerging growth companies may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than larger, more established companies or the market average in general. These companies may have limited product lines, markets or financial resources, or they may be dependent on a limited management group.

While smaller or emerging growth company issuers may offer greater opportunities for capital appreciation than large cap issuers, investments in smaller or emerging growth companies may involve greater risks and thus may be considered speculative. The Manager believes that properly selected companies of this type have the potential to increase their earnings or market valuation at a rate substantially in excess of the general growth of the economy. Full development of these companies and trends frequently takes time.

Small cap and emerging growth securities will often be traded only in the over-the-counter market or on a regional securities exchange and may not be traded every day or in the volume typical of trading on a national securities exchange. As a result, the disposition by a Portfolio of portfolio securities to meet redemptions or otherwise may require a Portfolio to make many small sales over a lengthy period of time, or to sell these securities at a discount from market prices or during periods when, in the Manager's judgment, such disposition is not desirable.

While the process of selection and continuous supervision by the Manager does not, of course, guarantee successful investment results, it does provide access to an asset class not available to the average individual due to the time and cost involved. Careful initial selection is particularly important in this area as many new enterprises have promise but lack certain of the factors necessary to

 

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prosper. Investing in small cap and emerging growth companies requires specialized research and analysis. In addition, many investors cannot invest sufficient assets in such companies to provide wide diversification.

Small companies are generally little known to most individual investors although some may be dominant in their respective industries.The Manager believes that relatively small companies will continue to have the opportunity to develop into significant business enterprises. A Portfolio may invest in securities of small issuers in the relatively early stages of business development that have a new technology, a unique or proprietary product or service, or a favorable market position. Such companies may not be counted upon to develop into major industrial companies, but Portfolio management believes that eventual recognition of their special value characteristics by the investment community can provide above-average long-term growth to the portfolio.

Equity securities of specific small cap issuers may present different opportunities for long-term capital appreciation during varying portions of economic or securities markets cycles, as well as during varying stages of their business development. The market valuation of small cap issuers tends to fluctuate during economic or market cycles, presenting attractive investment opportunities at various points during these cycles.

Smaller companies, due to the size and kinds of markets that they serve, may be less susceptible than large companies to intervention from the Federal government by means of price controls, regulations or litigation.

SHORT SALES AND SHORT SALES AGAINST-THE-BOX . Certain Portfolios may make short sales of securities, either as a hedge against potential declines in value of a portfolio security or to realize appreciation when a security that the Portfolio does not own declines in value. When a Portfolio makes a short sale, it borrows the security sold short and delivers it to the broker-dealer through which it made the short sale. A Portfolio may have to pay a fee to borrow particular securities and is often obligated to turn over any payments received on such borrowed securities to the lender of the securities. The Fund may not be able to limit any losses resulting from share price volatility if the security indefinitely continues to increase in value at such specified time.

A Portfolio secures its obligation to replace the borrowed security by depositing collateral with the broker-dealer, usually in cash, U.S. Government securities or other liquid securities similar to those borrowed. With respect to the uncovered short positions, a Portfolio is required to (1) deposit similar collateral with its custodian or otherwise segregate collateral on its records, to the extent that the value of the collateral in the aggregate is at all times equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the security sold short, or (2) a Portfolio must otherwise cover its short position. Depending on arrangements made with the broker-dealer from which the Portfolio borrowed the security, regarding payment over of any payments received bya Portfolio on such security, a Portfolio may not receive any payments (including interest) on its collateral deposited with such broker-dealer. Because making short sales in securities that it does not own exposes a Portfolio to the risks associated with those securities, such short sales involve speculative exposure risk. As a result, if a Portfolio makes short sales in securities that increase in value, it will likely underperform similar mutual Portfolios that do not make short sales in securities they do not own. A Portfolio will incur a loss as a result of a short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Portfolio replaces the borrowed security. A Portfolio will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. There can be no assurance that a Portfolio will be able to close out a short sale position at any particular time or at an acceptable price. Although a Portfolio's gain is limited to the price at which it sold the security short, its potential loss is limited only by the maximum attainable price of the security, less the price at which the security was sold and may, theoretically, be unlimited.

Certain Portfolios may also make short sales against-the-box. A short sale against-the-box is a short sale in which the Portfolio owns an equal amount of the securities sold short, or securities convertible or exchangeable for, with or without payment of any further consideration, such securities. However, if further consideration is required in connection with the conversion or exchange, cash or other liquid assets, in an amount equal to such consideration must be segregated on a Portfolio's records or with its Custodian.

SOVEREIGN DEBT . Investment in sovereign debt can involve a high degree of risk. The governmental entity that controls the repayment of sovereign debt may not be able or willing to repay the principal and/or interest when due in accordance with the terms of such debt. A governmental entity's willingness or ability to repay principal and interest due in a timely manner may be affected by, among other factors, its cash flow situation, the extent of its foreign reserves, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of the debt service burden to the economy as a whole, the government entity's policy towards the International Monetary Portfolio and the political constraints to which a government entity may be subject. Governmental entities may also be dependent on expected disbursements from foreign governments, multilateral agencies and others abroad to reduce principal and interest arrearages on their debt. The commitment on the part of these governments, agencies and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on the implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of such debtor's obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance or repay principal or interest when due may result in the cancellation of such third parties' commitments to lend Portfolios to the governmental entity, which may further impair such debtor's ability or willingness to timely service its debts. Consequently, governmental entities may

 

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default on their sovereign debt. Holders of sovereign debt may be requested to participate in the rescheduling of such debt and to extend further loans to government entities. In the event of a default by a governmental entity, there may be few or no effective legal remedies for collecting on such debt.

STANDBY COMMITMENT AGREEMENTS . A Portfolio may enter into standby commitment agreements. These agreements commit a Portfolio, for a stated period of time, to purchase a stated amount of securities that may be issued and sold to that Portfolio at the option of the issuer. The price of the security is fixed at the time of the commitment. At the time of entering into the agreement the Portfolio is paid a commitment fee, regardless of whether or not the security is ultimately issued. A Portfolio will enter into such agreements for the purpose of investing in the security underlying the commitment at a price that is considered advantageous to the Portfolio. A Portfolio will limit its investment in such commitments so that the aggregate purchase price of securities subject to such commitments, together with the value of portfolio securities subject to legal restrictions on resale that affect their marketability, will not exceed 15% of its net assets taken at the time of the commitment. A Portfolio segregates liquid assets in an aggregate amount equal to the purchase price of the securities underlying the commitment. There can be no assurance that the securities subject to a standby commitment will be issued, and the value of the security, if issued, on the delivery date may be more or less than its purchase price. Since the issuance of the security underlying the commitment is at the option of the issuer, the Portfolio may bear the risk of a decline in the value of such security and may not benefit from any appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period. The purchase of a security subject to a standby commitment agreement and the related commitment fee will be recorded on the date on which the security can reasonably be expected to be issued, and the value of the security thereafter will be reflected in the calculation of a Portfolio's net asset value. The cost basis of the security will be adjusted by the amount of the commitment fee. In the event the security is not issued, the commitment fee will be recorded as income on the expiration date of the standby commitment.

STRIPPED SECURITIES . Stripped securities are created when the issuer separates the interest and principal components of an instrument and sells them as separate securities. In general, one security is entitled to receive the interest payments on the underlying assets (the interest only or "IO" security) and the other to receive the principal payments (the principal only or "PO" security). Some stripped securities may receive a combination of interest and principal payments. The yields to maturity on IOs and POs are sensitive to the expected or anticipated rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying assets, and principal payments may have a material effect on yield to maturity. If the underlying assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, a Portfolio may not fully recoup its initial investment in IOs. Conversely, if the underlying assets experience less than anticipated prepayments of principal, the yield on POs could be adversely affected. Stripped securities may be highly sensitive to changes in interest rates and rates of prepayment.

STRUCTURED NOTES . Certain Portfolios may invest in structured notes. The values of the structured notes in whicha Portfolio will invest may be linked to equity securities or equity indices or other instruments or indices("reference instruments"). These notes differ from other types of debt securities in several respects. The interest rate or principal amount payable at maturity may vary based on changes in the value of the equity security, instrument,or index. A structured note may be positively or negatively indexed; that is, its value or interest rate may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument increases. Similarly, its value may increase or decrease if the value of the reference instrument decreases. Further, the change in the principal amount payable with respect to, or the interest rate of, a structured note may be a multiple of the percentage change (positive or negative) in the value of the underlying reference instrument(s).

Investments in structured notes involve certain risks, including the credit risk of the issuer and the normal risks of price changes in response to changes in interest rates. Further, in the case of certain structured notes, a decline or increase in the value of the reference instrument may cause the interest rate to be reduced to zero, and any further declines or increases in the reference instrument may then reduce the principal amount payable on maturity. The percentage by which the value of the structured note decreases may be far greater than the percentage by which the value of the reference instrument increases or decreases. Finally, these securities may be less liquid than other types of securities, and may be more volatile than their underlying reference instruments.

SUPRANATIONAL ENTITIES . A Portfolio may invest in debt securities of supranational entities . Examples include the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (the World Bank), the European Steel and Coal Community, the Asian Development Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank. The government members, or "stockholders," usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and in many cases are committed to make additional capital contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings.

TEMPORARY DEFENSIVE STRATEGY AND SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS . Each Portfolio may temporarily invest without limit in money market instruments, including commercial paper of U.S. corporations, certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances and other obligations of domestic banks, and obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or its instrumentalities, as

 

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part of a temporary defensive strategy or to maintain liquidity to meet redemptions. Money market instruments typically have a maturity of one year or less as measured from the date of purchase.

A Portfolio also may temporarily hold cash or invest in money market instruments pending investment of proceeds from new sales of Portfolio shares or during periods of portfolio restructuring.

WARRANTS AND RIGHTS . Warrants and rights are securities permitting, but not obligating, the warrant holder to subscribe for other securities. Buying a warrant does not make a Portfolio a shareholder of the underlying stock. The warrant holder has no right to dividends or votes on the underlying stock. A warrant does not carry any right to assets of the issuer, and for this reason investment in warrants may be more speculative than other equity-based investments.

WHEN ISSUED SECURITIES, DELAYED DELIVERY SECURITIES AND FORWARD COMMITMENTS . A Portfolio may purchase or sell securities that it is entitled to receive on a when issued basis. A Portfolio may also purchase or sell securities on a delayed delivery basis or through a forward commitment. These transactions involve the purchase or sale of securities by a Portfolio at an established price with payment and delivery taking place in the future. A Portfolio enters into these transactions to obtain what is considered an advantageous price to the Portfolio at the time of entering into the transaction. No Portfolio has established any limit on the percentage of its assets that may be committed in connection with these transactions. When a Portfolio purchases securities in these transactions, the Portfolio segregates liquid securities in an amount equal to the amount of its purchase commitments.

There can be no assurance that a security purchased on a when issued basis will be issued or that a security purchased or sold through a forward commitment will be delivered. The value of securities in these transactions on the delivery date may be more or less than the Portfolio's purchase price. The Portfolio may bear the risk of a decline in the value of the security in these transactions and may not benefit from an appreciation in the value of the security during the commitment period.

U.S. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES . Certain Funds may invest in adjustable rate and fixed rate U.S. Government securities. U.S. Government securities are instruments issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. Government. U.S. Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or a Fund's shares. Not all U.S. Government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency.

U.S. Treasury securities include bills, notes, bonds and other debt securities issued by the U.S. Treasury. These instruments are direct obligations of the U.S. Government and, as such, are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. They differ primarily in their interest rates, the lengths of their maturities and the dates of their issuances. U.S. Government guarantees do not extend to the yield or value of the securities or a Fund's shares.

Securities issued by agencies of the U.S. Government or instrumentalities of the U.S. Government, including those which are guaranteed by Federal agencies or instrumentalities, may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Obligations of the Ginnie Mae, the Farmers Home Administration and the Small Business Administration are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, a Fund must look principally to the agency issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States if the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitments.

Certain Funds may also invest in component parts of U.S. Government securities, namely either the corpus (principal) of such obligations or one or more of the interest payments scheduled to be paid on such obligations. These obligations may take the form of (1) obligations from which the interest coupons have been stripped; (2) the interest coupons that are stripped; (3) book-entries at a Federal Reserve member bank representing ownership of obligation components; or (4) receipts evidencing the component parts (corpus or coupons) of U.S. Government obligations that have not actually been stripped. Such receipts evidence ownership of component parts of U.S. Government obligations (corpus or coupons) purchased by a third party (typically an investment banking firm) and held on behalf of the third party in physical or book-entry form by a major commercial bank or trust company pursuant to a custody agreement with the third party. A Fund may also invest in custodial receipts held by a third party that are not U.S. Government securities.

ZERO COUPON SECURITIES, PAY-IN-KIND SECURITIES AND DEFERRED PAYMENT SECURITIES . Certain Portfolios may invest in zero coupon securities. Zero coupon securities are securities that are sold at a discount to par value and on which interest payments are not made during the life of the security. The discount approximates the total amount of interest the security will accrue and compound over the period until maturity on the particular interest payment date at a rate of interest reflecting the market rate of the security at the time of issuance. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the par value of the security. While interest payments are not made on such securities, holders of such securities are deemed to have received income ("phantom income") annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments that do not make current interest payments

 

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is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities that pay interest currently, which fluctuation increases the longer the period to maturity. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash.

A Portfolio accrues income with respect to these securities for Federal income tax and accounting purposes prior to the receipt of cash payments. Zero coupon securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparable rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals. In addition to the above-described risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero coupon securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, a Portfolio's investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are held in the Portfolio's portfolio. Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the Federal tax laws, a Portfolio is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate the cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash to satisfy these distributions, as they relate to the income accrued but not yet received. The required distributions will result in an increase in a Portfolio's exposure to such securities.

Pay-in-kind securities are securities that have interest payable by delivery of additional securities. Upon maturity, the holder is entitled to receive the aggregate par value of the securities. Deferred payment securities are securities that remain a zero coupon security until a predetermined date, at which time the stated coupon rate becomes effective and interest becomes payable at regular intervals. Holders of these types of securities are deemed to have received income ("phantom income") annually, notwithstanding that cash may not be received currently. The effect of owning instruments which do not make current interest payments is that a fixed yield is earned not only on the original investment but also, in effect, on all discount accretion during the life of the obligations. This implicit reinvestment of earnings at the same rate eliminates the risk of being unable to invest distributions at a rate as high as the implicit yield on the zero coupon bond, but at the same time eliminates the holder's ability to reinvest at higher rates in the future. For this reason, some of these securities may be subject to substantially greater price fluctuations during periods of changing market interest rates than are comparable securities which pay interest currently, which fluctuation increases the longer the period to maturity. These investments benefit the issuer by mitigating its need for cash to meet debt service, but also require a higher rate of return to attract investors who are willing to defer receipt of cash. Zero coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities may be subject to greater fluctuation in value and lesser liquidity in the event of adverse market conditions than comparable rated securities paying cash interest at regular intervals.

In addition to the above described risks, there are certain other risks related to investing in zero coupon, pay-in-kind and deferred payment securities. During a period of severe market conditions, the market for such securities may become even less liquid. In addition, as these securities do not pay cash interest, the Portfolio's investment exposure to these securities and their risks, including credit risk, will increase during the time these securities are held in the Portfolio's portfolio. Further, to maintain its qualification for pass-through treatment under the federal tax laws, the Portfolio is required to distribute income to its shareholders and, consequently, may have to dispose of its portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances to generate the cash, or may have to leverage itself by borrowing the cash to satisfy these distributions, as they relate to the distribution of phantom income and the value of the paid-in-kind interest. The required distributions will result in an increase in the Portfolio's exposure to such securities.

NET ASSET VALUES

Any purchase or sale of Portfolio shares is made at the net asset value, or NAV, of such shares. The price at which a purchase or redemption is made is based on the next calculation of the NAV after the order is received in good order. The NAV of each share class of each Portfolio is determined on each day the NYSE is open for trading as of the close of the exchange's regular trading session (which is generally 4:00p.m. New York time). The NYSE is closed on most national holidays and Good Friday. The Fund does not price, and shareholders will not be able to purchase or redeem, the Fund's shares on days when the NYSE is closed but the primary markets for the Fund's foreign securities are open, even though the value of these securities may have changed. Conversely, the Fund will ordinarily price its shares, and shareholders may purchase and redeem shares, on days that the NYSE is open but foreign securities markets are closed.

The securities held by each of the Fund's portfolios are valued based upon market quotations or, if not readily available, at fair value as determined in good faith under procedures established by the Fund's Board of Trustees. The Fund may use fair value pricing if it determines that a market quotation is not reliable based, among other things, on market conditions that occur after the quotation is

 

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derived or after the closing of the primary market on which the security is traded, but before the time that the NAV is determined. This use of fair value pricing most commonly occurs with securities that are primarily traded outside of the U.S. because such securities present time-zone arbitrage opportunities when events or conditions affecting the prices of specific securities or the prices of securities traded in such markets generally occur after the close of the foreign markets but prior to the time that a Portfolio determines its NAV.

The Fund may also use fair value pricing with respect to U.S. traded securities if, for example, trading in a particular security is halted and does not resume before a Portfolio calculates its NAV or the exchange on which a security is traded closes early. In addition, fair value pricing is used for securities where the pricing agent or principal market maker does not provide a valuation or methodology or provides a valuation or methodology that, in the judgment of the Manager (or Subadviser) does not represent fair value. Different valuation methods may result in differing values for the same security. The fair value of a portfolio security that a Portfolio uses to determine its NAV may differ from the security's published or quoted price. If a Portfolio needs to implement fair value pricing after the NAV publishing deadline but before shares of the Portfolio are processed, the NAV you receive or pay may differ from the published NAV price. For purposes of computing the Fund's NAV, we will value the Fund's futures contracts 15 minutes after the close of regular trading on the NYSE. Except when we fair value securities, we normally value each foreign security held by the Fund as of the close of the security's primary market.

Fair value pricing procedures are designed to result in prices for a Portfolio's securities and its NAV that are reasonable in light of the circumstances which make or have made market quotations unavailable or unreliable, and to reduce arbitrage opportunities available to short-term traders. There is no assurance, however, that fair value pricing will more accurately reflect the market value of a security than the market price of such security on that day or that it will prevent dilution of a Portfolio's NAV by short-term traders.

The NAV for each of the Portfolios other than the Money Market Portfolio is determined by a simple calculation. It's the total value of a Portfolio (assets minus liabilities) divided by the total number of shares outstanding. The NAV for the Money Market Portfolio will ordinarily remain at $1 per share. (The price of each share remains the same but you will have more shares when dividends are declared.)

To determine a Portfolio's NAV, its holdings are valued as follows:

Equity securities for which the primary market is on an exchange (whether domestic or foreign) shall be valued at the last sale price on such exchange or market on the day of valuation or, if there was no sale on such day, at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day or at the last bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price. Securities included within the NASDAQ market shall be valued at the NASDAQ official closing price (NOCP) on the day of valuation, or if there was no NOCP issued, at the last sale price on such day. Securities included within the NASDAQ market for which there is no NOCP and no last sale price on the day of valuation shall be valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices on such day or at the last bid price on such day in the absence of an asked price. Equity securities that are not sold on an exchange or NASDAQ are generally valued by an independent pricing agent or principal market maker.

A Portfolio may own securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges that trade on weekends or other days when the Portfolios do not price their shares. Therefore, the value of a Portfolio's assets may change on days when shareholders cannot purchase or redeem Portfolio shares.

All Short-term Debt Securities held by the Money Market Portfolio are valued at amortized cost. The amortized cost valuation method is widely used by mutual funds. It means that the security is valued initially at its purchase price and then decreases in value by equal amounts each day until the security matures. It almost always results in a value that is extremely close to the actual market value. The Fund's Board of Trustees has established procedures to monitor whether any material deviation between valuation and market value occurs and if so, will promptly consider what action, if any, should be taken to prevent unfair results to Contract owners.

For each Portfolio other than the Money Market Portfolio, short-term debt securities, including bonds, notes, debentures and other debt securities, and money market instruments such as certificates of deposit, commercial paper, bankers' acceptances and obligations of domestic and foreign banks, with remaining maturities of more than 60 days, for which market quotations are readily available, are valued by an independent pricing agent or principal market maker (if available, otherwise a primary market dealer).

Short-term Debt Securities with remaining maturities of 60 days or less are valued at cost with interest accrued or discount amortized to the date of maturity, unless such valuation, in the judgment of PI or a subadviser, does not represent fair value.
Convertible debt securities that are traded in the over-the-counter market, including listed convertible debt securities for which the primary market is believed by PI or a subadviser to be over-the-counter, are valued at the mean between the last bid and asked prices

 

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provided by a principal market maker (if available, otherwise a primary market dealer).

Other debt securities — those that are not valued on an amortized cost basis — are valued using an independent pricing service. Options on stock and stock indexes that are traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last sale price on such exchange on the day of valuation or, if there was no such sale on such day, at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on such exchange.

Futures contracts and options on futures contracts are valued at the last sale price at the close of the commodities exchange or board of trade on which they are traded. If there has been no sale that day, the securities will be valued at the mean between the most recently quoted bid and asked prices on that exchange or board of trade.

Forward currency exchange contracts are valued at the cost of covering or offsetting such contracts calculated on the day of valuation. Securities which are valued in accordance herewith in a currency other than U.S. dollars shall be converted to U.S. dollar equivalents at a rate obtained from a recognized bank, dealer or independent service on the day of valuation.

Over-the-counter (OTC) options are valued at the mean between bid and asked prices provided by a dealer (which may be the counterparty). A subadviser will monitor the market prices of the securities underlying the OTC options with a view to determining the necessity of obtaining additional bid and ask quotations from other dealers to assess the validity of the prices received from the primary pricing dealer.

TAXATION

This discussion of federal income tax consequences applies to the Participating Insurance Companies because they are the direct shareholders of the Fund. Contract owners should consult their Contract prospectus for information relating to the tax matters applicable to their Contracts. In addition, variable contract owners may wish to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences of investments in the Trust, including the application of state and local taxes.

Each Portfolio currently intends to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. As a result, each Portfolio's income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits will be "passed through" pro rata directly to the Participating Insurance Companies and retain the same character for federal income tax purposes. Distributions may be made to the various separate accounts of the Participating Insurance Companies in the form of additional shares (not in cash).

Under Code Section 817(h), a segregated asset account upon which a variable annuity contract or variable life insurance policy is based must be "adequately diversified." A segregated asset account will be adequately diversified if it satisfies one of two alternative tests set forth in Treasury regulations. For purposes of these alternative diversification tests, a segregated asset account investing in shares of a regulated investment company will be entitled to "look-through" the regulated investment company to its pro rata portion of the regulated investment company's assets, provided the regulated investment company satisfies certain conditions relating to the ownership of its shares. The Fund intends to satisfy these ownership conditions. Further, the Fund intends that each Portfolio separately will be adequately diversified. Accordingly, a segregated asset account investing solely in shares of a Portfolio will be adequately diversified, and a segregated asset account investing in shares of one or more Trust Portfolios and shares of other adequately diversified funds generally will be adequately diversified.

The foregoing discussion of federal income tax consequences is based on tax laws and regulations in effect on the date of this SAI, and is subject to change by legislative or administrative action. A description of other tax considerations generally affecting the Fund and its shareholders is found in the section of the Prospectus entitled "Federal Income Taxes." No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of state or local tax matters. The discussion herein and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

Each Portfolio's portfolio holdings as of the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters are made public, as required by law, in the Fund's annual and semi-annual reports. These reports are filed with the Commission on Form N-CSR and mailed to shareholders within 60 days after the end of the second and fourth fiscal quarters. The Fund's annual and semi-annual reports are posted on the Fund's website. Each Portfolio's portfolio holdings as of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters are made public and filed with the Commission on Form N-Q within 60 days after the end of the Portfolio's first and third fiscal quarters.

In addition, the Fund may provide a full list of each Portfolio's portfolio holdings as of the end of each month on its website within approximately 30 days after the end of the month. The Fund may also release each Portfolio's top ten holdings, sector and country

 

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breakdowns, and largest industries on a quarterly or monthly basis, with the information as of a date 15 days prior to the release. Such information will be posted on the Fund's website.

When authorized by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer and another officer of the Fund, portfolio holdings information may be disseminated more frequently or at different periods than as described above. The Fund has entered into ongoing arrangements to make available information about the Fund's portfolio holdings. Parties receiving this information may include intermediaries that distribute the Fund's shares, third party providers of auditing, custody, proxy voting and other services for the Fund, rating and ranking organizations, and certain affiliated persons of the Fund, as described below. The procedures utilized to determine eligibility are set forth below:

Procedures for Release of Portfolio Holdings Information:

1. A request for release of Portfolio holdings shall be provided by such third party setting forth a legitimate business purpose for such release which shall specify the Portfolio, the terms of such release, and frequency (e.g., level of detail staleness). The request shall address whether there are any conflicts of interest between the Portfolio and the investment adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof and how such conflicts shall be dealt with to demonstrate that the disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders of the Portfolio.

2. The request shall be forwarded to the Chief Compliance Officer of the Fund, or his delegate, for review and approval.

3. A confidentiality agreement in the form approved by an officer of the Fund must be executed with the recipient of the Portfolio holdings information.

4. An officer of the Portfolio shall approve the release and agreement. Copies of the release and agreement shall be sent to PI's law department.

5. Written notification of the approval shall be sent by such officer to PI's Fund Administration Department to arrange the release of Portfolio holdings information.

6. PI's Fund Administration Department shall arrange for the release of Portfolio holdings information by the Portfolio's custodian bank(s).

As of the date of this Statement of Additional Information, the Fund will provide:

1. Traditional External Recipients/Vendors

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Automatic Data Processing, Inc. (ADP) (proxy voting agents) at the end of each day;

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to ISS (securities class action claims services administrator) at the end of each day;

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to a Portfolio's Subadviser(s), Custodian Bank, sub-custodian (if any) and accounting agents (which includes the Custodian Bank and any other accounting agent that may be appointed) at the end of each day. When a Portfolio has more than one Subadviser, each Subadviser receives holdings information only with respect to the "sleeve" or segment of the Portfolio for which the Subadviser has responsibility;

  • Full holdings to a Portfolio's independent registered public accounting firm as soon as practicable following the Portfolio's fiscal year-end or on an as-needed basis; and

  • Full holdings to financial printers as soon as practicable following the end of a Portfolio's quarterly, semi-annual and annual period ends.

2. Analytical Service Providers

  • Portfolio trades on a quarterly basis to Abel/Noser Corp. (an agency-only broker and transaction cost analysis company) as soon as practicable following a Portfolio's fiscal quarter-end;

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to FT Interactive Data (a fair value information service) at the end of each day; and

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to FactSet and Lipper, Inc. (investment research providers) at the end of each day.

  • Full holdings on a daily basis to Vestek (for preparation of fact sheets) at the end of each day (Target Portfolio Trust, and selected JennisonDryden and Strategic Partners Portfolios only).

In each case, the information disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information (except for legitimate business purposes). Such arrangements will be monitored on an ongoing basis and will be reviewed by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer and PI's Law Department on an annual basis.

 

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In addition, certain authorized employees of PI receive portfolio holdings information on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PI employees are subject to the requirements of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential Financial, Inc., which prohibits employees from trading on, or further disseminating confidential information, including portfolio holdings information.

In no instance may the Investment Adviser or the Fund receive any compensation or consideration in exchange for the portfolio holdings information.

The Board of Trustees of the Fund has approved PI's Policy for the Dissemination of Portfolio Holdings. The Board shall, on a quarterly basis, receive a report from PI detailing the recipients of the portfolio holdings information and the reason for such disclosure. The Board has delegated oversight of the Fund's disclosure of portfolio holdings to the Chief Compliance Officer.

Arrangements pursuant to which the Fund discloses non-public information with respect to its portfolio holdings do not provide for any compensation in return for the disclosure of the information.

There can be no assurance that the Fund's policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information will protect the Fund from the potential misuse of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of the information.

In each case, the information disclosed must be for a legitimate business purpose and is subject to a confidentiality agreement intended to prohibit the recipient from trading on or further disseminating such information (except for legitimate business purposes). Such arrangements will be monitored on an ongoing basis and will be reviewed by the Fund's Chief Compliance Officer and PI's Law Department on an annual basis.

In addition, certain authorized employees of PI receive portfolio holdings information on a quarterly, monthly or daily basis or upon request, in order to perform their business functions. All PI employees are subject to the requirements of the personal securities trading policy of Prudential Financial, Inc., which prohibits employees from trading on, or further disseminating confidential information, including portfolio holdings information.

In no instance may the Investment Adviser or the Fund receive any compensation or consideration in exchange for the portfolio holdings information.

The Board has approved PI's Policy for the Dissemination of Portfolio Holdings. The Board shall, on a quarterly basis, receive a report from PI detailing the recipients of the portfolio holdings information and the reason for such disclosure. The Board has delegated oversight over the Fund's disclosure of portfolio holdings to the Chief Compliance Officer.

There can be no assurance that the Fund's policies and procedures on portfolio holdings information will protect a Portfolio from the potential misuse of such information by individuals or entities that come into possession of the information.

PROXY VOTING

The Board has delegated to the Fund's investment manager, PI, the responsibility for voting any proxies and maintaining proxy recordkeeping with respect to each Portfolio. The Fund authorizes the Manager to delegate, in whole or in part, its proxy voting authority to its investment subadviser or third party vendors consistent with the policies set forth below. The proxy voting process shall remain subject to the supervision of the Board, including any committee thereof established for that purpose.

The Manager and the Board view the proxy voting process as a component of the investment process and, as such, seek to ensure that all proxy proposals are voted with the primary goal of seeking the optimal benefit for each Portfolio. Consistent with this goal, the Board views the proxy voting process as a means to encourage strong corporate governance practices and ethical conduct by corporate management. The Manager and the Board maintain a policy of seeking to protect the best interests of each Portfolio should a proxy issue potentially implicate a conflict of interest between a Portfolio and the Manager or its affiliates.

The Manager delegates to each Portfolio's Subadviser(s) the responsibility for voting each Portfolio's proxies. The Subadviser is expected to identify and seek to obtain the optimal benefit for the Portfolio it manages, and to adopt written policies that meet certain minimum standards, including that the policies be reasonably designed to protect the best interests of a Portfolio and delineate procedures to be followed when a proxy vote presents a conflict between the interests of the Portfolio and the interests of the Subadviser or its affiliates.

The Manager and the Board expect that the Subadviser will notify the Manager and Board at least annually of any such conflicts identified and confirm how the issue was resolved. In addition, the Manager expects that the Subadviser will deliver to the Manager, or its appointed vendor, information required for filing the Form N-PX with the Commission. Information regarding how each

 

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Portfolio of the Fund voted proxies relating to its portfolio securities during the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30 is available on the internet at www.jennisondryden.com and on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Board of Trustees of the Fund has adopted a Code of Ethics. In addition, the Manager, investment subadviser(s) and Distributor have each adopted a Code of Ethics (the Codes). The Codes apply to access persons (generally, pesons who have access to information about a Portfolio's investment program) and permit personnel subject to the Codes to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by a Portfolio. However, the protective provisions of the Codes prohibit certain investments and limit such personnel from making investments during periods when the Portfolio is making such investments. The Codes are on public file with, and are available from, the Commission.

LICENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

LICENSES AND MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

"Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index," "The Dow Jones Industrial Average SM ," "The Dow ® ," "DIJA SM " and "Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM " are service marks or registered trademarks of Dow Jones Company, Inc. ("Dow Jones") and have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors L.P. ("First Trust"). Dow Jones does not sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio and/or the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio (collectively, the "AST First Trust Portfolios"). Dow Jones makes no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products. Except as noted herein, Dow Jones has not given First Trust or the Trust a license to use its indexes.

The AST First Trust Portfolios are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by Dow Jones. Dow Jones makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any member of the public regarding the advisability of purchasing the AST First Trust Portfolios. Dow Jones' only relationship to First Trust is the licensing of certain copyrights, trademarks, servicemarks and service names of Dow Jones. Dow Jones has no obligation to take the needs of First Trust or the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios into consideration in determining, composing or calculating The Dow Jones Industrial Average SM , the Dow Jones Select Dividend Index SM , or the Dow Jones Corporate Bond Index. Dow Jones is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the terms and conditions of the AST First Trust Portfolios to be issued, including the pricing or the amount payable under the Contracts. Dow Jones has no obligation or liability in connection with the administration or marketing of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

DOW JONES DOES NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN AND DOW JONES SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS, OR INTERRUPTIONS THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FIRST TRUST, CONTRACT OWNERS OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. DOW JONES MAKES NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE SM , THE DOW JONES SELECT DIVIDEND INDEX SM , OR THE DOW JONES CORPORATE BOND INDEX, OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL DOW JONES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS), EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. THERE ARE NO THIRD PARTY BENEFICIARIES OF ANY AGREEMENTS OR ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN DOW JONES AND FIRST TRUST.

"VALUE LINE®," "THE VALUE LINE INVESTMENT SURVEY" AND "VALUE LINE TIMELINESS RANKING SYSTEM" ARE REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF VALUE LINE SECURITIES, INC. OR VALUE LINE PUBLISHING, INC. THAT HAVE BEEN LICENSED TO FIRST TRUST ADVISORS, L.P. THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS ARE NOT SPONSORED, RECOMMENDED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY VALUE LINE PUBLISHING, INC., VALUE LINE, INC. OR VALUE LINE SECURITIES, INC. ("VALUE LINE"). VALUE LINE MAKES NO REPRESENTATION REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN THE FUNDS. FIRST TRUST IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY VALUE LINE COMPANY.

"Value Line Publishing, Inc.'s ("VLPI") only relationship to First Trust is VLPI's licensing to First Trust of certain VLPI trademarks and trade names and the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System (the "System"), which is composed by VLPI without regard to First Trust, the AST First Trust Portfolios, the Trust or any investor. VLPI has no obligation to take the needs of First Trust or any investor in the AST

 

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First Trust Portfolios into consideration in composing the System. The AST First Trust Portfolios results may differ from the hypothetical or published results of the Value Line Timeliness Ranking System. VLPI is not responsible for and has not participated in the determination of the prices and composition of the AST First Trust Portfolios or the timing of the issuance for sale of the AST First Trust Portfolios or in the calculation of the equations by which the AST First Trust Portfolios is to be converted into cash.

VLPI MAKES NO WARRANTY CONCERNING THE SYSTEM, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PUPOSE OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES ARISING FROM USAGE OF TRADE, COURSE OF DEALING OR COURSE OF PERFORMANCE, AND VLPI MAKES NO WARRANTY AS TO THE POTENTIAL PROFITS OR ANY OTHER BENEFITS THAT MAY BE ACHIEVED BY USING THE SYSTEM OR ANY INFORMATION OR MATERIALS GENERATED THEREFROM. VLPI DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SYSTEM WILL MEET ANY REQUIREMENTS OR THAT IT WILL BE ACCURATE OR ERROR-FREE. VLPI ALSO DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANY USES, INFORMATION, DATA OR OTHER RESULTS GENERATED FROM THE SYSTEM. VLPI HAS NO OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY (I) IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR TRADING OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND; OR (II) FOR ANY LOSS, DAMAGE, COST OR EXPENSE SUFFERED OR INCURRED BY ANY INVESTOR OR OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THIS THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND, AND IN NO EVENT SHALL VLPI BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR OTHER CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INCIDENTIAL, INDIRECT OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS AND/OR THE FUND.

"NYSE ® " and "NYSE International 100 Index ® " are registered trademarks of the NYSE Group, Inc. and both have been licensed for use for certain purposes by First Trust Advisors, L.P. The AST First Trust Portfolios which use a strategy based in part on the NYSE International 100 Index ® , are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates, and NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates make no representation regarding the advisability of investing in such products.

NYSE Group, Inc. has no relationship to the AST First Trust Portfolios or First Trust other than the licensing of NYSE International 100 Index ® (the "Index") and its registered trademarks for use in connection with the AST First Trust Portfolios.

NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates do not:

  • Sponsor, endorse, sell or promote the AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Recommend that any person invest in the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other securities.

  • Have any responsibility or liability for or make any decisions about the timing, amount or pricing of AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Have any responsibility or liability for the administration, management or marketing of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

  • Consider the needs of the AST First Trust Portfolios or the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios in determining, composing or calculating the NYSE International 100 Index® or have any obligation to do so.


Neither NYSE Group, Inc. nor any of its affiliates will have any liability in connection with the AST First Trust Portfolios or the Fund. Specifically, NYSE Group, Inc. and its affiliates do not make any warranty, express or implied, and disclaim any warranty about:

  • The results to be obtained by the AST First Trust Portfolios, the Contract owner of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other person in connection with the use of the Index and the data included in the Index;

  • The accuracy or completeness of the Index and its data;

  • The merchantability and the fitness for a particular purpose or use of the Index and its data;

  • NYSE Group, Inc. and it's affiliates will have no liability for any errors, omissions or interruptions in the Index or its data;

  • Under no circumstances will NYSE Group, Inc. or any of its affiliates be liable for any lost profits or indirect, punitive, special or consequential damages or losses, even if NYSE Group, Inc. knows that they might occur.


The licensing agreement between First Trust Advisors L.P. and NYSE Group, Inc. is solely for their benefit and not for the benefit of the Contract owners of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any other third parties.

The AST First Trust Portfolios are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by The NASDAQ Stock Market,Inc. (including its affiliates) (NASDAQ, with its affiliates, are referred to as the "Corporations"). The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to the AST First Trust Portfolios. The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied, to the owners of shares of the AST First Trust Portfolios or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the AST First Trust Portfolios particularly, or the ability of the NASDAQ-100 Index ® to track general stock market performance. The Corporations' only relationship to the First Trust Advisors L.P. ("Licensee") is in the licensing of the NASDAQ ® , NASDAQ-100 ® and NASDAQ-100 Index ® registered trademarks and certain trade names of the Corporations and the use of the NASDAQ-100 Index ® , which is determined, composed and calculated by NASDAQ

 

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without regard to Licensee or the AST First Trust Portfolios. Prudential Investments LLC (Sub-Licensee) has sublicensed certain NASDAQ trademarks and tradenames of the Corporations. NASDAQ has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee, the Sub-Licensee, or the owners of shares of the AST First Trust Portfolios into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the NASDAQ-100 Index ® . The Corporations are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at or quantities of the AST First Trust Portfolios to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the AST First Trust Portfolios are to be converted into cash. The Corporations have no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the AST First Trust Portfolios.

THE CORPORATIONS DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY AND/OR UNINTERRUPTED CALCUATION OF THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY FIRST TRUST, RECORD OR BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS OF THE AST FIRST TRUST PORTFOLIOS, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY FROM THE USE OF THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. THE CORPORATIONS MAKE NO EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR USE WITH RESPECT TO THE NASDAQ-100 INDEX ® OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL THE CORPORATIONS HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBIITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

APPENDIX I: DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS


STANDARD & POOR'S RATINGS SERVICES (S&P)

Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings

AAA : An obligation rated AAA has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA : An obligation rated AA differs from the highest rated obligations only in small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A : An obligation rated A is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB : An obligation rated BBB exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB : An obligation rated BB is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B : An obligation rated B is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated BB, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC : An obligation rated CCC is currently vulnerable to nonpayment, and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC : An obligation rated CC is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment.

C : The C rating may be used to cover a situation where a bankruptcy petition has been filed or similar action has been taken, but payments on this obligation are being continued.

Plus (+) or Minus (-) : The ratings from AA to CCC may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories

Commercial Paper Ratings

 

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A-1 : This designation indicates that the degree of safety regarding timely payment is strong. Those issues determined to possess extremely strong safety characteristics are denoted with a plus sign (+) designation.

A-2 : Capacity for timely payment on issues with this designation is satisfactory. However, the relative degree of safety is not as high as for issues designated A-1.

Notes Ratings

An S&P notes rating reflects the liquidity factors and market risks unique to notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a notes rating. Notes maturing beyond three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. The following criteria will be used in making that assessment.

  • Amortization schedule-the longer the final maturity relative to other maturities the more likely it will be treated as a note.

  • Source of payment-the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

SP-1 : Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2 : Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

MOODY'S INVESTORS SERVICE, INC. (MOODY'S)

Debt Ratings

Aaa : Bonds which are rated Aaa are judged to be of the best quality. They carry the smallest degree of investment risk and are generally referred to as "gilt edged." Interest payments are protected by a large or by an exceptionally stable margin and principal is secure. While the various protective elements are likely to change, such changes as can be visualized are most unlikely to impair the fundamentally strong position of such issues.

Aa : Bonds which are rated Aa are judged to be of high quality by all standards. Together with the Aaa group they comprise what are generally known as high-grade bonds. They are rated lower than the best bonds because margins of protection may not be as large as in Aaa securities or fluctuation of protective elements may be of greater amplitude or there may be other elements present which make the long-term risks appear somewhat larger than the Aaa securities.

A : Bonds which are rated A possess many favorable investment attributes and are to be considered as upper-medium-grade obligations. Factors giving security to principal and interest are considered adequate, but elements may be present which suggest a susceptibility to impairment some time in the future.

Baa : Bonds which are rated Baa are considered as medium-grade obligations, i.e., they are neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest payments and principal security appear adequate for the present but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be characteristically unreliable over any great length of time. Such bonds lack outstanding investment characteristics and in fact have speculative characteristics as well.

Ba : Bonds which are rated Ba are judged to have speculative elements; their future cannot be considered as well assured. Often the protection of interest and principal payments may be very moderate and thereby not well safeguarded during both good and bad times over the future. Uncertainty of position characterizes bonds in this class.

B : Bonds which are rated B generally lack characteristics of the desirable investment. Assurance of interest and principal payments or of maintenance of other terms of the contract over any long period of time may be small.

Caa : Bonds which are rated Caa are of poor standing. Such issues may be in default or there may be present elements of danger with respect to principal or interest.

Ca : Bonds which are rated Ca represent obligations which are speculative in a high degree. Such issues are often in default or have other marked shortcomings.

 

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C : Bonds which are rated C are the lowest-rated class of bonds, and issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

Moody's applies numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 in each generic rating category from Aa to Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the issuer is in the higher end of its letter rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; the modifier 3 indicates that the issuer is in the lower end of the letter ranking category.

Short-Term Ratings

Moody's short-term debt ratings are opinions of the ability of issuers to honor senior financial obligations and contracts. Such obligations generally have an original maturity not exceeding one year, unless explicitly noted.

PRIME-1 : Issuers rated Prime-1 (or supporting institutions) have a superior ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. Prime-1 repayment ability will often be evidenced by many of the following characteristics:

  • Leading market positions in well-established industries.

  • High rates of return on Portfolios employed.

  • Conservative capitalization structure with moderate reliance on debt and ample asset protection.

  • Broad margins in earnings coverage of fixed financial charges and high internal cash generation.

  • Well-established access to a range of financial markets and assured sources of alternate liquidity.

PRIME-2 : Issuers rated Prime-2 (or supporting institutions) have a strong ability for repayment of senior short-term debt obligations. This normally will be evidenced by many of the characteristics cited above but to a lesser degree. Earnings trends and coverage ratios, while sound, may be more subject to variation. Capitalization characteristics, while still appropriate, may be more affected by external conditions. Ample alternate liquidity is maintained.

MIG 1 : This designation denotes best quality. There is strong protection by established cash flows, superior liquidity support or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

MIG 2 : This designation denotes high quality. Margins of protection are ample although not so large as in the proceeding group.

FITCH, INC.

International Long-Term Credit Ratings

AAA : Highest Credit Quality. AAA ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in case of exceptionally strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA : Very High Credit Quality. AA ratings denote a very low expectation of credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for timely payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A : High Credit Quality. A ratings denote a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to changes in circumstances or in economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB : Good Credit Quality. BBB ratings indicate that there is currently a low expectation of credit risk. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse changes in circumstances and in economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity. This is the lowest investment-grade category.

BB : Speculative. BB ratings indicate that there is a possibility of credit risk developing, particularly as the result of adverse economic change over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met. Securities rated in this category are not investment grade.

B : Highly Speculative. B ratings indicate that significant credit risk is present, but a limited margin of safety remains. Financial commitments are currently being met; however, capacity for continued payment is contingent upon a sustained, favorable business and economic environment.

CCC, CC, C : High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon

 

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sustained, favorable business or economic developments. A CC rating indicates that default of some kind appears probable. C ratings signal imminent default.

International Short-Term Credit Ratings

F1 : Highest Credit Quality. Indicates the strongest capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2 : Good Credit Quality. A satisfactory capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, but the margin of safety is not as great as in the case of the higher ratings.

F3 : Fair Credit Quality. The capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate; however, near-term adverse changes could result in a reduction to non-investment grade.

B : Speculative. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus vulnerability to near-term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C : High Default Risk. Default is a real possibility. Capacity for meeting financial commitments is solely reliant upon a sustained, favorable business and economic investment.

Plus (+) or Minus (-) : Plus or minus signs may be appended to a rating to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the AAA long-term rating category, to categories below CCC, or to short-term ratings other than F1.

 

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APPENDIX II: PROXY VOTING POLICIES OF THE SUBADVISERS

AllianceBernstein L.P.

Proxy Voting

Rule 206(4)-6 of the Advisers Act places certain requirements on investment advisers who have voting authority over client securities. The rule require, among other things, that advisers provide their clients with a description of their voting policies and procedures, disclose to clients where they can get a full copy of the policies and procedures and disclose how they can obtain information about how their adviser voted with respect to their securities. Set forth below is a description of Registrant's proxy voting policies and instructions regarding how clients may obtain proxy voting information.

As a registered investment adviser that exercises proxy voting authority over client securities, Registrant has a fiduciary duty to vote proxies in a timely manner and make voting decisions that are in the clients' best interests. In this regard, Registrant has adopted a Statement of Policies and Procedures for Voting Proxies on Behalf of Discretionary Client Accounts (the "Statement of Policies and Procedures"). This Statement of Policies and Procedures reflects the policies of Registrant, including its BIRM unit, and Registrant's investment management subsidiaries.

The Statement of Policy and Procedures is a set of proxy voting guidelines that are intended to maximize the value of the securities in Registrant's clients' accounts. It describes the Registrant's approach to analyzing voting issues, identifies the persons responsible for determining how to vote proxies and include Registrant's procedures for addressing material conflicts of interest that may arise between Registrant's interests and those of its clients in connection with its consideration of a proxy.

In addition, we have adopted a Proxy Voting Manual that provides further detail into Registrant's proxy voting process and addresses a range of specific voting issues.

Clients may obtain a copy of the Statement of Policies and Procedures, Registrant's Proxy Voting Manual, as well as information about how Registrant with respect to their securities by contacting their AllianceBernstein administrative representative. Alternatively, clients may make a written request to: Mark R. Manley, Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, AllianceBernstein L.P., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10105

American Century Investment Management, Inc.

American Century Proxy Voting Guidelines

The Manager is responsible for exercising the voting rights associated with the securities purchased and/or held by the funds. In exercising its voting obligations, the Manager is guided by general fiduciary principles. It must act prudently, solely in the interest of the funds, and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to them. The Manager attempts to consider all factors of its vote that could affect the value of the investment.

The Manager has determined that there are significant contributors to shareholder value with respect to a number of matters that are often the subject of proxy solicitations for shareholder meetings. The American Century Proxy Voting Guidelines specifically address these considerations and establish a framework for the Manager's consideration of the vote that would be appropriate for the funds. In particular, the American Century Proxy Voting Guidelines outline principles and factors to be considered in the exercise of voting authority for proposals addressing:

-Election of Directors
-Ratification of Selection of Auditors
-Equity-Based Compensation Plans
-Anti-Takeover Proposals
-Cumulative Voting
-Staggered Boards
-"Blank Check" Preferred Stock
-Elimination of Preemptive Rights
-Non-targeted Share Repurchase
-Increase in Authorized Common Stock

 

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-"Supermajority" Voting Provisions or Super Voting Share Classes
-"Fair Price" Amendments
-Limiting the Right to Call Special Shareholder Meetings
-Poison Pills or Shareholder Rights Plans
-Golden Parachutes
-Reincorporation
-Confidential Voting
-Opting In or Out of State Takeover Laws
-Shareholder Proposals Involving Social, Moral or Ethical Matters
-Anti-Greenmail Proposals
-Changes to Indemnification Provisions
-Non-Stock Incentive Plans
-Director Tenure
-Directors' Stock Options Plans
-Director Share Ownership

Finally, the American Century Proxy Voting Guidelines establish procedures for voting of proxies in cases in which the Manager may have a potential conflict of interest. Companies with which the Manager has direct business relationships could theoretically use these relationships to attempt to unduly influence the manner in which American Century votes on matters for its clients. To ensure that such a conflict of interest does not affect proxy votes cast for American Century's clients, all discretionary (including case-by-case) voting for these companies will be voted by the client or an appropriate fiduciary responsible for the client.

A copy of the American Century Proxy Voting Guidelines are available on the "About Us" page at www.americancentury.com.

Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc.

PROXY VOTING

The following is a summary of the Cohen Steers Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.

Overview
In exercising voting rights, we have three overall objectives:
- Holding companies accountable for their actions
- Rationalizing management and shareholder concerns
- Seeking to ensure that management effectively communicates with its owners about the company's business operations and financial performance.

We engage in a careful evaluation of issues that may materially affect the rights of shareholders and the value of the security. We always act with reasonable care, prudence and diligence. While we may consider the views of third parties such as ISS or other proxy voting services, we never base a proxy voting decision solely on the opinion of a third party, except in the unlikely scenario that a conflict of interest requires us to rely on a third party as a means to resolve our conflict. Rather, decisions are based on our reasonable and good faith determination as to how best to maximize shareholder value.

Stock-Based Compensation. Our goal in the area of stock-based compensation is to ensure that compensation plans align the interests of management and shareholders. Thus, we generally oppose proposals to authorize the issuance of new shares if the issuance, plus the shares reserved for issuance in connection with all other stock related plans, exceeds 10% of the outstanding shares.

In addition, we believe that stock options generally should not be re-priced, and never should be re-priced particularly without shareholder approval. Moreover, we believe that companies should not issue new options, with a lower strike price, to make up for previously issued options that are substantially underwater. We vote against the election of any slate of directors that to our knowledge has authorized a company to re-price or replace underwater options during the most recent year without shareholder approval.

We also support measures to increase the long-term stock ownership by a company's executives. These include requiring senior executives to hold a minimum amount of stock in a company (often expressed as a percentage of annual compensation), requiring stock acquired through option exercise to be held for a certain minimum amount of time, and issuing restricted stock awards instead

 

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of options. In this respect, we support the expensing of option grants because it removes the incentive of a company to issue options in lieu of restricted stock. We also support employee stock purchase plans, although we generally believe the discounted purchase price should be not less than 85% of the current market price.

Control Issues. Our policies address a number of important change of control issues. We believe that, although a takeover attempt can be a significant distraction for a board and management, the simple fact is that the possibility of a corporate takeover keeps management focused on maximizing shareholder value. As a result, we generally oppose measures that are designed to prevent or obstruct corporate takeovers because they can entrench current management. Thus, we generally vote against shareholder rights plans or "poison pills." We also generally vote against any directors who, without shareholder approval, have to our knowledge instituted a new poison pill plan, extended an existing plan, or adopted a new plan upon the expiration of an existing plan during the past year. In the same vein, we also generally vote against "golden parachute" plans because they impede potential takeovers that shareholders should be free to consider. In addition, we will withhold our votes at the next shareholder meeting for directors who to our knowledge have approved golden parachutes. We vote against proposals that require a super-majority of shareholders to approve a merger or other significant business combination, and support proposals that seek to lower existing super-majority voting requirements.

In the area of board composition, we support the election of a board that consists of at least a simple majority of independent directors. We also generally withhold our support for non-independent directors who serve on a company's audit, compensation and/or nominating committees. In addition, we generally vote against classified boards. With respect to stock-related items, we will vote in favor of an increase in a company's authorized shares, provided that the increase is not greater than three times the number of shares outstanding and reserved for issuance, including shares reserved for stock-related plans and securities convertible into common stock, but not shares reserved for any poison pill plan. Importantly, we vote against blank check preferred share authorizations and other proposals to establish classes of stock with superior voting rights, unless we are comfortable that (1) a company's board authorized the use of preferred stock only for legitimate capital formation purposes and not for anti-takeover purposes, and (2) no preferred stock will be issued with voting power that is disproportionate to the economic interests of the preferred stock.

Social Issues. With respect to social issues, we believe that it is the responsibility of the board and management to run a company on a daily basis. With this in mind, in the absence of unusual circumstances, we do not believe that shareholders should be involved in determining how a company should address broad social and policy issues. As a result, we generally vote against these types of proposals, which are generally initiated by shareholders, unless we believe the proposal has significant economic implications.

Voting Process. Of course, no set of guidelines can anticipate all situations that may arise. Our portfolio managers and analysts analyze proxy proposals in an effort to gauge the impact of a proposal on the financial prospects of a company, and vote accordingly. These policies are intended to provide guidelines for voting. They are not, however, hard and fast rules because corporate governance issues are so varied.

We maintain procedural mechanisms to ensure that our voting records are kept in a manner that is fully consistent with SEC requirements. In addition, we have a detailed administrative structure that is designed to ensure that Cohen Steers does not face a material conflict of interest in voting a proxy. While a conflict has never surfaced since our founding in 1986, our policy will be to vote in accordance with the advice of a proxy voting service, such as ISS, in the unlikely event that such a conflict should arise.

ClearBridge Advisors, LLC

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES PROCEDURES SUMMARY

The following is a brief overview of the Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the "Policies") that ClearBridge has adopted to seek to ensure that ClearBridge votes proxies relating to equity securities in the best interest of clients.

ClearBridge votes proxies for each client account with respect to which it has been authorized to vote proxies. In voting proxies, ClearBridge is guided by general fiduciary principles and seeks to act prudently and solely in the best interest of clients. ClearBridge attempts to consider all factors that could affect the value of the investment and will vote proxies in the manner that it believes will be consistent with efforts to maximize shareholder values. ClearBridge may utilize an external service provider to provide it with information and/or a recommendation with regard to proxy votes. However, the ClearBridge adviser (business unit) continues to retain responsibility for the proxy vote.

 

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In the case of a proxy issue for which there is a stated position in the Policies, ClearBridge generally votes in accordance with such stated position. In the case of a proxy issue for which there is a list of factors set forth in the Policies that ClearBridge considers in voting on such issue, ClearBridge votes on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the general principles set forth above and considering such enumerated factors. In the case of a proxy issue for which there is no stated position or list of factors that ClearBridge considers in voting on such issue, ClearBridge votes on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the general principles set forth above. Issues for which there is a stated position set forth in the Policies or for which there is a list of factors set forth in the Policies that ClearBridge considers in voting on such issues fall into a variety of categories, including election of directors, ratification of auditors, proxy and tender offer defenses, capital structure issues, executive and director compensation, mergers and corporate restructurings, and social and environmental issues. The stated position on an issue set forth in the Policies can always be superseded, subject to the duty to act solely in the best interest of the beneficial owners of accounts, by the investment management professionals responsible for the account whose shares are being voted. Issues applicable to a particular industry may cause ClearBridge to abandon a policy that would have otherwise applied to issuers generally. As a result of the independent investment advisory services provided by distinct ClearBridge business units, there may be occasions when different business units or different portfolio managers within the same business unit vote differently on the same issue. A ClearBridge business unit or investment team (e.g. ClearBridge's Social Awareness Investment team) may adopt proxy voting policies that supplement these policies and procedures. In addition, in the case of Taft-Hartley clients, ClearBridge will comply with a client direction to vote proxies in accordance with Institutional Shareholder Services' (ISS) PVS Voting Guidelines, which ISS represents to be fully consistent with AFL-CIO guidelines.

In furtherance of ClearBridge's goal to vote proxies in the best interest of clients, ClearBridge follows procedures designed to identify and address material conflicts that may arise between ClearBridge's interests and those of its clients before voting proxies on behalf of such clients. To seek to identify conflicts of interest, ClearBridge periodically notifies ClearBridge employees in writing that they are under an obligation (i) to be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest on the part of ClearBridge with respect to voting proxies on behalf of client accounts both as a result of their personal relationships and due to special circumstances that may arise during the conduct of ClearBridge's business, and (ii) to bring conflicts of interest of which they become aware to the attention of ClearBridge's compliance personnel. ClearBridge also maintains and considers a list of significant ClearBridge relationships that could present a conflict of interest for ClearBridge in voting proxies. ClearBridge is also sensitive to the fact that a significant, publicized relationship between an issuer and a non-ClearBridge Legg Mason affiliate might appear to the public to influence the manner in which ClearBridge decides to vote a proxy with respect to such issuer. Absent special circumstances or a significant, publicized non-ClearBridge Legg Mason affiliate relationship that ClearBridge for prudential reasons treats as a potential conflict of interest because such relationship might appear to the public to influence the manner in which ClearBridge decides to vote a proxy, ClearBridge generally takes the position that relationships between a non-ClearBridge Legg Mason affiliate and an issuer (e.g., investment management relationship between an issuer and a non-ClearBridge Legg Mason affiliate) do not present a conflict of interest for ClearBridge in voting proxies with respect to such issuer. Such position is based on the fact that ClearBridge is operated as an independent business unit from other Legg Mason business units as well as on the existence of information barriers between ClearBridge and certain other Legg Mason business units.

ClearBridge maintains a Proxy Voting Committee to review and address conflicts of interest brought to its attention by ClearBridge compliance personnel. A proxy issue that will be voted in accordance with a stated ClearBridge position on such issue or in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third party is not brought to the attention of the Proxy Voting Committee for a conflict of interest review because ClearBridge's position is that to the extent a conflict of interest issue exists, it is resolved by voting in accordance with a pre-determined policy or in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third party. With respect to a conflict of interest brought to its attention, the Proxy Voting Committee first determines whether such conflict of interest is material. A conflict of interest is considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict is likely to influence, or appear to influence, ClearBridge's decision-making in voting proxies. If it is determined by the Proxy Voting Committee that a conflict of interest is not material, ClearBridge may vote proxies notwithstanding the existence of the conflict.

If it is determined by the Proxy Voting Committee that a conflict of interest is material, the Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for determining an appropriate method to resolve such conflict of interest before the proxy affected by the conflict of interest is voted. Such determination is based on the particular facts and circumstances, including the importance of the proxy issue and the nature of the conflict of interest.

Deutsche Investment Management Americas, Inc.

The Funds have delegated proxy voting responsibilities to the Advisor, subject to the Board's general oversight. The Funds have delegated proxy voting to the Advisor with the direction that proxies should be voted consistent with the Funds' best economic interests. The Advisor has adopted its own Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures ("Policies"), and Proxy Voting Guidelines ("Guidelines") for this purpose. The Policies address, among other things, conflicts of interest that may arise between the interests of

 

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the Funds, and the interests of the Advisor and its affiliates, including the Funds' principal underwriter. The Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general position on various proposals, such as:

- Shareholder Rights — The Advisor generally votes against proposals that restrict shareholder rights.

- Corporate Governance — The Advisor generally votes for confidential and cumulative voting and against supermajority voting requirements for charter and bylaw amendments.

- Anti-Takeover Matters — The Advisor generally votes for proposals that require shareholder ratification of poison pills or that request boards to redeem poison pills, and votes against the adoption of poison pills if they are submitted for shareholder ratification. The Advisor generally votes for fair price proposals.

- Compensation Matters — The Advisor generally votes for executive cash compensation proposals, unless they are unreasonably excessive. The Advisor generally votes against stock option plans that do not meet the Advisor's criteria.

- Routine Matters — The Advisor generally votes for the ratification of auditors, procedural matters related to the annual meeting and changes in company name, and against bundled proposals and adjournment.

The general provisions described above do not apply to investment companies. The Advisor generally votes proxies solicited by investment companies in accordance with the recommendations of an independent third party, except for proxies solicited by or with respect to investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as the Advisor or principal underwriter ("affiliated investment companies"). The Advisor votes affiliated investment company proxies in the same proportion as the vote of the investment company's other shareholders (sometimes called "mirror" or "echo" voting). Master fund proxies solicited from feeder funds are voted in accordance with applicable requirements of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Although the Guidelines set forth the Advisor's general voting positions on various proposals, the Advisor may, consistent with the Funds' best interests, determine under some circumstances to vote contrary to those positions.

The Guidelines on a particular issue may or may not reflect the view of individual members of a Board or of a majority of a Board. In addition, the Guidelines may reflect a voting position that differs from the actual practices of the public companies within the Deutsche Bank organization or of the investment companies for which the Advisor or an affiliate serves as investment advisor or sponsor.

The Advisor may consider the views of a portfolio company's management in deciding how to vote a proxy or in establishing general voting positions for the Guidelines, but management's views are not determinative.

As mentioned above, the Policies describe the way in which the Advisor resolves conflicts of interest. To resolve conflicts, the advisor, under normal circumstances, votes proxies in accordance with its Guidelines.

If the Advisor departs from the Guidelines with respect to a particular proxy or if the Guidelines do not specifically address a certain proxy proposal, a proxy voting committee established by the advisor will vote the proxy. Before voting any such proxy, however, the Advisor's conflicts review committee will conduct an investigation to determine whether any potential conflicts of interest exist in connection with the particular proxy proposal. If the conflicts review committee determines that the Advisor has a material conflict of interest, or certain individuals on the proxy voting committee should be recused from participating in a particular proxy vote, it will inform the proxy voting committee. If notified that the Advisor has a material conflict, or fewer than three voting members are eligible to participate in the proxy vote, typically the Advisor will engage an independent third party to vote the proxy or follow the proxy voting recommendations of an independent third party.

Under certain circumstances, the Advisor may not be able to vote proxies or the Advisor may find that the expected economic costs from voting outweigh the benefits associated with voting. For example, the Advisor may not vote proxies on certain foreign securities due to local restrictions or customs. The Advisor generally does not vote proxies on securities subject to share blocking restrictions.

Dreman Value Management LLC

DREMAN VALUE MANAGEMENT LLC SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

Dreman Value Management LLC views proxy voting is an important right of shareholders and reasonable care and diligence must be

 

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undertaken to ensure that such rights are properly and timely exercised. When Dreman Value Management LLC has discretion to vote the proxies of its clients, it will vote those proxies in the best interest of its clients and in accordance with these policies and procedures.

Dreman Value Management LLC has established a comprehensive proxy voting procedure that is maintained and implemented by the firm's Chief Operating Officer, VP of Operations, or their designate. The firm maintains a record of all the proxies it receives and ensures that the Chief Investment Officer and other portfolio managers are kept apprised of all proxies that are required to be voted.

Absent material conflicts, the portfolio manager and CIO will determine how Dreman Value Management LLC should vote the proxy. The VP of Operations is instructed as to how DVM intends to vote the proxies and is responsible for completing and remitting the proxy in a timely and appropriate manner. DVM has retained Egan Jones Proxy Services to assist it in coordinating and voting proxies with respect to client securities.

In the absence of specific voting guidelines from a client, DVM will vote proxies in the best interest of each particular client, which may result in different voting results for proxies for the same issuer. Generally, DVM will vote in favor of routine corporate housekeeping proposals, including election of directors, but will vote against proposals which makes it more difficult to replace members of the issuer's board of directors. In some instances DVM shall determine whether a proposal is in the best interest of its clients and may take into account the following various factors, including whether the proposal was recommended by management and Dreman Value Management LLC opinion of management.

The Chief Operating Officer ("COO") / VP of Operations is responsible for identifying any conflicts that exist between the interest of DVM and its clients. If a material conflict exist, DVM will determine whether voting in accordance with its proxy voting guidelines is in the best interest of the client. DVM will also determine whether it is appropriate to disclose the conflict to the affected clients.

The Chief Operating Officer ("COO") / VP of Operations is responsible for maintaining files relating to DVM's proxy voting procedures. Records are maintained and preserved for five years and are included in client files.

Eagle Asset Management

Eagle Proxy Voting Policy

The exercise of proxy voting rights is an important element in the successful management of clients' investments. Eagle Asset Management recognizes its fiduciary responsibility to vote proxies solely in the best interests of clients with the overall goal of maximizing the growth of our clients' assets. Toward that end, Eagle has developed a comprehensive and detailed set of proxy voting guidelines, which our portfolio managers use to vote proxies in securities held in client accounts.

Eagle generally votes proxies in furtherance of the long-term economic value of the underlying securities. We consider each proxy proposal on its own merits, and we make an independent determination of the advisability of supporting or opposing management's position. We believe that the recommendations of management should be given substantial weight, but we will not support management proposals, which we believe are detrimental to the underlying value of our clients' positions.

We usually oppose proposals that dilute the economic interest of shareholders, and we also oppose those that reduce shareholders' voting rights or otherwise limit their authority. With respect to takeover offers, Eagle calculates a "going concern" value for every holding. If the offer approaches or exceeds our value estimate, we will generally vote for the merger, acquisition or leveraged buy-out.

In voting proxies of securities held in client accounts, Eagle's portfolio managers almost always recommend votes in accordance with the guidelines. By following predetermined voting guidelines, Eagle believes it will avoid any potential conflicts of interests, which would otherwise affect proxy voting. On the rare occasion where a manager recommends a vote contrary to Eagle's guidelines, Eagle's Compliance Department will review the proxy issue and the recommended vote to ensure that the vote is cast in compliance with Eagle's overriding mandate to vote proxies in the best interests of clients and to avoid conflicts of interests.

A copy of Eagle's complete proxy voting policy and guidelines can be obtained by calling 800-237-3101. If you have any questions about these guidelines, or would like to know how your shares were voted, please contact our Compliance Department at 800-237-3101.

 

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EARNEST Partners LLC

Proxy Policies

The best interest of clients and plan participants (the "Client") will be the sole consideration of EARNEST Partners when voting proxies of portfolio companies. Each proxy issue will receive individual consideration based on the relevant facts and circumstances. As a general rule, EARNEST Partners will vote against actions which would reduce the rights or options of shareholders, reduce shareholder influence over the board of directors and management, reduce the alignment of interests between management and shareholders, or reduce the value of shareholders' investments. Following is a partial list of issues that require special attention: classified boards, change of state of incorporation, poison pills, unequal voting rights plans, provisions requiring supermajority approval of a merger, executive severance agreements, and provisions limiting shareholder rights.

In addition, the following will be adhered to unless EARNEST Partners is instructed otherwise in writing by the Client:

- EARNEST Partners will not actively engage in conduct that involves an attempt to change or influence the control of a portfolio company.

- EARNEST Partners will not announce its voting intentions or the reasons for a particular vote.

- The Advisor will not participate in a proxy solicitation or otherwise seek proxy voting authority from any other portfolio company shareholder.

- EARNEST Partners will not act in concert with any other portfolio company shareholders in connection with any proxy issue or other activity involving the control or management of a portfolio company.

- All communications with portfolio companies or fellow shareholders will be for the sole purpose of expressing and discussing EARNEST Partners' concerns for its Clients' interests and not in an attempt to influence the control of management.

With respect to ERISA accounts, EARNEST Partners will act prudently, solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to them. It is EARNEST Partners' policy to fully comply with all ERISA provisions regarding proxy voting for ERISA accounts and to the extent possible, amend its policies and procedures from time to time to reflect the Department of Labor's views of the proxy voting duties and obligations imposed by ERISA with respect to ERISA accounts.

Proxy Procedures
EARNEST Partners has designated a Proxy Director. The Proxy Director will consider each issue presented on each portfolio company proxy. The circumstances underlying each proxy issue will be given careful individual attention. The Proxy Director will also use all available resources, including proxy evaluation services, to assist in the analysis of proxy issues. Proxy issues presented to the Proxy Director will be voted in accordance with the judgment of the Proxy Director, taking into account the general policies outlined above and EARNEST Partners' Proxy Voting Guidelines. Therefore, it is possible that actual votes may differ from these general policies and EARNEST Partners' Proxy Voting Guidelines. In the case where EARNEST Partners has a material conflict of interest with a Client, the Proxy Director will utilize the services of outside third party professionals (such as Institutional Shareholder Services) to assist in its analysis of voting issues and the actual voting of proxies to ensure that a decision to vote the proxies was based on the Client's best interest and was not the product of a conflict of interest. In the event the services of an outside third party professional are not available in connection with a conflict of interest, EARNEST Partners will seek the advice of the Client.

A detailed description of EARNEST Partners' specific Proxy Voting Guidelines will be furnished upon request. You may also obtain information about how EARNEST Partners has voted with respect to portfolio company securities by calling, writing, or emailing us at:

EARNEST Partners
1180 Peachtree Street NE,
Suite 2300 Atlanta, GA 30309
invest@earnestpartners.com
404-815-8772

EARNEST Partners reserves the right to change these policies and procedures at any time without notice.

 

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Federated Equity Management Company of Pennsylvania
Federated MDTA LLC


VOTING PROXIES ON FUND PORTFOLIO SECURITIES
The Board has delegated to the Adviser authority to vote proxies on the securities held in the Fund's portfolio. The Board has also approved the Adviser's policies and procedures for voting the proxies, which are described below.

Proxy Voting Policies
The Adviser's general policy is to cast proxy votes in favor of proposals that the Adviser anticipates will enhance the long-term value of the securities being voted. Generally, this will mean voting for proposals that the Adviser believes will: improve the management of a company; increase the rights or preferences of the voted securities; and/or increase the chance that a premium offer would be made for the company or for the voted securities.

The following examples illustrate how these general policies may apply to proposals submitted by a company's board of directors. However, whether the Adviser supports or opposes a proposal will always depend on the specific circumstances described in the proxy statement and other available information.

On matters of corporate governance, generally the Adviser will vote for proposals to: require independent tabulation of proxies and/or confidential voting by shareholders; reorganize in another jurisdiction (unless it would reduce the rights or preferences of the securities being voted); and repeal a shareholder rights plan (also known as a "poison pill"). The Adviser will generally vote against the adoption of such a plan (unless the plan is designed to facilitate, rather than prevent, unsolicited offers for the company).

On matters of capital structure, generally the Adviser will vote: against proposals to authorize or issue shares that are senior in priority or voting rights to the securities being voted; for proposals to grant preemptive rights to the securities being voted; and against proposals to eliminate such preemptive rights.

On matters relating to management compensation, generally the Adviser will vote: for stock incentive plans that align the recipients' interests with the interests of shareholders without creating undue dilution; and against proposals that would permit the amendment or replacement of outstanding stock incentives with new stock incentives having more favorable terms.

On matters relating to corporate transactions, the Adviser will vote proxies relating to proposed mergers, capital reorganizations, and similar transactions in accordance with the general policy, based upon its analysis of the proposed transaction. The Adviser will vote proxies in contested elections of directors in accordance with the general policy, based upon its analysis of the opposing slates and their respective proposed business strategies. Some transactions may also involve proposed changes to the company's corporate governance, capital structure or management compensation. The Adviser will vote on such changes based on its evaluation of the proposed transaction or contested election. In these circumstances, the Adviser may vote in a manner contrary to the general practice for similar proposals made outside the context of such a proposed transaction or change in the board. For example, if the Adviser decides to vote against a proposed transaction, it may vote for anti-takeover measures reasonably designed to prevent the transaction, even though the Adviser typically votes against such measures in other contexts.

The Adviser generally votes against proposals submitted by shareholders without the favorable recommendation of a company's board. The Adviser believes that a company's board should manage its business and policies, and that shareholders who seek specific changes should strive to convince the board of their merits or seek direct representation on the board.

In addition, the Adviser will not vote if it determines that the consequences or costs outweigh the potential benefit of voting. For example, if a foreign market requires shareholders casting proxies to retain the voted shares until the meeting date (thereby rendering the shares "illiquid" for some period of time), the Adviser will not vote proxies for such shares.

Proxy Voting Procedures
The Adviser has established a Proxy Voting Committee (Proxy Committee), to exercise all voting discretion granted to the Adviser by the Board in accordance with the proxy voting policies. The Adviser has hired Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) to obtain, vote, and record proxies in accordance with the Proxy Committee's directions. The Proxy Committee directs ISS by means of Proxy Voting Guidelines, and ISS may vote any proxy as directed in the Proxy Voting Guidelines without further direction from the Proxy Committee (and may make any determinations required to implement the Proxy Voting Guidelines). However, if the Proxy Voting Guidelines require case-by-case direction for a proposal, ISS will provide the Proxy Committee with all information that it has obtained regarding the proposal and the Proxy Committee will provide specific direction to ISS. The Adviser's proxy voting procedures generally permit the Proxy Committee to amend the Proxy Voting Guidelines, or override the directions provided in such Guidelines, whenever necessary to comply with the proxy voting policies.

 

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Conflicts of Interest
The Adviser has adopted procedures to address situations where a matter on which a proxy is sought may present a potential conflict between the interests of the Fund (and its shareholders) and those of the Adviser or Distributor. This may occur where a significant business relationship exists between the Adviser (or its affiliates) and a company involved with a proxy vote. A company that is a proponent, opponent, or the subject of a proxy vote, and which to the knowledge of the Proxy Committee has this type of significant business relationship, is referred to as an "Interested Company."

The Adviser has implemented the following procedures in order to avoid concerns that the conflicting interests of the Adviser have influenced proxy votes. Any employee of the Adviser who is contacted by an Interested Company regarding proxies to be voted by the Adviser must refer the Interested Company to a member of the Proxy Committee, and must inform the Interested Company that the Proxy Committee has exclusive authority to determine how the Adviser will vote. Any Proxy Committee member contacted by an Interested Company must report it to the full Proxy Committee and provide a written summary of the communication. Under no circumstances will the Proxy Committee or any member of the Proxy Committee make a commitment to an Interested Company regarding the voting of proxies or disclose to an Interested Company how the Proxy Committee has directed such proxies to be voted. If the Proxy Voting Guidelines already provide specific direction on the proposal in question, the Proxy Committee shall not alter or amend such directions. If the Proxy Voting Guidelines require the Proxy Committee to provide further direction, the Proxy Committee shall do so in accordance with the proxy voting policies, without regard for the interests of the Adviser with respect to the Interested Company. If the Proxy Committee provides any direction as to the voting of proxies relating to a proposal affecting an Interested Company, it must disclose to the Fund's Board information regarding: the significant business relationship; any material communication with the Interested Company; the matter(s) voted on; and how, and why, the Adviser voted as it did.

If the Fund holds shares of another investment company for which the Adviser (or an affiliate) acts as an investment adviser, the Proxy Committee will vote the Fund's proxies in the same proportion as the votes cast by shareholders who are not clients of the Adviser at any shareholders' meeting called by such investment company, unless otherwise directed by the Board.

First Trust Advisors L.P.

First Trust Advisors L.P. (the "Adviser") serves as investment adviser providing discretionary investment advisory services for several open or closed-end investment companies (the "Funds"). As part of these services, the Adviser has full responsibility for proxy voting and related duties. In fulfilling these duties, the Adviser and Funds have adopted the following policies and procedures:

1. It is the Adviser's policy to seek to ensure that proxies for securities held by a Fund are voted consistently and solely in the best economic interests of the respective Fund.
2. The Adviser shall be responsible for the oversight of a Fund's proxy voting process and shall assign a senior member of its staff to be responsible for this oversight.
3. The Adviser has engaged the services of Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. ("ISS") to make recommendations to the Adviser on the voting of proxies related to securities held by a Fund. ISS provides voting recommendations based on established guidelines and practices. The Adviser has adopted these ISS Proxy Voting Guidelines.
4. The Adviser shall review the ISS recommendations and generally will vote the proxies in accordance with such recommendations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Adviser may not vote in accordance with the ISS recommendations if the Adviser believes that the specific ISS recommendation is not in the best interests of the respective Fund.
5. If the Adviser manages the assets or pension fund of a company and any of the Adviser's clients hold any securities in that company, the Adviser will vote proxies relating to such company's securities in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid any conflict of interest. In addition, if the Adviser has actual knowledge of any other type of material conflict of interest between itself and the respective Fund with respect to the voting of a proxy, the Adviser shall vote the applicable proxy in accordance with the ISS recommendations to avoid such conflict of interest.
6. If a Fund requests the Adviser to follow specific voting guidelines or additional guidelines, the Adviser shall review the request and follow such guidelines, unless the Adviser determines that it is unable to follow such guidelines. In such case, the Adviser shall inform the Fund that it is not able to follow the Fund's request.
7. The Adviser may have clients in addition to the Funds which have provided the Adviser with discretionary authority to vote proxies on their behalf. In such cases, the Adviser shall follow the same policies and procedures.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.
GOLDMAN SACHS FUNDS DESCRIPTION OF PROXY VOTING POLICY

Goldman Sachs Trust and Goldman Sachs Variable Insurance Trust, on behalf of the Goldman Sachs Funds (the "Funds"), have

 

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delegated the voting of portfolio securities to Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. and Goldman Sachs Asset Management International (collectively the "Investment Adviser"). The Investment Adviser has adopted policies and procedures (the "Policy") for the voting of proxies on behalf of client accounts for which the Investment Adviser has voting discretion, including the Funds. Under the Policy, the Investment Advisers' guiding principles in performing proxy voting are to make decisions that: (i) favor proposals that tend to maximize a company's shareholder value; and (ii) are not influenced by conflicts of interest. These principles reflect the Investment Adviser's belief that sound corporate governance will create a framework within which a company can be managed in the interests of its shareholders.

The principles and positions reflected in the Policy are designed to guide the Investment Adviser in voting proxies, and not necessarily in making investment decisions. Senior management of the Investment Adviser will periodically review the Policy to ensure that it continues to be consistent with the Investment Adviser's guiding principles.

Public Equity Investments. To implement these guiding principles for investments in publicly-traded equities, the Investment Adviser follows proxy voting guidelines (the "Guidelines") developed by Institutional Shareholder Services ("ISS"), except in certain circumstances, which are generally described below. The Guidelines embody the positions and factors the Investment Adviser generally considers important in casting proxy votes. They address a wide variety of individual topics, including, among others, shareholder voting rights, anti-takeover defenses, board structures, the election of directors, executive and director compensation, reorganizations, mergers, and various shareholder proposals.

ISS has been retained to review proxy proposals and make voting recommendations in accordance with the Guidelines. While it is the Investment Adviser's policy generally to follow the Guidelines and recommendations from ISS, the Investment Adviser's portfolio management teams ("Portfolio Management Teams") retain the authority on any particular proxy vote to vote differently from the Guidelines or a related ISS recommendation, in keeping with their different investment philosophies and processes. Such decisions, however, remain subject to a review and approval process, including a determination that the decision is not influenced by any conflict of interest. In forming their views on particular matters, the Portfolio Management Teams are also permitted to consider applicable regional rules and practices, including codes of conduct and other guides, regarding proxy voting, in addition to the Guidelines and recommendations from ISS.

In addition to assisting the Investment Adviser in developing substantive proxy voting positions, ISS also updates and revises the Guidelines on a periodic basis, and the revisions are reviewed by the Investment Adviser to determine whether they are consistent with the Investment Adviser's guiding principles. ISS also assists the Investment Adviser in the proxy voting process by providing operational, recordkeeping and reporting services.

The Investment Adviser is responsible for reviewing its relationship with ISS and for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of the various services provided by ISS. The Investment Adviser may hire other service providers to replace or supplement ISS with respect to any of the services the Investment Adviser currently receives from ISS.

The Investment Adviser has implemented procedures that are intended to prevent conflicts of interest from influencing proxy voting decisions. These procedures include the Investment Adviser's use of ISS as an independent third party, a review and approval process for individual decisions that do not follow ISS's recommendations, and the establishment of information barriers between the Investment Adviser and other businesses within The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

Fixed Income and Private Investments. Voting decisions with respect to fixed income securities and the securities of privately held issuers generally will be made by a Fund's managers based on their assessment of the particular transactions or other matters at issue.

Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC

Proxy Voting Summary

Generally, and except to the extent that a client otherwise instructs Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management, LLC ("HWCM") in writing, HWCM will vote (by proxy or otherwise) in all matters for which a shareholder vote is solicited by, or with respect to, issuers of securities beneficially held in client accounts in such manner as HWCM deems appropriate in accordance with its written policies and procedures. These policies and procedures set forth guidelines for voting typical proxy proposals. However, each proxy issue will be considered individually in order that HWCM may consider what would be in its clients' best interest. Further, where a proxy proposal raises a material conflict of interest between the interests of HWCM and its client, HWCM will vote according to its predetermined specific policy. The Compliance Department will review the vote to determine that the decision was based on the client's best interest rather than the best interest of the HWCM. HWCM may determine not to vote proxies in respect of securities of

 

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any issuer if it determines that it would be in the clients' overall best interest not to vote under the circumstances, such as when the cost of voting exceeds the expected benefit. For example, to the extent that HWCM receives proxies for securities that are transferred into a client's portfolio that were not recommended or selected by HWCM and are sold or expected to be sold promptly in an orderly manner ("legacy securities"), HWCM will generally refrain from voting such proxies. In such circumstances, since legacy securities are expected to be sold promptly, voting proxies on such securities would not further HWCM's interest in maximizing the value of client investments. HWCM may consider an institutional client's special request to vote a legacy security proxy, and if agreed would vote such proxy in accordance with HWCM's guidelines. If HWCM is authorized to exercise proxy voting rights for a client account, HWCM will vote the proxies for securities beneficially held by the custodian for the portfolio as of the record date of the shareholder meetings (settlement date). Securities not held by the custodian as of the record date (e.g., due to an unsettled purchase or securities lending) will not be voted by HWCM.

HWCM utilizes a third party service provider to provide administrative assistance in connection with the voting of proxies, including certain record keeping and reporting functions.

J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc.

PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

The Board of Trustees has delegated to JPMIM proxy voting authority with respect to the fund's portfolio securities. To ensure that the proxies of portfolio companies are voted in the best interests of the fund, the fund's Board of Trustees has adopted JPMIM's detailed proxy voting procedures (the "Procedures") that incorporate guidelines ("Guidelines") for voting proxies on specific types of issues.

JPMIM is part of a global asset management organization with the capability to invest in securities of issuers located around the globe. Because the regulatory framework and the business cultures and practices vary from region to region, the Guidelines are customized for each region to take into account such variations. Separate Guidelines cover the regions of (1) North America, (2) Europe, Middle East, Africa, Central America and South America, (3) Asia (ex-Japan) and (4) Japan, respectively.

Notwithstanding the variations among the Guidelines, all of the Guidelines have been designed with the uniform objective of encouraging corporate action that enhances shareholder value. As a general rule, in voting proxies of a particular security, JPMIM will apply the Guidelines of the region in which the issuer of such security is organized. Except as noted below, proxy voting decisions will be made in accordance with the Guidelines covering a multitude of both routine and non-routine matters that JPMIM has encountered globally, based on many years of collective investment management experience.

To oversee and monitor the proxy-voting process, JPMIM has established a proxy committee and appointed a proxy administrator in each global location where proxies are voted. The primary function of each proxy committee is to review periodically general proxy-voting matters, review and approve the Guidelines annually, and provide advice and recommendations on general proxy-voting matters as well as on specific voting issues. The procedures permit an independent voting service, currently Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. ("ISS") in the United States, to perform certain services otherwise carried out or coordinated by the proxy administrator.

Although for many matters the Guidelines specify the votes to be cast, for many others, the Guidelines contemplate case-by-case determinations. In addition, there will undoubtedly be proxy matters that are not contemplated by the Guidelines. For both of these categories of matters and to override the Guidelines, the Procedures require a certification and review process to be completed before the vote is cast. That process is designed to identify actual or potential material conflicts of interest (between the fund on the one hand, and the fund's sub-adviser, principal underwriter or an affiliate of any of the foregoing, on the other hand) and ensure that the proxy vote is cast in the best interests of the fund. When a potential material conflict of interest has been identified, the proxy administrator and a subgroup of proxy committee members (composed of a member from the Investment Department and one or more members from the Legal, Compliance or Risk Management Departments) will evaluate the potential conflict of interest and determine whether such conflict actually exists, and if so, will recommend how JPMIM will vote the proxy. In addressing any material conflict, JPMIM may take one or more of the following measures (or other appropriate action): removing or "walling off" from the proxy voting process certain JPMIM personnel with knowledge of the conflict, voting in accordance with any applicable Guideline if the application of the Guideline would objectively result in the casting of a proxy vote in a predetermined manner, or deferring the vote to ISS, which will vote in accordance with its own recommendation.

The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the non-U.S. Guidelines:

- Corporate governance procedures differ among the countries. Because of time constraints and local customs, it is not always possible for JPMIM to receive and review all proxy materials in connection with each item submitted for a vote. Many proxy

 

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statements are in foreign languages. Proxy materials are generally mailed by the issuer to the sub-custodian which holds the securities for the client in the country where the portfolio company is organized, and there may not be sufficient time for such materials to be transmitted to JPMIM in time for a vote to be cast. In some countries, proxy statements are not mailed at all, and in some locations, the deadline for voting is two to four days after the initial announcement that a vote is to be solicited. JPMIM also considers the cost of voting in light of the expected benefit of the vote.

- Where proxy issues concern corporate governance, takeover defense measures, compensation plans, capital structure changes and so forth, JPMIM pays particular attention to management's arguments for promoting the prospective change JPMIM's sole criterion in determining its voting stance is whether such changes will be to the economic benefit of the beneficial owners of the shares.

- JPMIM is in favor of a unitary board structure of the type found in the United Kingdom as opposed to tiered board structures. Thus, JPMIM will generally vote to encourage the gradual phasing out of tiered board structures, in favor of unitary boards. However, since tiered boards are still very prevalent in markets outside of the United Kingdom, local market practice will always be taken into account.

- JPMIM will use its voting powers to encourage appropriate levels of board independence, taking into account local market practice.

- JPMIM will usually vote against discharging the board from responsibility in cases of pending litigation, or if there is evidence of wrongdoing for which the board must be held accountable.

- JPMIM will vote in favor of increases in capital which enhance a company's long-term prospects. JPMIM will also vote in favor of the partial suspension of preemptive rights if they are for purely technical reasons (e.g., rights offers which may not be legally offered to shareholders in certain jurisdictions). However, JPMIM will vote against increases in capital which would allow the company to adopt "poison pill" takeover defense tactics, or where the increase in authorized capital would dilute shareholder value in the long term.

- JPMIM will vote in favor of proposals which will enhance a company's long-term prospects. JPMIM will vote against an increase in bank borrowing powers which would result in the company reaching an unacceptable level of financial leverage, where such borrowing is expressly intended as part of a takeover defense, or where there is a material reduction in shareholder value.

- JPMIM reviews shareholder rights plans and poison pill proposals on a case-by-case basis; however, JPMIM will generally vote against such proposals and vote for revoking existing plans.

- Where social or environmental issues are the subject of a proxy vote, JPMIM will consider the issue on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind at all times the best economic interests of its clients.

- With respect to Asia, for routine proxies (e.g., in respect of voting at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders) JPMIM's position is to neither vote in favor or against. For Extraordinary General Meetings of Shareholders, however, where specific issues are put to a shareholder vote, these issues are analyzed by the respective country specialist concerned. A decision is then made based on his or her judgment.

The following summarizes some of the more noteworthy types of proxy voting policies of the U.S. Guidelines:


- JPMIM considers votes on director nominees on a case-by-case basis. Votes generally will be withheld from directors who: (a) attend less than 75% of board and committee meetings without a valid excuse; (b) implement or renew a dead-hand poison pill; (c) are affiliated directors who serve on audit, compensation or nominating committees or are affiliated directors and the full board serves on such committees or the company does not have such committees; or (d) ignore a shareholder proposal that is approved for two consecutive years by a majority of either the shares outstanding or the votes cast.

- JPMIM votes proposals to classify boards on a case-by-case basis, but will vote in favor of such proposal if the issuer's governing documents contain each of eight enumerated safeguards (for example, a majority of the board is composed of independent directors and the nominating committee is composed solely of such directors).

- JPMIM also considers management poison pill proposals on a case-by-case basis, looking for shareholder-friendly provisions before voting in favor.

 

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- JPMIM votes against proposals for a super-majority vote to approve a merger.

- JPMIM considers proposals to increase common and/or preferred shares and to issue shares as part of a debt restructuring plan on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the extent of dilution and whether the transaction will result in a change in control.

- JPMIM votes proposals on a stock option plan based primarily on a detailed, quantitative analysis that takes into account factors such as estimated dilution to shareholders' equity and dilution to voting power. JPMIM generally considers other management compensation proposals on a case-by-case basis.

- JPMIM also considers on a case-by-case basis proposals to change an issuer's state of incorporation, mergers and acquisitions and other corporate restructuring proposals and certain social and environmental issue proposals.

Lee Munder Investments, Ltd.

Voting Guidelines for the Lee Munder Investments, Ltd (the "Firm") are outlined below and generally seek to maximize shareholder value.

Board of Directors : Our investment strategies seek to favor companies in which we believe there is positive growth potential or other attributes. We generally do not take positions in companies with the intent of effecting change. As a result, we would normally vote in favor of the Board slate presented. However, there are some actions by directors that would result in votes being withheld. These instances may include: unsatisfactory attendance; actions that appear to not be in the best interests of shareholders, including implementation of poison pills, ignoring a shareholder proposal that is approved by a majority of the shares outstanding, failing to act on takeover offers where the majority of the shareholders have tendered their shares; where such directors are inside directors and the inside directors represent a large percentage of the board, and may also sit on the audit, compensation, or nominating committees; directors who enacted egregious corporate governance polices or fail to replace management as appropriate would be subject to recommendations to withhold votes. Auditors : We would generally vote in favor of the Board recommendation, unless an auditor has financial interest in or association with the company, and is therefore not independent; or there is reason to believe that the independent auditor has rendered an opinion that is neither accurate nor indicative of the company's financial position. Option plans : Option plans are generally reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The major factor we consider is dilution (no more than 10%-12%), although reload and re-pricing options also factor in (which we do not support either). We will also consider the shareholder cost of the plan. Employee stock purchase plans : We would review on a case-by-case basis, however, pricing is an important factor, where in general we would support a purchase price at least 85 percent of fair market value. We would vote against proposals to eliminate cumulative voting. Vote for proposals to restore or permit cumulative voting on a case-by-case basis relative to the company's other governance provisions. We would vote against proposals to classify the board and vote for proposals to repeal classified boards and to elect all directors annually. We would vote against open-ended "any other business". Mergers and Corporate restructuring : Would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Other Proposals : Generally reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Shareholder proposals : Would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Conflicts of Interest : Could exist when the Firm holds a security issued by a client in client portfolios, and the Firm is required to vote that security. When there is a potential conflict with a client the Firm will look to these Guidelines and the ISS recommendation for voting guidance.

Lord, Abbett, & Co. LLC

Lord Abbett has a Proxy Committee responsible for establishing voting policies and for the oversight of its proxy voting process. Lord Abbett's Proxy Committee consists of the portfolio managers of each investment team and certain members of those teams, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Investment Department, the Firm's Chief Investment Officer and its General Counsel. Once policy is established, it is the responsibility of each investment team leader to assure that each proxy for that team's portfolio is voted in a timely manner in accordance with those policies. In each case where an investment team declines to follow a recommendation of a company's management, a detailed explanation of the reason(s) for the decision is entered into the proxy voting system. Lord Abbett has retained RiskMetrics Group, formerly Institutional Shareholder Services ("RMG"), to analyze proxy issues and recommend voting on those issues, and to provide assistance in the administration of the proxy process, including maintaining complete proxy voting records.

The Boards of Directors of each of the Lord Abbett Mutual Funds established several years ago a Proxy Committee, composed solely of independent directors. The Funds' Proxy Committee Charter provides that the Committee shall (i) monitor the actions of Lord Abbett in voting securities owned by the Funds; (ii) evaluate the policies of Lord Abbett in voting securities; (iii) meet with Lord Abbett to review the policies in voting securities, the sources of information used in determining how to vote on particular matters, and the procedures used to determine the votes in any situation where there may be a conflict of interest.

 

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Lord Abbett is a privately-held firm, and we conduct only one business: we manage the investment portfolios of our clients. We are not part of a larger group of companies conducting diverse financial operations. We would therefore expect, based on our past experience, that the incidence of an actual conflict of interest involving Lord Abbett's proxy voting process would be limited. Nevertheless, if a potential conflict of interest were to arise, involving one or more of the Lord Abbett Funds, where practicable we would disclose this potential conflict to the affected Funds' Proxy Committees and seek voting instructions from those Committees in accordance with the procedures described below under "Specific Procedures for Potential Conflict Situations". If it were not practicable to seek instructions from those Committees, Lord Abbett would simply follow its proxy voting policies or, if the particular issue were not covered by those policies, we would follow a recommendation of RMG. If such a conflict arose with any other client, Lord Abbett would simply follow its proxy voting policies or, if the particular issue were not covered by those policies, we would follow the recommendation of RMG.

SPECIFIC PROCEDURES FOR POTENTIAL CONFLICT SITUATIONS

Situation 1. Fund Independent Board Member on Board (or Nominee for Election to Board) of Publicly Held Company Owned by a Lord Abbett Fund.

Lord Abbett will compile a list of all publicly held companies where an Independent Board Member serves on the board of directors, or has indicated to Lord Abbett that he is a nominee for election to the board of directors (a "Fund Director Company"). If a Lord Abbett Fund owns stock in a Fund Director Company, and if Lord Abbett has decided not to follow the proxy voting recommendation of RMG, then Lord Abbett shall bring that issue to the Fund's Proxy Committee for instructions on how to vote that proxy issue.

The Independent Directors have decided that the Director on the board of the Fund Director Company will not participate in any discussion by the Fund's Proxy Committee of any proxy issue for that Fund Director Company or in the voting instruction given to Lord Abbett.

Situation 2. Lord Abbett has a Significant Business Relationship with a Company.

Lord Abbett will compile a list of all publicly held companies (or which are a subsidiary of a publicly held firm) that have a significant business relationship with Lord Abbett (a "Relationship Firm"). A "significant business relationship" for this purpose means: (a) a broker dealer firm which sells one percent or more of the Lord Abbett Funds' total (i.e., gross) dollar amount of shares sold for the last 12 months; (b) a firm which is a sponsor firm with respect to Lord Abbett's Separately Managed Account business; (c) an institutional client which has an investment management agreement with Lord Abbett; (d) an institutional investor having at least $5 million in Class I shares of the Lord Abbett Funds; and (e) a large plan 401(k) client with at least $5 million under management with Lord Abbett.

For each proxy issue involving a Relationship Firm, Lord Abbett shall notify the Fund's Proxy Committee and shall seek voting instructions from the Fund's Proxy Committee only in those situations where Lord Abbett has proposed not to follow the recommendations of RMG.

SUMMARY OF PROXY VOTING GUIDELINES

Lord Abbett generally votes in accordance with management's recommendations on the election of directors, appointment of independent auditors, changes to the authorized capitalization (barring excessive increases) and most shareholder proposals. This policy is based on the premise that a broad vote of confidence on such matters is due the management of any company whose shares we are willing to hold.

Election of Directors

Lord Abbett will generally vote in accordance with management's recommendations on the election of directors. However, votes on director nominees are made on a case-by- case basis. Factors that are considered include current composition of the board and key- board nominees, long-term company performance relative to a market index, and the directors' investment in the company. We also consider whether the Chairman of the board is also serving as CEO, and whether a retired CEO sits on the board, as these situations may create inherent conflicts of interest. We generally will vote in favor of separation of the Chairman and CEO functions when management supports such a requirement, but we will make our determination to vote in favor of or against such a proposed requirement on a case-by-case basis.

There are some actions by directors that may result in votes being withheld. These actions include, but are not limited to:

 

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1) Attending less than 75% of board and committee meetings without a valid excuse.
2) Ignoring shareholder proposals that are approved by a majority of votes for two consecutive years.
3) Failing to act on takeover offers where a majority of shareholders tendered their shares.
4) Serving as inside directors and sit on an audit, compensation, stock option, nominating or governance committee.
5) Failing to replace management as appropriate.

We will generally vote in favor of proposals requiring that directors be elected by a majority of the shares represented and voting at a meeting at which a quorum is present, although special considerations in individual cases may cause us to vote against such a proposal. We also will generally approve proposals to elect directors annually. The ability to elect directors is the single most important use of the shareholder franchise, and all directors should be accountable on an annual basis. The basic premise of the staggered election of directors is to provide a continuity of experience on the board and to prevent a precipitous change in the composition of the board. Although shareholders need some form of protection from hostile takeover attempts, and boards need tools and leverage in order to negotiate effectively with potential acquirers, a classified board tips the balance of power too much toward incumbent management at the price of potentially ignoring shareholder interests.

Incentive Compensation Plans

We usually vote with management regarding employee incentive plans and changes in such plans, but these issues are looked at very closely on a case-by-case basis. We use RMG for guidance on appropriate compensation ranges for various industries and company sizes. In addition to considering the individual expertise of management and the value they bring to the company, we also consider the costs associated with stock-based incentive packages including shareholder value transfer and voting power dilution.

We scrutinize very closely the approval of repricing or replacing underwater stock options, taking into consideration the following:

1) The stock's volatility, to ensure the stock price will not be back in the money over the near term.
2) Management's rationale for why the repricing is necessary.
3) The new exercise price, which must be set at a premium to market price to ensure proper employee motivation.
4) Other factors, such as the number of participants, term of option, and the value for value exchange.

In large-cap companies we would generally vote against plans that promoted short-term performance at the expense of longer-term objectives. Dilution, either actual or potential, is, of course, a major consideration in reviewing all incentive plans. Team leaders in small- and mid-cap companies often view option plans and other employee incentive plans as a critical component of such companies' compensation structure, and have discretion to approve such plans, notwithstanding dilution concerns.

Shareholder Rights

Cumulative Voting
We generally oppose cumulative voting proposals on the ground that a shareowner or special group electing a director by cumulative voting may seek to have that director represent a narrow special interest rather than the interests of the shareholders as a whole.

Confidential Voting
There are both advantages and disadvantages to a confidential ballot. Under the open voting system, any shareholder that desires anonymity may register the shares in the name of a bank, a broker or some other nominee. A confidential ballot may tend to preclude any opportunity for the board to communicate with those who oppose management proposals.

On balance we believe shareholder proposals regarding confidential balloting should generally be approved, unless in a specific case, countervailing arguments appear compelling.

Supermajority Voting
Supermajority provisions violate the principle that a simple majority of voting shares should be all that is necessary to effect change regarding a company and its corporate governance provisions. Requiring more than this may permit management to entrench themselves by blocking amendments that are in the best interest of shareholders.

Takeover Issues
Votes on mergers and acquisitions must be considered on a case-by-case basis. The voting decision should depend on a number of factors, including: anticipated financial and operating benefits, the offer price, prospects of the combined companies, changes in corporate governance and their impact on shareholder rights. It is our policy to vote against management proposals to require supermajority shareholder vote to approve mergers and other significant business combinations, and to vote for shareholder

 

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proposals to lower supermajority vote requirements for mergers and acquisitions. We are also opposed to amendments that attempt to eliminate shareholder approval for acquisitions involving the issuance of more than 10% of the company's voting stock. Restructuring proposals will also be evaluated on a case-by-case basis following the same guidelines as those used for mergers.

Among the more important issues that we support, as long as they are not tied in with other measures that clearly entrench management, are:

1) Anti-greenmail provisions, which prohibit management from buying back shares at above market prices from potential suitors without shareholder approval.
2) Fair Price Amendments, to protect shareholders from inequitable two-tier stock acquisition offers.
3) Shareholder Rights Plans (so-called "Poison Pills"), usually "blank check" preferred and other classes of voting securities that can be issued without further shareholder approval. However, we look at these proposals on a case-by-case basis, and we only approve these devices when proposed by companies with strong, effective managements to force corporate raiders to negotiate with management and assure a degree of stability that will support good long-range corporate goals. We vote for shareholder proposals asking that a company submit its poison pill for shareholder ratification.
4) "Chewable Pill" provisions, are the preferred form of Shareholder Rights Plan. These provisions allow the shareholders a secondary option when the Board refuses to withdraw a poison pill against a majority shareholder vote. To strike a balance of power between management and the shareholder, ideally "Chewable Pill" provisions should embody the following attributes, allowing sufficient flexibility to maximize shareholder wealth when employing a poison pill in negotiations:

  • Redemption Clause allowing the board to rescind a pill after a potential acquirer has surpassed the ownership threshold.

  • No dead-hand or no-hand pills.

  • Sunset Provisions which allow the shareholders to review, and reaffirm or redeem a pill after a predetermined time frame.

  • Qualifying Offer Clause which gives shareholders the ability to redeem a poison pill when faced with a bona fide takeover offer.

Social Issues

It is our general policy to vote as management recommends on social issues, unless we feel that voting otherwise will enhance the value of our holdings. We recognize that highly ethical and competent managements occasionally differ on such matters, and so we review the more controversial issues closely.

LSV Asset Management

LSV Asset Management ("LSV") has adopted proxy voting guidelines that provide direction in determining how various types of proxy issues are to be voted.

LSV's purely quantitative investment process does not provide output or analysis that would be functional in analyzing proxy issues. LSV therefore will retain an independent, expert third party, currently Risk Metrics Group ("RMG") formerly Institutional Shareholder Services. RMG will implement LSV's proxy voting process, provide assistance in developing guidelines for client accounts that are updated for current corporate governance issues, helping to ensure that clients' best interests are served by voting decisions, and provide analysis of proxy issues on a case-by-case basis. LSV is responsible for monitoring RMG to ensure that proxies are adequately voted. LSV will vote issues contrary to, or issues not covered by, the guidelines only when LSV believes it is in the best interest of the client. Where the client has provided proxy voting guidelines to LSV, those guidelines will be followed, unless it is determined that a different vote would add more value to the client's holding of the security in question. Direction from a client on a particular proxy vote will take precedence over the guidelines. Clients are sent a copy of their respective guidelines on an annual basis. LSV's use of RMG is not a delegation of LSV's fiduciary obligation to vote proxies for clients.

Should a material conflict arise between LSV's interest and that of its clients (e.g., a client bringing a shareholder action has solicited LSV's support; LSV manages a pension plan for a company whose management is soliciting proxies; or an LSV employee has a relative involved in management at an investee company), LSV will vote the proxies in accordance with the recommendation of the independent third party proxy voting service. A written record will be maintained describing the conflict of interest, and an explanation of how the vote taken was in the client's best interest.

LSV may refrain from voting a proxy if the cost of voting the proxy exceeds the expected benefit to the client, for example in the case of voting a foreign security when the proxy must be translated into English or the vote must be cast in person.

Clients may receive a copy of LSV's voting record for their account by request. LSV will additionally provide any mutual fund for which LSV acts as adviser or sub-adviser, a copy of LSV's voting record for the fund so that the fund may fulfill its obligation to report proxy votes to fund shareholders.

 

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Recordkeeping. In accordance with the recordkeeping rules, LSV will retain copies of its proxy voting policies and procedures; a copy of each proxy statement received regarding client securities (maintained by the proxy voting service and/or available on EDGAR); a record of each vote cast on behalf of a client (maintained by the proxy voting service); a copy of any document created that was material to the voting decision or that memorializes the basis for that decision (maintained by the proxy voting service); a copy of clients' written requests for proxy voting information and a copy of LSV's written response to a client's request for proxy voting information for the client's account; and LSV will ensure that it may obtain access to the proxy voting service's records promptly upon LSV's request.

Marsico Capital Management, LLC

MARSICO CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, LLC PROXY VOTING POLICY AND PROCEDURES
Statement of Policy
1. It is the policy of Marsico Capital Management, LLC ("MCM") to seek to vote or otherwise process, such as by a decision to abstain from voting or to take no action on, proxies over which it has voting authority in the best interests of MCM's clients, as summarized here.


- MCM's security analysts generally review proxy proposals as part of their monitoring of portfolio companies. Under MCM's investment discipline, one of the qualities that MCM generally seeks in companies selected for client portfolios is good management teams that generally seek to serve shareholder interests. Because MCM believes that the management teams of most companies it invests in generally seek to serve shareholder interests, MCM believes that voting proxy proposals in clients' best economic interests usually means voting with the recommendations of these management teams (including their boards of directors).


- In certain circumstances, MCM's vote-by-vote analysis of proxy proposals could lead it to conclude that particular management recommendations may not appear as closely aligned with shareholder interests as MCM may deem desirable, or could be disregarded in the best interests of shareholders. In those and other circumstances, MCM may, in its sole discretion, vote against a management recommendation based on its analysis if such a vote appears consistent with the best interests of clients.


- MCM may process certain proxies without voting them, such as by making a decision to abstain from voting or take no action on such proxies (or on certain proposals within such proxies). Examples include, without limitation, proxies issued by companies that MCM has decided to sell, proxies issued for securities that MCM did not select for a client portfolio (such as, without limitation, securities that were selected by the client or by a previous adviser, unsupervised securities held in a client's account, money market securities, or other securities selected by clients or their representatives other than MCM), or proxies issued by foreign companies that impose burdensome or unreasonable voting, power of attorney, or holding requirements. MCM also may abstain from voting, or take no action on, proxies in other circumstances, such as when voting may not be in the best interests of clients, as an alternative to voting with (or against) management, or when voting may be unduly burdensome or expensive.

- In circumstances when there may be an apparent material conflict of interest between MCM's interests and clients' interests in how proxies are voted (such as when MCM knows that a proxy issuer is also an MCM client), MCM generally will resolve any appearance concerns by causing those proxies to be "echo voted" or "mirror voted" in the same proportion as other votes, or by voting the proxies as recommended by an independent service provider. In other cases, MCM might use other procedures to resolve an apparent material conflict.

- MCM may use an independent service provider to help vote proxies, keep voting records, and disclose voting information to clients. MCM's Proxy Voting policy and reports describing the voting of a client's proxies are available to the client on request.

- MCM seeks to ensure that, to the extent reasonably feasible, proxies for which MCM receives ballots in good order and receives timely notice will be voted or otherwise processed (such as through a decision to abstain or take no action) as intended under MCM's Proxy Voting policy and procedures. MCM may be unable to vote or otherwise process proxy ballotsthat are not received or processedin a timely manner due tofunctional limitations of the proxy voting system, custodial limitations, or other factors beyond MCM's control. Such ballots may include, without limitation,ballots for securities out on loan under securities lending programs initiated by the client or its custodian, ballots not timely forwarded by a custodian,or ballots for which MCM does not receive timely notice from a proxy voting service provider of factors such as the proxy proposal itself or modifications to the required vote cast date.

 

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Massachusetts Financial Services Company (MFS)

Massachusetts Financial Services Company, MFS Institutional Advisors, Inc., MFS International (UK) Limited, MFS Heritage Trust Company, and MFS' other investment adviser subsidiaries (except Four Pillars Capital, Inc.) (collectively, "MFS") have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures, as set forth below ("MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures"), with respect to securities owned by the clients for which MFS serves as investment adviser and has the power to vote proxies, including the registered investment companies sponsored by MFS, other than the MFS Union Standard Equity Fund (the "MFS Funds"). References to "clients" in these policies and procedures include the MFS Funds and other clients of MFS, such as funds organized offshore, sub-advised funds and separate account clients, to the extent these clients have delegated to MFS the responsibility to vote proxies on their behalf under the MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.

The MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures include:
A. Voting Guidelines;
B. Administrative Procedures;
C. Monitoring System;
D. Records Retention; and
E. Reports.

A. VOTING GUIDELINES
1. General Policy; Potential Conflicts of Interest
MFS' policy is that proxy voting decisions are made in what MFS believes to be the best long-term economic interests of MFS' clients, and not in the interests of any other party or in MFS' corporate interests, including interests such as the distribution of MFS Fund shares, administration of 401(k) plans, and institutional relationships.

In developing these proxy voting guidelines, MFS periodically reviews corporate governance issues and proxy voting matters that are presented for shareholder vote by either management or shareholders of public companies. Based on the overall principle that all votes cast by MFS on behalf of its clients must be in what MFS believes to be the best long-term economic interests of such clients, MFS has adopted proxy voting guidelines, set forth below, that govern how MFS generally will vote on specific matters presented for shareholder vote. In all cases, MFS will exercise its discretion in voting on these matters in accordance with this overall principle. In other words, the underlying guidelines are simply that – guidelines. Proxy items of significance are often considered on a case-by-case basis, in light of all relevant facts and circumstances, and in certain cases MFS may vote proxies in a manner different from what otherwise be dictated by these guidelines.

As a general matter, MFS maintains a consistent voting position on similar proxy proposals with respect to various issuers. In addition, MFS generally votes consistently on the same matter when securities of an issuer are held by multiple client accounts. However, MFS recognizes that there are gradations in certain types of proposals that might result in different voting positions being taken with respect to different proxy statements. There also may be situations involving matters presented for shareholder vote that are not governed by the guidelines or situations where MFS has received explicit voting instructions from a client for its own account. Some items that otherwise would be acceptable will be voted against the proponent when it is seeking extremely broad flexibility without offering a valid explanation. MFS reserves the right to override the guidelines with respect to a particular shareholder vote when such an override is, in MFS' best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of MFS' clients.

From time to time, MFS receives comments on these guidelines as well as regarding particular voting issues from its clients. These comments are carefully considered by MFS when it reviews these guidelines each year and revises them as appropriate.

These policies and procedures are intended to address any potential material conflicts of interest on the part of MFS or its subsidiaries that are likely to arise in connection with the voting of proxies on behalf of MFS' clients. If such potential material conflicts of interest do arise, MFS will analyze, document and report on such potential material conflicts of interest (see Sections B.2 and E below), and shall ultimately vote the relevant proxies in what MFS believes to be the best long-term economic interests of its clients. The MFS Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for monitoring and reporting with respect to such potential material conflicts of interest.

2. MFS' Policy on Specific Issues
Election of Directors

MFS believes that good governance should be based on a board with at least a simple majority of directors who are "independent" of management, and whose key committees (e.g., compensation, nominating, and audit committees) are comprised entirely of "independent" directors. While MFS generally supports the board's nominees in uncontested elections, we will withhold our vote for,

 

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or vote against, as applicable, a nominee to a board of a U.S. issuer if, as a result of such nominee being elected to the board, the board would be comprised of a majority of members who are not "independent" or, alternatively, the compensation, nominating or audit committees would include members who are not "independent."

MFS will also withhold its vote for, or vote against, as applicable, a nominee to a board if we can determine that he or she failed to attend at least 75% of the board and/or relevant committee meetings in the previous year without a valid reason stated in the proxy materials. In addition, MFS will withhold its vote for, or vote against, as applicable, all nominees standing for re-election to a board if we can determine: (1) since the last annual meeting of shareholders and without shareholder approval, the board or its compensation committee has re-priced underwater stock options; or (2) since the last annual meeting, the board has either implemented a poison pill without shareholder approval or has not taken responsive action to a majority shareholder approved resolution recommending that the "poison pill" be rescinded. Responsive action would include the rescission of the "poison pill"(without a broad reservation to reinstate the "poison pill" in the event of a hostile tender offer), or assurance in the proxy materials that the terms of the "poison pill" would be put to a binding shareholder vote within the next five to seven years.

MFS will also withhold its vote for, or vote against, as applicable, a nominee (other than a nominee who serves as the issuer's Chief Executive Officer) standing for re-election if such nominee participated (as a director or committee member) in the approval of senior executive compensation that MFS deems to be "excessive" due to pay for performance issues and/or poor pay practices. In the event that MFS determines that an issuer has adopted "excessive" executive compensation, MFS may also withhold its vote for, or vote against, as applicable, the re-election of the issuer's Chief Executive Officer as director regardless of whether the Chief Executive Officer participated in the approval of the package. MFS will determine whether senior executive compensation is excessive on a case by case basis. Examples of poor pay practices include, but are not limited to, egregious employment contract terms or pension payouts, backdated stock options, overly generous hiring bonuses for chief executive officers or, excessive perks. MFS evaluates a contested or contentious election of directors on a case-by-case basis considering the long-term financial performance of the company relative to its industry, management's track record, the qualifications of the nominees for both slates, if applicable, and an evaluation of what each side is offering shareholders.

Majority Voting and Director Elections
MFS votes for reasonably crafted proposals calling for directors to be elected with an affirmative majority of votes cast and/or the elimination of the plurality standard for electing directors (including binding resolutions requesting that the board amend the company's bylaws), provided the proposal includes a carve-out for a plurality voting standard when there are more director nominees than board seats (e.g., contested elections) ("Majority Vote Proposals").MFS considers voting against Majority Vote Proposals if the company has adopted, or has proposed to adopt in the proxy statement, formal corporate governance principles that present a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard and provide an adequate response to both new nominees as well as incumbent nominees who fail to receive a majority of votes cast. MFS believes that a company's election policy should address the specific circumstances at that company. In determining whether the issuer has a meaningful alternative to the majority voting standard, MFS considers whether a company's election policy articulates the following elements to address each director nominee who fails to receive an affirmative majority of votes cast in an election:

- Establish guidelines for the process by which the company determines the status of nominees who fail to receive an affirmative majority of votes cast and disclose the guidelines in the annual proxy statement;
- Guidelines should include a reasonable timetable for resolution of the nominee's status and a requirement that the resolution be disclosed together with the reasons for the resolution;
- Vest management of the process in the company's independent directors, other than the nominee in question; and
- Outline the range of remedies that the independent directors may consider concerning the nominee.

Classified Boards
MFS opposes proposals to classify a board (e.g., a board in which only one-third of board members are elected each year). MFS supports proposals to declassify a board.

Non-Salary Compensation Programs
MFS votes against stock option programs for officers, employees or non-employee directors that do not require an investment by the optionee, that give "free rides" on the stock price, or that permit grants of stock options with an exercise price below fair market value on the date the options are granted.

MFS also opposes stock option programs that allow the board or the compensation committee, without shareholder approval, to reprice underwater options or to automatically replenish shares (i.e., evergreen plans). MFS will consider on a case-by-case basis proposals to exchange existing options for newly issued options (taking into account such factors as whether there is a reasonable value-for-value exchange).

 

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MFS opposes stock option programs and restricted stock plans that provide unduly generous compensation for officers, directors or employees, or could result in excessive dilution to other shareholders. As a general guideline, MFS votes against restricted stock plans, stock option, non-employee director, omnibus stock plans and any other stock plan if all such plans for a particular company involve potential dilution, in the aggregate, of more than 15%. However, MFS will also vote against stock plans that involve potential dilution, in aggregate, of more than 10% at U.S. issuers that are listed in the Standard and Poor's 100 index as of December 31 of the previous year.

Expensing of Stock Options
MFS supports shareholder proposals to expense stock options because we believe that the expensing of options presents a more accurate picture of the company's financial results to investors. We also believe that companies are likely to be more disciplined when granting options if the value of stock options were treated as an expense item on the company's income statements.

Executive Compensation
MFS believes that competitive compensation packages are necessary to attract, motivate and retain executives. Therefore, MFS opposes shareholder proposals that seek to set restrictions on executive compensation. We believe that the election of an issuer's compensation committee members is the appropriate mechanism to express our view on a company's compensation practices, as outlined above. MFS also opposes shareholder requests for disclosure on executive compensation beyond regulatory requirements because we believe that current regulatory requirements for disclosure of executive compensation are appropriate and that additional disclosure is often unwarranted and costly. Although we support linking executive stock option grants to a company's performance, MFS opposes shareholder proposals that mandate a link of performance-based options to a specific industry or peer group stock index. MFS believes that compensation committees should retain the flexibility to propose the appropriate index or other criteria by which performance-based options should be measured.

MFS supports reasonably crafted shareholder proposals that (i) require the issuer to adopt a policy to recover the portion of performance-based bonuses and awards paid to senior executives that were not earned based upon a significant negative restatement of earnings unless the company already has adopted a clearly satisfactory policy on the matter, or (ii) expressly prohibit any future backdating of stock options.

Employee Stock Purchase Plans
MFS supports the use of a broad-based employee stock purchase plans to increase company stock ownership by employees, provided that shares purchased under the plan are acquired for no less than 85% of their market value and do not result in excessive dilution.

"Golden Parachutes" From time to time, shareholders of companies have submitted proxy proposals that would require shareholder approval of severance packages for executive officers that exceed certain predetermined thresholds. MFS votes in favor of such shareholder proposals when they would require shareholder approval of any severance package for an executive officer that exceeds a certain multiple of such officer's annual compensation that is not determined in MFS' judgment to be excessive.

Anti-Takeover Measures
In general, MFS votes against any measure that inhibits capital appreciation in a stock, including proposals that protect management from action by shareholders. These types of proposals take many forms, ranging from "poison pills" and "shark repellents" to super-majority requirements. MFS generally votes for proposals to rescind existing "poison pills" and proposals that would require shareholder approval to adopt prospective "poison pills." MFS may consider the adoption of a prospective "poison pill" or the continuation of an existing "poison pill" if we can determine that the following two conditions are met: (1) the "poison pill" allows MFS clients to hold an aggregate position of up to 15% of a company's total voting securities (and of any class of voting securities); and (2) either (a) the "poison pill" has a term of not longer than five years, provided that MFS will consider voting in favor of the "poison pill" if the term does not exceed seven years and the "poison pill" is linked to a business strategy or purpose that MFS believes is likely to result in greater value for shareholders; or (b) the terms of the "poison pill" allow MFS clients the opportunity to accept a fairly structured and attractively priced tender offer (e.g., a "chewable poison pill" that automatically dissolves in the event of an all cash, all shares tender offer at a premium price).MFS will also consider on a case-by-case basis proposals designed to prevent tenders which are disadvantageous to shareholders such as tenders at below market prices and tenders for substantially less than all shares of an issuer.

Reincorporation and Reorganization Proposals
When presented with a proposal to reincorporate a company under the laws of a different state, or to effect some other type of corporate reorganization, MFS considers the underlying purpose and ultimate effect of such a proposal in determining whether or not to support such a measure. While MFS generally votes in favor of management proposals that it believes are in the best long-term

 

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economic interests of its clients, MFS may oppose such a measure if, for example, the intent or effect would be to create additional inappropriate impediments to possible acquisitions or takeovers.

Issuance of Stock
There are many legitimate reasons for the issuance of stock. Nevertheless, as noted above under "Non-Salary Compensation Programs," when a stock option plan (either individually or when aggregated with other plans of the same company) would substantially dilute the existing equity (e.g. by approximately 15% or more), MFS generally votes against the plan. In addition, MFS votes against proposals where management is asking for authorization to issue common or preferred stock with no reason stated (a "blank check") because the unexplained authorization could work as a potential anti-takeover device. MFS may also vote against the authorization or issuance of common or preferred stock if MFS determines that the requested authorization is not warranted.

Repurchase Programs
MFS supports proposals to institute share repurchase plans in which all shareholders have the opportunity to participate on an equal basis. Such plans may include a company acquiring its own shares on the open market, or a company making a tender offer to its own shareholders.

Confidential Voting
MFS votes in favor of proposals to ensure that shareholder voting results are kept confidential. For example, MFS supports proposals that would prevent management from having access to shareholder voting information that is compiled by an independent proxy tabulation firm.

Cumulative Voting
MFS opposes proposals that seek to introduce cumulative voting and for proposals that seek to eliminate cumulative voting. In either case, MFS will consider whether cumulative voting is likely to enhance the interests of MFS' clients as minority shareholders. In our view, shareholders should provide names of qualified candidates to a company's nominating committee, which (for U.S. listed companies) must be comprised solely of "independent" directors.

Written Consent and Special Meetings Because the shareholder right to act by written consent (without calling a formal meeting of shareholders) can be a powerful tool for shareholders, MFS generally opposes proposals that would prevent shareholders from taking action without a formal meeting or would take away a shareholder's right to call a special meeting of company shareholders.

Independent Auditors MFS believes that the appointment of auditors for U.S. issuers is best left to the board of directors of the company and therefore supports the ratification of the board's selection of an auditor for the company. Some shareholder groups have submitted proposals to limit the non-audit activities of a company's audit firm or prohibit any non-audit services by a company's auditors to that company. MFS opposes proposals recommending the prohibition or limitation of the performance of non-audit services by an auditor, and proposals recommending the removal of a company's auditor due to the performance of non-audit work for the company by its auditor. MFS believes that the board, or its audit committee, should have the discretion to hire the company's auditor for specific pieces of non-audit work in the limited situations permitted under current law.

Other Corporate Governance, Corporate Responsibility and Social Issues There are many groups advocating social change or changes to corporate governance or corporate responsibility standards, and many have chosen the publicly-held corporation as a vehicle for advancing their agenda. Generally, MFS votes with management on such proposals unless MFS can determine that the benefit to shareholders will outweigh any costs or disruptions to the business if the proposal were adopted. Common among the shareholder proposals that MFS generally votes with management are proposals requiring the company to use corporate resources to further a particular social objective outside the business of the company, to refrain from investing or conducting business in certain countries, to adhere to some list of goals or principles (e.g., environmental standards), to include in the issuer's proxy statement an annual advisory shareholder vote as to the company's executive compensation practices during the previous year, to permit shareholders access to the company's proxy statement in connection with the election of directors, to disclose political contributions made by the issuer, to separate the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer positions, or to promulgate special reports on various activities or proposals for which no discernible shareholder economic advantage is evident.

The laws of various states may regulate how the interests of certain clients subject to those laws (e.g., state pension plans) are voted with respect to social issues. Thus, it may be necessary to cast ballots differently for certain clients than MFS might normally do for other clients.

Foreign Issuers Many of the items on foreign proxies involve repetitive, non-controversial matters that are mandated by local law. Accordingly, the items that are generally deemed routine and which do not require the exercise of judgment under these guidelines (and therefore voted in favor) for foreign issuers include the following: (i) receiving financial statements or other reports from the

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board; (ii) approval of declarations of dividends; (iii) appointment of shareholders to sign board meeting minutes; (iv) discharge of management and supervisory boards; and (v) approval of share repurchase programs.

MFS generally supports the election of a director nominee standing for re-election in uncontested elections unless it can be determined that (1) he or she failed to attend at least 75% of the board and/or relevant committee meetings in the previous year without a valid reason given in the proxy materials; (2) since the last annual meeting of shareholders and without shareholder approval, the board or its compensation committee has re-priced underwater stock options; or (3) since the last annual meeting, the board has either implemented a poison pill without shareholder approval or has not taken responsive action to a majority shareholder approved resolution recommending that the "poison pill" be rescinded. MFS will also withhold its vote for, or vote against, as applicable, a director nominee standing for re-election of an issuer that has adopted an excessive compensation package for its senior executives as described above in the section entitled "Voting Guidelines-MFS' Policy on Specific Issues-Election of Directors."

MFS generally supports the election of auditors, but may determine to vote against the election of a statutory auditor in certain markets if MFS reasonably believes that the statutory auditor is not truly independent. MFS will evaluate all other items on proxies for foreign companies in the context of the guidelines described above, but will generally vote against an item if there is not sufficient information disclosed in order to make an informed voting decision.

In accordance with local law or business practices, many foreign companies prevent the sales of shares that have been voted for a certain period beginning prior to the shareholder meeting and ending on the day following the meeting ("share blocking"). Depending on the country in which a company is domiciled, the blocking period may begin a stated number of days prior to the meeting (e.g., one, three or five days) or on a date established by the company. While practices vary, in many countries the block period can be continued for a longer period if the shareholder meeting is adjourned and postponed to a later date. Similarly, practices vary widely as to the ability of a shareholder to have the "block" restriction lifted early (e.g., in some countries shares generally can be "unblocked" up to two days prior to the meeting whereas in other countries the removal of the block appears to be discretionary with the issuer's transfer agent). Due to these restrictions, MFS must balance the benefits to its clients of voting proxies against the potentially serious portfolio management consequences of a reduced flexibility to sell the underlying shares at the most advantageous time. For companies in countries with share blocking periods, the disadvantage of being unable to sell the stock regardless of changing conditions generally outweighs the advantages of voting at the shareholder meeting for routine items. Accordingly, MFS will not vote those proxies in the absence of an unusual, significant vote.

In limited circumstances, other market specific impediments to voting shares may limit our ability to cast votes, including, but not limited to, power of attorney requirements and late delivery of proxy materials. In these limited instances, MFS votes non-U.S. securities on a best efforts basis in the context of the guidelines described above.

B. ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES 1. MFS Proxy Voting Committee
The administration of these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures is overseen by the MFS Proxy Voting Committee, which includes senior personnel from the MFS Legal and Global Investment Support Departments. The Proxy Voting Committee does not include individuals whose primary duties relate to client relationship management, marketing, or sales. The MFS Proxy Voting Committee:
a. Reviews these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures at least annually and recommends any amendments considered to be necessary or advisable;
b. Determines whether any potential material conflict of interest exist with respect to instances in which MFS (i) seeks to override these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures; (ii) votes on ballot items not governed by these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures; (iii) evaluates an excessive executive compensation issue in relation to the election of directors; or (iv) requests a vote recommendation from an MFS portfolio manager or investment analyst (e.g. mergers and acquisitions); and
c. Considers special proxy issues as they may arise from time to time.

2. Potential Conflicts of Interest
The MFS Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for monitoring potential material conflicts of interest on the part of MFS or its subsidiaries that could arise in connection with the voting of proxies on behalf of MFS' clients. Due to the client focus of our investment management business, we believe that the potential for actual material conflict of interest issues is small. Nonetheless, we have developed precautions to ensure that all proxy votes are cast in the best long-term economic interest of shareholders. Other MFS internal policies require all MFS employees to avoid actual and potential conflicts of interests between personal activities and MFS' client activities. If an employee identifies an actual or potential conflict of interest with respect to any voting decision that employee must recuse himself/herself from participating in the voting process. Additionally, with respect to decisions concerning all Non Standard Votes, as defined below, MFS will review the securities holdings reported by the individuals that participate in such decision to determine whether such person has a direct economic interest in the decision, in which case such person shall not further participate in making the decision. Any significant attempt by an employee of MFS or its subsidiaries to influence MFS' voting on a particular proxy matter should also be reported to the MFS Proxy Voting Committee.

 

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In cases where proxies are voted in accordance with these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, no material conflict of interest will be deemed to exist. In cases where (i) MFS is considering overriding these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, (ii) matters presented for vote are not clearly governed by these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures, (iii) MFS evaluates an excessive executive compensation issue in relation to the election of directors, or (iv) a vote recommendation is requested from an MFS portfolio manager or investment analyst (e.g. mergers and acquisitions) (collectively, "Non Standard Votes"); the MFS Proxy Voting Committee will follow these procedures:
a. Compare the name of the issuer of such proxy against a list of significant current (i) distributors of MFS Fund shares, and (ii) MFS institutional clients (the "MFS Significant Client List");
b. If the name of the issuer does not appear on the MFS Significant Client List, then no material conflict of interest will be deemed to exist, and the proxy will be voted as otherwise determined by the MFS Proxy Voting Committee;
c. If the name of the issuer appears on the MFS Significant Client List, then the MFS Proxy Voting Committee will be apprised of that fact and each member of the MFS Proxy Voting Committee will carefully evaluate the proposed vote in order to ensure that the proxy ultimately is voted in what MFS believes to be the best long-term economic interests of MFS' clients, and not in MFS' corporate interests; and
d. For all potential material conflicts of interest identified under clause (c) above, the MFS Proxy Voting Committee will document: the name of the issuer, the issuer's relationship to MFS, the analysis of the matters submitted for proxy vote, the votes as to be cast and the reasons why the MFS Proxy Voting Committee determined that the votes were cast in the best long-term economic interests of MFS' clients, and not in MFS' corporate interests. A copy of the foregoing documentation will be provided to MFS' Conflicts Officer.

The members of the MFS Proxy Voting Committee are responsible for creating and maintaining the MFS Significant Client List, in consultation with MFS' distribution and institutional business units. The MFS Significant Client List will be reviewed and updated periodically, as appropriate.

From time to time, certain MFS Funds may own shares of other MFS Funds (the "underlying fund"). If an underlying fund submits a matter to a shareholder vote, the MFS Fund that owns shares of the underlying fund will vote its shares in the same proportion as the other shareholders of the underlying fund.

3. Gathering Proxies
Most proxies received by MFS and its clients originate at Automatic Data Processing Corp. ("ADP") although a few proxies are transmitted to investors by corporate issuers through their custodians or depositories. ADP and issuers send proxies and related material directly to the record holders of the shares beneficially owned by MFS' clients, usually to the client's custodian or, less commonly, to the client itself. This material will include proxy cards, reflecting the shareholdings of Funds and of clients on the record dates for such shareholder meetings, as well as proxy statements with the issuer's explanation of the items to be voted upon.

MFS, on behalf of itself and the Funds, has entered into an agreement with an independent proxy administration firm, Institutional Shareholder Services, Inc. (the "Proxy Administrator"), pursuant to which the Proxy Administrator performs various proxy vote related administrative services, such as vote processing and recordkeeping functions for MFS' Funds and institutional client accounts. The Proxy Administrator receives proxy statements and proxy cards directly or indirectly from various custodians, logs these materials into its database and matches upcoming meetings with MFS Fund and client portfolio holdings, which are input into the Proxy Administrator's system by an MFS holdings datafeed. Through the use of the Proxy Administrator system, ballots and proxy material summaries for all upcoming shareholders' meetings are available on-line to certain MFS employees and the MFS Proxy Voting Committee.

4. Analyzing Proxies
Proxies are voted in accordance with these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures. The Proxy Administrator at the prior direction of MFS automatically votes all proxy matters that do not require the particular exercise of discretion or judgment with respect to these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures as determined by the MFS Proxy Voting Committee. With respect to proxy matters that require the particular exercise of discretion or judgment, MFS considers and votes on those proxy matters. MFS receives research from ISS which it may take into account in deciding how to vote. In addition, MFS expects to rely on ISS to identify circumstances in which a board may have approved excessive executive compensation. Representatives of the MFS Proxy Voting Committee review, as appropriate, votes cast to ensure conformity with these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures.

As a general matter, portfolio managers and investment analysts have little or no involvement in specific votes taken by MFS. This is designed to promote consistency in the application of MFS' voting guidelines, to promote consistency in voting on the same or similar issues (for the same or for multiple issuers) across all client accounts, and to minimize the potential that proxy solicitors, issuers, or third parties might attempt to exert inappropriate influence on the vote. In limited types of votes (e.g., corporate actions,

 

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such as mergers and acquisitions), a representative of MFS Proxy Voting Committee may consult with or seek recommendations from MFS portfolio managers or investment analysts.[1] However, the MFS Proxy Voting Committee would ultimately determine the manner in which all proxies are voted.

As noted above, MFS reserves the right to override the guidelines when such an override is, in MFS' best judgment, consistent with the overall principle of voting proxies in the best long-term economic interests of MFS' clients. Any such override of the guidelines shall be analyzed, documented and reported in accordance with the procedures set forth in these policies.

5. Voting Proxies
In accordance with its contract with MFS, the Proxy Administrator also generates a variety of reports for the MFS Proxy Voting Committee, and makes available on-line various other types of information so that the MFS Proxy Voting Committee may review and monitor the votes cast by the Proxy Administrator on behalf of MFS' clients.

C. MONITORING SYSTEM
It is the responsibility of the Proxy Administrator and MFS' Proxy Voting Committee to monitor the proxy voting process. When proxy materials for clients are received, they are forwarded to the Proxy Administrator and are input into the Proxy Administrator's system. Through an interface with the portfolio holdings database of MFS, the Proxy Administrator matches a list of all MFS Funds and clients who hold shares of a company's stock and the number of shares held on the record date with the Proxy Administrator's listing of any upcoming shareholder's meeting of that company.

When the Proxy Administrator's system "tickler" shows that the voting cut-off date of a shareholders' meeting is approaching, a Proxy Administrator representative checks that the vote for MFS Funds and clients holding that security has been recorded in the computer system. If a proxy card has not been received from the client's custodian, the Proxy Administrator calls the custodian requesting that the materials be forwarded immediately. If it is not possible to receive the proxy card from the custodian in time to be voted at the meeting, MFS may instruct the custodian to cast the vote in the manner specified and to mail the proxy directly to the issuer.

D. RECORDS RETENTION
MFS will retain copies of these MFS Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures in effect from time to time and will retain all proxy voting reports submitted to the Board of Trustees, Board of Directors and Board of Managers of the MFS Funds for the period required by applicable law. Proxy solicitation materials, including electronic versions of the proxy cards completed by representatives of the MFS Proxy Voting Committee, together with their respective notes and comments, are maintained in an electronic format by the Proxy Administrator and are accessible on-line by the MFS Proxy Voting Committee. All proxy voting materials and supporting documentation, including records generated by the Proxy Administrator's system as to proxies processed, including the dates when proxy ballots were received and submitted, and the votes on each company's proxy issues, are retained as required by applicable law.

E. REPORTS
MFS Funds

MFS publicly discloses the proxy voting records of the MFS Funds on an annual basis, as required by law. MFS will also report the results of its voting to the Board of Trustees, Board of Directors and Board of Managers of the MFS Funds. These reports will include: (i) a summary of how votes were cast; (ii) a summary of votes against management's recommendation; (iii) a review of situations where MFS did not vote in accordance with the guidelines and the rationale therefore; (iv) a review of the procedures used by MFS to identify material conflicts of interest and any matters identified as a material conflict of interest; and (v) a review of these policies and the guidelines and, as necessary or appropriate, any proposed modifications thereto to reflect new developments in corporate governance and other issues. Based on these reviews, the Trustees, Directors and Managers of the MFS Funds will consider possible modifications to these policies to the extent necessary or advisable.

All MFS Advisory Clients
At any time, a report can be printed by MFS for each client who has requested that MFS furnish a record of votes cast. The report specifies the proxy issues which have been voted for the client during the year and the position taken with respect to each issue.

Except as described above, MFS generally will not divulge actual voting practices to any party other than the client or its representatives (unless required by applicable law) because we consider that information to be confidential and proprietary to the client.

Neuberger Berman Management Inc.

Proxy summary

 

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Neuberger Berman has implemented written Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (Proxy Voting Policy) that are designed to reasonably ensure that Neuberger Berman votes proxies prudently and in the best interest of its advisory clients for whom Neuberger Berman has voting authority. The Proxy Voting Policy also describes how Neuberger Berman addresses any conflicts that may arise between its interests and those of its clients with respect to proxy voting.

Neuberger Berman's Proxy Committee is responsible for developing, authorizing, implementing and updating the Proxy Voting Policy, overseeing the proxy voting process, and engaging and overseeing any independent third-party vendors as voting delegate to review, monitor and/or vote proxies. In order to apply the Proxy Voting Policy noted above in a timely and consistent manner, Neuberger Berman utilizes Glass, Lewis Co. LLC (Glass Lewis) to vote proxies in accordance with Neuberger Berman's voting guidelines.

For socially responsive clients, Neuberger Berman has adopted socially responsive voting guidelines. For non-socially responsive clients, Neuberger Berman's guidelines adopt the voting recommendations of Glass Lewis. Neuberger Berman retains final authority and fiduciary responsibility for proxy voting. Neuberger Berman believes that this process is reasonably designed to address material conflicts of interest that may arise between Neuberger Berman and a client as to how proxies are voted.

In the event that an investment professional at Neuberger Berman believes that it is in the best interest of a client or clients to vote proxies in a manner inconsistent with Neuberger Berman's proxy voting guidelines or in a manner inconsistent with Glass Lewis recommendations, the Proxy Committee will review information submitted by the investment professional to determine that there is no material conflict of interest between Neuberger Berman and the client with respect to the voting of the proxy in that manner.

If the Proxy Committee determines that the voting of a proxy as recommended by the investment professional presents a material conflict of interest between Neuberger Berman and the client or clients with respect to the voting of the proxy, the proxy Committee shall: (i) take no further action, in which case Glass Lewis shall vote such proxy in accordance with the proxy voting guidelines or as Glass Lewis recommends; (ii) disclose such conflict to the client or clients and obtain written direction from the client as to how to vote the proxy; (iii) suggest that the client or clients engage another party to determine how to vote the proxy; or (iv) engage another independent third party to determine how to vote the proxy.

Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC

Description of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures of Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC

Introduction
Proxy voting policies and procedures are required by Rule 206(4)-6 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. Parametric Portfolio Associates' Proxy Voting policy and Procedures are currently effective.

General Policy
We view seriously our responsibility to exercise voting authority over shares we hold as fiduciary. Proxies increasingly contain controversial issues involving shareholder rights, corporate governance and social concerns, among others, which deserve careful review and consideration. Exercising the proxy vote has economic value for our clients, and therefore, we consider it to be our fiduciary duty to preserve and protect the assets of our clients including proxy votes for their exclusive benefit.

It is our policy to vote proxies in a prudent and diligent manner after careful review of each company's proxy statement. We vote on an individual basis and base our voting decision exclusively on our reasonable judgment of what will serve the best financial interests of our clients, the beneficial owners of the security. Where economic impact is judged to be immaterial, we typically will vote in accordance with management's recommendations. In determining our vote, we will not and do not subordinate the economic interests of our clients to any other entity or interested party.

Our responsibility for proxy voting for the shareholders of a particular client account will be determined by the investment management agreement or other documentation. Upon establishing that we have such authority, we will instruct custodians to forward all proxy materials to us.

For those clients for whom we have undertaken to vote proxies, we will retain final authority and responsibility for such voting. In addition to voting proxies, we will

- Provide clients with this proxy voting policy, which may be updated and supplemented from time to time;
- Apply the policy consistently and keep records of votes for each client in order to verify the consistency of such voting;
- Keep records of such proxy voting available for inspection by the client or governmental agencies –to determine whether such

 

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votes were consistent with policy and demonstrate that all proxies were voted; and
- Monitor such voting for any potential conflicts of interest and maintain systems to deal with these issues appropriately.

Voting Policy
We generally vote with management in the following cases:
- "Normal" elections of directors
- Approval of auditors/CPA
- Directors' liability and indemnification
- General updating/corrective amendments to charter
- Elimination of cumulative voting
- Elimination of preemptive rights
- Capitalization changes which eliminate other classes of stock and voting rights
- Changes in capitalization authorization for stock splits, stock dividends, and other specified needs
- Stock purchase plans with an exercise price of not less than 85% fair market value
- Stock option plans that are incentive based and are not excessive
- Reductions in supermajority vote requirements
- Adoption of anti-greenmail provisions

We generally will not support management in the following initiatives:
- Capitalization changes which add classes of stock which are blank check in nature or that dilute the voting interest of existing shareholders
- Changes in capitalization authorization where management does not offer an appropriate rationale or that are contrary to the best interest of existing shareholders
- Anti-takeover and related provisions which serve to prevent the majority of shareholders from exercising their rights or effectively deter appropriate tender offers and other offers
- Amendments to by-laws which would require super-majority shareholder votes to pass or repeal certain provisions
- Classified boards of directors
- Re-incorporation into a state which has more stringent anti-takeover and related provisions
- Shareholder rights plans which allow appropriate offers to shareholders to be blocked by the board or trigger provisions which prevent legitimate offers from proceeding
- Excessive compensation or non-salary compensation related proposals
- Change-in-control provisions in non-salary compensation plans, employment contracts, and severance agreements that benefit management and would be costly to shareholders if triggered

Traditionally, shareholder proposals have been used mainly for putting social initiatives and issues in front of management and other shareholders. Under our fiduciary obligations, it is inappropriate to use client assets to carry out such social agendas or purposes. Therefore, shareholder proposals are examined closely for their effect on the best interest of shareholders (economic impact) and the interests of our clients, the beneficial owners of the securities.

When voting shareholder proposals, initiatives related to the following items are generally supported:
- Auditors attendance at the annual meeting of shareholders
- Election of the board on an annual basis
- Equal access to proxy process
- Submit shareholder rights plan poison pill to vote or redeem
- Revise various anti-takeover related provisions
- Reduction or elimination of super-majority vote requirements
- Anti-greenmail provisions We generally will not support shareholders in the following initiatives: •Requiring directors to own large amounts of stock before being eligible to be elected
- Restoring cumulative voting in the election of directors
- Reports which are costly to provide or which would require duplicative efforts or expenditures which are of a nonbusiness nature or would provide no pertinent information from the perspective of shareholders
- Restrictions related to social, political or special interest issues which impact the ability of the company to do business or be competitive and which have a significant financial or best interest impact, such as specific boycotts of restrictions based on political, special interest or international trade considerations; restrictions on political contributions; and the Valdez principals.

Proxy Committee
The Proxy Committee is responsible for voting proxies in accordance with Parametric Portfolio Associates' Proxy Voting Policy. The

 

 

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committee maintains all necessary corporate meetings, executes voting authority for those meetings, and maintains records of all voting decisions.

The Proxy Committee consists of the following staff:
- Proxy Administrator
- Proxy Administrator Supervisor
- Portfolio Management Representative
- Chief Investment Officer

In the case of a conflict of interest between Parametric Portfolio Associates and its clients, the Proxy Committee will meet to discuss the appropriate action with regards to the existing voting policy or outsource the voting authority to an independent third party.

Recordkeeping
Proxy Voting records are maintained for 5 years. Records can be easily retrieved and accessed via our third party vendor. In addition to maintaining voting records, Parametric Portfolio Associates maintains the following:
- Current voting policy and procedures;
- All written client requests as they relate to proxy voting; and,
- Any material research documentation related to proxy voting.

To Obtain Proxy Voting Information
Clients have the right to access any voting actions that were taken on their behalf. Upon request, this information will be provided free of charge. Toll-free phone number: 1-800-211-6707 E-mail address: proxyinfo@paraport.com

Due to confidentiality, voting records will not be provided to any third party unless authorized by the client.

Proxy Voting Procedures
These procedures should be read in connection with the Proxy Voting Policy.
- All proxies must be voted where such voting authority has been authorized.
- Proxies must be forwarded to the appropriate analyst/portfolio manager for review. •Analysts/portfolio managers must complete, sign and return the proxy forms.
- Routine proposals will be voted in a manner consistent with the firm's standard proxy voting policy and will be voted accordingly unless notified otherwise by the analyst/portfolio manager. •Non-routine proposals (i.e., those outside the scope of the firm's standard proxy voting policy) will be voted in accordance with analyst/portfolio manager guidance, and such rational will be documented via the Non-routine Proxy Voting Form (below).
- Periodically, Parametric Compliance will distribute a list of potentially Conflicted Companies to the Proxy Administrator. This list consists of corporate affiliates and significant business partners and is prepared by the Company's parent company Eaton Vance. When presented with proxies of Conflicted Companies, the Proxy Administrator shall notify the CCO and the Proxy Committee who will determine what the appropriate next action will be.

If the Proxy Administrator expects to vote the proxy of the Conflicted Company strictly according to the guidelines contained in these Proxy Voting Policies (the "Policies"), she will (i) inform the CCO and Chief Investment Officer (or their designees) of that fact, (ii) vote the proxies and (iii) record the existence of the conflict and the resolution of the matter. If the Proxy Administrator intends to vote in a manner inconsistent with the guidelines contained herein or, if the issues raised by the proxy are not contemplated by these Policies, and the matters involved in such proxy could have a material economic impact on the client(s) involved, the Proxy Committee will seek instruction on how the proxy should be voted from:

The client, in the case of an individual or corporate client;

In the case of a Fund its board of directors, or any committee identified by the board; or

The adviser, in situations where the Adviser acts as a sub-adviser or overlay manager to such adviser.

If the client, fund board or adviser, as the case may be, fails to instruct the Adviser on how to vote the proxy, the Adviser will generally abstain from voting in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. If however, the failure of the Adviser to vote its clients' proxies would have a material adverse economic impact on the Advisers' clients' securities holdings in the Conflicted Company, the Adviser may vote such proxies in order to protect its clients' interests. In either case, theProxy Administrator will record the existence of the conflict and the resolution of the matter

 

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Pacific Investment Management Company LLC

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC ("PIMCO") has adopted written proxy voting policies and procedures ("Proxy Policy") as required by Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended. PIMCO has implemented the Proxy Policy for each of its clients as required under applicable law, unless expressly directed by a client in writing to refrain from voting that client's proxies. Recognizing that proxy voting is a rare event in the realm of fixed income investing and is typically limited to solicitation of consent to changes in features of debt securities, the Proxy Policy also applies to any voting rights and/or consent rights of PIMCO, on behalf of its clients, with respect to debt securities, including but not limited to, plans of reorganization, and waivers and consents under applicable indentures.

The Proxy Policy is designed and implemented in a manner reasonably expected to ensure that voting and consent rights are exercised in the best interests of PIMCO's clients. Each proxy is voted on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration any relevant contractual obligations as well as other relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. In general, PIMCO reviews and considers corporate governance issues related to proxy matters and generally supports proposals that foster good corporate governance practices. PIMCO may vote proxies as recommended by management on routine matters related to the operation of the issuer and on matters not expected to have a significant economic impact on the issuer and/or its shareholders.

PIMCO will supervise and periodically review its proxy voting activities and implementation of the Proxy Policy. PIMCO will review each proxy to determine whether there may be a material conflict between PIMCO and its client. If no conflict exists, the proxy will be forwarded to the appropriate portfolio manager for consideration. If a conflict does exist, PIMCO will seek to resolve any such conflict in accordance with the Proxy Policy. PIMCO seeks to resolve any material conflicts of interest by voting in good faith in the best interest of its clients. If a material conflict of interest should arise, PIMCO will seek to resolve such conflict in the client's best interest by pursuing any one of the following courses of action: (i) convening a committee to assess and resolve the conflict; (ii) voting in accordance with the instructions of the client; (iii) voting in accordance with the recommendation of an independent third-party service provider; (iv) suggesting that the client engage another party to determine how the proxy should be voted; (v) delegating the vote to a third-party service provider; or (vi) voting in accordance with the factors discussed in the Proxy Policy.

Clients may obtain a copy of PIMCO's written Proxy Policy and the factors that PIMCO may consider in determining how to vote a client's proxy. Except as required by law, PIMCO will not disclose to third parties how it voted on behalf of a client. However, upon request from an appropriately authorized individual, PIMCO will disclose to its clients or the entity delegating the voting authority to PIMCO for such clients, how PIMCO voted such client's proxy. In addition, a client may obtain copies of PIMCO's Proxy Policy and information as to how its proxies have been voted by contacting PIMCO.

Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM)

The overarching goal of each of the asset management units within Prudential Investment Management, Inc. ("PIM") is to vote proxies in the best interests of their respective clients based on the clients' priorities. Client interests are placed ahead of any potential interest of PIM or its asset management units. Because the various asset management units within PIM manage distinct classes of assets with differing management styles, some units will consider each proxy on its individual merits while other units may adopt a pre-determined set of voting guidelines. The specific voting approach of each unit is noted below. A committee comprised of senior business representatives from each of the asset management units together with relevant regulatory personnel oversees the proxy voting process and monitors potential conflicts of interests. The committee is responsible for interpretation of the proxy voting policy and periodically assesses the policy's effectiveness. In addition, should the need arise, the committee is authorized to address any proxy matter involving an actual or apparent conflict of interest that cannot be resolved at the level of an individual asset management business unit. In all cases, clients may obtain the proxy voting policies and procedures of the various PIM asset management units, and information is available to each client concerning the voting of proxies with respect to the client's securities, simply by contacting the client service representative of the respective unit.

Voting Approach of PIM Asset Management Units

Prudential Public Fixed Income. As this asset management unit invests primarily in public debt, there are few traditional proxies voted in this unit. Generally, when a proxy is received, this unit will vote with management on routine matters such as the appointment of accountants or the election of directors. With respect to non-routine matters such as proposed anti-takeover provisions or mergers the financial impact will be analyzed and the proxy will be voted on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, if a proxy involves:

  • a proposal regarding a merger, acquisition or reorganization,

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  • a proposal that is not addressed in the unit's detailed policy statement, or

  • circumstances that suggest a vote not in accordance with the detailed policy,

the proxy will be referred to the applicable portfolio manager(s) for individual consideration.

Prudential Real Estate Investors. As this asset management unit invests primarily in real estate and real estate-related interests, there are few traditional proxies voted in this unit. Generally, when a proxy is received, this unit will vote with management on routine matters such as the appointment of accountants or the election of directors. With respect to non-routine matters such as proposed anti-takeover provisions or mergers the financial impact will be analyzed and the proxy will be voted on a case-by-case basis. Specifically, if a proxy involves:

  • a proposal regarding a merger, acquisition or reorganization,

  • a proposal that is not addressed in the unit's detailed policy statement, or

  • circumstances that suggest a vote not in accordance with the detailed policy,

the proxy will be referred to the relevant portfolio manager(s) for individual consideration.

Prudential Capital Group. As this asset management unit invests almost exclusively in privately placed debt, there are few, if any, traditional proxies voted in this unit. As a result, this unit evaluates each proxy it receives and votes on a case-by-case basis. Considerations will include detailed knowledge of the issuer's financial condition, long- and short-term economic outlook for the issuer, its capital structure and debt-service obligations, the issuer's management team and capabilities, as well as other pertinent factors. In short, this unit attempts to vote all proxies in the best economic interest of its clients based on the clients' expressed priorities, if any.

Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA)

It is the policy of Quantitative Management Associates LLC ("QMA") to vote proxies on client securities in the best long-term economic interest of our clients, in accordance with QMA's established proxy voting policy and procedures. In the case of pooled accounts, our policy is to vote proxies on securities in such account in the best long-term economic interest of the pooled account. In the event of any actual or apparent material conflict between our clients' interest and our own, our policy is to act solely in our clients' interest. To this end, the proxy voting policy and procedures adopted by QMA include procedures to address potential material conflicts of interest arising in connection with the voting of proxies.

QMA's proxy voting policy contains detailed voting guidelines on a wide variety of issues commonly voted upon by shareholders. These guidelines reflect QMA's judgment of how to further the best long-range economic interest of our clients (i.e. the mutual interest of clients in seeing the appreciation in value of a common investment over time) through the shareholder voting process. QMA's policy is generally to abstain from voting proxies on social or political issues. Where issues are not addressed by our policy, or when circumstances suggest a vote not in accordance with our established guidelines, voting decisions are made on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the potential economic impact of the proposal. With respect to international holdings, we take into account additional restrictions in some countries that might impair our ability to trade those securities or have other potentially adverse economic consequences, and generally vote foreign securities on a best efforts basis in accordance with the recommendations of the issuer's management if we determine that voting is in the best economic interest of our clients. Our proxy voting committee is responsible for interpreting the proxy voting policy as well as monitoring conflicts of interest, and periodically assesses the policy's effectiveness.

QMA utilizes the services of a third party proxy voting facilitator, and upon receipt of proxies will direct the voting facilitator to vote in a manner consistent with QMA's established proxy voting guidelines described above (assuming timely receipt of proxy materials from issuers and custodians). In accordance with its obligations under the Advisers Act, QMA provides full disclosure of its proxy voting policy, guidelines and procedures to its clients upon their request, and will also provide to any client, upon request, the proxy voting records for that client's securities.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. and T. Rowe Price International, Inc. recognize and adhere to the principle that one of the privileges of owning stock in a company is the right to vote on issues submitted to shareholder vote—such as election of directors and important matters affecting a company's structure and operations. As an investment adviser with a fiduciary responsibility to its clients, T. Rowe Price analyzes the proxy statements of issuers whose stock is owned by the investment companies that it sponsors and serves as investment adviser. T. Rowe Price also is involved in the proxy process on behalf of its institutional and private counsel clients who have requested such service. For those private counsel clients who have not delegated their voting responsibility but who request advice, T. Rowe Price makes recommendations regarding proxy voting.

 

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Proxy Administration
The T. Rowe Price Proxy Committee develops our firm's positions on all major corporate issues, creates guidelines, and oversees the voting process. The Proxy Committee, composed of portfolio managers, investment operations managers, and internal legal counsel, analyzes proxy policies based on whether they would adversely affect shareholders' interests and make a company less attractive to own. In evaluating proxy policies each year, the Proxy Committee relies upon our own fundamental research, independent proxy research provided by third parties such as Institutional Shareholder Services and Glass Lewis, and information presented by company managements and shareholder groups.

Once the Proxy Committee establishes its recommendations, they are distributed to the firm's portfolio managers as voting guidelines. Ultimately, the portfolio manager decides how to vote on the proxy proposals of companies in his or her portfolio. Because portfolio managers may have differences of opinion on portfolio companies and their proxies, or their portfolios may have different investment objectives, these factors, among others, may lead to different votes between portfolios on the same proxies. When portfolio managers cast votes that are counter to the Proxy Committee's guidelines, they are required to document their reasons in writing to the Proxy Committee. Annually, the Proxy Committee reviews T. Rowe Price's proxy voting process, policies, and voting records.

T. Rowe Price has retained Institutional Shareholder Services, an expert in the proxy voting and corporate governance area, to provide proxy advisory and voting services. These services include in-depth research, analysis, and voting recommendations as well as vote execution, reporting, auditing and consulting assistance for the handling of proxy voting responsibility and corporate governance-related efforts. While the Proxy Committee relies upon ISS research in establishing T. Rowe Price's voting guidelines—many of which are consistent with ISS positions—T. Rowe Price occasionally may deviate from ISS recommendations on general policy issues or specific proxy proposals.

Fiduciary Considerations
T. Rowe Price's decisions with respect to proxy issues are made in light of the anticipated impact of the issue on the desirability of investing in the portfolio company. Proxies are voted solely in the interests of the client, Price Fund shareholders or, where employee benefit plan assets are involved, in the interests of plan participants and beneficiaries. Practicalities and costs involved with international investing may make it impossible at times, and at other times disadvantageous, to vote proxies in every instance. For example, we might refrain from voting if we or our agents are required to appear in person at a shareholder meeting or if the exercise of voting rights results in the imposition of trading or other ownership restrictions.

Consideration Given Management Recommendations
When determining whether to invest in a particular company, one of the key factors T. Rowe Price considers is the quality and depth of its management. As a result, T. Rowe Price believes that recommendations of management on most issues should be given weight in determining how proxy issues should be voted.

T. Rowe Price Voting Policies
Specific voting guidelines have been established by the Proxy Committee for recurring issues that appear on proxies, which are available to clients upon request. The following is a summary of the more significant T. Rowe Price policies:

Election of Directors: T. Rowe Price generally supports slates with a majority of independent directors. We withhold votes for outside directors that do not meet certain criteria relating to their independence or their inability to dedicate sufficient time to their board duties due to their commitment to other boards. We also withhold votes for inside directors serving on compensation, nominating and audit committees and for directors who miss more than one-fourth of the scheduled board meetings. We may also withhold votes from inside directors for the failure to establish a formal nominating committee. T. Rowe Price supports shareholder proposals calling for a majority vote threshold for the election of directors.

Executive Compensation: Our goal is to assure that a company's equity-based compensation plan is aligned with shareholders' long-term interests. While we evaluate most plans on a case-by-case basis, T. Rowe Price generally opposes compensation packages that provide what we view as excessive awards to a few senior executives or that contain excessively dilutive stock option plans. We base our review on criteria such as the costs associated with the plan, plan features, burn rates which are excessive in relation to the company's peers, dilution to shareholders and comparability to plans in the company's peer group. We generally oppose plans that give a company the ability to reprice options or to grant options at below market prices. For companies with particularly egregious pay practices we may withhold votes from compensation committee members, the CEO, or even the entire board.

Mergers and Acquisitions: T. Rowe Price considers takeover offers, mergers, and other extraordinary corporate transactions on a case-by-case basis to determine if they are beneficial to shareholders' current and future earnings stream and to ensure that our Price

 

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Funds and clients are receiving fair compensation in exchange for their investment.

Anti-takeover, Capital Structure and Corporate Governance Issues: T. Rowe Price generally opposes anti-takeover measures and other proposals designed to limit the ability of shareholders to act on possible transactions. Such anti-takeover mechanisms include classified boards, supermajority voting requirements, dual share classes and poison pills. We also oppose proposals which give management a "blank check" to create new classes of stock with disparate rights and privileges. We generally support proposals to permit cumulative voting and those that seek to prevent potential acquirers from receiving a takeover premium for their shares. When voting on corporate governance proposals, we will consider the dilutive impact to shareholders and the effect on shareholder rights. We generally support shareholder proposals that call for the separation of the Chairman and CEO positions unless there are sufficient governance safeguards already in place. With respect to proposals for the approval of a company's auditor, we typically oppose auditors who have a significant non-audit relationship with the company.

Social and Corporate Responsibility Issues: T. Rowe Price generally votes with a company's management on social, environmental and corporate responsibility issues unless they have substantial economic implications for the company's business and operations that have not been adequately addressed by management.

Monitoring and Resolving Conflicts of Interest
The Proxy Committee is also responsible for monitoring and resolving possible material conflicts between the interests of T. Rowe Price and those of its clients with respect to proxy voting. We believe that due to the client-focused nature of our investment management business that the potential for conflicts of interests are relatively infrequent. Nevertheless, we have adopted safeguards to ensure that our proxy voting is not influenced by interests other than those of our clients. While membership on the Proxy Committee is diverse, it does not include individuals whose primary duties relate to client relationship management, marketing or sales. Since our voting guidelines are pre-determined by the Proxy Committee using recommendations from ISS, an independent third party, application of the T. Rowe Price guidelines to vote clients' proxies should in most instances adequately address any possible conflicts of interest. However, for proxy votes inconsistent with T. Rowe Price guidelines, the Proxy Committee reviews all such proxy votes in order to determine whether the portfolio manager's voting rationale appears reasonable. The Proxy Committee also assesses whether any business or other relationships between T. Rowe Price and a portfolio company could have influenced an inconsistent vote on that company's proxy. Issues raising possible conflicts of interest are referred to designated members of the Proxy Committee for immediate resolution prior to the time T. Rowe Price casts its vote. With respect to personal conflicts of interest, T. Rowe Price's Code of Ethics requires all employees to avoid placing themselves in a "compromising position" where their interests may conflict with those of our clients and restricts their ability to engage in certain outside business activities. Portfolio managers or Proxy Committee members with a personal conflict of interest regarding a particular proxy vote must recuse themselves and not participate in the voting decisions with respect to that proxy.

Thornburg Investment Management, Inc.

Thornburg Investment Management, through a third-party voting service, votes shares owned by clients according to the proxy voting guidelines provided by the third-party voting service. Currently, Thornburg Investment Management contracts with ISS Governance Services, a unit of RiskMetrics group, to act as the third-party voting service.

The proxy voting procedures are as follows:
- Custodians, distribution agents and any other parties that would traditionally send proxy materials to Thornburg Investment Management are instructed to forward all proxy materials to ISS for review.
- After an analysis of the topics, ISS then forwards their recommendations to Thornburg Investment Management for review.
- Once Thornburg Investment Management has reviewed the recommendations provided by ISS a determination will be made to either override the recommendation or agree to vote as advised.
- Generally Thornburg Investment Management will vote with the recommendation made by ISS. Exceptions may exist when the vote concerns issues that are unique or non-routine.

Thornburg Investment Management will generally abstain from voting on all social issues.

UBS Global Asset Management (Americas) Inc.
GLOBAL PROXY VOTING AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE POLICY

Philosophy
Our philosophy, guidelines and policy are based on our active investment style and structure whereby we have detailed knowledge

 

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of the investments we make on behalf of our clients and therefore are in a position to judge what is in the best interests of our clients as shareholders. We believe voting rights have economic value and must be treated accordingly. Proxy votes that impact the economic value of client investments involve the exercise of fiduciary responsibility. Good corporate governance should, in the long term, lead toward both better corporate performance and improved shareholder value. Thus, we expect board members of companies we have invested in (the .company. or .companies.) to act in the service of the shareholders, view themselves as stewards of the financial assets of the company, exercise good judgment and practice diligent oversight with the management of the company.

A. General Corporate Governance Benchmarks
UBS Global Asset Management (US) Inc. and UBS Global Asset Management (Americas) Inc. (collectively, .UBS Global AM.) will evaluate issues that may have an impact on the economic value of client investments during the time period it expects to hold the investment. While there is no absolute set of rules that determine appropriate governance under all circumstances and no set of rules will guarantee ethical behavior, there are certain benchmarks, which, if substantial progress is made toward, give evidence of good corporate governance. Therefore, we will generally exercise voting rights on behalf of clients in accordance with this policy.

Principle 1: Independence of Board from Company Management
Guidelines:
- Board exercises judgment independently of management.
- Separate Chairman and Chief Executive.
- Board has access to senior management members.
- Board is comprised of a significant number of independent outsiders.
- Outside directors meet independently.
- CEO performance standards are in place.
- CEO performance is reviewed annually by the full board.
- CEO succession plan is in place.
- Board involvement in ratifying major strategic initiatives.
- Compensation, audit and nominating committees are led by a majority of outside directors.

Principle 2: Quality of Board Membership
Guidelines:
- Board determines necessary board member skills, knowledge and experience.
- Board conducts the screening and selection process for new directors.
- Shareholders should have the ability to nominate directors.
- Directors whose present job responsibilities change are reviewed as to the appropriateness of continued directorship.
- Directors are reviewed every 3-5 years to determine appropriateness of continued directorship.
- Board meets regularly (at least four times annually).

Principle 3: Appropriate Management of Change in Control
Guidelines:
- Protocols should ensure that all bid approaches and material proposals by management are brought forward for board consideration.
- Any contracts or structures, which impose financial constraints on changes in control, should require prior shareholder approval.
- Employment contracts should not entrench management.
- Management should not receive substantial rewards when employment contracts are terminated for performance reasons.

Principle 4: Remuneration Policies are Aligned with Shareholder Interests
Guidelines:
- Executive remuneration should be commensurate with responsibilities and performance.
-Incentive schemes should align management with shareholder objectives.
- Employment policies should encourage significant shareholding by management and board members.
- Incentive rewards should be proportionate to the successful achievement of predetermined financial targets.
- Long-term incentives should be linked to transparent long-term performance criteria.
- Dilution of shareholders. interests by share issuance arising from egregious employee share schemes and management incentives should be limited by shareholder resolution.

Principle 5: Auditors are Independent
Guidelines:
- Auditors are approved by shareholders at the annual meeting.

 

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- Audit, consulting and other fees to the auditor are explicitly disclosed.
- The Audit Committee should affirm the integrity of the audit has not been compromised by other services provided by the auditor firm.
- Periodic (every 5 years) tender of the audit firm or audit partner.

B. Proxy Voting Guidelines – Macro Rationales
Macro Rationales are used to explain why we vote on each proxy issue. The Macro Rationales reflect our guidelines enabling voting consistency between offices yet allowing for flexibility so the local office can reflect specific knowledge of the company as it relates to a proposal.

1. General Guidelines
a. When our view of the issuer's management is favorable, we generally support current management initiatives. When our view is that changes to the management structure would probably increase shareholder value, we may not support existing management proposals.
b. If management's performance has been questionable we may abstain or vote against specific proxy proposals.
c. Where there is a clear conflict between management and shareholder interests, even in those cases where management has been doing a good job, we may elect to vote against management. d. In general, we oppose proposals, which in our view, act to entrench management.
e. In some instances, even though we strongly support management, there are some corporate governance issues that, in spite of management objections, we believe should be subject to shareholder approval.
f. We will vote in favor of shareholder resolutions for confidential voting.

2. Board of Directors and Auditors
a. Unless our objection to management's recommendation is strenuous, if we believe auditors to be competent and professional, we support continuity in the appointed auditing firm subject to regular review.
b. We generally vote for proposals that seek to fix the size of the board and/or require shareholder approval to alter the size of the board and that allow shareholders to remove directors with or without cause.
c. We generally vote for proposals that permit shareholders to act by written consent and/or give the right to shareholders to call a special meeting.
d. We generally oppose proposals to limit or restrict shareholder ability to call special meetings. e. We will vote for separation of Chairman and CEO if we believe it will lead to better company management, otherwise, we will support an outside lead director board structure.

3. Compensation
a. We will not try to micro-manage compensation schemes, however, we believe remuneration should not be excessive, and we will not support compensation plans that are poorly structured or otherwise egregious.
b. Senior management compensation should be set by independent directors according to industry standards, taking advice from benefits consultants where appropriate.
c. All senior management and board compensation should be disclosed within annual financial statements, including the value of fringe benefits, company pension contributions, deferred compensation and any company loans.
d. We may vote against a compensation or incentive program if it is not adequately tied to a company's fundamental financial performance;, is vague;, is not in line with market practices;, allows for option re-pricing;, does not have adequate performance hurdles; or is highly dilutive. e. Where company and management's performance has been poor, we may object to the issuance of additional shares for option purposes such that management is rewarded for poor performance or further entrenches its position.
f. Given the increased level of responsibility and oversight required of directors, it is reasonable to expect that compensation should increase commensurably. We consider that there should be an appropriate balance between fixed and variable elements of compensation and between short and long term incentives.

4. Governance Provisions
a. We believe that votes at company meetings should be determined on the basis of one share one vote. We will vote against cumulative voting proposals.
b. We believe that .poison pill. proposals, which dilute an issuer's stock when triggered by particular events, such as take over bids or buy-outs, should be voted on by the shareholders and will support attempts to bring them before the shareholders.
c. Any substantial new share issuance should require prior shareholder approval. d. We believe proposals that authorize the issuance of new stock without defined terms or conditions and are intended to thwart a take-over or restrict effective control by shareholders should be discouraged.
e. We will support directives to increase the independence of the board of directors when we believe that the measures will improve

 

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shareholder value.
f. We generally do not oppose management's recommendation to implement a staggered board and generally support the regular re-election of directors on a rotational basis as it may provide some continuity of oversight.
g. We will support proposals that enable shareholders to directly nominate directors.

5. Capital Structure and Corporate Restructuring
a. It is difficult to direct where a company should incorporate, however, in instances where a move is motivated solely to entrench management or restrict effective corporate governance, we will vote accordingly.
b. In general we will oppose management initiatives to create dual classes of stock, which serves to insulate company management from shareholder opinion and action. We support shareholder proposals to eliminate dual class schemes.

6. Mergers, Tender Offers and Proxy Contests
a. Based on our analysis and research we will support proposals that increase shareholder value and vote against proposals that do not.

7. Social, Environmental, Political and Cultural
a. Depending on the situation, we do not typically vote to prohibit a company from doing business anywhere in the world.
b. There are occasional issues, we support, that encourage management to make changes or adopt more constructive policies with respect to social, environmental, political and other special interest issues, but in many cases we believe that the shareholder proposal may be too binding or restrict management's ability to find an optimal solution. While we wish to remain sensitive to these issues, we believe there are better ways to resolve them than through a proxy proposal. We prefer to address these issues through engagement.
c. Unless directed by clients to vote in favor of social, environmental, political and other special interest proposals, we are generally opposed to special interest proposals that involve an economic cost to the company or that restrict the freedom of management to operate in the best interest of the company and its shareholders.

8. Administrative and Operations
a. Occasionally, stockholder proposals, such as asking for reports and donations to the poor, are presented in a way that appear to be honest attempts at bringing up a worthwhile issue. Nevertheless, judgment must be exercised with care, as we do not expect our shareholder companies to be charitable institutions.
b. We are sympathetic to shareholders who are long-term holders of a company's stock, who desire to make concise statements about the long term operations of the company in the proxy statement. However, because regulatory agencies do not require such actions, we may abstain unless we believe there are compelling reasons to vote for or against.

9. Miscellaneous
a. Where a client has given specific direction as to how to exercise voting rights on its behalf, we will vote in accordance with a client's direction.
b. Where we have determined that the voting of a particular proxy is of limited benefit to clients or where the costs of voting a proxy outweigh the benefit to clients, we may abstain or choose not to vote. Among others, such costs may include the cost of translating a proxy, a requirement to vote in person at a shareholders meeting or if the process of voting restricts our ability to sell for a period of time (an opportunity cost).
c. For holdings managed pursuant to quantitative, index or index-like strategies, we may delegate the authority to exercise voting rights for such strategies to an independent proxy voting and research service with the direction that the votes be exercised in accordance with this Policy. If such holdings are also held in an actively managed strategy, we will exercise the voting rights for the passive holdings according to the active strategy.
d. In certain instances when we do not have enough information we may choose to abstain or vote against a particular Proposal.

C. Proxy Voting Disclosure
Guidelines
- UBS Global AM will disclose to clients, as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, how they may obtain information about how we voted with respect to their securities. This disclosure may be made on Form ADV.
- UBS Global AM will disclose to clients, as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, these procedures and will furnish a copy of these procedures to any client upon request. This disclosure may be made on Form ADV.
- Upon request or as required by law or regulation, UBS Global AM will disclose to a client or a client's fiduciaries, the manner in which we exercised voting rights on behalf of the client.
- Upon request, we will inform a client of our intended vote. Note, however, in some cases, because of the controversial nature of a particular proxy, our intended vote may not be available until just prior to the deadline. If the request involves a conflict due to the

 

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client's relationship with the company that has issued the proxy, the Legal and Compliance Department should be contacted immediately to ensure adherence to UBS Global AM Corporate Governance Principles. (See Proxy Voting Conflict Guidelines below.)
- Other than as described herein, we will not disclose our voting intentions or make public statements to any third party (except electronically to our proxy vote processor or regulatory agencies) including but not limited to proxy solicitors, nonclients, the media, or other UBS divisions, but we may inform such parties of the provisions of our Policy. We may communicate with other shareholders regarding a specific proposal but will not disclose our voting intentions or agree to vote in concert with another shareholder without approval from the Chairman of the Global Corporate Governance Committee and regional Legal and Compliance representative.
- Any employee, officer or director of UBS Global AM receiving an inquiry directly from a company will notify the appropriate industry analyst and persons responsible for voting the company.s proxies.
- Proxy solicitors and company agents will not be provided with either our votes or the number of shares we own in a particular company.
- In response to a proxy solicitor or company agent, we will acknowledge receipt of the proxy materials, inform them of our intent to vote or that we have voted, but not the result of the vote itself.
- We may inform the company (not their agent) where we have decided to vote against any material resolution at their company.
- The Chairman of the Global Corporate Governance Committee and the applicable Chair of the Local Corporate Governance Committee must approve exceptions to this disclosure policy. Nothing in this policy should be interpreted as to prevent dialogue with the company and its advisers by the industry analyst, proxy voting delegate or other appropriate senior investment personnel when a company approaches us to discuss governance issues or resolutions they wish to include in their proxy statement.

D. Proxy Voting Conflict Guidelines
In addition to the Proxy Voting Disclosure Guidelines above, UBS Global AM has implemented the following guidelines to address conflicts of interests that arise in connection with our exercise of voting rights on behalf of clients:
- Under no circumstances will general business, sales or marketing issues influence our proxy votes.
- UBS Global AM and its affiliates engaged in banking, broker-dealer and investment banking activities (.Affiliates.) have policies in place prohibiting the sharing of certain sensitive information. These policies prohibit our personnel from disclosing information regarding our voting intentions to any Affiliate. Any of our personnel involved in the proxy voting process who are contacted by an Affiliate regarding the manner in which we intend to vote on a specific issue, must terminate the contact and notify the Legal and Compliance Department immediately. [Note: Legal and Compliance personnel may have contact with their counterparts working for an Affiliate on matters involving information barriers.] In the event of any issue arising in relation to Affiliates, the Chair of the Global Corporate Governance Committee must be advised, who will in turn advise the Chief Risk Officer.

E. Special Disclosure Guidelines for Registered Investment Company Clients
1. Registration Statement (Open-End and Closed-End Funds) Management is responsible for ensuring the following:
- That these procedures, which are the procedures used by the investment adviser on the Funds. behalf, are described in the Statement of Additional Information (SAI). The procedures may be described in the SAI or attached as an exhibit to the registration statement.
- That the SAI disclosure includes the procedures that are used when a vote presents a conflict between the interests of Fund shareholders, on the one hand; and those of the Funds investment adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person of the Fund, its investment adviser or principal underwriter, on the other.
- That the SAI disclosure states that information regarding how the Fund voted proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling a specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number; or on or through the Fund's website, or both; and (ii) on the Commission's website. If a request for the proxy voting record is received, the Fund must comply within three business days by first class mail. If website disclosure is elected, Form N-PX must be posted as soon as reasonably practicable after filing the report with the Commission, and must remain available on the website as long as the Fund discloses that it its available on the website.

2. Shareholder Annual and Semi-Annual Report (Open-End and Closed-End Funds) Management is responsible for ensuring the following:
- That each Fund's shareholder report contain a statement that a description of these procedures is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling a toll-free or collect telephone number; (ii) on the Fund's website, if applicable; and (iii) on the Commission's website. If a request for the proxy voting record is received, the Fund must comply within three business days by first class mail.
- That the report contain a statement that information regarding how the Fund voted proxies during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 is available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling a specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number; or on or through the Fund's website, or both; and (ii) on the Commission's website. If a request for the proxy voting record is received, the Fund must comply within three business days by first class mail. If website disclosure is elected, Form N-PX must be posted as soon as reasonably practicable after filing the report with the Commission, and must remain available on the website as long as the Fund discloses that it its available on the website.

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WEDGE Capital Management L.L.P. (Revised: January 3, 2008)

Case-by-Case Basis : This Policy is intended as a guideline. Each vote is cast on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration all the relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote. Responsible Parties : Voting responsibilities are handled by the Recommending Analyst. If a stock is held in multiple portfolios, the Recommending Analyst who owns the most shares in his/her portfolio will be responsible to vote. The Proxy Coordinator is responsible for distributing the proxies to the correct analyst in a timely manner.
Source of Information : Each analyst may conduct his or her own research and/or use the information provided by Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).
Basis for Voting Decision : The voting decision will be written on the proxy statement (or ISS materials) by the Recommending Analyst and recorded in the proxy voting system by the Proxy Coordinator. If a vote is against management, the reason for the vote must be clearly documented on the proxy statement (or ISS materials) and recorded in the system to ensure compliance with client proxy reporting.
Conflicts of Interest : Any material conflicts of interest are to be resolved in the best interest of our clients. WCM does not allow any employee or partner or spouse of either to sit on the board of directors of any public company without Management Committee approval. WCM requires all employees and partners to adhere to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, which require specific disclosures of conflicts of interest and strict adherence to independence and objectivity standards. A Potential Conflict of Interest Form has been created to document the Recommending Analyst's consultation with another analyst and if necessary, a member of the Management Committee.
Abstentions : All proxies should be voted either for or against with an abstention being appropriate in very limited situations. In the case where an abstention may be appropriate, the Recommending Analyst should document why he or she abstained from the vote. This will be documented in the system by the Proxy Coordinator.
Record Retention : WCM will maintain the records required under Section 204-2 of the Adviser Act.
Internal Audit : On an annual basis, a compliance officer will review the proxy process and the Policy to ensure adherence and to determine if any revisions are necessary. Periodically, a compliance officer will also review the retained records relating to proxies to confirm compliance with the Policy. Results of these reviews will be distributed to the Management Committee.

Western Asset Management Company
Western Asset Management Company Limited

As a fixed income only manager, the occasion to vote proxies is very rare. However, the Firm has adopted and implemented policies and procedures that we believe are reasonably designed to ensure that proxies are voted in the best interest of clients, in accordance with our fiduciary duties and SEC Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 ("Advisers Act"). In addition to SEC requirements governing advisers, our proxy voting policies reflect the long-standing fiduciary standards and responsibilities for ERISA accounts. Unless a manager of ERISA assets has been expressly precluded from voting proxies, the Department of Labor has determined that the responsibility for these votes lies with the Investment Manager.

While the guidelines included in the procedures are intended to provide a benchmark for voting standards, each vote is ultimately cast on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration the Firm's contractual obligations to our clients and all other relevant facts and circumstances at the time of the vote (such that these guidelines may be overridden to the extent the Firm deems appropriate).

In exercising its voting authority, Western Asset will not consult or enter into agreements with officers, directors or employees of Legg Mason Inc. or any of its affiliates (other than Western Asset Management Company Limited) regarding the voting of any securities owned by its clients.

PROCEDURE

Responsibility and Oversight
The Western Asset Legal and Compliance Department ("Compliance Department") is responsible for administering and overseeing the proxy voting process. The gathering of proxies is coordinated through the Corporate Actions area of Investment Support ("Corporate Actions"). Research analysts and portfolio managers are responsible for determining appropriate voting positions on each proxy utilizing any applicable guidelines contained in these procedures.

Client Authority
At account start-up, or upon amendment of an IMA, the applicable client IMA are similarly reviewed. If an agreement is silent on proxy voting, but contains an overall delegation of discretionary authority or if the account represents assets of an ERISA plan,

 

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Western Asset will assume responsibility for proxy voting. The Client Account Transition Team maintains a matrix of proxy voting authority.

Proxy Gathering
Registered owners of record, client custodians, client banks and trustees ("Proxy Recipients") that receive proxy materials on behalf of clients should forward them to Corporate Actions. Proxy Recipients for new clients (or, if Western Asset becomes aware that the applicable Proxy Recipient for an existing client has changed, the Proxy Recipient for the existing client) are notified at start-up of appropriate routing to Corporate Actions of proxy materials received and reminded of their responsibility to forward all proxy II-1 materials on a timely basis. If Western Asset personnel other than Corporate Actions receive proxy materials, they should promptly forward the materials to Corporate Actions.

Proxy Voting
Once proxy materials are received by Corporate Actions, they are forwarded to the Legal and Compliance Department for coordination and the following actions:

a. Proxies are reviewed to determine accounts impacted.
b. Impacted accounts are checked to confirm Western Asset voting authority.
c. Legal and Compliance Department staff reviews proxy issues to determine any material conflicts of interest. (See conflicts of interest section of these procedures for further information on determining material conflicts of interest.)
d. If a material conflict of interest exists, (i) to the extent reasonably practicable and permitted by applicable law, the client is promptly notified, the conflict is disclosed and Western Asset obtains the client's proxy voting instructions, and (ii) to the extent that it is not reasonably practicable or permitted by applicable law to notify the client and obtain such instructions (e.g., the client is a mutual fund or other commingled vehicle or is an ERISA plan client), Western Asset seeks voting instructions from an independent third party.
e. Legal and Compliance Department staff provides proxy material to the appropriate research analyst or portfolio manager to obtain their recommended vote. Research analysts and portfolio managers determine votes on a case-by-case basis taking into account the voting guidelines contained in these procedures. For avoidance of doubt, depending on the best interest of each individual client, Western Asset may vote the same proxy differently for different clients. The analyst's or portfolio manager's basis for their decision is documented and maintained by the Legal and Compliance Department. f. Legal and Compliance Department staff votes the proxy pursuant to the instructions received in (d) or (e) and returns the voted proxy as indicated in the proxy materials. Timing Western Asset personnel act in such a manner to ensure that, absent special circumstances, the proxy gathering and proxy voting steps noted above can be completed before the applicable deadline for returning proxy votes.
f. Legal and Compliance Department staff votes the proxy pursuant to the instructions received in (d) or (e) and returns the voted proxy as indicated in the proxy materials.

Timing
Western Asset personnel act in such a manner to ensure that, absent special circumstances, the proxy gathering and proxy voting steps noted above can be completed before the applicable deadline for returning proxy votes. Recordkeeping Western Asset maintains records of proxies voted pursuant to Section 204-2 of the Advisers Act and ERISA DOL Bulletin 94-2. These records include:
a. A copy of Western Asset's policies and procedures.
b. Copies of proxy statements received regarding client securities.
c. A copy of any document created by Western Asset that was material to making a decision how to vote proxies.
d. Each written client request for proxy voting records and Western Asset's written response to both verbal and written client requests.
e. A proxy log including: 1. Issuer name; 2. Exchange ticker symbol of the issuer's shares to be voted; 3. Council on Uniform Securities Identification Procedures ("CUSIP") number for the shares to be voted; 4. A brief identification of the matter voted on; 5. Whether the matter was proposed by the issuer or by a shareholder of the issuer; 6. Whether a vote was cast on the matter; 7. A record of how the vote was cast; and 8. Whether the vote was cast for or against the recommendation of the issuer's management team.

Records are maintained in an easily accessible place for five years, the first two in Western Asset's offices.

Disclosure
Western Asset's proxy policies are described in the firm's Part II of Form ADV. Clients will be provided a copy of these policies and procedures upon request. In addition, upon request, clients may receive reports on how their proxies have been voted.

Conflicts of Interest

 

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All proxies are reviewed by the Legal and Compliance Department for material conflicts of interest. Issues to be reviewed include, but are not limited to:
1. Whether Western (or, to the extent required to be considered by applicable law, its affiliates) manages assets for the company or an employee group of the company or otherwise has an interest in the company;
2. Whether Western or an officer or director of Western or the applicable portfolio manager or analyst responsible for recommending the proxy vote (together, "Voting Persons") is a close relative of or has a personal or business relationship with an executive, director or person who is a candidate for director of the company or is a participant in a proxy contest; and
3. Whether there is any other business or personal relationship where a Voting Person has a personal interest in the outcome of the matter before shareholders.

Voting Guidelines
Western Asset's substantive voting decisions turn on the particular facts and circumstances of each proxy vote and are evaluated by the designated research analyst or portfolio manager. The examples outlined below are meant as guidelines to aid in the decision making process.

Guidelines are grouped according to the types of proposals generally presented to shareholders. Part I deals with proposals which have been approved and are recommended by a company's board of directors; Part II deals with proposals submitted by shareholders for inclusion in proxy statements; Part III addresses issues relating to voting shares of investment companies; and Part IV addresses unique considerations pertaining to foreign issuers.

I. Board Approved Proposals
The vast majority of matters presented to shareholders for a vote involve proposals made by a company itself that have been approved and recommended by its board of directors. In view of the enhanced corporate governance practices currently being implemented in public companies, Western Asset generally votes in support of decisions reached by independent boards of directors. More specific guidelines related to certain board-approved proposals are as follows:

1 Matters relating to the Board of Directors
Western Asset votes proxies for the election of the company's nominees for directors and for board-approved proposals on other matters relating to the board of directors with the following exceptions:
a. Votes are withheld for the entire board of directors if the board does not have a majority of independent directors or the board does not have nominating, audit and compensation committees composed solely of independent directors.
b. Votes are withheld for any nominee for director who is considered an independent director by the company and who has received compensation from the company other than for service as a director.
c. Votes are withheld for any nominee for director who attends less than 75% of board and committee meetings without valid reasons for absences.
d. Votes are cast on a case-by-case basis in contested elections of directors.

2. Matters relating to Executive Compensation
Western Asset generally favors compensation programs that relate executive compensation to a company's long-term performance. Votes are cast on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals relating to executive compensation, except as follows:

a. Except where the firm is otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, Western Asset votes for stock option plans that will result in a minimal annual dilution.
b. Western Asset votes against stock option plans or proposals that permit replacing or repricing of underwater options.
c. Western Asset votes against stock option plans that permit issuance of options with an exercise price below the stock's current market price.
d. Except where the firm is otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors, Western Asset votes for employee stock purchase plans that limit the discount for shares purchased under the plan to no more than 15% of their market value, have an offering period of 27 months or less and result in dilution of 10% or less.

3. Matters relating to Capitalization
The management of a company's capital structure involves a number of important issues, including cash flows, financing needs and market conditions that are unique to the circumstances of each company. As a result, Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on board-approved proposals involving changes to a company's capitalization except where Western Asset is otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.
a. Western Asset votes for proposals relating to the authorization of additional common stock.
b. Western Asset votes for proposals to effect stock splits (excluding reverse stock splits).

 

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c. Western Asset votes for proposals authorizing share repurchase programs.

4. Matters relating to Acquisitions, Mergers, Reorganizations and Other Transactions
Western Asset votes these issues on a case-by-case basis on board-approved transactions.

5. Matters relating to Anti-Takeover Measures
Western Asset votes against board-approved proposals to adopt anti-takeover measures except as follows:
a. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals to ratify or approve shareholder rights plans.
b. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals to adopt fair price provisions.

6. Other Business Matters
Western Asset votes for board-approved proposals approving such routine business matters such as changing the company's name, ratifying the appointment of auditors and procedural matters relating to the shareholder meeting.
a. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals to amend a company's charter or bylaws.
b. Western Asset votes against authorization to transact other unidentified, substantive business at the meeting.

II. Shareholder Proposals
SEC regulations permit shareholders to submit proposals for inclusion in a company's proxy statement. These proposals generally seek to change some aspect of a company's corporate governance structure or to change some aspect of its business operations. Western Asset votes in accordance with the recommendation of the company's board of directors on all shareholder proposals, except as follows:
1. Western Asset votes for shareholder proposals to require shareholder approval of shareholder rights plans.
2. Western Asset votes for shareholder proposals that are consistent with Western Asset's proxy voting guidelines for board-approved proposals.
3. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on other shareholder proposals where the firm is otherwise withholding votes for the entire board of directors.

III. Voting Shares of Investment Companies
Western Asset may utilize shares of open or closed-end investment companies to implement its investment strategies. Shareholder votes for investment companies that fall within the categories listed in Parts I and II above are voted in accordance with those guidelines.
1. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals relating to changes in the investment objectives of an investment company taking into account the original intent of the fund and the role the fund plays in the clients' portfolios.
2. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis all proposals that would result in increases in expenses (e.g., proposals to adopt 12b-1 plans, alter investment advisory arrangements or approve fund mergers) taking into account comparable expenses for similar funds and the services to be provided.

IV. Voting Shares of Foreign Issuers
In the event Western Asset is required to vote on securities held in non-U.S. issuers – i.e. issuers that are incorporated under the laws of a foreign jurisdiction and that are not listed on a U.S. securities exchange or the NASDAQ stock market, the following guidelines are used, which are premised on the existence of a sound corporate governance and disclosure framework. These guidelines, however, may not be appropriate under some circumstances for foreign issuers and therefore apply only where applicable.
1. Western Asset votes for shareholder proposals calling for a majority of the directors to be independent of management.
2. Western Asset votes for shareholder proposals seeking to increase the independence of board nominating, audit and compensation committees.
3. Western Asset votes for shareholder proposals that implement corporate governance standards similar to those established under U.S. federal law and the listing requirements of U.S.stock exchanges, and that do not otherwise violate the laws of the jurisdiction under which the company is incorporated.
4. Western Asset votes on a case-by-case basis on proposals relating to (1) the issuance of common stock in excess of 20% of a company's outstanding common stock where shareholders do not have preemptive rights, or (2) the issuance of common stock in excess of 100% of a company's outstanding common stock where shareholders have preemptive rights.

William Blair & Company, LLC
General Policy

William Blair & Company shall vote the proxies of its clients solely in the interest of their participants and beneficiaries and for the

 

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exclusive purpose of providing benefits to them. William Blair & Company shall act with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims. William Blair & Company is not responsible for voting proxies it does not receive. However, William Blair & Company will make reasonable efforts to obtain missing proxies.

All proxies are reviewed by the Proxy Administrator, subject to the requirement that all votes shall be cast solely in the best interest of the clients in their capacity as shareholders of a company. The Proxy Administrator votes the proxies according to the Voting Guidelines (Domestic or International), which are designed to address matters typically arising in proxy votes. William Blair & Company does not intend the Voting Guidelines to be exhaustive; hundreds of issues appear on proxy ballots and it is neither practical nor productive to fashion a guideline for each. Rather, William Blair & Company's Voting Guidelines are intended to cover the most significant and frequent proxy issues that arise.

For issues not covered or to be voted on a "Case-by-Case" basis by the Voting Guidelines, the Proxy Administrator will consult the Proxy Policy Committee. The Proxy Policy Committee will review the issues and will vote each proxy based on information from the company, our internal analysts and third party research sources, in the best interests of the clients in their capacity as shareholders of a company. The Proxy Policy Committee consists of certain representatives from the Investment Management Department, including management, portfolio manager(s), analyst(s), operations, as well as a representative from the Compliance Department. The Proxy Policy Committee reviews the Proxy Voting Policy and Procedures annually and shall revise its guidelines as events warrant.

 

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Part C

Other Information

 

Item 23. Exhibits *

 

* Documents that were previously filed as exhibits to various Post-Effective Amendments to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form   N-1A (File Nos. 33-24962 and 811-5186) and that are incorporated herein by reference have the same exhibit numbers in such Post-Effective Amendments as referenced herein.

 

(a)(1) Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of Registrant. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registrant’s Registration Statement for Form N-1A (File Nos. 33-24962 and 811-5186) (the “Registration Statement “), which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(a)(2) Amendment to Declaration of Trust of Registrant. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(b) By-laws of Registrant. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(c) None.

 

(d)(1)(a) Form of Investment Management Agreement among the Registrant, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated and Prudential Investments LLC for the various portfolios of the Registrant. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(1)(b) Amended Fee Schedule to Investment Management Agreement. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(2) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Goldman Sachs Asset Management for the AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(3)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Investment Management, Inc. for the AST Money Market Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(3) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Incorporated (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.), Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Investment Management, Inc. for the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019, and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(4) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Goldman Sachs Asset Management for the AST Goldman Sachs High Yield Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(5) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. for the AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

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(d)(6)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company for the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(6)(b) Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(7) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. for the AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(8) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company for the AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(9) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and T. Rowe Price International, Inc. for the AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(10) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and William Blair & Company LLC for the AST International Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(11)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and LSV Asset Management for the AST International Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(11)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and LSV Asset Management for the AST International Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(12)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and American Century Investment Management, Inc. for the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(12)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and American Century Investment Management, Inc. for the AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(13) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and American Century Investment Management, Inc. for the AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(14) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated and J. P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. for the AST JPMorgan International Equity Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-

 

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Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(15) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated and Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC for the AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(16) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Goldman Sachs Asset Management for the AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(17) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. for the AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(18)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Marsico Capital Management, LLC for the AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(18)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Marsico Capital Management, LLC for the AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(19) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Incorporated for the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(20)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Incorporated for the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(20)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreements among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. for each of the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio and the Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(21)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. for the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(21)(b) Voluntary subadvisory fee waiver arrangement. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(22)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services Incorporated (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.), Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Incorporated for the AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an Exhibit to Past-Effective Amendment No. 62 to

 

3

 

 

the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(22)(b) Voluntary subadvisory fee waiver arrangement applicable to Portfolios subadvised by Neuberger Berman Management, Incorporated. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(23) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Eagle Asset Management for the AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(24) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company for the AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(25) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Massachusetts Financial Services Company for the AST MFS Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(26) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Goldman Sachs Asset Management for the AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(27) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Alliance Capital Management L.P. for the AST AllianceBernstein Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(28) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and WEDGE Capital Management, LLP for the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(29) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Alliance Capital Management L.P. for the AST Alliance Growth and Income Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(30)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Federated Investment Counseling for the AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(30)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Federated Investment Counseling for the AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(31) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. for the AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

4

 

 

 

(d)(32) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. for the AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(33) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. for the AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(34) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Lord Abbett & Co. for the AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(35) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC for the AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(36) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. for the AST DeAM Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(37) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and First Trust Advisors, L.P. for the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(38) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and First Trust Advisors, L.P. for the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(38)(a) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreements among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and First Trust Advisors, L.P. for each of the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio and the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(39)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and LSV Asset Management for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(39)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and LSV Asset Management for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(40) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and William Blair & Company LLC for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

5

 

 

 

(d)(41) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(42) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Marsico Capital Management, LLC for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(43)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(43)(b) Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(44) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST High Yield Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 57 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 27, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(45) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. for the AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(46) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Federated MDTA LLC, for the AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(47) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Marsico Capital Management, LLC, for the AST International Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(48) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Thornburg Investment Management, Inc., for the AST International Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(49) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Dreman Value Management LLC, for the AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(50) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and Dreman Value Management LLC, for the AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(51) Amended and Restated Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC, Salomon Brothers Asset Management, and ClearBridge Advisors, LLC,

 

6

 

 

 

for the AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(52)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc., for the AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(52)(b) Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and J.P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc., for the AST Large-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(53)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc., for the AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth Portfolio. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(53)(b) Voluntary Subadvisory Fee Waiver Arrangement. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(d)(54) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and CLS Investment Firm, LLC for the AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio. To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(d)(55) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Horizon Investments, LLC for the AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio and the AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio. To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(d)(56) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Niemann Capital Management, Inc. for the AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio. To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(d)(57)(a) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Western Asset Management Company Limited for the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(57)(b) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Western Asset Management Company for the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(58) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Real Estate Investors for the AST Global Real Estate Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(59) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC for the AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(60) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Quantitative Management Associates LLC for the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(d)(61) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and LSV Asset Management for the AST Neuberger Berman

 

7

 

 

Mid-Cap Value Portfolio (to be re-named as the AST Neuberger Berman / LSV Mid-Cap Value Portfolio). To be filed by subsequent amendment.

(d)(62) Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and EARNEST Partners LLC for the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

(e)(1) Sales Agreement between Registrant and American Skandia Life Assurance Corporation. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on March 2, 1998, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(e)(2) Sales Agreement between Registrant and Kemper Investors Life Insurance Company. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 20 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on December 24, 1996, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(f) None.

 

(g)(1) Custodian Agreement dated July 1, 2005 between the Registrant and PFPC Trust Company. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(g)(2) Transfer Agency Services Agreement dated July 1, 2005 between the Registrant and PFPC Inc. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(h)(1) Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement between the Registrant and Prudential Mutual Fund Services, Inc., dated May 29, 2007. Incorporated by reference to the Dryden Municipal Bond Fund Post-Effective Amendment No. 29 to the Registration Statement on Form N-1A filed via EDGAR on June 29, 2007 (File No. 33-10649).

 

(h)(1)(i) Amendment dated December 27, 2007 to Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated May 29, 2007. Incorporated by reference to the JennisonDryden Portfolios Post - Effective Amendment No. 37 to the Registration statement of on Form N1-A filed via EDGAR on December 21, 2007 (File No. 33-9269).

 

(h)(2) Service Agreement between American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated and Kemper Investors Life Insurance Company. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 21 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 28, 1997, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(h)(3) Amended and Restated Participation Agreement dated June 8, 2005 among American Skandia Life Assurance Corporation, American Skandia Trust, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC, American Skandia Marketing, Inc., and Prudential Investment Management Services LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form N-14, which was filed via EDGAR on July 12, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(h)(4) Amended and Restated Participation Agreement dated June 8, 2005 among Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, American Skandia Trust, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc., Prudential Investments LLC, American Skandia Marketing, Inc., and Prudential Investment Management Services LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form N-14, which was filed via EDGAR on July 12, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(h)(5) Amended and Restated Participation Agreement dated June 8, 2005 among Pruco Life Insurance Company, American Skandia Trust, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc., Prudential Investments LLC, American Skandia Marketing, Inc., and Prudential Investment Management Services LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to the Registration Statement on Form N-14, which was filed via EDGAR on July 12, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

8

 

 

 

(i) Opinion of Counsel for the Registrant. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(j) Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm. Filed herewith.

 

(k) None.

 

(l) Certificate re: initial $100,000 capital. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 25 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on March 2, 1998, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(m) None.

 

(n) None.

 

(o) None.

 

(p)(1) Code of Ethics of the Registrant dated December 26, 2007. Incorporated by reference to the Dryden Small-Cap Core Equity Fund, Inc. Post-Effective Amendment No. 16 to the Registration Statement filed on Form N-1A via EDGAR on February 26, 2008 (File No. 333-24495).

 

(p)(2) Code of Ethics and Personal Securities Trading Policy of Prudential Investment Management Inc., Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Investment Management Services LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to Exhibit (p)(2) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to the Registration Statement of Jennison Sector Funds, Inc. on Form N-1A (File No. 2-72097) filed via EDGAR on January 31, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(3) Form of Code of Ethics of Alliance Capital Management L.P. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(4) Form of Code of Ethics of American Century Investment Management, Inc. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(5) Form of Code of Ethics of Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(6) Form of Code of Ethics of Deutsche Asset Management, Inc. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 43 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on December 10, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(7) Form of Code of Ethics of Federated Investment Counseling. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(8) Form of Code of Ethics of Federated Global Investment Management Corp. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 46 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 28, 2003, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(9) Form of Code of Ethics of Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

9

 

 

 

(p)(10) Form of Code of Ethics of Hotchkis and Wiley Capital Management LLC. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(11) Form of Code of Ethics of J. P. Morgan Investment Management, Inc. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 49 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2004, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(12) Form of Code of Ethics of Lord, Abbett & Co. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(13) Form of Code of Ethics of Marsico Capital Management, LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 45 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on May 1, 2002, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(14) Form of Code of Ethics of Massachusetts Financial Services Company. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(15) Form of Code of Ethics of Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 38 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 15, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(16) Form of Code of Ethics of Pacific Investment Management Company LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 39 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 30, 2001, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(17) Form of Code of Ethics of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. dated March 1, 2008. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(18) Form of Code of Ethics of LSV Asset Management. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(19) Form of Code of Ethics of Lee Munder Investments, Ltd. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 50 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on February 18, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(20) Form of Code of Ethics of Eagle Asset Management. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(21) Form of Code of Ethics of William Blair & Company, LLC. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 52 to the Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 29, 2005, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(22) Form of Code of Ethics of First Trust Advisors, L.P. Filed as an Exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 58 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 28, 2006, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(23) Form of Code of Ethics of UBS Global Asset Management (Americas), Inc. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

10

 

 

 

(p)(24) Form of Code of Ethics of Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(25) Form of Code of Ethics of ClearBridge Advisors, LLC. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (p)(10) to Post-Effective Amendment No. 55 to the Registration Statement of The Prudential Series Fund on Form N-1A (File No.2-80896) filed via EDGAR on April 27, 2007.

 

(p)(26) Form of Code of Ethics of Dreman Value Management, LLC. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

(p)(27) Form of Code of Ethics of CLS Investment Firm, LLC. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(28) Form of Code of Ethics of Horizon Investments, LLC. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(29) Form of Code of Ethics of Niemann Capital Management, Inc. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(30) Form of Code of Ethics of Western Asset Management Company and Western Asset Management Company Limited. To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(p)(31) Form of Code of Ethics of Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(32) Form of Code of Ethics of Quantitative Management Associates LLC. Filed herewith.

 

(p)(33) Form of Code of Ethics of WEDGE Capital Management LLP. To be filed by subsequent amendment.

 

(p)(34) Form of Code of Ethics of EARNEST Partners LLC. Filed herewith.

 

(q) Powers of Attorney. Filed as an exhibit to Post-Effective Amendment No. 62 to Registration Statement, which Amendment was filed via EDGAR on April 26, 2007, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

ITEM 24.

Persons Controlled By or Under Common Control with Registrant

 

Registrant does not control any person within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940. Registrant may be deemed to be under common control with its investment manager and its affiliates because a controlling interest in Registrant is held of record by Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation. See Registrant’s Statement of Additional Information under “Management and Advisory Arrangements” and “Other Information.”

 

 

ITEM 25.

Indemnification

 

Section 5.2 of the Registrant’s Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust provides as follows:

 

The Trust shall indemnify each of its Trustees, Trustee Emeritus, officers, employees, and agents (including persons who serve at its request as directors, officers, employees, agents or trustees of another organization in which it has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise) against all liabilities and expenses (including amounts paid in satisfaction of judgments, in compromise, as fines and penalties, and as counsel fees) reasonably incurred by him in connection with the defense or disposition of any action, suit or other proceeding, whether civil or criminal, in which he may be involved or with which he may be threatened, while in office or thereafter, by reason of his being or having been such a trustee, trustee emeritus, officer, employee or agent, except with respect to any matter as to which he shall have been adjudicated to be liable to the Trust or its Shareholders by reason of having acted in bad faith, willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of his duties; provided, however, that as to any matter disposed of by a compromise payment by such person, pursuant to a consent decree or otherwise, no indemnification either for said payment or for any other expenses shall be provided unless approved as in the best interests of the Trust, after notice that it involves such indemnification, by at least a majority of the disinterested

 

11

 

 

Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter) upon a determination, based upon a review of readily available facts, that (i) such person acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his or her action was in the best interests of the Trust and (ii) is not liable to the Trust or the Shareholders by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duties; or the trust shall have received a written opinion from independent legal counsel approved by the Trustees to the effect that (x) if the matter of good faith and reasonable belief as to the best interests of the Trust, had been adjudicated, it would have been adjudicated in favor of such person, and (y) based upon a review of readily available facts such trustee, officer, employee or agent did not engage in willful misfeasance, gross negligence or reckless disregard of duty. The rights accruing to any Person under these provisions shall not exclude any other right to which he may be lawfully entitled; provided that no Person may satisfy any right of indemnity or reimbursement granted herein or in Section 5.1 or to which he may be otherwise entitled except out of the property of the Trust, and no Shareholder shall be personally liable to any Person with respect to any claim for indemnity or reimbursement or otherwise. The Trustees may make advance payments in connection with indemnification under this Section 5.2, provided that the indemnified person shall have given a written undertaking to reimburse the Trust in the event it is subsequently determined that he is not entitled to such indemnification and, provided further, that the Trust shall have obtained protection, satisfactory in the sole judgment of the disinterested Trustees acting on the matter (provided that a majority of the disinterested Trustees then in office act on the matter), against losses arising out of such advance payments or such Trustees, or independent legal counsel, in a written opinion, shall have determined, based upon a review of readily available facts that there is reason to believe that such person will be found to be entitled to such indemnification.

 

With respect to liability of the Investment Manager to Registrant or to shareholders of Registrant’s Portfolios under the Investment Management Agreements, reference is made to Section 13 or 14 of each form of Investment Management Agreement filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein.

 

With respect to the Sub-Advisors’ indemnification of the Investment Manager and its affiliated and controlling persons, and the Investment Manager’s indemnification of each Sub-advisor and its affiliated and controlling persons, reference is made to Section 14 of each form of Sub-Advisory Agreement filed herewith or incorporated by reference herein.

 

Insofar as indemnification for liability arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to trustees, officers and controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Registrant or expenses incurred or paid by a trustee, officer or controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

 

ITEM 26.   

Business and Other Connections of Investment Adviser

 

AST Investment Services, Incorporated (“ASTI”), One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut 06484, and Prudential Investments LLC (“PI”), Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, New Jersey 07102, serve as the co- investment managers to the Registrant. Information as to the business and other connections of the officers and directors of ASTI is included in ASTI’s Form ADV (File No. 801-40532), including the amendments to such Form ADV filed with the Commission, and is incorporated herein by reference. Information as to the business and other connections of the officers and directors of PI is included in PI’s Form ADV (File No. 801-3110), including the amendments to such Form ADV filed with the Commission, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

 

ITEM 27.   

Principal Underwriter

 

Registrant’s shares are currently offered only to insurance company separate accounts as an investment option for variable annuity and variable life insurance contracts.  The Trust has no principal underwriter or distributor.

 

 

 

12

 

 

 

 

ITEM 28.   

Location of Accounts and Records

 

Records regarding the Registrant’s securities holdings are maintained at Registrant’s Custodian, PFPC Trust Company, Airport Business Center, International Court 2, 200 Stevens Drive, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19113. Certain records with respect to the Registrant’s securities transactions are maintained at the offices of the various sub-advisors to the Registrant. The Registrant’s corporate records are maintained at its offices at Gateway Center 3, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark NJ 07102.

 

 

ITEM 29.   

Management Services

 

None.

 

 

ITEM 30.   

Undertakings

 

None.

 

13

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act and the Investment Company Act, the Fund certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act and has duly caused this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Newark, and State of New Jersey, on the 18 th of April, 2008.

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

*By:

/s/ John P. Schwartz

John P. Schwartz

Assistant Secretary

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Post-Effective Amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date indicated.

 

 

Signature

Title

Date

 

 

 

*DAVID R. ODENATH, JR.

President (Principal Executive Officer) and Trustee

 

David R. Odenath,   Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

*GRACE C. TORRES

Treasurer (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

 

Grace C. Torres

 

 

 

 

 

*SAUL K. FENSTER

Trustee

 

Saul K. Fenster

 

 

 

 

 

*DELAYNE DEDRICK GOLD

Trustee

 

Delayne Dedrick Gold

 

 

 

 

 

*ROBERT F. GUNIA

Trustee and Vice President

 

Robert F. Gunia

 

 

 

 

 

*W. SCOTT MCDONALD, JR

Trustee

 

W. Scott McDonald,   Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

*THOMAS T. MOONEY

Chairman and Trustee

 

Thomas T. Mooney

 

 

 

 

 

*THOMAS M. O’BRIEN

Trustee

 

Thomas M. O’Brien

 

 

 

 

 

*JOHN A. PILESKI

Trustee

 

John A. Pileski

 

 

 

 

 

*F. DON SCHWARTZ

Trustee

 

F. Don Schwartz

 

 

 

 

 

*By: /s/ John P. Schwartz

Assistant Secretary, Attorney-in-fact

April 18, 2008

John P. Schwartz

 

 

 

 

14

 

 

 

Advanced Series Trust

Exhibit Index

 

Item 23

 

Number

Exhibit

 

 

(d)(1)(b) 

Amended Fee Schedule to Investment Management Agreement

 

 

(d)(3) 

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Incorporated (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.), Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Investment Management, Inc. for the AST Bond Portfolio 2015, AST Bond Portfolio 2018, AST Bond Portfolio 2019, and the AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(6)(b)

Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(20)(b)

Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreements among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Neuberger Berman Management, Inc. for each of the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio and the Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(28)

Sub-advisory Agreement among American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated, Prudential Investments LLC and WEDGE Capital Management, LLP for the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(38)(a)

Amendment to Sub-advisory Agreements among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and First Trust Advisors, L.P. for each of the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio and the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(43)(b)

Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC for the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio.

 

 

15

 

 

 

 

(d)(57)(a)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Western Asset Management Company for the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

 

(d)(57)(a)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Western Asset Management Company Limited for the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

 

(d)(58)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Prudential Real Estate Investors for the AST Global Real Estate Portfolio.

 

(d)(59)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC for the AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(60)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and Quantitative Management Associates LLC for the AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio.

 

 

(d)(62)

Sub-advisory Agreement among AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated), Prudential Investments LLC and EARNEST Partners LLC for the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio. Filed herewith.

 

 

(j)

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

 

(p)(17)

Code of Ethics of T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. dated March 1, 2008.

 

 

(p)(27)

Form of Code of Ethics of CLS Investment Firm, LLC.

 

 

(p)(28)

Form of Code of Ethics of Horizon Investments, LLC.

 

 

(p)(29)

Form of Code of Ethics of Niemann Capital Management, Inc.

 

 

(p)(31)

Form of Code of Ethics of Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC.

 

 

(p)(32)

Form of Code of Ethics of Quantitative Management Associates LLC.

 

 

(p)(34)

Form of Code of Ethics of EARNEST Partners LLC.

 

 

 

16

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(1)(b)

 

Schedule A

 

 

 

 

Portfolio:

 

Management Fee Rate

 

AST JP Morgan International Equity

 

1.00 to $75 million;

0.85 over $75 million

 

AST International Growth

 

1.00

 

AST International Value

 

1.00

 

AST MFS Global Equity

 

1.00

 

AST UBS Dynamic Alpha

 

1.00

 

AST Small-Cap Growth

 

0.90

 

AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth

 

0.95

 

AST Federated Aggressive Growth

 

0.95

 

AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value

 

0.95

 

AST Small-Cap Value

 

0.90

 

AST DeAM Small-Cap Value

 

0.95

 

AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth

 

1.00

 

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth

 

0.90 to $1 billion;

0.85 over $1 billion

 

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value

 

0.90 to $1 billion;

0.85 over $1 billion

 

AST Mid-Cap Value

 

0.90

 

AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources

 

0.90

 

AST T. Rowe Price Large-Cap Growth

 

0.90 to $1 billion;

0.85 over $1 billion

 

AST MFS Growth

 

0.90

 

AST Marsico Capital Growth

 

0.90

 

AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth

 

0.90

 

AST DeAM Large-Cap Value

 

0.85

 

AST Large-Cap Value

 

0.75

 

AST AllianceBernstein Core Value

 

0.75

 

AST Cohen & Steers Realty

 

1.00

 

AST American Century Income & Growth

 

0.75

 

AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income

 

0.75

 

AST American Century Strategic Allocation

 

0.85

 

AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation

 

0.85

 

AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond

 

0.80

 

AST High Yield

 

0.75

 

AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture

 

0.80

 

AST PIMCO Total Return Bond

 

0.65

 

AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond

 

0.65

 

AST Money Market

 

0.50

 

AST Aggressive Asset Allocation

 

0.15

 

AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation

 

0.15

 

AST Balanced Asset Allocation

 

0.15

 

AST Conservative Asset Allocation

 

0.15

 

AST Preservation Asset Allocation

 

0.15

 

AST Advanced Strategies

 

0.85

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AST First Trust Balanced Target

 

0.85

 

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target

 

0.85

 

AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation

 

0.30

 

AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation

 

0.30

 

AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation

 

0.30

 

AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation

 

0.30

 

AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation

 

0.30

 

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond

 

0.70

 

AST Bond Portfolio 2015

 

0.65*

 

AST Bond Portfolio 2018

 

0.65*

 

AST Bond Portfolio 2019

 

0.65*

 

AST Investment Grade Bond

 

0.65*

 

AST Global Real Estate

 

1.00

 

AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity

 

1.10

 

AST QMA US Equity Alpha

 

1.00

 

*  The contractual investment management fee rate is subject to certain breakpoints. In the event the combined average daily net assets of the Portfolios do not exceed $500 million, each Portfolio's investment management fee rate will equal 0.65% of its average daily net assets. In the event the combined average daily net assets of the Portfolios exceed $500 million, the portion of a Portfolio's assets to which the investment management fee rate of 0.65% applies and the portion of a Portfolio's assets to which the investment management fee rate of 0.64% applies will be determined on a pro rata basis. Such fee would be computed as follows.

  [0.65% x ($500 million x Individual Portfolio Assets ÷ Combined Portfolio Assets)] +

  [0.64% x (Combined Portfolio Assets – $500 million) x Individual Portfolio Assets ÷ Combined Portfolio Assets]

 

 

 

 

Dated: April 30, 2003

 

 

Revision History:

Revised: June 7, 2005

Further Revised: December 1, 2005

Further Revised: June 30, 2006

Further Revised: May 1, 2007

Further Revised: June 21, 2007

Further Revised: January 11, 2008

Further Revised: May 1, 2008

 

 

2

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(3)(b)

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

AST Bond Portfolio 2015

AST Bond Portfolio 2018

AST Bond Portfolio 2019

AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Agreement made as of this 28th day of January, 2008 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM or the Subadviser),

 

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, with Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust), a Massachusetts business trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Trust and one or more of its series as specified in Schedule A hereto (individually and collectively, with the Trust, referred to herein as the Trust) and to manage such portion of the Trust as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage such portion of the Trust’s portfolio as delegated to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the Prospectus), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) The Subadviser shall provide supervision of such portion of the Trust's investments as the Co-Managers shall direct, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, sold or loaned by the Trust, and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust, the By-laws of the Trust, the Prospectus of the Trust, and the Trust’s valuation procedures as provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, co-operate with the Co-Managers' (or their designees') personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portion of the Trust's portfolio, as applicable, and may place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to Prudential Securities Incorporated (or any broker or dealer affiliated with the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust's Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the most favorable price and efficient execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the

 

 

overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust's custodian (the Custodian) on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portion of the Trust’s assets it manages, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i) continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii) periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust's Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(vii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Trust’s portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets.

(b) The Subadviser shall authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Manager may reasonably request.

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Trust’s portfolio, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(g) The Subadviser acknowledges that it is responsible for evaluating whether market quotations are readily available for the Trust’s portfolio securities, evaluating whether those market quotations are reliable for purposes of valuing the Trust’s portfolio securities, evaluating whether those market quotations are reliable for determining the Trust’s net asset value per share and promptly notifying the Co-Managers upon the occurrence of any significant event with respect to any of the Trust’s portfolio securities in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and any related written guidance from the Commission and the Commission staff. Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-

 

2

35956-3

 

 

Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available for investment in such portion of the Trust, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Trust’s average daily net assets of the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers' willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser.

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at Gateway Center Two, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102, Attention: Chief Legal Officer.

 

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

 

3

35956-3

 

 

 

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

4

35956-3

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

5

35956-3

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

As compensation for services provided by Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (PIM), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (together, the Co-Managers) will pay PIM an advisory fee on the net assets managed by PIM that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

Advisory Fee

AST Bond Portfolio 2015

AST Bond Portfolio 2018

AST Bond Portfolio 2019
AST Investment Grade Bond Portfolio

0.15% of average daily net assets to $500 million and

0.14% of average daily net assets over $500 million

                

For purposes of calculating the investment subadvisory fee payable by the Co-Managers to PIM, the combined average daily net assets of the above-refrenced Portfolios will include the assets of future portfolios of the Trust that are subadvised by PIM pursuant to similar target maturity or constant duration investment strategies and that are used in connection with non-discretionary asset transfers under certain living benefit programs.

 

Dated as of January 28, 2008.

 

 

 

6

35956-3

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(6)(b)

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

(FORMERLY AMERICAN SKANDIA TRUST)

 

AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO

SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

THIS AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO THE SUB-ADVISORY AGREEMENT (“Amendment”) is effective as of the 1st day of April, 2008, by and between AST Investment Services, Incorporated (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Incorporated) and Prudential Investments LLC (together, the “Investment Manager”) and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (the “Sub-Advisor”).

 

WHEREAS , Investment Manager and Sub-Advisor are parties to a Sub-Advisory Agreement, dated May 1, 2003 (the “Agreement”), relating to the AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio of American Skandia Trust (now Advanced Series Trust) (the “Trust”); and

 

WHEREAS , the parties have agreed, and the Board of Trustees of the Trust has approved, a modification to the compensation schedule between the Investment Manager and the Sub-Advisor as set forth in the Agreement; and

 

WHEREAS , the parties now desire to modify the Agreement as provided herein.

 

NOW, THEREFORE , in consideration of the mutual promises set forth herein, the parties hereto agree as follows:

 

Section 7 of the Agreement, entitled “Compensation of Sub-Advisor” is hereby deleted in its entirety and the following new Section 7 is substituted in lieu thereof:

 

7. Compensation of Sub-Advisor. The amount of compensation to the Sub-Advisor is payable monthly in arrears, based on the average daily net assets of the Portfolio for each month, at the annual rates shown below.

 

For all services rendered, the Investment Manager will calculate and pay the Sub-Advisor at annual rate based on the aggregate assets of each fund or portfolio subadvised by the Sub-Advisor on behalf of the Investment Manager pursuant to a “total return” strategy or mandate (as mutually agreed upon and identified by the Sub-Advisor and the Investment Manager). On any day that the aggregated assets of all “total return” strategies or mandates total at least $3 billion, the contractual annual subadvisory fee shall be: 0.250% on net assets up to $1 billion; and 0.225% on net assets over $1 billion. On any day that the aggregated assets of all “total return” strategies or mandates total less than $3 billion, the contractual annual subadvisory fee shall be: 0.250%.

 

 

 

 

In computing the fee to be paid to the Sub-Advisor, the net asset value of the Portfolio shall be valued as set forth in the then current registration statement of the Trust. If this Agreement is terminated, the payment shall be prorated to the date of termination.

 

Investment Manager and Sub-Advisor shall not be considered as partners or participants in a joint venture. Sub-Advisor will pay its own owners for the services to be provided pursuant to this Agreement and will not be obligated to pay any expenses of Investment Manager of the Trust. Except as otherwise provided herein, Investment Manager and the Trust will not be obligated to pay any expenses of Sub-Advisor.

 

This Amendment may be executed in two or more counterparts, each of which shall be an original and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

 

Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning given to them in the Agreement. Except as expressly supplemented, amended or consented to hereby, all of the representations, warranties, terms, covenants and conditions of the Agreement shall remain unchanged and continue to be in full force and effect.

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Amendment No. 1 as of the date provided above.

 

AST Investment Services, Incorporated:

Pacific Investment Management Company LLC:

 

By:                                                                    By:                                                                        

Name: Timothy Cronin            Name:                                                                

Title: President              Title:                                                                  

 

Prudential Investments LLC:

 

By:                                                         

Name: Timothy Cronin

Title: Vice President

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(20)(b)

 

Amendment to Subadvisory Agreements

 

Prudential Investments LLC (PI), AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), and Neuberger Berman Management Inc. (Subadviser) hereby agree to amend each of the two subadvisory agreements (including all amendments and supplements thereto) listed below (each, an Agreement and together, the Agreements) by modifying the level of subadvisory fees paid by PI and AST to Subadviser under each such Agreement as set forth in Schedule A to this Amendment. Schedule A shall be effective as of November 16, 2007.

 

The Agreements affected by this Amendment consist of the following:

 

 

1.

Subadvisory Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2003, as amended and supplemented, by and among AST, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust) ; and

 

 

2.

Subadvisory Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2003, as amended and supplemented, by and among AST, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust) .

 

PI, AST, and Subadviser further agree that Schedule A supersedes and replaces all other fee agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, that may be applicable to the Agreements.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS HEREOF , the PI, AST, and the Subadviser have duly executed this Amendment as of the date and year first written above.

 

 

 

PI

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

AST

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

 

SUBADVISER

 

 

Neuberger Berman Management Inc.

 

 

 

By:__________________________

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

Effective Date: November 16, 2007

 

 

 

 

 

2

SCHEDULE A TO SUBADVISORY AGREEMENTS

 

Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust)

 

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

 

As compensation for services provided by Neuberger Berman Management Inc. (Neuberger Berman), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) will pay Neuberger Berman a fee on the net assets managed by Neuberger Berman that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

 

   Portfolio

Advisory Fee

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio

0.40% of average daily net assets to $1 billion

0.35% of average daily net assets over $1 billion*

AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

0.40% of average daily net assets to $1 billion

0.35% of average daily net assets over $1 billion*

__________

* For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee payable to Neuberger Berman, the assets managed by Neuberger Berman in the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio shall be aggregated with the assets managed by Neuberger Berman in the AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio, the SP Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio of The Prudential Series Fund, and any other portfolio subadvised by Neuberger Berman on behalf of Prudential Investments LLC and/or AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) pursuant to substantially the same investment strategy.

 

Dated as of November 16, 2007.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(28)

 

AMERICAN SKANDIA TRUST

 

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Agreement made as of this 29th day of November, 2005 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and American Skandia Investment Services, Inc. (ASISI), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and WEDGE Capital Management, L.L.P., a North Carolina limited liability partnership (WEDGE or the Subadviser);

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, with American Skandia Trust, a Massachusetts trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and ASISI act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Trust and one or more of its series as specified in Schedule A hereto (individually and collectively, with the Trust, referred to herein as the Trust) and to manage such portion of the Trust as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage such portion of the Trust’s portfolio as delegated to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) The Subadviser shall provide supervision of such portion of the Trust's investments as the Co-Managers shall direct, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, or sold by the Trust, and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust , the By-laws of the Trust, and the Prospectus of the Trust provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, co-operate with the Co-Managers' (or their designees') personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portion of the Trust's portfolio, as applicable, and may place orders with or through such

 

 

persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to Prudential Securities Incorporated (or any broker or dealer affiliated with the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust's Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the most favorable price and efficient execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Trust will appoint a custodian to take and have possession of the assets of the Trust’s portfolio. Subadviser shall not be the custodian of the Trust’s assets.

(vi) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust's Custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portion of the Trust’s assets it manages, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vii) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Subadviser acts as Subadviser to other the clients and may give advice, and take action, with respect to any of those which may differ from the advice given, or the timing or nature of action taken, with respect to the Trust’s portfolio. Subadviser shall have no obligation to purchase or sell for the Trust’s portfolio, or to recommend for purchase or sale by the Trust’s portfolio, any security which Subadviser, its principals, affiliates or employees may purchase or sell for themselves or for any other clients. The Trust recognizes that transactions in a specific security may not be accomplished for all client accounts at the same time or at the same price.

 

47780-1

 

 

Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i)  continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii)  periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust's Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(viii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Trust’s portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets.

(b) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser may, in its discretion, authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Manager may reasonably request.

 

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Trust’s portfolio provided the Subadviser receives the proxy materials and related communications in a timely manner, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers. The Trust agrees to instruct the custodian to forward all proxy materials and related shareholder communications to the Subadviser promptly upon receipt.

(g) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Trust’s custodian to provide) timely information to the

 

47780-1

 

 

Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available for investment in such portion of the Trust, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefore, a monthly fee equal to the percentage of the Trust’s average daily net assets managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Subadviser’s fee is separate from and does not include brokerage commissions, dealer spreads, and other costs associated with the purchase or sale of securities, Custodian fees, interest, taxes, and other portfolio expenses. These expenses shall be the responsibility of the Trust. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers' willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. Termination will not affect commitments made for the Trust prior to that notice. Upon termination of this agreement Subadviser is under no obligation to recommend any action with respect to the securities or other property held in the Trust’s portfolio. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser. Subadviser will notify the Trust of any change in the membership of its partnership within a reasonable time after such change.

 

47780-1

 

 

 

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for ASISI); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at 301 S. College Street., Suite 2920, Charlotte, NC 28202-6002, Attention: John G. Norman, Executive Vice President.

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing ten business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

11. The Trust acknowledges receipt of Subadviser's Disclosure Statement, as required by Rule 204-3 under the Investment Advisers’ Act of 1940, prior to the execution of this agreement. If provided less than 48 hours prior to the date of execution of this agreement, the Trust shall have the option to terminate this agreement without penalty in writing within five business days after that date of execution; provided, however, that any investment action taken by Subadviser with respect to the Trust’s portfolio prior to the effective date of such termination shall be at the Trust’s risk.

 

12. The Trust authorizes Subadviser to execute and deliver for the Trust’s IRS Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). The Trust is not now (and will promptly notify Subadviser should it become) subject to back-up withholding.

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

47780-1

 

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

AMERICAN SKANDIA INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

WEDGE Capital Management, L.L.P.

 

By:

Name: Gilbert E. Galle

Title: General Partner

 

47780-1

 

 

 

Amendment to Subadvisory Agreement

 

Prudential Investments LLC (PI), AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), and WEDGE Capital Management L.L.P. (Subadviser) hereby agree to amend the subadvisory agreement (including all amendments and supplements thereto) listed below (the Agreement) by modifying the level of subadvisory fees paid by PI and AST to Subadviser under the Agreement as set forth in Schedule A to this Amendment. Schedule A shall be effective as of April 1, 2008.

 

The Agreement affected by this Amendment consists of the following:

 

 

1.

Subadvisory Agreement, dated as of November 29, 2005, as amended and supplemented to date, by and among AST, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust) .

 

PI, AST, and Subadviser further agree that Schedule A supersedes and replaces all other fee agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, that may be applicable to the Agreements.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

47780-1

 

 

 

IN WITNESS HEREOF , the PI, AST, and the Subadviser have duly executed this Amendment as of the date and year first written above.

 

 

 

 

PI

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

AST

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

 

SUBADVISER

 

 

WEDGE Capital Management L.L.P.

 

 

 

By:__________________________

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

Effective Date: April 1, 2008.

 

47780-1

 

 

 

2

SCHEDULE A TO SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust)

 

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

 

Effective April 1, 2008, as compensation for services provided by WEDGE Capital Management L.L.P. (Wedge), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) will pay Wedge a fee on the net assets managed by Wedge that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

 

   Portfolio

Advisory Fee

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

0.75% of average daily net assets to $10 million;
0.65% of average daily net assets from $10 million to $25 million; 0.50% of average daily net assets from $25 million to $100 million; 0.40% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $150 million; and
0.30% of average daily net assets over $150 million

 

Prior Contractual Fee Rate History

 

The following fee rates were in effect from July 1, 2006 to March 31, 2008:

 

   Portfolio

Advisory Fee

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

0.75% of average daily net assets to $10 million;
0.65% of average daily net assets from $10 million to $25 million; 0.50% of average daily net assets over $25 million

 

The following fee rates were in effect from November 29, 2005 to June 30, 2006:

 

   Portfolio

Advisory Fee

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

0.40% of average daily net assets

 

 

 

 

47780-1

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(38)(a)

 

Amendment to Subadvisory Agreements

 

Prudential Investments LLC (PI), AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), and First Trust Advisors, L.P. (Subadviser) hereby agree to amend each of the two subadvisory agreements (including all amendments and supplements thereto) listed below (each, an Agreement and together, the Agreements) by modifying the level of subadvisory fees paid by PI and AST to Subadviser under each such Agreement as set forth in Schedule A to this Amendment. Schedule A shall be effective as of April 1, 2008.

 

The Agreements affected by this Amendment consist of the following:

 

 

1.

Subadvisory Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2006, as amended and supplemented to date, by and among AST, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust) ; and

 

 

2.

Subadvisory Agreement, dated as of March 20, 2006, as amended and supplemented to date, by and among AST, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust) .

 

PI, AST, and Subadviser further agree that Schedule A supersedes and replaces all other fee agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, that may be applicable to the Agreements.

 

[Remainder of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS HEREOF , the PI, AST, and the Subadviser have duly executed this Amendment as of the date and year first written above.

 

 

 

 

PI

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

AST

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

 

SUBADVISER

 

 

FIRST TRUST ADVISORS, L.P.

 

 

 

By:__________________________

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

Effective Date: April 1, 2008.

 

2

47778-1

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A TO SUBADVISORY AGREEMENTS

 

Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust)

 

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio

 

As compensation for services provided by First Trust Advisors, L.P. (First Trust), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) will pay First Trust a fee on the net assets managed by Neuberger Berman that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

 

   Portfolio

Advisory Fee

AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio

0.35% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.30% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $500 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $500 million to $1 billion; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion

AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio

0.35% of average daily net assets to $250 million; 0.30% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $500 million; 0.25% of average daily net assets from $500 million to $1 billion; and 0.20% of average daily net assets over $1 billion

 

 

Dated as of April 1, 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(43)(b)

 

Amendment to Investment Subadvisory Agreement

 

Prudential Investments LLC (“PI”) and AST Investment Services, Inc. (“ASTI”), as applicable, and Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (“Subadviser”) hereby agree to amend the investment subadvisory agreement (including all amendments and supplements thereto) listed below (the “Agreement”) by amending existing Exhibit A or Schedule A (as applicable) to the Agreement (“Existing Schedule A”), which addresses the level of fees under the Agreement. Existing Schedule A is hereby superseded and replaced in its entirety with the attached Amended Schedule A, effective as of April 1, 2008.

 

The Agreement affected by this Amendment consists of the following:

 

 

1.

Investment Subadvisory Agreement effective as of March 17, 2006, by and among ASTI, PI, and Subadviser, pursuant to which Subadviser has been retained to provide investment advisory services to the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio of Advanced Series Trust .

 

PI and ASTI, as applicable, and Subadviser further agree that Amended Schedule A supersedes and replaces all other fee agreements or arrangements, whether written or oral, that may be applicable to the Agreement.

 

IN WITNESS HEREOF , the PI, ASTI, and the Subadviser have duly executed this Amendment as of the date and year first written above.

 

 

PI

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

ASTI

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

By:___________________________

 

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

 

SUBADVISER

 

 

PACIFIC INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT COMPANY LLC

 

 

By:__________________________

Name:________________________

 

Title:_________________________

 

 

Effective Date: April 1, 2008

 

 

 

AMENDED SCHEDULE A

Advanced Series Trust

(formerly, American Skandia Trust)

 

AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio

As compensation for services provided by Pacific Investment Management Company LLC (PIMCO), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly, American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) will pay PIMCO a fee on the net assets of the AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio managed by PIMCO that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Investment Category

 

 

 

Subadvisory Fee Rates

 

U.S. Fixed-Income

 

 

 

0.250% on aggregate average daily net assets up to $1 billion:

0.225% on aggregate average daily net assets over $1 billion *

 

Hedged International Bond

 

 

 

0.25% of average daily net assets

Advanced Strategies I

 

 

 

0.49% of average daily net assets

 

 

 

 

* For purposes of the fee calculation, the assets of each fund or portfolio subadvised by PIMCO on behalf of Prudential Investments and AST Investment Services, Inc. pursuant to a “total return” strategy or mandate (as mutually agreed upon and identified by the parties) shall be aggregated for each day, provided that the total of all such assets is at least $3 billion. However, on any day that the total of all such “total return” assets is less than $3 billion, the subadvisory fee rate shall be 0.25%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated as of March 17, 2006; as amended and restated as of April 1, 2008.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(57)(a)

 

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of this 23rd day of October, 2007 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company, and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML or the Subadviser).

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, as amended, with Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust), a Massachusetts business trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio (the Portfolio), and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, have entered into a separate subadvisory agreement with Western Asset Management Company (WAMCO), an affiliate of WAML (the WAMCO Agreement), pursuant to which WAMCO will provide investment advisory services to the Portfolio and will allocate and re-allocate the assets of the Portfolio between itself and WAML; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage the Portfolio, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) WAMCO may allocate some, all, or none of the assets of the Portfolio to itself or WAML, for management by WAML pursuant to the WAML Agreement or for management by WAMCO

 

 

pursuant to the WAMCO Agreement. WAML acknowledges that WAMCO (and not the Co-Managers) shall be responsible for allocating Portfolio assets between WAMCO and WAML, and for ensuring that all of the Portfolio’s assets are being managed either by WAMCO or WAML. The portion of the assets managed by the Subadviser shall be referred to as the Subadviser Assets, and the portion of the assets managed by WAMCO shall be referred to as the WAMCO Assets. The Subadviser shall provide supervision of the Subadviser Assets, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, sold, or loaned by the Portfolio, and what portion of the Subadviser Assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust, the By-laws of the Trust, and the Prospectus of the Trust provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, cooperate with the Co-Managers’ (or their designees’) personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold for the Subadviser Assets, and may place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to any broker or dealer affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust’s Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the best execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

 

2

22573-1

 

 

 

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall use reasonable efforts to make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation during Subadviser’s normal business hours with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust’s Custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the Subadviser Assets, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i)  continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii)  periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust’s Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(vii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets (provided, however, that the Subadviser and WAMCO may consult with each other).

(b) The Subadviser shall authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

 

3

22573-1

 

 

 

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Co-Managers may reasonably request.

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities included in the Subadviser Assets, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(g) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

(h) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Subject to the Subadviser’s responsibility to the Portfolio, the Co-Managers agree that the Subadviser may give advice or exercise investment responsibility and take such other action with respect to other individuals or entities which may differ from advice given to the Portfolio. The Co-Managers acknowledge that the Subadviser, or its agent, or employees or any of the accounts Subadviser advises may, at any time, hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose of or otherwise deal with positions in investments in which the Portfolio may or may not have an interest from time to time, whether such transactions involve the Portfolio or otherwise.

(i) The Subadviser may execute on behalf of the Trust certain agreements, instruments and documents in connection with the services performed by it under this Agreement. These may include, without limitation, brokerage agreements, clearing agreements, account documentation, futures and options agreements, swap agreements, other investment related agreements and any other agreements, documents or instruments the Subadviser believes are appropriate or desirable in performing its duties under this Agreement.

 

4

22573-1

 

 

 

(j) The Co-Managers acknowledge receipt of the Subadviser’s Form-ADV Part II at least 48 hours prior to the execution of this Agreement.

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Trust’s Custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the Portfolio, cash requirements and cash available for investment in the Portfolio, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement and the WAMCO Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser and WAMCO as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement and to WAMCO under the WAMCO Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Trust and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser or WAMCO, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser or WAMCO by the Co-Managers. The Subadviser agrees and acknowledges that if the Co-Managers pay the entire amount of the subadvisory fee contemplated under Schedule A to this Agreement to WAMCO, then: (i) WAMCO (and not the Co-Managers) shall be responsible for paying any and all compensation to Subadviser for Subadviser’s management of the Subadviser Assets and (ii) the Co-Managers shall have no liability whatsoever to Subadviser or WAMCO or any other entity affiliated with Subadviser or WAMCO for any fees or expenses arising out of or relating to Subadviser’s management of the Subadviser Assets.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers’ willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties

 

5

22573-1

 

 

hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

The Co-Managers acknowledge and agree that Subadviser makes no warranty, expressed or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Portfolio or that the Portfolio will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Subadviser, whether public or private.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Portfolio, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser.

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at 10 Exchange Square

Primrose Street, London, England EC2A 2EN, Attention: Legal Department.

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

 

6

22573-1

 

 

 

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

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22573-1

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

WESTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED

By:

Name:

Title:

 

8

22573-1

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

As compensation for services provided by Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. will pay WAML an advisory fee on the Portfolio’s net assets. The advisory fee will be paid monthly in arrears and is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

 

Advisory Fee

0.25% of average daily net assets to $100 million;

0.22% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $400 million;

0.20% of average daily net assets from $400 million to $1 billion;

0.15% of average daily net assets from $1 billion to $1.5 billion; and

0.12% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion

* For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee, the assets managed by WAML in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by Western Asset Management Company in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

 

 

 

Dated as of October 23, 2007.

 

 

 

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Exhibit (d)(57)(b)

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of this 23rd day of October, 2007 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company, and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Western Asset Management Company (WAMCO or the Subadviser).

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, as amended, with Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust), a Massachusetts business trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio (the Portfolio), to allocate and re-allocate the assets of the Portfolio between itself and an affiliated adviser, Western Asset Management Company Limited (WAML), which acts as a subadviser to the Portfolio pursuant to a separate agreement with the Co-Managers (the WAML Agreement), and to manage the portion of the Portfolio retained by the Subadviser for management, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage the Portfolio, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) WAMCO may allocate some, all, or none of the assets of the Portfolio to itself or WAML, for management by WAML pursuant to the WAML Agreement or for management by WAMCO pursuant to this Agreement. WAMCO acknowledges that WAMCO (and not the Co-Managers) shall be responsible for allocating Portfolio assets between WAMCO and WAML, and for ensuring that all of the Portfolio’s assets are being managed either by WAMCO or WAML. The portion of the assets managed by the Subadviser shall be referred to as the Subadviser Assets,

 

 

and the portion of the assets managed by WAML shall be referred to as the WAML Assets. The Subadviser shall provide supervision of the Subadviser Assets, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, sold, or loaned by the Portfolio, and what portion of the Subadviser Assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Second Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust, the By-laws of the Trust, and the Prospectus of the Trust provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, cooperate with the Co-Managers’ (or their designees’) personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold for the Subadviser Assets, and may place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to any broker or dealer affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust’s Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees of the Trust may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the best execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of

 

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the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall use reasonable efforts to make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation during Subadviser’s normal business hours with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust’s Custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the Subadviser Assets, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i)  continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii)  periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust’s Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(vii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets (provided, however, that the Subadviser and WAML may consult with each other).

(b) The Subadviser shall authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are

 

3

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the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Co-Managers may reasonably request.

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities included in the Subadviser Assets, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(g) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

(h) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Subject to the Subadviser’s responsibility to the Portfolio, the Co-Managers agree that the Subadviser may give advice or exercise investment responsibility and take such other action with respect to other individuals or entities that may differ from advice given to the Portfolio. The Co-Managers acknowledge that the Subadviser, or its agent, or employees or any of the accounts Subadviser advises may, at any time, hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose of or otherwise deal with positions in investments in which the Portfolio may or may not have an interest from time to time, whether such transactions involve the Portfolio or otherwise.

(i) The Subadviser may execute on behalf of the Trust certain agreements, instruments and documents in connection with the services performed by it under this Agreement. These may include, without limitation, brokerage agreements, clearing agreements, account documentation, futures and options agreements, swap agreements, other investment related agreements and any other agreements, documents or instruments the Subadviser believes are appropriate or desirable in performing its duties under this Agreement.

(j) The Co-Managers acknowledge receipt of the Subadviser’s Form-ADV Part II at least 48 hours prior to the execution of this Agreement.

 

4

22530-1

 

 

 

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Trust’s Custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the Portfolio, cash requirements and cash available for investment in the Portfolio, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement and the WAML Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser and WAML as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement and to WAML under the WAML Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Trust and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser or WAML, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser or WAML by the Co-Managers. The Subadviser agrees and acknowledges that if the Co-Managers pay the entire amount of the subadvisory fee contemplated under Schedule A to this Agreement to WAMCO, then: (i) WAMCO (and not the Co-Managers) shall be responsible for paying any and all compensation to WAML for WAML’s management of the WAML Assets and (ii) the Co-Managers shall have no liability whatsoever to Subadviser or WAML or any other entity affiliated with Subadviser or WAML for any fees or expenses arising out of or relating to WAML’s management of the WAML Assets.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers’ willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

 

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The Co-Managers acknowledge and agree that Subadviser makes no warranty, expressed or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Portfolio or that the Portfolio will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Subadviser, whether public or private.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Portfolio, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser.

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at 385 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, California 91101, Attention: Legal Department.

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

 

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10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

By:

 

Name:

Title:

 

WESTERN ASSET MANAGEMENT COMPANY

By:

Name:

Title:

 

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SCHEDULE A

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

As compensation for services provided by Western Asset Management Company (WAMCO), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. will pay WAMCO an advisory fee on the Portfolio’s net assets. The advisory fee will be paid monthly in arrears and is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio

 

Advisory Fee

0.25% of average daily net assets to $100 million;

0.22% of average daily net assets from $100 million to $400 million;

0.20% of average daily net assets from $400 million to $1 billion;

0.15% of average daily net assets from $1 billion to $1.5 billion; and

0.12% of average daily net assets over $1.5 billion

* For purposes of calculating the subadvisory fee, the assets managed by WAMCO in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio will be aggregated with the assets managed by Western Asset Management Company Limited in the AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio.

 

 

 

Dated as of October 23, 2007.

 

 

 

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Exhibit (d)(58)

 

Advanced Series Trust

AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of this 1st day of May, 2008 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and AST Investment Services, Inc. (AST) a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Prudential Real Estate Investors, a division of Prudential Investment Management, Inc. (the Subadviser).

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2008, with Advanced Series Trust, a Massachusetts Trust (the Fund) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Fund; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Fund and one or more of its series as specified in Schedule A hereto (individually and collectively, with the Fund, referred to herein as the Fund) and to manage such portions of the Fund’s portfolio as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the Board), the Subadviser shall provide investment management services to such portions of the Fund’s portfolio as the Co-Managers shall direct, including the purchase, retention and disposition of securities therein, in accordance with the Fund’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such prospectus and statement of additional information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) The Subadviser shall provide investment advisory services for such portions of the Fund’s portfolio as the Co-Managers shall direct, and the Subadviser shall have discretion without prior consultation with the Co-Managers to determine, from time to time, what investments and securities will be purchased, retained or, sold by the Fund, and what portions of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall, act in conformity with the copies of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and Prospectus of the Fund and any procedures adopted by the Board applicable to the Fund including any amendments to those procedures (Board Procedures) provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Fund Documents), comply with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board, and co-operate with the Co-Managers’ (or their designees) personnel responsible for monitoring the Fund’s compliance. The Subadviser shall also comply at all times with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act), the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including securities law. The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser, in a timely fashion, with copies of any updated Fund Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portions of the Fund’s portfolio, as applicable, and shall place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including, but not limited to, any broker or dealer affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) in accordance with the Fund’s policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus or as the Board may direct from time to time. In providing the Fund with investment advisory services, it is recognized that the Subadviser shall give primary consideration to securing best execution (which may not involve the most favorable commission). Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. In pursuing best execution, the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) to the Fund each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Fund through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and to cause the Fund to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment

 

1

 

 

transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Fund and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, shall be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Fund’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by any applicable federal or state securities laws or regulations, including the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and the Advisers Act. The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers or the Board all information relating to the Subadviser’s services under this Agreement reasonably requested by the Co-Managers and the Board within a reasonable period of time after the Co-Managers or the Board makes such request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the trustees or officers or employees of the Fund with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Fund’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser shall provide the Fund’s custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portions of the Fund’s assets it manages. The Subadviser shall furnish the Co-Managers with information concerning portfolio transactions each day and such other reports as agreed upon from time to time concerning transactions, portfolio holdings and performance of the Fund, in such form and frequency as may be mutually agreed upon from time to time. The Subadviser agrees to review the Fund and discuss the management of the Fund with the Co-Managers and the Board as either or both shall from time to time reasonably request.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Subject to the Subadviser’s responsibility to the Fund, the Co-Managers agree that Subadviser may give advice or exercise investment responsibility and take such other action with respect to other individuals or entities which may differ from advice given to the Fund. Further, the Co-Managers acknowledge that the Subadviser, or its agent, or employees, or any of the accounts the Subadviser advises, may at any time hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose of or otherwise deal with positions in investments in which the Fund may or may not have an interest from time to time, whether such transactions involve the Fund or otherwise.

(vii) The Subadviser and the Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Fund in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers shall, among other things, (i) continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii) periodically make recommendations to the Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Board regarding the results of their evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(viii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Fund intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Fund with respect to transactions in securities for the Fund’s portfolio or any other transactions of Fund assets.

(ix) The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers a copy of Subadviser’s Form ADV as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission).

(b) The Subadviser shall keep the Fund’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Fund are the property of the Fund, and the Subadviser shall surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Fund’s books and records maintained by the Subadviser shall be made available, within ten (10) business days of a written request, to the Fund’s accountants or auditors during regular business hours at the Subadviser’s offices. The Fund, the Co-Managers or their respective authorized representatives shall have the right to copy any records in the Subadviser’s possession that pertain to the Fund. These books, records, information, or reports shall be made available to properly authorized government representatives consistent with state and federal law and/or regulations. The Subadviser agrees that the policies and procedures it has established for managing the Fund portfolio, including, but not limited to, all policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations governing the adviser/client relationship and management and operation of the Fund, shall be made available for inspection by the

 

2

 

 

Fund, the Co-Managers or their respective authorized representatives upon reasonable written request within not more than ten (10) business days.

(c) The Subadviser shall maintain a written code of ethics (the Code of Ethics) that it reasonably believes complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, a copy of which shall be provided to the Co-Managers and the Fund, and shall institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent any Access Person (as defined in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act) from violating its Code of Ethics. The Subadviser shall follow such Code of Ethics in performing its services under this Agreement. Further, the Subadviser represents that it maintains adequate compliance procedures in compliance with the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In particular, the Subadviser represents that it has policies and procedures regarding the detection and prevention of the misuse of material, nonpublic information by the Subadviser and its employees as required by the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988, a copy of which it shall provide to the Co-Managers and the Fund upon reasonable request. The Subadviser shall ensure that its employees comply in all material respects with the provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act, and to cooperate reasonably with the Co-Managers for purposes of filing any required reports with the Commission or such other regulator having appropriate jurisdiction.

(d) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(c) hereof as the Co-Managers may reasonably request.

(e) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Fund’s portfolio, subject to such reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(f) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) shall assist the valuation committee of the Fund or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Fund as may be required from time to time, including the provision of information known to the Subadviser related to the securities being valued.

(g) The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers with any information reasonably requested regarding its management of the Fund’s portfolio required for any shareholder report, amended registration statement, or prospectus supplement to be filed by the Fund with the Commission. The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers with certification, documentation or other information reasonably requested or required by the Co-Managers for purposes of the certifications of shareholder reports by the Fund’s principal financial officer and principal executive officer pursuant to the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 or other law or regulation. The Subadviser shall promptly inform the Fund and the Co-Managers if any information in the Prospectus is (or will become) inaccurate or incomplete.

(h) The Subadviser shall comply with Board Procedures provided to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers or the Fund. The Subadviser shall notify the Co-Managers as soon as reasonably practicable upon detection of any material breach of such Board Procedures.

(i) The Subadviser shall keep the Fund and the Co-Managers informed of developments relating to its duties as subadviser of which the Subadviser has knowledge that would materially affect the Fund. In this regard, the Subadviser shall provide the Fund, the Co-Managers, and their respective officers with such periodic reports concerning the obligations the Subadviser has assumed under this Agreement as the Fund and the Co-Managers may from time to time reasonably request. Additionally, prior to each Board meeting, the Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers and the Board with reports regarding the Subadviser’s management of the Fund’s portfolio during the most recently completed quarter, in such form as may be mutually agreed upon by the Subadviser and the Co-Managers. The Subadviser shall certify quarterly to the Fund and the Co-Managers that it and its “Advisory Persons” (as defined in Rule 17j-under the 1940 Act) have complied materially with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act during the previous quarter or, if not, explain what the Subadviser has done to seek to ensure such compliance in the future. Annually, the Subadviser shall furnish a written report, which complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 and Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, concerning the Subadviser’s Code of Ethics and compliance program, respectively, to the Fund and the Co-Managers. Upon written request of the Fund or the Co-Managers with respect to violations of the Code of Ethics directly affecting the Fund, the Subadviser shall permit representatives of the Fund or the Co-Managers to examine reports (or summaries of the reports) required to be made by Rule 17j-1(d)(1) relating to enforcement of the Code of Ethics.

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Fund pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Fund’s custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portions of the Fund managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available for investment in such portions of the Fund, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. The assets of the Fund shall be maintained in the custody of a custodian as designated within an agreement between the Fund and the custodian (the Custodian). Subadviser shall have no liability for the acts or omissions of the Custodian, unless such act or omission is

 

3

 

 

taken solely in reliance upon instruction given to the Custodian by a representative of Subadviser properly authorized to give such instruction.

4. For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets of the portions of the Fund managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Fund for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Fund that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

5.(a) The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Fund or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Fund may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers’ willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of their duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

(b). The Co-Managers acknowledge and agree that the Subadviser makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Fund or that the Fund will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Subadviser, whether public or private.

6. Subject to the right of each, the Co-Managers and Subadviser, to comply with applicable law, including any demand of any regulatory or taxing authority having jurisdiction over it, the parties hereto shall treat as confidential all information pertaining to the Fund and the actions of each the Co-Managers and Subadviser in respect thereof. In accordance with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding either party’s customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with the Agreement, the party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.

7. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, all without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it shall promptly notify the Fund and the Co-Managers of the occurrence or anticipated occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change or anticipated change in control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser; provided that the Subadviser need not provide notice of such an anticipated event before the anticipated event is a matter of public record. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate automatically upon notice to the Subadviser of the execution of a new Agreement with a successor Subadviser. The Co-Managers agree that if the Co-Managers or the Fund terminate or fail to renew this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall not utilize and shall not contract with any other entity to utilize any or all of the investment methodologies used by the Subadviser to select individual portfolio securities as described in Appendix I to the Fund’s Prospectus dated March 20, 2006 or as described in future Fund Prospectuses after the date of such termination or failure to renew this Agreement.

8. Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST; (2) to the Fund: Gateway Center Three, 4th Floor, 100 Mulberry Street, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser: 8 Campus Drive, 4th Floor, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054, Attention: General Counsel.

9. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

 

4

 

 

 

10. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all Prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Fund or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use such material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment, confirmed email or hand delivery.

11. The parties to this Agreement each agree to cooperate in a reasonable manner with each other in the event that any of them should become involved in a legal, administrative, judicial or regulatory action, claim, or suit as a result of performing its obligations under this Agreement.

12. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Fund must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

13. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

14. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

By:

/s/ Robert F. Gunia

Name:

Robert F. Gunia

Title:

Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

By:

/s/ Timothy S. Cronin_

Name:

Timothy S. Cronin

Title:

President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT, INC.

 

By:

/s/ Marc. R. Halle

Name:

Marc R. Halle

Title:

Vice President

 

5

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

Advanced Series Trust

 

As compensation for services provided by Prudential Real Estate Investors (PREI) (a division of Prudential Investment Management, Inc.), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. will pay PREI a fee on the net assets managed PREI by that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

Advisory Fee

 

AST Global Real Estate Portfolio

0.45% of the Portfolio’s average daily assets up to and including $50 million; 0.40% of the next $100 million; and 0.35% of the Portfolio’s average daily net assets over $150 million

 

Dated as of May 1, 2008.

 

 

 

 

6

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(59)

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

 

Agreement made as of this 28th day of April, 2008 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) (AST), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (Parametric or the Subadviser),

 

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, with Advanced Series Trust (formerly American Skandia Trust), a Massachusetts business trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Trust and one or more of its series as specified in Schedule A hereto (individually and collectively, with the Trust, referred to herein as the Trust) and to manage such portion of the Trust as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage such portion of the Trust’s portfolio as delegated to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) The Subadviser shall provide supervision of such portion of the Trust's investments as the Co-Managers shall direct, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, sold or loaned by the Trust, and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust, the By-laws of the Trust, the Prospectus of the Trust, and the Trust’s valuation procedures as provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, co-operate with the Co-Managers' (or their designees') personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portion of the Trust's portfolio, as applicable, and may place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to Prudential Securities Incorporated (or any broker or dealer affiliated with the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust's Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the most favorable price and efficient execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

 

 

 

 

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust's Custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portion of the Trust’s assets it manages, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i) continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii)  periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust's Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(vii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Trust’s portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets.

(b) The Subadviser shall authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Manager may reasonably request.

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Trust’s portfolio, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(g) The Subadviser acknowledges that it is responsible for evaluating whether market quotations are readily available for the Trust’s portfolio securities and whether those market quotations are reliable for purposes of valuing the Trust’s portfolio securities and determining the Trust’s net asset value per share and promptly notifying the Co-Managers upon the occurrence of any event deemed significant by the Subadvisor with respect to any of the Trust’s portfolio securities in accordance with the requirements of the 1940 Act and any related written guidance from the Commission and the Commission staff. Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

 

2

47792-2

 

 

 

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Trust’s custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available for investment in such portion of the Trust, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Trust’s average daily net assets of the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers' willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser.

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, 1151 Fairview Avenue N., Seattle, WA 98109, Attention: General Counsel.

 

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if

 

3

47792-2

 

 

any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

PARAMETRIC PORTFOLIO ASSOCIATES LLC

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

4

47792-2

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

ADVANCED SERIES TRUST

 

As compensation for services provided by Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC, Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. (formerly American Skandia Investment Services, Inc.) will pay Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC an advisory fee on the net assets managed by Parametric Portfolio Associates LLC that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

Advisory Fee

AST Parametric Emerging Markets Equity

0.50 of average daily net assets not exceeding $250 million; 0.45% of average daily net assets from $250 million to $500 million; and 0.40% of average daily net assets in excess of $500 million

 

Dated as of April 28, 2008.

 

 

 

5

47792-2

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(60)

Advanced Series Trust

AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of this 1 st day of May, 2008 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and AST Investment Services, Inc. (AST) a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and Quantitative Management Associates LLC, a New Jersey limited liability company (the Subadviser).

WHEREAS , the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, amended May 1, 2008, with Advanced Series Trust, a Massachusetts Trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and AST act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS , the Co-Managers desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio (the Fund), a series of the Trust, as specified in Schedule A hereto and to manage such portions of the Fund's portfolio as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE , the Parties agree as follows:

1.  (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the Board), the Subadviser shall provide investment management services to such portions of the Fund's portfolio as the Co-Managers shall direct, including the purchase, retention and disposition of securities therein, in accordance with the Fund's investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such prospectus and statement of additional information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the "Prospectus"), and subject to the following understandings:

(i)  The Subadviser shall provide investment advisory services for such portions of the Fund's portfolio as the Co-Managers shall direct, and the Subadviser shall have discretion without prior consultation with the Co-Managers to determine, from time to time, what investments and securities will be purchased, retained or, sold by the Fund, and what portions of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash. To the extent that the Co-Managers have directed that the Subadviser manage a portion of the Fund’s portfolio, the Subadviser’s obligations hereunder shall apply solely with respect to the portion of the Fund’s portfolio so managed by the Subadviser.

(ii)  In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall, act in conformity with the copies of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust, By-Laws and Prospectus of the Trust and the Fund, and any procedures adopted by the Board applicable to the Fund including any amendments to those procedures (Board Procedures) provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Fund Documents), comply with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board, and co-operate with the Co-Managers' (or their designees) personnel

 

 

responsible for monitoring the Fund's compliance. The Subadviser shall also comply at all times with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the Advisers Act), the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations, including securities law. The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser, in a timely fashion, with copies of any updated Fund Documents.

(iii)  The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portions of the Fund's portfolio, as applicable, and shall place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including, but not limited to, any broker or dealer affiliated with the Co-Managers or the Subadviser) in accordance with the Fund's policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Fund's Prospectus or as the Board may direct from time to time. In providing the Fund with investment advisory services, it is recognized that the Subadviser shall give primary consideration to securing best execution (which may not involve the most favorable commission). Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser's other clients may be a party. In pursuing best execution, the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) to the Fund each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Fund through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the 1934 Act), and to cause the Fund to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Fund and other accounts as to which they or it may exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Fund as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased in order to obtain the most favorable price or lower brokerage commissions and efficient execution. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, shall be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Fund and to such other clients.

(iv)  The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Fund's portfolio transactions effected by it as required by any applicable federal or state securities laws or regulations, including the 1940 Act, the 1934 Act and the Advisers Act. The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers or the Board all information relating to the Subadviser's services under this Agreement reasonably requested by the Co-Managers and the Board within a reasonable period of time after the Co-Managers or the Board makes such request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the trustees or officers or employees of the Fund with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Fund's securities.

 

 

 

 

(v)  The Subadviser shall provide the Fund's custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portions of the Fund's assets it manages. The Subadviser shall furnish the Co-Managers with information concerning portfolio transactions each day and such other reports as agreed upon from time to time concerning transactions, portfolio holdings and performance of the Fund, in such form and frequency as may be mutually agreed upon from time to time. The Subadviser agrees to review the Fund and discuss the management of the Fund with the Co-Managers and the Board as either or both shall from time to time reasonably request.

(vi)  The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Subject to the Subadviser's responsibility to the Fund, the Co-Managers agree that Subadviser may give advice or exercise investment responsibility and take such other action with respect to other individuals or entities which may differ from advice given to the Fund. Further, the Co-Managers acknowledge that the Subadviser, or its agent, or employees, or any of the accounts the Subadviser advises, may at any time hold, acquire, increase, decrease, dispose of or otherwise deal with positions in investments in which the Fund may or may not have an interest from time to time, whether such transactions involve the Fund or otherwise.

(vii)  The Subadviser and the Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Fund in a "manager-of-managers" style, the Co-Managers shall, among other things, (i) continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii) periodically make recommendations to the Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Board regarding the results of their evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(viii)  The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Fund intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Fund with respect to transactions in securities for the Fund's portfolio or any other transactions of Fund assets.

(ix)  The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers a copy of Subadviser's Form ADV as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission).

(b)  The Subadviser shall keep the Fund's books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof in the form and for the period required by Rule 31a-2 under the 1940 Act. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Fund are the property of the Fund, and the Subadviser shall surrender promptly to the Fund any of such records upon the Fund's request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Fund's books and records maintained by the Subadviser shall be made available, within ten (10) business days of a written request, to the Fund's accountants or auditors during regular business hours at the Subadviser's offices. The Fund, the Co-Managers or their respective authorized representatives shall have the right to copy any records in the Subadviser's possession that pertain to the Fund. These books, records, information, or reports shall be made available to properly authorized government representatives consistent with state and federal law and/or regulations. The Subadviser agrees that the policies and procedures it has established for managing the Fund portfolio, including, but not limited to, all policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with federal and state laws and regulations governing the adviser/client

 

 

relationship and management and operation of the Fund, shall be made available for inspection by the Fund, the Co-Managers or their respective authorized representatives upon reasonable written request within not more than ten (10) business days.

(c)  The Subadviser shall maintain a written code of ethics (the Code of Ethics) that it reasonably believes complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act, a copy of which shall be provided to the Co-Managers and the Fund, and shall institute procedures reasonably necessary to prevent any Access Person (as defined in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act) from violating its Code of Ethics. The Subadviser shall follow such Code of Ethics in performing its services under this Agreement. Further, the Subadviser represents that it maintains adequate compliance procedures in compliance with the 1940 Act, the Advisers Act, and other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In particular, the Subadviser represents that it has policies and procedures regarding the detection and prevention of the misuse of material, nonpublic information by the Subadviser and its employees as required by the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988, a copy of which it shall provide to the Co-Managers and the Fund upon reasonable request. The Subadviser shall ensure that its employees comply in all material respects with the provisions of Section 16 of the 1934 Act, and to cooperate reasonably with the Co-Managers for purposes of filing any required reports with the Commission or such other regulator having appropriate jurisdiction.

(d)  The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(c) hereof as the Co-Managers may reasonably request.

(e)  The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Fund's portfolio, subject to such reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(f)  Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) shall assist the valuation committee of the Fund or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Fund as may be required from time to time, including the provision of information known to the Subadviser related to the securities being valued.

(g)  The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers with any information reasonably requested regarding its management of the Fund's portfolio required for any shareholder report, amended registration statement, or prospectus supplement to be filed by the Fund with the Commission. The Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers with certification, documentation or other information reasonably requested or required by the Co-Managers for purposes of the certifications of shareholder reports by the Fund's principal financial officer and principal executive officer pursuant to the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 or other law or regulation. The Subadviser shall promptly inform the Fund and the Co-Managers if the Subadviser has knowledge that any information in the Prospectus with respect to the Fund or the Subadviser’s management thereof is (or will become) inaccurate or incomplete.

(h)  The Subadviser shall comply with Board Procedures provided to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers or the Fund. The Subadviser shall notify the Co-Managers as soon as reasonably practicable upon detection of any material breach of such Board Procedures.

 

 

 

 

(i)  The Subadviser shall keep the Fund and the Co-Managers informed of developments relating to its duties as subadviser of which the Subadviser has knowledge that would materially affect the Fund. In this regard, the Subadviser shall provide the Fund, the Co-Managers, and their respective officers with such periodic reports concerning the obligations the Subadviser has assumed under this Agreement as the Fund and the Co-Managers may from time to time reasonably request. Additionally, prior to each Board meeting, the Subadviser shall provide the Co-Managers and the Board with reports regarding the Subadviser's management of the Fund's portfolio during the most recently completed quarter, in such form as may be mutually agreed upon by the Subadviser and the Co-Managers. The Subadviser shall certify quarterly to the Fund and the Co-Managers that it and its "Advisory Persons" (as defined in Rule 17j-under the 1940 Act) have complied materially with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act during the previous quarter or, if not, explain what the Subadviser has done to seek to ensure such compliance in the future. Annually, the Subadviser shall furnish a written report, which complies with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 and Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act, concerning the Subadviser's Code of Ethics and compliance program, respectively, to the Fund and the Co-Managers. Upon written request of the Fund or the Co-Managers with respect to violations of the Code of Ethics directly affecting the Fund, the Subadviser shall permit representatives of the Fund or the Co-Managers to examine reports (or summaries of the reports) required to be made by Rule 17j-1(d)(1) relating to enforcement of the Code of Ethics.

2.  The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Fund pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser's performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Fund's custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portions of the Fund managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available for investment in such portions of the Fund, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3.  The assets of the Fund shall be maintained in the custody of a custodian as designated within an agreement between the Fund and the custodian (the Custodian). Subadviser shall have no liability for the acts or omissions of the Custodian, unless such act or omission is taken solely in reliance upon instruction given to the Custodian by a representative of Subadviser properly authorized to give such instruction.

4.  For the services provided and the expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Fund's average daily net assets of the portions of the Fund managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers' receipt of payment from the Fund for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Fund that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

5.  (a) The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Fund or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser's part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this

 

 

Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Fund may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys' fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers' willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of their duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys' fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser's willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

(b)  The Co-Managers acknowledge and agree that the Subadviser makes no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, that any level of performance or investment results will be achieved by the Fund or that the Fund will perform comparably with any standard or index, including other clients of the Subadviser, whether public or private.

6.  Subject to the right of each, the Co-Managers and Subadviser, to comply with applicable law, subpoena or court order, including any demand or request of any regulatory or taxing authority having jurisdiction over it, the parties hereto shall treat as confidential all information pertaining to the Fund and the actions of each the Co-Managers and Subadviser in respect thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Subadviser may disclose such information, subject to appropriate confidentiality agreements, to (i) affiliates of the Subadviser, (ii) the Custodian, (iii) brokers and dealers that are counterparties for trades for the Fund’s portfolio, and (iv) third-party service providers. In accordance with Regulation S-P, if non-public personal information regarding either party's customers or consumers is disclosed to the other party in connection with the Agreement, the party receiving such information will not disclose or use that information other than as necessary to carry out the purposes of this Agreement.

7.  This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Fund at any time by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, all without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days' nor less than 30 days' written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it shall promptly notify the Fund and the Co-Managers of the occurrence or anticipated occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change or anticipated change in control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser; provided that the Subadviser need not provide notice of such an anticipated event before the anticipated event is a matter of public record. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary in this Agreement, this Agreement shall terminate automatically upon notice to the Subadviser of the execution of a new Agreement with a successor Subadviser.

8.  Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077,

 

 

Attention: Secretary (for PI) and at One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for AST); (2) to the Fund: Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser: Gateway Center Two, 100 Mulberry Street, 6th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102, Attention: Chief Executive Officer.

9.  Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser's directors, officers or employees to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser's right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

10.  During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all Prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Fund or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use such material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment, confirmed email or hand delivery.

11.  The parties to this Agreement each agree to cooperate in a reasonable manner with each other in the event that any of them should become involved in a legal, administrative, judicial or regulatory action, claim, or suit as a result of performing its obligations under this Agreement.

12.  This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Fund must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

13.  This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

14.  Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

 

By: /s/ Robert F. Gunia

Name: Robert F. Gunia
Title: Executive Vice President

 

 

AST INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

 

By: /s/ Timothy S. Cronin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Timothy S. Cronin

Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

QUANTITATIVE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATES LLC

 

 

By: /s/ Scott Hayward

Name: Scott Hayward
Title: Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

Advanced Series Trust

As compensation for services provided by Quantitative Management Associates LLC (QMA), Prudential Investments LLC and AST Investment Services, Inc. will pay QMA a fee on the net assets managed by QMA that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

 

Advisory Fee

 

AST QMA US Equity Alpha Portfolio

 

0.45% of average daily net assets up to and including $250 million, and 0.40% of average daily net assets over $250 million.

 

 

Dated as of May 1, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (d)(62)

 

AMERICAN SKANDIA TRUST

 

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

 

SUBADVISORY AGREEMENT

Agreement made as of this 29 th day of November, 2005 between Prudential Investments LLC (PI), a New York limited liability company and American Skandia Investment Services, Inc. (ASISI), a Maryland corporation (together, the Co-Managers), and EARNEST Partners LLC (EARNEST or the Subadviser);

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers have entered into a Management Agreement (the Management Agreement) dated May 1, 2003, with American Skandia Trust, a Massachusetts trust (the Trust) and a diversified, open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act), pursuant to which PI and ASISI act as Co-Managers of the Trust; and

WHEREAS, the Co-Managers, acting pursuant to the Management Agreement, desire to retain the Subadviser to provide investment advisory services to the Trust and one or more of its series as specified in Schedule A hereto (individually and collectively, with the Trust, referred to herein as the Trust) and to manage such portion of the Trust as the Co-Managers shall from time to time direct, and the Subadviser is willing to render such investment advisory services; and

NOW, THEREFORE, the Parties agree as follows:

1. (a) Subject to the supervision of the Co-Managers and the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the Subadviser shall manage such portion of the Trust’s portfolio as delegated to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers, including the purchase, retention and disposition thereof, in accordance with the Trust’s investment objectives, policies and restrictions as stated in its then current prospectus and statement of additional information (such Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information as currently in effect and as amended or supplemented from time to time, being herein called the “Prospectus”), and subject to the following understandings:

(i) The Subadviser shall provide supervision of such portion of the Trust's investments as the Co-Managers shall direct, and shall determine from time to time what investments and securities will be purchased, retained, sold or loaned by the Trust, and what portion of the assets will be invested or held uninvested as cash.

(ii) In the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement, the Subadviser shall act in conformity with the copies of the Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust of the Trust , the By-laws of the Trust, and the Prospectus of the Trust provided to it by the Co-Managers (the Trust Documents) and with the instructions and directions of the Co-Managers and of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, co-operate with the Co-Managers' (or their designees') personnel responsible for monitoring the Trust’s compliance and will conform to, and comply with, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations. In connection therewith, the Subadviser shall, among other things, prepare and file such reports as are, or may in the future be, required by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the Commission). The Co-Managers shall provide Subadviser timely with copies of any updated Trust Documents.

(iii) The Subadviser shall determine the securities and futures contracts to be purchased or sold by such portion of the Trust's portfolio, as applicable, and may place orders with or through such persons, brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants (including but not limited to Prudential Securities Incorporated (or any broker or dealer affiliated with the Subadviser) to carry out the policy with respect to brokerage as set forth in the Trust's Prospectus or as the Board of Trustees may direct in writing from time to time. In providing the Trust with investment supervision, it is recognized that the Subadviser will give primary consideration to securing the most favorable price and efficient execution. Within the framework of this policy, the Subadviser may consider the financial responsibility, research and investment information and other services provided by brokers, dealers or futures commission merchants who may effect or be a party to any such transaction or other transactions to which the Subadviser’s other clients may be a party. The Co-Managers (or Subadviser) to the Trust each shall have discretion to effect investment transactions for the Trust through broker-dealers (including, to the extent legally permissible, broker-dealers affiliated with the Subadviser(s)) qualified to obtain best execution of such transactions who provide brokerage and/or research services, as such services are defined in Section 28(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”), and to cause the Trust to pay any such broker-dealers an amount of commission for effecting a portfolio transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker-dealer would have charged for effecting that transaction, if the brokerage or research services provided by such broker-dealer, viewed in light of either that particular investment transaction or the overall responsibilities of the Co-Managers (or the Subadviser) with respect to the Trust and other accounts as to which they or it may

 

 

exercise investment discretion (as such term is defined in Section 3(a)(35) of the 1934 Act), are reasonable in relation to the amount of commission.

On occasions when the Subadviser deems the purchase or sale of a security or futures contract to be in the best interest of the Trust as well as other clients of the Subadviser, the Subadviser, to the extent permitted by applicable laws and regulations, may, but shall be under no obligation to, aggregate the securities or futures contracts to be sold or purchased. In such event, allocation of the securities or futures contracts so purchased or sold, as well as the expenses incurred in the transaction, will be made by the Subadviser in the manner the Subadviser considers to be the most equitable and consistent with its fiduciary obligations to the Trust and to such other clients.

(iv) The Subadviser shall maintain all books and records with respect to the Trust’s portfolio transactions effected by it as required by subparagraphs (b)(5), (6), (7), (9), (10) and (11) and paragraph (f) of Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act, and shall render to the Trust’s Board of Trustees such periodic and special reports as the Trustees may reasonably request. The Subadviser shall make reasonably available its employees and officers for consultation with any of the Trustees or officers or employees of the Trust with respect to any matter discussed herein, including, without limitation, the valuation of the Trust’s securities.

(v) The Subadviser or an affiliate shall provide the Trust's Custodian on each business day with information relating to all transactions concerning the portion of the Trust’s assets it manages, and shall provide the Co-Managers with such information upon request of the Co-Managers.

(vi) The investment management services provided by the Subadviser hereunder are not to be deemed exclusive, and the Subadviser shall be free to render similar services to others. Conversely, the Subadviser and Co-Managers understand and agree that if the Co-Managers manage the Trust in a “manager-of-managers” style, the Co-Managers will, among other things, (i)  continually evaluate the performance of the Subadviser through quantitative and qualitative analysis and consultations with the Subadviser, (ii)  periodically make recommendations to the Trust’s Board as to whether the contract with one or more subadvisers should be renewed, modified, or terminated, and (iii) periodically report to the Trust's Board regarding the results of its evaluation and monitoring functions. The Subadviser recognizes that its services may be terminated or modified pursuant to this process.

(vii) The Subadviser acknowledges that the Co-Managers and the Trust intend to rely on Rule 17a-10, Rule 10f-3, Rule 12d3-1 and Rule 17e-1 under the 1940 Act, and the Subadviser hereby agrees that it shall not consult with any other subadviser to the Trust with respect to transactions in securities for the Trust’s portfolio or any other transactions of Trust assets.

(b) The Subadviser shall authorize and permit any of its directors, officers and employees who may be elected as Trustees or officers of the Trust to serve in the capacities in which they are elected. Services to be furnished by the Subadviser under this Agreement may be furnished through the medium of any of such directors, officers or employees.

(c) The Subadviser shall keep the Trust’s books and records required to be maintained by the Subadviser pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof and shall timely furnish to the Co-Managers all information relating to the Subadviser’s services hereunder needed by the Co-Managers to keep the other books and records of the Trust required by Rule 31a-1 under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation. The Subadviser agrees that all records which it maintains for the Trust are the property of the Trust, and the Subadviser will surrender promptly to the Trust any of such records upon the Trust’s request, provided, however, that the Subadviser may retain a copy of such records. The Subadviser further agrees to preserve for the periods prescribed by Rule 31a-2 of the Commission under the 1940 Act or any successor regulation any such records as are required to be maintained by it pursuant to paragraph 1(a) hereof.

(d) In connection with its duties under this Agreement, the Subadviser agrees to maintain adequate compliance procedures to ensure its compliance with the 1940 Act, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, and other applicable state and federal regulations.

(e) The Subadviser shall furnish to the Co-Managers copies of all records prepared in connection with (i) the performance of this Agreement and (ii) the maintenance of compliance procedures pursuant to paragraph 1(d) hereof as the Manager may reasonably request.

(f) The Subadviser shall be responsible for the voting of all shareholder proxies with respect to the investments and securities held in the Trust’s portfolio, subject to such reasonable reporting and other requirements as shall be established by the Co-Managers.

(g) Upon reasonable request from the Co-Managers, the Subadviser (through a qualified person) will assist the valuation committee of the Trust or the Co-Managers in valuing securities of the Trust as may be required from time to time, including making available information of which the Subadviser has knowledge related to the securities being valued.

2. The Co-Managers shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to the Trust pursuant to the Management Agreement and, as more particularly discussed above, shall oversee and review the Subadviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement. The Co-Managers shall provide (or cause the Trust’s custodian to provide) timely information to the Subadviser regarding such matters as the composition of assets in the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser, cash requirements and cash available

 

 

for investment in such portion of the Trust, and all other information as may be reasonably necessary for the Subadviser to perform its duties hereunder (including any excerpts of minutes of meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Trust that affect the duties of the Subadviser).

3. For the services provided pursuant to this Agreement, the Co-Managers shall pay the Subadviser as full compensation therefor, a fee equal to the percentage of the Trust’s average daily net assets of the portion of the Trust managed by the Subadviser as described in the attached Schedule A. Liability for payment of compensation by the Co-Managers to the Subadviser under this Agreement is contingent upon the Co-Managers’ receipt of payment from the Trust for management services described under the Management Agreement between the Fund and the Co-Managers. Expense caps or fee waivers for the Trust that may be agreed to by the Co-Managers, but not agreed to by the Subadviser, shall not cause a reduction in the amount of the payment to the Subadviser by the Co-Managers.

4. The Subadviser shall not be liable for any error of judgment or for any loss suffered by the Trust or the Co-Managers in connection with the matters to which this Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the Subadviser’s part in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under this Agreement, provided, however, that nothing in this Agreement shall be deemed to waive any rights the Co-Managers or the Trust may have against the Subadviser under federal or state securities laws. The Co-Managers shall indemnify the Subadviser, its affiliated persons, its officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Co-Managers' willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws. The Subadviser shall indemnify the Co-Managers, their affiliated persons, their officers, directors and employees, for any liability and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, which may be sustained as a result of the Subadviser’s willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence, or reckless disregard of its duties hereunder or violation of applicable law, including, without limitation, the 1940 Act and federal and state securities laws.

5. This Agreement shall continue in effect for a period of more than two years from the date hereof only so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by the Trust at any time, without the payment of any penalty, by the Board of Trustees of the Trust or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, or by the Co-Managers or the Subadviser at any time, without the payment of any penalty, on not more than 60 days’ nor less than 30 days’ written notice to the other party. This Agreement shall terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) or upon the termination of the Management Agreement. The Subadviser agrees that it will promptly notify the Trust and the Co-Managers of the occurrence of any event that would result in the assignment (as defined in the 1940 Act) of this Agreement, including, but not limited to, a change of control (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Subadviser.

Any notice or other communication required to be given pursuant to this Agreement shall be deemed duly given if delivered or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, (1) to the Co-Managers at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary (for PI) and One Corporate Drive, Shelton, Connecticut, 06484, Attention: Secretary (for ASISI); (2) to the Trust at Gateway Center Three, 100 Mulberry Street, 4th Floor, Newark, NJ 07102-4077, Attention: Secretary; or (3) to the Subadviser at ________________________________________________, Attention: ___________________.

6. Nothing in this Agreement shall limit or restrict the right of any of the Subadviser’s directors, officers or employees who may also be a Trustee, officer or employee of the Trust to engage in any other business or to devote his or her time and attention in part to the management or other aspects of any business, whether of a similar or a dissimilar nature, nor limit or restrict the Subadviser’s right to engage in any other business or to render services of any kind to any other corporation, firm, individual or association.

7. During the term of this Agreement, the Co-Managers agree to furnish the Subadviser at its principal office all prospectuses, proxy statements, reports to shareholders, sales literature or other material prepared for distribution to shareholders of the Trust or the public, which refer to the Subadviser in any way, prior to use thereof and not to use material if the Subadviser reasonably objects in writing five business days (or such other time as may be mutually agreed) after receipt thereof. Sales literature may be furnished to the Subadviser hereunder by first-class or overnight mail, facsimile transmission equipment or hand delivery.

8. This Agreement may be amended by mutual consent, but the consent of the Trust must be obtained in conformity with the requirements of the 1940 Act.

9. This Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New York.

10. Any question of interpretation of any term or provision of this Agreement having a counterpart in or otherwise derived from a term or provision of the 1940 Act, shall be resolved by reference to such term or provision of the 1940 Act and to interpretations thereof, if any, by the United States courts or, in the absence of any controlling decision of any such court, by rules, regulations or orders of the Commission issued pursuant to the 1940 Act. In addition, where the effect of a requirement of the 1940 Act, reflected in any provision of this Agreement, is related by rules, regulation or order of the Commission, such provision shall be deemed to incorporate the effect of such rule, regulation or order.

 

 

 

 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have caused this instrument to be executed by their officers designated below as of the day and year first above written.

 

 

PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENTS LLC

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

AMERICAN SKANDIA INVESTMENT SERVICES, INC.

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

EARNEST Partners LLC

 

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

 

 

SCHEDULE A

AMERICAN SKANDIA TRUST

 

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

As compensation for services provided by EARNEST Partners LLC, Prudential Investments LLC and American Skandia Investment Services, Inc. will pay EARNEST Partners LLC an advisory fee on the net assets managed by EARNEST Partners LLC that is equal, on an annualized basis, to the following:

Portfolio Name

Advisory Fee

                

AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio

0.40% of average daily net assets

 

 

 

Dated as of November 29, 2005.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

 

The Board of Trustees and Shareholders of

The Advanced Series Trust:

 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in this registration statement (Nos. 811-05186 and 033-24962) on Form N-1A of our report dated February 22, 2008, with respect to the statements of assets and liabilities, including the portfolios of investments, of the Advanced Series Trust (comprised of AST Advanced Strategies Portfolio, AST Aggressive Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST AllianceBernstein Core Value Portfolio, AST AllianceBernstein Growth & Income Portfolio, AST AllianceBernstein Managed Index 500 Portfolio, AST American Century Income & Growth Portfolio, AST American Century Strategic Allocation Portfolio, AST Balanced Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST CLS Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST CLS Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Cohen & Steers Realty Portfolio, AST Conservative Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST DeAM Large-Cap Value Portfolio, AST DeAM Small Cap Value Portfolio, AST Federated Aggressive Growth Portfolio, AST First Trust Balanced Target Portfolio, AST First Trust Capital Appreciation Target Portfolio, AST Goldman Sachs Concentrated Growth Portfolio, AST Goldman Sachs Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio, AST Goldman Sachs Small-Cap Value Portfolio, AST High Yield Portfolio, AST Horizon Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Horizon Moderate Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST International Growth Portfolio, AST International Value Portfolio, AST JP Morgan International Equity Portfolio, AST Large Cap Value Portfolio, AST Lord Abbett Bond-Debenture Portfolio, AST Marsico Capital Growth Portfolio, AST MFS Global Equity Portfolio, AST MFS Growth Portfolio, AST Mid-Cap Value Portfolio, AST Money Market Portfolio, AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Growth Portfolio, AST Neuberger Berman Mid-Cap Value Portfolio, AST Neuberger Berman Small-Cap Growth Portfolio, AST Niemann Capital Growth Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST PIMCO Limited Maturity Bond Portfolio, AST PIMCO Total Return Bond Portfolio, AST Preservation Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST Small-Cap Growth Portfolio, AST Small-Cap Value Portfolio, AST T. Rowe Price Asset Allocation Portfolio, AST T. Rowe Price Global Bond Portfolio, AST T. Rowe Price Large Cap Growth Portfolio, AST T. Rowe Price Natural Resources Portfolio, AST UBS Dynamic Alpha Portfolio and AST Western Asset Core Plus Bond Portfolio, hereafter referred to as the “Funds”) as of December 31, 2007, and the related statements of operations for the year then ended, the statements of changes in net assets for each of the years in the two-year period then ended and the financial highlights for each of the years in the five-year period then ended, which report appears in the December 31, 2007 annual report on Form N-CSR of the Funds.

 

 

 

 

We also consent to the references to our firm under the headings “Financial Highlights” in the Prospectus and “Other Service Providers” and “Financial Statements” in the Statement of Additional Information.

 

KPMG LLP

 

New York, New York

April 14, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

Ex. (p)(17)

Effective March 1, 2008

 

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

 

 

 

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

OF

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Page

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

1-1

 

Purpose of Code of Ethics and Conduct

1-1

 

Persons and Entities Subject to the Code

1-2

Definition of Supervised Persons ...................................................................1-2

 

Status as a Fiduciary

1-2

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons ...............................................1-3

 

NASDAQ Requirements

1-4

 

What the Code Does Not Cover

1-4

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes

1-4

 

Compliance Procedures for Funds and Federal Advisers

1-4

 

Compliance with the Code

1-4

 

Questions Regarding the Code

1-5

STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF PRICE GROUP AND ITS PERSONNEL

2-1

 

Allocation Policy

2-1

 

Annual Verification of Compliance

2-1

 

Antitrust

2-1; 8-1

 

Anti-Money Laundering

2-1

Appropriate Conduct .................................................................................2-1

 

Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws

2-1; 6-1

 

Computer Security

2-2; 7-1

 

Conflicts of Interest

2-2

 

Relationships with Profitmaking Enterprises

2-2

 

General Prohibitions .....................................................................2-2

 

Approval Process .........................................................................2-2

 

Review by Ethics Committee ...........................................................2-2

 

Approved Service as Director or Similar Position ...................................2-2

 

 

Service with Nonprofitmaking Organizations

2-3

 

Approval Process .........................................................................2-3

 

By Supervisor .............................................................................2-3

 

By Ethics Committee Chairperson ......................................................2-3

 

Relationships with Financial Service Firms

2-3

Existing Relationships with Potential Vendors ..............................................2-3

Investment in Client/Vendor Company Stock ..............................................2-4

 

 

 

i-1

 

 

 

 

Conflicts in Connection with Proxy Voting..................................................2-4

 

Confidentiality

2-4

 

Internal Operating Procedures and Planning

2-4

 

Clients, Fund Shareholders, and TRP Brokerage Customers

2-5

 

Third Parties .....................................................................................2-5

 

Investment Advice

2-5

 

Investment Research

2-6

 

Employee Information

2-6

Information about the Price Funds............................................................2-6

Understanding as to Clients' Accounts and Company Records

 

at Time of Termination of Association

2-6

 

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( “HIPAA” )

2-7

 

Employment of Former Government and Self-Regulatory Organization Employees

2-7

 

Financial Reporting

2-7

Gifts and Gratuities ...............................................................................2-7; 3-1

 

Health and Safety in the Workplace

2-7

 

Human Resources

2-7

 

Equal Opportunity

2-7

 

Drug and Alcohol Policy

2-8

 

Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination

2-8

 

Use of Employee Likenesses and Information ............................................2-8

 

Illegal Payments

2-8

 

Inside Information

2-9; 4-1

 

Investment Clubs

2-9

 

Marketing and Sales Activities

2-9

 

Past and Current Litigation ........................................................................2-9

 

Political Activities and Contributions

2-10

 

Lobbying

2-11

 

Protection of Corporate Assets

2-11

 

Quality of Services

2-11

 

Record Retention and Destruction

2-12

 

Referral Fees

2-12

 

Release of Information to the Press

2-12

 

Responsibility to Report Violations

2-13

 

General Obligation

2-13

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures

2-13

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements

2-13

 

Service as Trustee, Executor or Personal Representative

2-13

 

Speaking Engagements and Publications

2-14

 

 

 

i-2

 

 

 

 

Appendix A

2A

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON GIFTS, ENTERTAINMENT, EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS ..............................................................3-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON MATERIAL, INSIDE (NON-PUBLIC) INFORMATION

4-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

5-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY WITH RESPECT TO COMPLIANCE

 

WITH COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK LAWS

6-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY WITH RESPECT TO COMPUTER SECURITY

 

AND RELATED ISSUES

7-1

STATEMENT OF POLICY ON COMPLIANCE WITH

 

ANTITRUST LAWS

8-1

STATEMENT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON PRIVACY

9-1

 

 

March, 2008

 

 

 

i-3

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

OF

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

INDEX

 

Access Persons

5-3

Activities, Political

2-10

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons ....................................................1-3

Advisory Board Membership for Profitmaking Enterprise .............................................2-2

Allocation Policy

2-1

Antitrust

2-1; 8-1

Anti-Money Laundering

2-1

Annual Disclosure by Access Persons

5-29

Annual Verification of Compliance

2-1

Appropriate Conduct .......................................................................................2-1

Assets, Protection of Corporate

2-11

Beneficial Ownership, Definition of

5-5

Business Entertainment, Accepting .......................................................................3-5

Business Entertainment, Providing ........................................................................3-7

Business Entertainment, Reporting of ....................................................................3-11

Charitable Contributions ....................................................................................3-12

Chief Compliance Officers .....................................................................Appendix A

Clients’ Accounts and Company Records

2-6

Clients, Shareholders and Brokerage Customers

2-5

Client Limit Orders

5-25

Client/Vendor Company Stock, Investment in ..........................................................2-4

Code Compliance Section ..................................................................................1-1

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Compliance with

1-4

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Purpose of

1-1

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Questions Regarding

1-5

Code of Ethics and Conduct, Persons and Entities Subject to

1-2

Co-Investment with Client Investment Partnerships

5-22

Commodity Futures Contracts

5-10

Compliance Procedures, Funds and Federal Advisers

1-4

Computer Security

2-2; 7-1

Conduct, Standards of, Price Group and its Personnel

2-1

Confidentiality/Privacy

2-4; 9-1

 

 

 

ii-1

 

 

 

Confidentiality of Computer Systems Activities and Information

7-2

Conflicts of Interest

2-2

Contracts for Difference ....................................................................................5-25

Contributions, Political

2-10

Copyright Laws, Compliance with

2-1; 6-1

Corporate Assets, Protection of

2-11

Data Privacy and Protection

7-2

Destruction of Records .....................................................................................2-12

Drug Policy

2-8

Employee Likenesses, and Information, Use of .........................................................2-8

Employment of Former Government Employees

2-7

Equal Opportunity

2-7

Excessive Trading, Mutual Funds Shares

5-2

Exchange Traded Funds (" ETFs ")

5-10

Exchange - Traded Index Options

5-27

Executor, Service as

2-13

Expense Reimbursement, Accepting .....................................................................3-9

Expense Reimbursement, Providing ......................................................................3-9

Fees, Referral

2-12

Fiduciary, Price Advisers' Status as a

1-2; 5-1

Financial Reporting

2-7

Financial Service Firms, Relationships with

2-3

Front Running

5-1

Gambling Related to Securities Markets

5-28

General Policy Statement

1-1

Gifts, Giving

3-4

Gifts, Receipt of

3-3

Gifts, Reporting ..............................................................................................3-10

Global Investment Performance Standards ( “GIPS” ) ..................................................2-9

Government Employees, Employment of Former

2-7

Harassment and Discrimination, Policy Against

2-8

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( “HIPAA” )

2-7

iTrade

5-15

Illegal Payments

2-8

Independent Directors of Price Funds, Reporting

5-20

Independent Directors of Price Group, Reporting

5-22

Independent Directors of Savings Bank, Transaction Reporting

5-23

Information Barriers .......................................................................................4-9

Information, Release to the Press

2-12

Initial Public Offerings

5-13

 

 

ii-2

 

 

 

Inside Information

2-9; 4-1

Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act ...........................................4-1; 5-1

Interest, Conflicts of

2-2

Intermediaries, Restrictions on Holding Price Funds Through by Access Persons..................5-12

Internal Operating Procedures and Planning

2-4

Internet, Access to

7-5

Investment Advice

2-5

Investment Clubs

2-9; 5-23

Investment Personnel

5-4

Investment Personnel, Reporting of Open-end Investment Company Holdings by............ ...5-29

Investment Research

2-6

Large Issuer/Volume Transactions

5-24

Litigation, Past and Current

2-9

Lobbying

2-11

Margin Accounts

5-24

Market Timing, Mutual Fund Shares .....................................................................5-2

Marketing and Sales Activities

2-9

Mutual Fund Shares, Excessive Trading of

5-2

NASDAQ Requirements

1-4

Non-Access Persons

5-4

Nonprofitmaking Organizations, Service with

2-3

Open-End Investment Company Holdings, Reporting by Investment Personnel ...................5-29

Options and Futures

5-25

Payments, Illegal

2-8

Personal Securities Holdings, Disclosure of by Access Persons

5-28

Personal Representative, Service as

2-13

Political Action Committee ( “PAC” )

2-10

Political Activities and Contributions

2-10

Press, Release of Information to the

2-12

Price Funds Held Through Intermediaries ...............................................................5-12

Price Funds Held on Price Platforms or Through TRP Brokerage .................................5-12

Price Group, Standards of Conduct

2-1

Price Group Stock, Transactions in

5-6

Price Platforms ..............................................................................................5-12

Prior Transaction Clearance of Securities Transactions (other than Price Group stock)

5-13

Prior Transaction Clearance Denials, Requests for Reconsideration

5-16

Privacy Policies and Procedures

9-1

Private Placement, Investment In

5-14

Private Placement Memoranda

4-10

Profitmaking Enterprises, Relationships with

2-2

 

 

ii-3

 

 

 

Protection of Corporate Assets

2-11

Publications

2-14

Quality of Services

2-11

Questions Regarding the Code

1-5

Rating Changes on Security

5-16; 5-24

Record Destruction ........................................................................................2-12

Record Retention

2-12

Referral Fees

2-12

Regulation FD

4-7

Reimbursement of Consultants Expenses Prohibited ...................................................3-10

Release of Information to the Press

2-12

Reportable Funds ...........................................................................................5-11

Reporting by Independent Directors of the Price Funds

5-20

Reporting by Independent Directors of Price Group

5-22

Reporting by Independent Directors of the Savings Bank

5-23

Reporting, Financial

2-7

Reporting, Price Group Stock Transactions

5-8

Reporting, Securities Transactions (other than Price Group stock)

 

(not Independent Directors)

5-18

Reporting Violations ......................................................................................2-13

Research Trips

3-6

Restricted List

4-8

Retention of Code ..........................................................................................1-1

Retention, Record

2-12

Rule 10b5-1

4-6

Rule 10b5-2

4-4

Sales and Marketing Activities

2-9

Sanctions

1-4; 5-29

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements

2-13

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes

1-4

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures

2-13

Savings Bank

5-1

Section 529 College Investment Plans, Reporting .............................................5-12; 5-19

Securities Accounts, Notification of

5-17

Securities Transactions, Reporting of (other than Price Group stock)

 

(not Independent Directors)

5-18

Services, Quality of

2-11

Short Sales

5-26

Sixty (60) Day Rule

5-27

Software Programs, Application of Copyright Law

7-10

Speaking Engagements

2-14

 

 

ii-4

 

 

 

Standards of Conduct of Price Group and its Personnel

2-1

Statement, General Policy

1-1

Supervised Persons, Adviser Act Requirements for ....................................................1-3

Supervised Persons, Definition of ........................................................................1-2

Supervision of Gifts, Business Entertainment and Expense Reimbursement ........................3-10

Supervision of Requests Regarding Charitable Contributions .......................................3-14

T. Rowe Price Platform ....................................................................................5-12

Trademark Laws, Compliance with

2-1;6-1

Temporary Workers, Application of Code to

1-2; 5-3

Termination of Association, Understanding as to Accounts and Records

2-6

Trading Activity, Generally

5-24

Trading Activity, Mutual Fund Shares

5-2

Trading Price Funds on Price Platforms/Brokerage ....................................................5-12

Trading Price Funds Through Intermediaries ............................................................5-12

Trips, Research

3-6

Trustee, Service as

2-13

Use of Employees’ Likenesses and Information ..........................................................2-8

Vendors, Relationships with Potential

2-3

Violations, Responsibility to Report

2-13

Waiver for Executive Officer, Reporting of

1-4

Watch List

4-9

Whistleblower Procedures, Sarbanes-Oxley

2-13

 

 

 

March, 2008

 

 

ii-5

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

 

OF

 

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

 

AND ITS AFFILIATES

 

 

GENERAL POLICY STATEMENT

 

Purpose of Code of Ethics and Conduct. As a global investment management firm, we are considered a fiduciary to many of our clients and owe them a duty of undivided loyalty. Our clients entrust us with their financial well-being and expect us to always act in their best interests. Over the 71 years of our Company’s history, we have earned a reputation for fair dealing, honesty, candor, objectivity and unbending integrity. This has been possible by conducting our business on a set of shared values and principles of trust.

 

In order to educate our personnel, protect our reputation, and ensure that our tradition of integrity remains as a principle by which we conduct business, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (“T. Rowe Price,” “TRP”, “Price Group” or “Group”) has adopted this Code of Ethics and Conduct (“Code”) . Our Code establishes standards of conduct that we expect each associate to fully understand and agree to adopt. As we are in a highly regulated industry, we are governed by an ever-increasing body of federal, state, and international laws as well as countless rules and regulations which, if not observed, can subject the firm and its employees to regulatory sanctions. In total, our Code contains 28 separate Standards of Conduct as well as the following separate Statements of Policy:

 

 

1.

Statement of Policy on Gifts, Entertainment, Expense Reimbursement and Charitable

Contributions

 

 

2.

Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-Public) Information

 

3.

Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions

 

4.

Statement of Policy with Respect to Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws

 

5.

Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues

 

6.

Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws

 

7.

Statement of Policies and Procedures on Privacy

 

A copy of this Code will be retained by the Code Administration and Regulatory Reporting Section of Group Compliance in Baltimore (“Code Compliance Section”) for five years from the date it is last in effect. While the Code is intended to provide you with guidance and certainty as to whether or not certain actions or practices are permissible, it does not cover every issue that you may face. The firm maintains other compliance-oriented manuals and handbooks that may be directly applicable to your specific responsibilities and duties. Nevertheless, the Code should be viewed as a guide for you and the firm as to how we jointly must conduct our business to live up to our guiding tenet that the interests of our clients and customers must always come first.

 

Each new employee will be provided with a copy of the current Code and all employees have access to the current Code, which is posted on the intranet. Each employee will be required to provide Price Group with a written acknowledgement of his or her understanding of the Code and its amendments on at least an annual basis. All written acknowledgements will be retained as required by the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act.” )

 

Please read the Code carefully and observe and adhere to its guidance.

 

Persons and Entities Subject to the Code. The following entities and individuals are subject to the Code:

 

Price Group

 

The subsidiaries and affiliates of Price Group

 

The officers, directors and employees of Group and its affiliates and subsidiaries

 

Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “T. Rowe Price,” "Price Group" and "Group" refer to Price Group and all its affiliates and subsidiaries.

 

1-1

 

 

 

In addition, the following persons are subject to the Code:

 

1.

All temporary workers hired on the Price Group payroll (" TRP Temporaries ");

 

2.

All agency temporaries whose assignments at Price Group exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period;

 

3.

All independent or agency-provided consultants whose assignments exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period and whose work is closely related to the ongoing work of Price Group employees (versus project work that stands apart from ongoing work); and

 

4.

Any contingent worker whose assignment is more than casual in nature or who will be exposed to the kinds of information and situations that would create conflicts on matters covered in the Code.

 

The independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds and the Savings Bank are subject to the principles of the Code generally and to specific provisions of the Code as noted.

 

Definition of Supervised Persons. Under the Advisers Act, the officers, directors (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions) and employees of the Price Advisers, as well as any other persons who provide advice on behalf of a Price Adviser and are subject to the Price Adviser’s supervision and control are “Supervised Persons.”

 

Status as a Fiduciary. Several of Price Group's subsidiaries are investment advisers registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (" SEC "). These include T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc. (" TRPA "), T. Rowe Price International, Inc. (" TRPI "), T. Rowe Price Advisory Services, Inc. (" TRPAS "), T. Rowe Price (Canada), Inc. (" TRP Canada "), T. Rowe Price Global Investment Services Limited (“ TRPGIS ”) and T. Rowe Price Global Asset Management Limited (" TRPGAM ").

 

TRPI, TRPGIS, and TRPGAM are also registered with the United Kingdom’s Financial Services Authority ( “FSA” ).

 

TRPI is also registered with The Securities and Futures Commission ( “SFC” ) (Hong Kong) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore ( “MAS” ) (Singapore).

 

TRPGIS is also subject to regulation by the Financial Services Association/Kanto Local Finance Bureau ( “KLFB” ) (Japan), the Netherlands Authority for the Financial Markets (Netherlands), the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority (Denmark), the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority (Sweden), and the Commission to Surveillance of the Finance Sector ( “CSSF” ) (Grand Duchy of Luxembourg).

 

TRP (Canada) is also registered with the Ontario Securities Commission (Canada), the Manitoba Securities Commission (Canada), the British Columbia Securities Commission (Canada), and the Alberta Securities Commission.

 

All advisers affiliated with Group will be referred to collectively as the " Price Advisers " unless the context otherwise requires. The Price Advisers will register with additional securities regulators as required by their respective businesses. The primary responsibility of the Price Advisers is to render to their advisory clients on a professional basis unbiased advice regarding their clients' investments. As investment advisers, the Price Advisers have a fiduciary relationship with all of their clients, which means that they have an absolute duty of undivided loyalty, fairness and good faith toward their clients and mutual fund shareholders and a corresponding obligation to refrain from taking any action or seeking any benefit for themselves which would, or which would appear to, prejudice the rights of any client or shareholder or conflict with his or her best interests.

 

Adviser Act Requirements for Supervised Persons. The Advisers Act requires investment advisers to adopt codes that:

 

 

establish a standard of business conduct, applicable to Supervised Persons, reflecting the fiduciary obligations of the adviser and its Supervised Persons;

 

 

require Supervised Persons to comply with all applicable securities laws, including:

 

 

Securities Act of 1933

 

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Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002

 

Investment Company Act of 1940

 

Investment Advisers Act of 1940

 

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Privacy Act

 

Any rules adopted by the SEC under any of the foregoing Acts; and

 

Bank Secrecy Act as it applies to mutual funds and investment advisers and any rules adopted under that Act by the SEC or the United States Department of the Treasury;

 

 

require Supervised Persons to report violations of the code promptly to the adviser’s chief compliance officer or his or her designee if the chief compliance officer also receives reports of all violations; and

 

 

require the adviser to provide each Supervised Person with a copy of the code and any amendments and requiring Supervised Persons to provide the adviser with written acknowledgement of receipt of the code and any amendments.

 

Price Group applies these requirements to all persons subject to the Code, including all Supervised Persons.

 

NASDAQ Requirements. Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc. (“ NASDAQ ”) rules require listed companies to adopt a Code of Conduct for all directors, officers, and employees. Price Group is listed on NASDAQ. This Code is designed to fulfill this NASDAQ requirement. A waiver of this Code for an executive officer or director of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. must be granted by Group’s Board of Directors and reported as required by the pertinent NASDAQ rule.

 

What the Code Does Not Cover. The Code was not written for the purpose of covering all policies, rules and regulations to which personnel may be subject. For example, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. (" Investment Services ") is regulated by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and, as such, is required to maintain written supervisory procedures to enable it to supervise the activities of its registered representatives and associated persons to ensure compliance with applicable securities laws and regulations and with the applicable rules of FINRA. In addition, TRPI, TRPGAM, TRPGIS, and TRP Canada are subject to several non-U.S. regulatory authorities as described on page 1-3 of this Code.

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Codes. The Principal Executive and Senior Financial Officers of Price Group and the Price Funds are also subject to Codes (collectively the “ S-O Codes ”) adopted to bring these entities into compliance with the applicable requirements of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”). These S-O Codes, which are available along with this Code on the firm’s intranet site under Departments/Corporate/Legal, are supplementary to this Code, but administered separately from it and each other.

Compliance Procedures for Funds and Federal Advisers. Under Rule 38a-1 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, each fund board is required to adopt written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the fund from violating federal securities laws. These procedures must provide for the oversight of compliance by the fund’s advisers, principal underwriters, administrators and transfer agents. Under Rule 206(4)-7 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, it is unlawful for an investment adviser to provide investment advice unless it has adopted and implemented policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent violations of federal securities laws by the adviser and its supervised persons.

 

Compliance with the Code. Strict compliance with the provisions of this Code is considered a basic condition of employment or association with the firm. An employee may be required to surrender any profit realized from a transaction that is deemed to be in violation of the Code. In addition, a breach of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including fines and dismissal from employment. Employees may appeal to the Management Committee any ruling or decision rendered with respect to the Code. The names of the members of the Management Committee are included in Appendix A to this Code.

 

 

 

 

 

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Questions Regarding the Code. Questions regarding the Code should be referred as follows:

 

1.

Standards of Conduct of Price Group and Its Personnel: the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, the Director of Human Resources, or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

2.

Statement of Policy on Gifts, Entertainment, Expense Reimbursement and Charitable Contributions: the Legal Department in Baltimore ( “Legal Department” ) or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

3.

Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-Public) Information: the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

4.

Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions: For U.S. personnel: the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee; for International personnel: the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

5.

Statement of Policy with Respect to Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws: Legal Department.

 

6.

Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues: Enterprise Security, the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

7.

Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws: Legal Department.

 

8. Statement of Policies and Procedures on Privacy: Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

For additional information, consult Appendix A following the Standards of Conduct section of the Code.

 

March, 2008

 

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STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF PRICE GROUP AND ITS PERSONNEL

 

Allocation Policy. The policies of each of the Price Advisers with respect to the allocation of client brokerage are set forth in Part II of Form ADV of each of the Price Advisers. The Form ADV is each adviser's registration statement filed with the SEC. It is imperative that all employees -- especially those who are in a position to make recommendations regarding brokerage allocation, or who are authorized to select brokers that will execute securities transactions on behalf of our clients -- read and become fully knowledgeable concerning our policies in this regard. Any questions regarding any of the Price Advisers' allocation policies for client brokerage should be addressed to the designated contact person(s) of the U.S. Equity or Fixed Income or the International Committee, as appropriate. See Appendix A.

 

Annual Verification of Compliance . Each year, each person subject to the Code ( see p. 1-2) is required to complete a Verification Statement regarding his or her compliance with various provisions of this Code, including its policies on personal securities transactions and material, inside information. In addition, each Access Person (defined on p. 5-3), except the independent directors of the Price Funds, must file an initial and annual Personal Securities Report ( see pp. 5-28 and 5-29).

 

Antitrust. The United States antitrust laws are designed to ensure fair competition and preserve the free enterprise system. The United Kingdom and the European Union have requirements based on similar principals. Some of the most common antitrust issues with which an employee may be confronted are in the areas of pricing (adviser fees) and trade association activity. To ensure its employees' understanding of these laws, Price Group has adopted a Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws. All employees should read and understand this Statement ( see page 8-1).

 

Anti-Money Laundering. Certain subsidiaries of Price Group are subject to the laws and regulations of the United States, United Kingdom and the other jurisdictions in which they do business regarding the prevention and detection of money laundering. For example, under the U.S. Patriot Act, the affected subsidiaries must develop internal policies, procedures and controls to combat money laundering, designate a Compliance Officer for the anti-money laundering program, implement employee training in this area, and ensure that an independent review of the adequacy of controls and procedures in this area occurs annually. In addition, the anti-money laundering program must include a Customer Identification Program (“ CIP ”). Each of these entities has specific procedures in this area, by which its employees must abide.

 

Appropriate Conduct. Associates are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate and responsible manner in the workplace, when on company business outside the office and at company-sponsored events. Inappropriate behavior reflects poorly on the associate and may impact TRP. Supervisors should be especially mindful that they should set the standard for appropriate behavior.

 

Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws. To protect Price Group and its employees, Price Group has adopted a Statement of Policy with Respect to Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws. You should read and understand this Statement ( see page 6-1).

 

Computer Security. Computer systems and programs play a central role in Price Group's operations. To establish appropriate computer security to minimize potential for loss or disruptions to our computer operations, Price Group has adopted a Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues. You should read and understand this Statement ( see page 7-1).

 

Conflicts of Interest. All employees must avoid placing themselves in a "compromising position" where their interests may be in conflict with those of Price Group or its clients.

 

Relationships with Profitmaking Enterprises. Depending upon the circumstances, an employee may be prohibited from creating or maintaining a relationship with a profitmaking enterprise. In all cases, written approval must be obtained as described below.

 

General Prohibitions. Employees are generally prohibited from serving as officers or directors of issuers that are approved or likely to be approved for purchase in our firm’s client accounts. In addition, an employee may not accept or continue outside employment that will require him or her to become registered (or duly registered) as a representative of an unaffiliated broker/dealer, investment

 

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adviser or an insurance broker or company unless approval to do so is first obtained in writing from the Chief Compliance Officer of the broker/dealer. See Appendix A for the name of the Chief Compliance Officer of the broker/dealer. An employee also may not become independently registered as an investment adviser.

 

Approval Process . Any outside business activity, which may include a second job, appointment as an officer or director of or a member of an advisory board to a for-profit enterprise, or self employment, must be approved in writing by the employee’s supervisor. If the employee is a registered representative of Investment Services, he or she must also receive the written approval of the Chief Compliance Officer of the broker/dealer.

 

Review by Ethics Committee . If an employee contemplates obtaining an interest or relationship that might conflict or appear to conflict with the interests of Price Group, he or she must also receive the prior written approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee and, as appropriate, the Ethics Committee itself. Examples of relationships that might create a conflict or appear to create a conflict of interest may include appointment as a director, officer or partner of or member of an advisory board to an outside profitmaking enterprise, employment by another firm in the securities industry, or self employment in an investment capacity. Decisions by the Ethics Committee regarding such positions in outside profitmaking enterprises may be reviewed by the Management Committee before becoming final. See below for a discussion of relationships with financial services firms.

 

Approved Service as Director or Similar Position. Certain employees may serve as directors or as members of creditors committees or in similar positions for non-public, for-profit entities in connection with their professional activities at the firm. An employee must receive the written permission of the Management Committee before accepting such a position and must relinquish the position if the entity becomes publicly held, unless otherwise determined by the Management Committee.

 

Service with Nonprofitmaking Organizations. Price Group encourages its employees to become involved in community programs and civic affairs. However, employees should not permit such activities to affect the performance of their job responsibilities.

 

Approval Process. The approval process for service with a nonprofitmaking organization varies depending upon the activity undertaken.

 

By Supervisor. An employee must receive the approval of his or her supervisor in writing before accepting a position as an officer, trustee or member of the Board of Directors of any non-profit organization.

 

By Ethics Committee Chairperson. If there is any possibility that the organization will issue and/or sell securities, the employee must also receive the written approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee and, as appropriate, the Chief Compliance Officer of the broker/dealer before accepting the position.

 

Although individuals serving as officers, Board members or trustees for non-profitmaking entities that will not issue or sell securities do not need to receive this additional approval, they must be sensitive to potential conflict of interest situations ( e.g., the entity is considering entering a business relationship with a T. Rowe Price entity) and must contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee for guidance if such a situation arises.

 

Relationships with Financial Service Firms. In order to avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest, employees are prohibited from investing in or entering into any relationship, either directly or indirectly, with corporations, partnerships, or other entities that are engaged in business as a broker, a dealer, an underwriter, and/or an investment adviser. As described above, this prohibition generally extends to registration and/or licensure with an unaffiliated firm. This prohibition, however, is not meant to prevent employees from purchasing publicly traded securities of broker/dealers, investment advisers or other companies engaged in the mutual fund industry. Of course, all such purchases are subject to prior transaction clearance and reporting

 

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procedures, as applicable. This policy also does not preclude an employee from engaging an outside investment adviser to manage his or her assets.

 

If any member of an employee's immediate family is employed by, or has a partnership interest in a broker/dealer, investment adviser, or other entity engaged in the mutual fund industry, the relationship must be reported to the Ethics Committee.

 

An ownership interest of 0.5% or more in any entity, including a broker/dealer, investment adviser or other company engaged in the mutual fund industry, must be reported to the Code Compliance Section. See p. 5-28.

 

Existing Relationships with Potential Vendors. If an employee is going to be involved in the selection of a vendor to supply goods or services to the firm, he or she must disclose the existence of any on-going personal or family relationship with any principal of the vendor to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee in writing before becoming involved in the selection process.

 

Investment in Client/Vendor Company Stock. In some instances, existing or prospective clients ( e.g., clients with full-service relationships with T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc.) or vendors ask to speak to our portfolio managers and/or analysts who have responsibility for a Price Fund or other managed account in an effort to promote investment in their securities. While these meetings present an opportunity to learn more about the client/vendor and may therefore be helpful to Price, employees must be aware of the potential conflicts presented by such meetings. In order to avoid any actual or apparent conflicts of interest:

 

 

employees are prohibited from providing any internal information ( e.g., internal ratings or plans for future Price Fund or other client account purchases) to the client or vendor regarding the securities, except to the extent specifically authorized by the Legal Department or otherwise allowed by the Code under the sections entitled “Investment Research” and “Information about the Price Funds” ( see p. 2-6), and

 

 

investment decisions of employees regarding a client’s or vendor’s securities must be made independently of the client or vendor relationship and cannot be based on any express or implied quid pro quo. If a situation arises where a client has suggested that it is considering either expanding or eliminating its relationship with Price (or, in the case of a vendor, offering a more or less favorable pricing structure) based upon whether Price increases purchases of the client’s or vendor’s securities, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee should be consulted immediately for guidance.

 

In addition, the use of information derived from such meetings with existing or prospective                clients or vendors must conform to the Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-           Public) Information , which is part of this Code ( see p. 4-1).

 

Conflicts in Connection with Proxy Voting. If a portfolio manager or analyst with the authority to vote a proxy or recommend a proxy vote for a security owned by a Price Fund or a client of a Price Adviser has an immediate family member who is an officer or director or has a material business relationship with the issuer of the security, the portfolio manager or analyst should inform the Proxy Committee of the relationship so that the Proxy Committee can assess any conflict of interest that may affect whether the proxy should or should not be voted in accordance with the firm’s proxy voting policies.

 

Confidentiality. The exercise of confidentiality extends to the major areas of our operations, including internal operating procedures and planning; clients, fund shareholders and TRP Brokerage customers; investment advice; investment research; employee information and contractual obligations to protect third party confidential information. The duty to exercise confidentiality applies not only while an individual is associated with the firm, but also after he or she terminates that association.

 

Internal Operating Procedures and Planning. During the years we have been in business, a great deal of creative talent has been used to develop specialized and unique methods of operations and portfolio management. In many cases, we feel these methods give us an advantage over our competitors and we do not want these ideas disseminated outside our firm. Accordingly, you should be guarded in discussing our business

 

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practices with outsiders. Any requests from outsiders for specific information of this type should be cleared with the appropriate supervisor before it is released.

 

Also, from time to time management holds meetings in which material, non-public information concerning the firm's future plans is disclosed. You should never discuss confidential information with, or provide copies of written material concerning the firm's internal operating procedures or projections for the future to, unauthorized persons outside the firm.

 

Clients, Fund Shareholders, and TRP Brokerage Customers. In many instances, when clients subscribe to our services, we ask them to disclose fully their financial status and needs. This is done only after we have assured them that every member of our organization will hold this information in strict confidence. It is essential that we respect their trust. A simple rule for you to follow is that the names of our clients, fund shareholders, or TRP Brokerage customers or any information pertaining to their investments must never be divulged to anyone outside the firm, not even to members of their immediate families, without appropriate authorization, and must never be used as a basis for personal trades over which you have beneficial interest or control.

 

Third Parties. In contracts with vendors and other third parties with which we have business dealings, the firm may enter into obligations to protect the confidentiality of information received from third parties. Such information may include software, business information concerning the third party or the terms and pricing of the contractual arrangement. This information must be protected in the same manner that the firm’s own confidential information is protected.

 

 

In addition, the firm has adopted a specific Statement of Policies and Procedures on

 

Privacy , which is part of this Code ( see p. 9-1).

 

Investment Advice. Because of the fine reputation our firm enjoys, there is a great deal of public interest in what we are doing in the market. There are two major considerations that dictate why we must not provide investment "tips":

 

 

From the point of view of our clients, it is not fair to give other people information which clients must purchase.

 

 

From the point of view of the firm, it is not desirable to create an outside demand for a stock when we are trying to buy it for our clients, as this will only serve to push the price up. The reverse is true if we are selling. Therefore, disclosure of our trading interests could have a negative impact on the firm’s ability to execute trades at the best price.

 

In light of these considerations, you must never disclose to outsiders our buy and sell recommendations, current orders or recent transactions, securities we are considering for future investment, or the portfolio holdings of our clients or mutual funds without specific firm authorization.

 

The practice of giving investment advice informally to members of your immediate family should be restricted to very close relatives. Any transactions resulting from such advice are subject to the prior transaction clearance (Access Persons only except for Price Group stock transactions, which require prior transaction clearance by all personnel) and reporting requirements (Access Persons and Non-Access Persons) of the Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions. Under no circumstances should you receive compensation directly or indirectly (other than from a Price Adviser or an affiliate) for rendering advice to either clients or non-clients.

 

Investment Research. Any report circulated by a research analyst is confidential in its entirety and should not be reproduced or shown to anyone outside of our organization, except

our clients where appropriate. If a circumstance arises where it may be appropriate to share this information otherwise, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee should be consulted first.

 

Employee Information. For business and regulatory purposes, the firm collects and maintains information ( e.g., social security number, date of birth, home address) about its employees, temporaries and consultants. You may not use such information for any non-business or non-regulatory purpose or disclose it to anyone

 

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outside the firm without specific authorization from the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team as appropriate.

 

Information about the Price Funds. The Price Funds have adopted policies and procedures with respect to the selective disclosure of information about the Price Funds and their portfolio holdings. These are set forth on the firm’s intranet under “Departments/Corporate/Legal/ TRP Policy and Procedures Documents/Legal/Mutual Funds/“Portfolio Information Release Policy” and “Matrix of Supplementary Fund Data”. All Associates are charged with informing themselves of, and adhering to, these Policies and Procedures and may not release any information about the Price Funds that would be harmful to the Price Funds or their shareholders.

 

Understanding as to Clients' Accounts and Company Records at Time of Termination of Association. The accounts of clients, mutual fund shareholders, and TRP Brokerage customers are not the property of any employee; they are accounts of one of Price Group’s affiliates. This includes the accounts of clients for which one or more of the Price Advisers acts as investment adviser, regardless of how or through whom the client relationship originated and regardless of who may be the counselor for a particular client. At the time of termination of association with Price Group, you must: (1) surrender to Price Group in good condition any and all materials, reports or records (including all copies in your possession or subject to your control) developed by you or any other person that are considered confidential information of Price Group (except copies of any research material in the production of which you participated to a material extent); and (2) refrain from communicating, transmitting or making known to any person or firm any information relating to any materials or matters whatsoever that are considered by Price Group to be confidential.

 

HIPAA. The firm’s Flexible Benefits Plan has adopted a specific Privacy Notice regarding the personal health information of participants in compliance with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ( “HIPAA” ). A copy of the HIPAA Privacy Notice can be found on the firm’s intranet under Departments/Corporate/Human Resources/Benefits/HIPAA Privacy Notice.

 

Employment of Former Government and Self-Regulatory Organization Employees. United States laws and regulations govern the employment of former employees of the U.S. Government and its agencies, including the SEC. In addition, certain states have adopted similar statutory restrictions. Finally, certain states and municipalities that are clients of the Price Advisers have imposed contractual restrictions in this regard. Before any action is taken to discuss employment by Price Group of a former government or regulatory or self-regulatory organization employee, whether in the United States or internationally, guidance must be obtained from the Legal Department.

 

Financial Reporting. Price Group's records are maintained in a manner that provides for an accurate record of all financial transactions in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles. No false or deceptive entries may be made and all entries must contain an appropriate description of the underlying transaction. All reports, vouchers, bills, invoices, payroll and service records and other essential data must be accurate, honest and timely and should provide an accurate and complete representation of the facts. The Audit Committee of Price Group has adopted specific procedures regarding the receipt, retention and treatment of certain auditing and accounting complaints. See Responsibility to Report Violations at p. 2-13.

 

Gifts and Gratuities. The firm has adopted a comprehensive policy on providing and receiving gifts and business entertainment, which is found in this Code in the Statement of Policy on Gifts, Entertainment, Expense Reimbursement and Charitable Contributions. All employees should read and understand this Statement ( see page 3-1).

 

Health and Safety in the Workplace. Price Group recognizes its responsibility to provide personnel a safe and healthful workplace and proper facilities to help them do their jobs effectively.

 

Human Resources. You should consult the appropriate Associate Handbook for more information on the policies discussed in this section and other Human Resources policies.

 

Equal Opportunity. Price Group is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity (EEO) and the maximum optimization of our associates’ abilities. We believe our continued success depends on the equal treatment of all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, veteran status, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local laws.

 

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This commitment to Equal Opportunity covers all aspects of the employment relationship including recruitment, application and initial employment, promotion, transfer, training and development, compensation, and benefits.

 

All associates of T. Rowe Price are expected to comply with the spirit and intent of our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.

 

If you feel you have not been treated in accordance with this policy, contact your immediate supervisor, the appropriate Price Group manager or a Human Resources representative. No retaliation will be taken against you if you report an incident of alleged discrimination in good faith.

 

Drug and Alcohol Policy. Price Group is committed to providing a drug-free workplace and preventing alcohol abuse in the workplace. Drug and alcohol misuse and abuse affect the health, safety, and well-being of all Price Group employees and customers and restrict the firm’s ability to carry out its mission. Personnel must perform job duties unimpaired by illegal drugs or the improper use of legal drugs or alcohol.

 

Policy Against Harassment and Discrimination. Price Group is committed to providing a safe working environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Associates have the right to enjoy a workplace that is conducive to high performance, promotes equal opportunity, and prohibits discrimination including harassment.

 

Price Group will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or other types of inappropriate behavior directed by or toward an associate, supervisor/manager, contractor, vendor, customer, visitor, or other business partner. Accordingly, the firm will not tolerate harassment or intimidation of any associate based on race, color, national origin, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran, marital or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, Price Group does not tolerate slurs, threats, intimidation, or any similar written, verbal, physical, or computer-related conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward any individual based on race, color, national origin, religion, creed, gender, sexual orientation, age disability, veteran, marital, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law. Harassment will not be tolerated on our property or in any other work-related setting such as business-sponsored social events or business trips. In addition, the firm will not tolerate harassment, discrimination, or other types of inappropriate behavior directed by or toward any associate from our customers and clients and vice versa.

 

If you are found to have engaged in conduct inconsistent with this policy, you will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including, termination of employment.

 

Use of Employee Likenesses and Information. Employees consent to the use of their names, biographical information, photographs, job descriptions and other relevant business data for any work-related purpose.

 

Illegal Payments. State, United States, and international laws prohibit the payment of bribes, kickbacks, inducements or other illegal gratuities or payments by or on behalf of Price Group. Price Group, through its policies and practices, is committed to comply fully with these laws. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act makes it a crime to corruptly give, promise or authorize payment, in cash or in kind, for any service to a foreign official or political party in connection with obtaining or retaining business. If you are solicited to make or receive an illegal payment, you should contact the Legal Department.

 

Inside Information. The purchase or sale of securities while in possession of material, inside information is prohibited by U.S., U.K., and other international, state and other governmental laws and regulations. Information is considered inside and material if it has not been publicly disclosed and is sufficiently important that it would affect the decision of a reasonable person to buy, sell or hold securities in an issuer, including Price Group. Under no circumstances may you transmit such information to any other person, except to Price Group personnel who are required to be kept informed on the subject. You should read and understand the Statement of Policy on Material, Inside (Non-Public) Information ( see page 4-1).

 

Investment Clubs . The following discussion of obligations of Access Persons does not apply to the independent directors of the Price Funds. Access Persons must receive the prior clearance of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee before forming or participating in a stock or investment club. Transactions in which Access Persons have beneficial ownership or control ( see p. 5-4 ) through investment clubs are subject to the firm's Statement of

 

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Policy on Securities Transactions. As described on p. 5-23, approval to form or participate in a stock or investment club may permit the execution of securities transactions without prior transaction clearance by the Access Person, except transactions in Price Group stock, if the Access Person has beneficial ownership solely by virtue of his or her spouse's participation in the club and has no investment control or input into decisions regarding the club's securities transactions. Non-Access Persons (defined on p. 5-4) do not have to receive prior clearance to form or participate in a stock or investment club and need only obtain prior clearance of transactions in Price Group stock.

 

Marketing and Sales Activities. All written and oral marketing materials and presentations (including performance data) ( e.g., advertisements; sales literature) must be in compliance with applicable SEC, FINRA, Global Investment Performance Standards (" GIPS "), FSA, and other applicable international requirements. All such materials (whether for the Price Funds, non-Price funds, or various advisory or Brokerage services) must be reviewed and approved by the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate, prior to use. All performance data distributed outside the firm, including total return and yield information, must be obtained from databases sponsored by the Performance Group.

 

Past and Current Litigation. As a condition of employment, each new employee is required to answer a questionnaire regarding past and current civil (including arbitrations) and criminal actions and certain regulatory matters. Price Group uses the information obtained through these questionnaires to answer questions asked on governmental and self-regulatory organization registration forms and for insurance and bonding purposes.

 

Each employee is responsible for keeping answers on the questionnaire current.

 

An employee should notify Human Resources and either the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team promptly if he or she:

 

 

Becomes the subject of any proceeding or is convicted of or pleads guilty or no

contest to or agrees to enter a pretrial diversion program relating to any felony or misdemeanor or similar criminal charge in a United States (federal, state, or local), foreign or military court, or

 

 

Becomes the subject of a Regulatory Action, which includes any action by the SEC,

the FSA, the SFC, the MAS, the KLFB, The Netherland Authority for the Financial Markets, the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority, the CSSF, and the Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and Alberta Securities Commissions, a state, a foreign government, a federal, state or foreign regulatory agency or any domestic or foreign self-regulatory organization relating to securities or investment activities, dishonesty, breach of trust, or money laundering as well as any court proceeding that has or could result in a judicial finding of a violation of statutes or regulations related to such activities or in an injunction in connection with any such activities.

 

Political Activities and Contributions. In support of the democratic process, Price Group encourages its eligible employees to exercise their rights as citizens by voting in all elections. Price

Group encourages employees to study the issues and platforms as part of the election process, but

does not direct employees to support any particular political party or candidate.

 

All U.S.-based officers and directors of Price Group and its subsidiaries are required to disclose certain Maryland local and state political contributions on a semi-annual basis and certain Pennsylvania political contributions on an annual basis through a Political Contribution Questionnaire sent to officers and directors. In addition, certain employees associated with Investment Services are subject to limitations on and additional reporting requirements about their political contributions under Rule G-37 of the United States Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (" MSRB ").

 

United States law prohibits corporate contributions to campaign elections for federal office ( e.g., U.S. Senate and House of Representatives). This means that Price Group cannot use corporate funds, either directly or indirectly, to help finance any federal political candidate or officeholder. It also means that the firm cannot provide paid leave time to employees for political campaign activity. However, employees may use personal time or paid vacation or may request unpaid leave to participate in political campaigning.

 

 

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T. Rowe Price makes political contributions to candidates for local and state offices in Maryland via the T. Rowe Price Maryland Political Contribution Committee. T. Rowe Price does not reimburse employees for making contributions to individual candidates or committees.

 

The applicable state or local law controls the use of corporate funds in the context of state and local elections. No political contribution of corporate funds, direct or indirect, to any political candidate or party, or to any other program that might use the contribution for a political candidate or party, or use of corporate property, services or other assets may be made without the written prior approval of the Legal Department. These prohibitions cover not only direct contributions, but also indirect assistance or support of candidates or political parties through purchase of tickets to special dinners or other fundraising events, or the furnishing of any other goods, services or equipment to political parties or committees. Neither Price Group nor its employees or independent directors may make a political contribution for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business with government entities.

 

T. Rowe Price does not have a Political Action Committee (“ PAC ”). However, T. Rowe Price has granted permission to the Investment Company Institute’s PAC (“ ICI PAC ”), which serves the interests of the investment company industry, to solicit T. Rowe Price’s senior management on an annual basis to make contributions to ICI PAC or candidates designated by ICI PAC. Contributions to ICI PAC are entirely voluntary.

 

Employees, officers, and directors of T. Rowe Price may not solicit campaign contributions from employees without adhering to T. Rowe Price’s policies regarding solicitation. These include the following:

 

 

It must be clear that the solicitation is personal and is not being made on behalf of T. Rowe Price.

 

It must be clear that any contribution is entirely voluntary.

 

T. Rowe Price’s stationery and email system may not be used.

 

From time to time, the Legal Department sends to U.S.-based vice presidents and inside directors a memorandum describing the requirements of United States and pertinent state law in connection with political contributions.

 

An employee may participate in political campaigns or run for political office, provided this activity does not conflict with his or her job responsibilities. Should the employee have any questions, he or she should consult with his or her immediate supervisor.

 

Lobbying. It is important to realize that under some state laws, even limited contact, either in person or by other means, with public officials in that state may trigger that state’s lobbying laws. For example, in Maryland, if $2,500 of a person’s compensation can be attributed to face-to-face contact with legislative or executive officials in a six-month reporting period, he or she may be required to register as a Maryland lobbyist subject to a variety of restrictions and requirements. Therefore, it is imperative that you avoid any lobbying on behalf of the firm, whether in-person or by other means ( e.g., telephone, letter) unless the activity is cleared first by the Legal Department, so that you do not inadvertently become subject to regulation as a lobbyist. If you have any question whether your contact with a state’s officials may trigger lobbying laws in that state, please contact the Legal Department before proceeding.

 

Protection of Corporate Assets. All personnel are responsible for taking measures to ensure that Price Group's assets are properly protected. This responsibility not only applies to our business facilities, equipment and supplies, but also to intangible assets such as proprietary, research or marketing information, corporate trademarks and servicemarks, copyrights, client relationships and business opportunities. Accordingly, you may not solicit for your personal benefit clients or utilize client relationships to the detriment of the firm. Similarly, you may not solicit co-workers to act in any manner detrimental to the firm's interests.

 

Quality of Services. It is a continuing policy of Price Group to provide investment products and services that: (1) meet applicable laws, regulations and industry standards; (2) are offered to the public in a manner that ensures that each client/shareholder understands the objectives of each investment product selected; and (3) are properly advertised and sold in accordance with all applicable SEC, FSA, FINRA, and other international, state and self-regulatory rules and regulations.

 

 

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The quality of Price Group's investment products and services and operations affects our reputation, productivity, profitability and market position. Price Group's goal is to be a quality leader and to create conditions that allow and encourage all employees to perform their duties in an efficient, effective manner.

 

Record Retention and Destruction. Under various U.S., U.K., other international state, and other governmental laws and regulations, certain of Price Group's subsidiaries are required to produce, maintain and retain various records, documents and other written (including electronic) communications. For example, U.S. law generally requires an investment adviser to retain required records in a readily accessible location for not less than five years from the end of the fiscal year during which the record was made (the current year and the two immediately preceding years in an appropriate office of the adviser), although some records may be required to be retained longer depending on their nature. See Tab 7, Investment Adviser Compliance Manual. Any questions regarding retention requirements should be addressed to the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate.

 

You must use care in disposing of any confidential records or correspondence. Confidential material that is to be discarded should be placed in designated bins or should be torn up or shredded, as your department requires. If a quantity of material is involved, you should contact Document Management for instructions regarding proper disposal. Documents stored off-site are destroyed on a regular basis if the destruction is approved by the appropriate business contact.

 

The firm is legally prohibited from destroying any existing records that may be relevant to any current, pending or threatened litigation or regulatory investigation or audit. These records would include emails, calendars, memoranda, board agendas, recorded conversations, studies, work papers, computer notes, handwritten notes, telephone records, expense reports or similar material. If your business area is affected by litigation or an investigation or audit, you can expect to receive instructions from the Legal Department on how to proceed. Regardless of whether you receive such instructions, you should be prepared to secure relevant records once you become aware that they are subject to litigation or regulatory investigations or audits.

 

All personnel are responsible for adhering to the firm's record maintenance, retention, and destruction policies.

 

In addition, the firm has adopted a specific Statement of Policies and Procedures on Privacy , which is part of this Code (s ee p. 9-1).

 

Referral Fees. United States securities laws strictly prohibit the payment of any type of referral fee unless certain conditions are met. This would include any compensation to persons who refer clients or shareholders to us ( e.g., brokers, registered representatives, consultants, or any other persons) either directly in cash, by fee splitting, or indirectly by the providing of gifts or services (including the allocation of brokerage). FSA also prohibits the offering of any inducement likely to conflict with the duties of the recipient. No arrangements should be entered into obligating Price Group or any employee to pay a referral fee unless approved first by the Legal Department.

 

Release of Information to the Press. All requests for information from the media concerning T. Rowe Price Group's corporate affairs, mutual funds, investment services, investment philosophy and policies, and related subjects should be referred to the appropriate Public Relations contact for reply. Investment professionals who are contacted directly by the press concerning a particular fund's investment strategy or market outlook may use their own discretion, but are advised to check with the appropriate Public Relations contact if they do not know the reporter or feel it may be inappropriate to comment on a particular matter. Public Relations contact persons are listed in Appendix A.

 

Responsibility to Report Violations. The following is a description of reporting requirements and procedures that may or do arise if an officer or employee becomes aware of material violations of the Code or applicable laws or regulations.

 

General Obligation. If an officer or employee becomes aware of a material violation of the Code or any applicable law or regulation, he or she must report it to the Chief Compliance Officer of the applicable Price Adviser (“Chief Compliance Officer”) or his or her designee, provided the designee provides a copy of all reports of violations to the Chief Compliance Officer. Reports submitted in paper form should be sent in a confidential envelope. Any report may be submitted anonymously; anonymous complaints must be in writing and sent in a confidential envelope to the Chief Compliance Officer. U.K. employees may also contact the FSA. See Appendix A regarding the Chief Compliance Officer to whom reports should be made.

 

 

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It is Price Group's policy that no adverse action will be taken against any person who becomes aware of a violation of the Code and reports the violation in good faith.

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Whistleblower Procedures. Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Audit Committee of Price Group has adopted procedures ( “Procedures” ) regarding the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints received by Price Group regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters and the confidential, anonymous submission by employees of Price Group or any of its affiliates of concerns regarding questionable accounting or auditing matters. All employees should familiarize themselves with these Procedures, which are posted in the repository of the firm’s policies and procedures ( “Repository” ) on the intranet.

 

Under the Procedures, complaints regarding certain auditing and accounting matters should be sent to Chief Legal Counsel, T. Rowe Price Group, Inc, The Legal Department either through interoffice mail in a confidential envelope or by mail marked confidential to P.O. Box 37283, Baltimore, Maryland 21297-3283, or a report may be made by calling the toll-free hotline at 888-651-6223.

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Attorney Reporting Requirements. Attorneys employed or retained by Price Group or any of the Price Funds are also subject to certain reporting requirements under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The relevant procedures are posted in the firm’s Repository.

 

Service as Trustee, Executor or Personal Representative. You may serve as the trustee, co-trustee, executor or personal representative for the estate of or a trust created by close family members. You may also serve in such capacities for estates or trusts created by nonfamily members. However, if an Access Person expects to be actively involved in an investment capacity in connection with an estate or trust created by a nonfamily member, he or she must first be granted permission by the Ethics Committee. If you serve in any of these capacities, securities transactions effected in such accounts will be subject to the prior transaction clearance (Access Persons only, except for Price Group stock transactions, which require prior transaction clearance by all personnel) and reporting requirements (Access Persons and Non-Access Persons) of our Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions. Although Access Persons, the independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements and are subject to modified reporting as described on pp. 5-20 to 5-22.

 

If you presently serve in any of these capacities for nonfamily members, you should report the relationship in writing to the Ethics Committee.

 

Speaking Engagements and Publications. Employees are often asked to accept speaking engagements on the subject of investments, finance, or their own particular specialty with our organization. This is encouraged by the firm, as it enhances our public relations, but you should obtain approval from your supervisor and the head of your Division, if different, before you accept such requests. You may also accept an offer to teach a course or seminar on investments or related topics (for example, at a local college) in your individual capacity with the approval of your supervisor and the head of your Division, if different, and provided the course is in compliance with the Guidelines found in Investment Services' Compliance Manual.

 

Before making any commitment to write or publish any article or book on a subject related to investments or your work at Price Group, approval should be obtained from your supervisor and the head of your Division, if different.

 

 

March, 2008

 

 

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APPENDIX A TO THE T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

CODE OF ETHICS AND CONDUCT

 

 

 

Brokerage Control Committees. There are three Brokerage Control Committees which set the policy regarding the allocation of client brokerage. For more information for the U.S.-based advisers, contact Art Varnado of the Fixed Income Committee or Rich Whitney of the Equity Committee, as appropriate, in Baltimore. For more information for the international advisers, contact David Warren or Neil Smith of the International Committee, in London.

 

Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer of the U.S. Price Advisers ( i.e., TRPA, TRPAS, TRP (Canada) is John Gilner. The Chief Compliance Officer of the International Price Advisers ( i.e., TRPI, TRPGIS, TRPGAM) is Jeremy Fisher. The Chief Compliance Officer of the broker/dealer, T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., is Sarah McCafferty.

 

Ethics Committee. The members of the Ethics Committee are David Warren in London and Henry Hopkins, Andy Brooks, Greg McCrickard, Mary Miller, John Gilner, and Gretchen Park in Baltimore.

 

Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. The Chairperson of the Ethics Committee is Henry Hopkins. Requests to him should be sent to the attention of John Gilner in the Legal Department, except that requests regarding IPO’s for U.S. Access Persons who are Non-Investment Personnel may be directed to either John Gilner or Andy Brooks.

 

Code Compliance Section. The members of the Code Compliance Section are John Gilner, Dottie Jones, Karen Clark, and Lisa Daniels.

 

TRP International Compliance Team . The members of the TRP International Compliance Team in London are Jeremy Fisher, Calum Ferguson, Carol Bambrough, Sophie West, Maxine Moore and Louise Jones; in Tokyo: Manabu Kinoshita.

 

Designated Person, TRP International Compliance Team . Carol Bambrough, Louise Jones, and Jeremy Fisher.

 

Designated Person, Code Compliance Section. Dottie Jones, Karen Clark.

 

Management Committee. Edward C. Bernard, James A.C. Kennedy, Mary J. Miller, Brian C. Rogers, William J. Stromberg, and David J.L. Warren.

 

Public Relations Contacts. Steven Norwitz in Baltimore and Peter Preisler in Copenhagen.

 

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STATEMENT OF POLICY ON GIFTS, ENTERTAINMENT, EXPENSE REIMBURSEMENT AND CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

 

General Policy. The firm has adopted this Statement of Policy (“Statement”) to govern the giving and receipt of gifts, business entertainment and expense reimbursements from and to “business contacts,” as defined later. The Statement also addresses certain requests for charitable contributions. It is imperative that all employees be sensitive to potential conflicts of interests in these areas and to refer to this Statement for guidance.

 

Personal relationships with business contacts may lead to gifts and entertainment that are offered on a friendship basis and that may be perfectly proper. It must be remembered, however, that business relationships cannot always be separated from personal relationships and that the integrity of a business relationship is always susceptible to criticism in hindsight where gifts, entertainment, expense reimbursements, or charitable contributions are given or received.

 

The giving and receipt of gifts, entertainment, expense reimbursements, and charitable contributions can create or appear to create a conflict of interest and place our firm in a difficult or embarrassing position. These activities can also interfere with the impartial discharge of our firm’s responsibilities to its clients, fund shareholders and Brokerage customers, as well as their representatives’ responsibilities to their employers.

 

The giving and receipt of gifts and entertainment should never occur where they are intended or designed to cause the recipient to act in a manner that is inconsistent with the best interests of the recipient or the entity for which he or she works. In addition, no gift should be given or received and no entertainment should be provided or accepted that could be deemed illegal or would expose the giver or recipient to liability to any governmental authority or agency.

 

All associates are responsible for complying with this Statement. Associates will be required to certify at least annually their compliance with these policies.

 

The supervision, prior clearance and reporting requirements for gifts, business entertainment, and expense reimbursements are described below in the “Supervision, Prior Clearance and Reporting” discussion.

 

This Policy does not cover gifts between employees. Please contact Human Resources with questions about gifts between employees.

 

DEFINITIONS

 

 

Business Contacts.

The term “business contacts” includes:

 

 

Brokers and securities salespersons (both through whom the firm places advisory client orders and who distribute the Price Funds);

 

Clients ( e.g., separate accounts, fund shareholders, Brokerage and RPS customers);

 

Consultants;

 

Suppliers and vendors;

 

Portfolio companies; and

 

Any other individual or organization with whom our firm has or is considering a business or other relationship, such as members of the press and trade organizations.

 

Gift. The term “gift” includes the giving or receipt of gratuities, merchandise and the enjoyment or use of property or facilities for weekends, vacations, trips, dinners, and the like, including transportation and lodging costs. The following items are exempted from the definition of the term “gift”for purposes of reporting:

 

Certain Personal Gifts. A personal gift given in recognition of a “life event,” such             as a baby or wedding gift, does not fall within the definition of gift if the gift is not                  “in relation to the business of the employer of the recipient.” There should be a pre-              existing personal or family relationship between the giver and the recipient and the       giver, rather than the firm, should pay for the gift. In addition, the giver must prior   clear the giving of the gift with his or her supervisor, and Division Head, if different,

who must determine that the gift is actually personal and not in relation to the business of the recipient’s employer. After this approval is given, approval must also be received from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee

 

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before the gift is given. If             these conditions are met, the recordkeeping requirements and the monetary limit described below do not apply to the gift.

 

Gifts of Nominal Value. Except for gifts given in connection with the         broker/dealer’s business, an item of “nominal” value also does not fall under the definition of gift as long as the value of the gift does not exceed $50.00. Examples of these gifts include pens, notepads, modest desk ornaments, umbrellas, tote bags and shirts. These items often display the giving firm’s logo. Neither tax nor delivery charges need be included when calculating the value of a gift. However, a gift must be valued at the higher of cost or market value. If the item is to be given in connection with the broker/dealer’s business, its value must not exceed the $50.00 limit and it must have the giving firm’s logo on it to be excepted from the definition of a gift. If you have any questions about this, you should contact the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

Business Entertainment. The term “gift” does not include certain types of “business entertainment” that are a normal part of a business relationship and occur when a T. Rowe Price employee is in the presence of a business contact (either when the business contact is being entertained by a T. Rowe Price employee or vice versa).

 

Business entertainment includes any social event, hospitality event, charitable event, sporting event, entertainment event, meal, leisure activity or event of like nature or purpose, including entertainment offered in connection with an educational event or business conference. Most business entertainment typically comes in the form of meals, dinners, theatrical shows and sporting events. Incidental transportation offered in connection with business entertainment (such as shuttle service to the entertainment venue) may also be offered or accepted.

 

The term “business entertainment” does not include a social event or trip where each participant pays his or her own expenses, including the appropriate allocable portion of shared expenses, and the fair market value of any aspect of the trip ( e.g., use of resort house, transportation).

 

Expense Payments and Reimbursements. The terms “ gift” and “business entertainment” do not include limited instances of the payment or reimbursement of expenses such as travel ( e.g., airfare, train fare), accommodations or certain meals to a business contact by the firm or by a business contact to the firm as permitted under the “Expense Reimbursements” section below.

 

ACCEPTING GIFTS

 

General Rule. An employee may accept a gift from a business contact provided the aggregate value of all gifts received by that employee (regardless of whether the employee works within or outside of the U.S.) from all business contacts at that entity does not exceed $100 in any calendar year , subject to the specific rules set forth below:

 

Cash or Cash Equivalents. Under no circumstances may employees accept gifts from any business or business contact in the form of cash or cash equivalents, except for gift certificates as provided below in the discussion of “Gift Certificates.”

 

Gift Certificates. A gift certificate or gift card may only be accepted if it may not be converted to cash, except for amounts under $10 not spent when the gift certificate or card is used.

 

Departmental Gifts. If a department (as opposed to an individual) receives a gift that is valued in excess of the $100 limit, it can be shared among the employees, provided no single employee’s pro rata share of the gift exceeds the $100 limit. For example, food or a gift basket sent to the Trading Desk and shared among the employees there would be acceptable even if the value of the gift is difficult to ascertain. FINRA rules, however, may require valuation and recordkeeping as described in Tab 22 to the TRPIS Compliance and Supervisory Procedures Manual. Alternatively, with the approval of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, the gift can be awarded to the winner of a random drawing of an identified group of employees of an appropriate size. All such gifts and their disposition must be appropriately reported to and documented by the Division Head or his or her designee.

 

 

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Recurring Gifts. Tickets or other gifts should not be accepted from a business contact or firm on a standing, recurring, or on-going basis. Supervisors are responsible for monitoring how frequently their reports receive gifts from specific business contacts to avoid potential conflicts of interest.

 

Where Gifts May Be Received. Gifts should be received at your normal workplace, not your home.

 

Returning Gifts. When an employee receives a gift that is not acceptable under this policy, he or she must return the gift to the giver or discuss alternatives with the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee.

 

GIVING GIFTS

 

General Rule. Gifts may be given to business contacts, but unless approval is given as described below , the aggregate value of all such gifts given by all firm employees to a business contact may not exceed $100 (all amounts are in U.S. dollars) in any calendar year in the United States and $200 in all locations outside the United States (“Monetary Limit”) . The $100 limit in the United States is consistent with FINRA and MSRB regulations, which generally do not permit gifts in excess of $100 to be given to customers or prospect representatives in connection with Investment Services’ business.

 

FINRA Rule-- Solely applicable in the United States.

 

Reporting Requirement. FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rule 3060 imposes stringent reporting requirements for gifts given to any principal, employee, agent or similarly situated person where the gift is in connection with Investment Services’ business with the recipient’s employer. Since Investment Services does not conduct business outside the United States, this rule is solely applicable to employees conducting activities in the United States.

 

Examples: Gifts that fall under this rule would include any gift given to an employee of a company to which our firm offers or provides broker/dealer services or products such as mutual funds ( e.g., intermediaries such as 401(k) plan sponsors, broker-dealers and recordkeepers offering the Price Funds, including Advisor and R Classes, Section 529 College Investment Plans, and Brokerage).

 

$100 Limit. This rule imposes a strict limitation whereby gifts given by the firm to any one person who falls under FINRA’s NASD Conduct Rule 3060 in connection with Investment Services’ business may not exceed $100 in a calendar year . There are no exceptions under this rule.

 

MSRB Rule-- Solely applicable in the United States. The MSRB has restrictions in this area similar to FINRA. See MSRB Rule G-20.

 

Business Contact Restrictions on Gifts . It is important to remember that some entities ( e.g ., clients or potential clients that are states, municipalities, or qualified retirement plans) have very stringent restrictions and/or prohibitions on the acceptance of gifts or business entertainment by their personnel. Care must be taken to ensure that the firm does not inadvertently give a gift that might cause a business contact to violate any of these restrictions.

 

Specific Rules

 

Cash or Cash Equivalents. An employee may not give a gift to a business or business contact in the form of cash or cash equivalents, except for gift certificates as provided below in the discussion of “Gift Certificates.”

 

Incentive Programs. Incentive programs for individual customers that may fall under the cash gift restriction must be reviewed and approved by both the Division Head and the Legal Department before implementation.

 

Gift Certificates. A gift certificate or gift card may only be given if it may not be converted to cash except for amounts under $10 which are not spent when the gift certificate or card is used.

 

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Exceptions. If an employee believes that it would be appropriate to give a gift with a value exceeding the Monetary Limit ( i.e., $100 in U.S.; $200 outside the U.S.) to a business contact, he or she must submit a written request to and obtain written approval from his or her supervisor and Division Head, if different, and then, if approved, from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before the gift is given. The request should specify:

 

 

The name of the giver;

 

 

The name of the intended recipient and his or her employer, if applicable;

 

 

The description of the gift;

 

 

The gift’s monetary value;

 

 

The nature of the business relationship; and

 

 

The reason the gift is being given.

 

No exceptions will be granted for gifts subject to FINRA’s or the MSRB’s $100 gift limit.

 

ACCEPTING BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT

 

General Rule. As described earlier, our firm's limit on the acceptance ($100) and giving (Monetary Limit) of gifts applies not only to gifts of merchandise, but also covers the enjoyment or use of property or facilities for weekends, vacations, trips, dinners, and the like, including transportation and lodging costs. However, this limitation does not apply to “business entertainment.”

 

Accepting a business entertainment invitation from a business contact is appropriate, as long as:

 

1) The acceptance, as such, is neither so frequent nor the entertainment so extensive and lavish as to raise any question of impropriety.

 

2) It is of a character such that both male and female guests would be comfortable attending.

 

3) The entertainment is legal and not offensive.

 

Specific Rules

 

You Must Be Accompanied by Business Contact. If an employee is invited, for example, to a sporting event by a business contact, and neither the business contact nor any of his or her associates attends the event, the tickets would constitute a “gift,” and not “business entertainment,” and, therefore, the $100 limit on gifts would apply.

 

Receiving Transportation or Accommodations. If an employee is offered transportation ( e.g., airfare) and/or accommodations as part of a business entertainment event, he or she must first receive the permission of his or her supervisor and Division Head, if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee to accept it. Generally, the employee or T. Rowe Price should bear the expense of the transportation or accommodations offered. Ordinary ground transportation such as a taxi ride or a courtesy shuttle is not subject to this restriction.

 

Research Trips. Occasionally, brokers or portfolio companies invite employees of our firm to attend or participate in research conferences, tours of portfolio companies’ facilities, or meetings with the management of such companies. These invitations may involve traveling extensive distances and may require overnight lodging. As a general rule, such invitations should only be accepted after a determination has been made that the proposed activity constitutes a valuable research opportunity that will be of primary benefit to our clients.

 

 

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Employees may not accept any invitations of this type until approval has been secured from their Division Heads. However, each Division Head may establish guidelines about which invitations from current or prospective portfolio companies may be accepted without prior approval. Generally, all travel expenses to and from the site, and the expenses of any overnight lodging, meals or other accommodations provided in connection with such activities should be paid for by our firm except in situations where the costs are considered to be insubstantial and are not readily ascertainable. See discussion of Expense Reimbursements on page 3-9.

 

Broker-sponsored trips must receive prior clearance from the appropriate Division Head and the firm must reimburse all costs to the broker.

 

Sample Scenarios. To illustrate appropriate and inappropriate acceptance of business entertainment, the following examples are provided:

 

First Example: The head of institutional research at brokerage firm "X" (whom you have known and done business with for a number of years) invites you and your wife to join her and her husband for dinner and afterwards a theatrical production.

 

Resolution: It would be proper for you to accept the invitation under the Code. You should be mindful, however, that certain clients and other business contacts may have limitations on when it is appropriate to include a spouse in an invitation.

 

Second Example: You wish to see a hit play, but are told it is sold out. You call a broker friend who works at company "X" to see if he can get tickets for you. The broker says yes and offers you two tickets free of charge. The face value of each ticket is $100, but the brokerage firm paid $300 for each ticket.

 

Resolution: It would only be proper to solicit the broker for tickets if you fully reimburse him for their total cost, i.e., $300 per ticket. You must specifically ask for the actual cost of the tickets. If the broker had offered you the tickets on an unsolicited basis, you could have accepted them, subject to compliance with the $100 limit on receipt of gifts. In that case, you would have to reimburse him $500.

 

As discussed above, if the business contact providing the tickets or one of his or her associates does not accompany you to the event, the tickets are a gift and not a form of business entertainment.

 

Third Example: You have been invited by a vendor to a multi-day excursion to a resort where the primary focus is entertainment as opposed to business. The vendor has offered to pay your travel and lodging for this trip.

 

Resolution: Trips of substantial value, such as multi-day excursions to resorts, hunting locations or sports events, where the primary focus is entertainment as opposed to business activities, would not be considered a normal part of a business relationship. Generally, such invitations may not be accepted unless our firm or the employee pays for the cost of the excursion and the employee has obtained approval from his or her supervisor and Division Head, if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee.

 

 

Gifts Received as Part of Business Entertainment. If you receive a gift as part of business entertainment ( e.g., a picture frame, a golf jacket), it is not part of the business entertainment and must comply with the gift policy described above.    

 

PROVIDING BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT

 

General Rule. The principles described above for receiving business entertainment apply as well to providing business entertainment.

 

 

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Client Must Be Accompanied. If an employee provides, for example, tickets to a sporting event to a business contact, and no one is present from our firm at the event, the tickets would constitute a gift, and not business entertainment, and, therefore, the Monetary Limit on gifts would apply.

 

Providing Transportation or Accomodations. If an employee wishes to pay for or reimburse a business guest's transportation ( e.g., airfare) and/or accommodations as part of business entertainment, he or she must first receive the permission of his or her supervisor and Division Head, if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. Ordinary ground transportation such as a taxi ride or a courtesy shuttle is not subject to this condition.

 

Sample Scenarios. To illustrate appropriate and inappropriate giving of business entertainment, the following examples are provided:

 

First Example: You wish to invite the head of institutional research at brokerage firm “X” (whom you have known and done business with for a number of years) and her husband to join you and your wife for dinner and afterwards a theatrical production.

 

Resolution: It would be proper for you to extend this invitation under the Code. You should be mindful, however, that certain clients and other business contacts may have limitations on when it is appropriate to include a spouse in an invitation.

 

Second Example: A client wishes to see a hit play, but is told tickets are sold out. The client calls you to see if you can get tickets for her. You say yes and offer to provide two tickets free of charge.

 

Resolution: If you provide tickets to a client to attend the performance without you or anyone from our firm accompanying the client, the tickets are a gift and are subject to the Monetary Limit ( e.g . , $100 annual limit in the United States, $200.00 outside the United States). If the client accepts the tickets and pays the firm for their face value or, if greater, the cost to the firm to obtain them, then the tickets do not fall under the gifts and business entertainment policy and may be provided to the client without limitation.

 

Third Example: You wish to invite firm clients to a multi-day excursion to a resort where the primary focus is entertainment as opposed to business. You offer to have the firm pay for the attendees’ travel and lodging for this trip.

 

Resolution: Trips of substantial value, such as multi-day excursions to resorts, hunting locations or sports events, where the primary focus is entertainment as opposed to business activities, would not be considered a normal part of a business relationship. Generally, such invitations may not be extended without approval from the employee’s supervisor, Division Head, if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee.

 

 

 

Business Contact Restrictions on Entertainment. Some entities ( e.g ., clients or potential clients that are states, municipalities, or qualified retirement plans entities) have very stringent regulatory or contractual restrictions and/or prohibitions on the acceptance of business entertainment or gifts by their personnel. Care must be taken to ensure that our firm does not extend an invitation to a business contact if the contact’s acceptance might cause the business contact to violate inadvertently any of these restrictions.

 

Gifts Given as Part of Business Entertainment. A gift given as part of business entertainment is subject to the gift policy described above. For example, if you are playing golf with a business contact and he admires a golf sweater in the pro shop, you may only purchase the sweater for the business contact in compliance with the firm’s gift policy, regardless of whether you seek reimbursement for the cost of the sweater from the firm.

 

EXPENSE PAYMENTS AND REIMBURSEMENTS

 

Accepting Expense Payments and Reimbursements. Except as provided above for certain research trips, employees may not accept payment or reimbursement from business contacts, including brokers, portfolio companies and vendors, of travel and hotel expenses, speaker fees or honoraria for addresses or papers given

 

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before audiences, or consulting services or advice they may render. Exceptions may only be granted with the approval of the employee’s supervisor, Division Head, if different, and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. Likewise, employees may neither request nor accept loans or personal services from these entities except as offered on the same basis to similarly situated individuals or the general public ( e.g ., permitted margin accounts, credit cards).

 

 

Providing Expense Payments and Reimbursements.

 

General Rule . Unless it is prohibited by a client contract, there may be instances where it is appropriate to pay or reimburse a business contact’s expenses. For example, contracts with vendors often require the firm to reimburse certain expenses of the vendor’s personnel when they are working at a T. Rowe Price location. Additionally, if a business unit has a new client, it may make the business decision that it is more cost and time effective to provide transportation to and accommodation and meals near the T. Rowe Price site that will, for example, be handling the plan or account conversion, to a small number of the new client’s employees than to send a team of T. Rowe Price employees to the client’s location. In that case, air transportation will only be provided or reimbursed for coach class fares and hotels and meals paid for or reimbursed must be of the type normally approved for TRP employees on business travel.

 

In a situation where expense payment or reimbursement is not appropriate and the client or prospect is paying its employees’ expenses, T. Rowe Price generally may not subsidize the cost of accommodations. A discount on room rates offered by a hotel as part of T. Rowe Price’s arrangements for catering and other services at that hotel for a symposium or similar event is not included in this prohibition. If you are unsure about the applicability of this provision to a specific situation, you should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee.

 

Approval of Expense Payment and Reimbursement Offers. Unless the payment or reimbursement is required by contract, you must obtain the approval of any offer of payment or expense reimbursement by T. Rowe Price from your supervisor and Division Head, if different, and by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before the offer is extended.

 

Prohibition on Expense Reimbursement Offers to Prospective Clients and Certain Existing Clients. Offers to reimburse expenses may not be made to prospective clients of any of the firm’s affiliates or to any client of any T. Rowe Price entity if it is a labor union regulated under the United States Taft-Hartley Act or if it is a state, county, or municipality.

 

Prohibition on Expense Reimbursement Offers to Consultants. The firm will not reimburse expenses incurred by a consultant, regardless of whether its employees are working for a specific client or are conducting independent research.

 

Specific Rule for Client Conference Speakers . If a business division sponsors a client conference, it may offer to reimburse speakers and panelists, whether or not they are clients, for hotel, transportation and other travel expenses incurred while attending the client conference.

 

SUPERVISION, PRIOR CLEARANCE AND REPORTING

 

Supervisor Monitoring. Supervisors, managers, and, as appropriate, Division Heads are responsible for ensuring that any gift, business entertainment, or expense reimbursement given or received by employees they supervise is in compliance with this Statement. This supervision may necessitate the prior clearance or reporting of such activities.

 

Prior Clearance. Although the firm does not require employees to obtain prior clearance before accepting or giving gifts or business entertainment, individual business units may require employees to obtain prior approval from supervisors or Division Heads before accepting or giving all, or certain types of, gifts or business entertainment. This could include, for example, a Division Head establishing dollar thresholds for prior clearance, or exempting certain types of events, such as business lunches, from prior clearance. Providing or accepting expense reimbursement is subject to prior clearance as described above.

 

 

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Questions as to Propriety of a Gift or Business Entertainment. If you are uncertain as to the propriety of accepting or giving a particular gift or business entertainment, you should consult with your supervisor or manager as soon as practicable. You may also wish to contact the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate, to ascertain whether the gift or business entertainment is appropriate.

 

Reporting of Gifts

 

Gifts Received. All employees must report any item that is received from a business contact and that is not excluded from the definition of gift ( see p. 3-2

e.g., certain personal gifts and gifts of nominal value) to the Code Compliance Section, with a copy to the employee’s Division head or his or her designee, within ten (10) business days of the date of the receipt of the gift. Reports may be made by email or hard copy on the form provided by Code Compliance. The report should include:

 

 

The name of the recipient;

 

The name of the giver and his or her employer, if applicable;

 

A description of the gift;

 

The gift’s estimated monetary value;

 

The nature of the business relationship with the giver; and

 

The date the gift was received.

 

Gifts Given. All employees must report any item defined as a gift ( see p. 3-2) given to a business contact to the Code Compliance Section with a copy to the employee’s Division Head or his or her designee, within ten (10) business days of the date the gift is given. Reports may be made by email or hard copy on the form provided by Code Compliance. The report should include:

 

 

The name of the employee primarily responsible for giving the gift;

 

The name of the recipient and his or her employer, if applicable;

 

A description of the gift;

 

The gift’s monetary value;

 

The nature of the business relationship; and

 

The date the gift was given.

 

Note: The physical filing of reports may be delegated, but compliance with this requirement remains with the person responsible for the gift.

 

The report of gifts given is required even if the gift is also reported on the employee’s travel and expense report, or on a departmental report, or the gift was ordered from the Corporate Gift intranet site.

 

Reporting of Gifts to the Department of Labor. The United States Department of Labor requires investment advisers to report gifts and entertainment with a value of over $250 per quarter given to labor union clients that are regulated under the Taft-Hartley Act.  This reporting is handled by the Legal Department.  The Legal Department will provide employees who may be affected by this regulation with additional information to ensure compliance.

 

Reporting of Business Entertainment Received. Each Division Head must establish a protocol for the reporting and monitoring of business entertainment received by employees in his or her business unit. In establishing a unit’s reporting and monitoring protocol, the Division Head should consider what information would be helpful to identify conflicts of interest. Such reporting protocol must be approved by the Director of Compliance. Business entertainment received should be reported within ten (10) business days of the date it was received.

 

Reporting of Business Entertainment Provided. Each Division Head must establish a protocol for the reporting and monitoring of business entertainment provided by employees in his or her business unit. In establishing a unit reporting and monitoring protocol, the Division Head should consider what information would be helpful to identify conflicts of interest. Such reporting protocol must be approved by the Director of

 

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Compliance. Business entertainment provided should be reported within ten (10) business days of the date it was provided.

 

The report of business entertainment provided is required even if the business entertainment is also reported on the employee’s travel and expense report or other report.

 

Record Retention of Reports. All reports required to be made under this section will be retained for six (6) years.

 

Review of Business Entertainment and Gift Expenses.

 

By Supervisors and Managers. Supervisors and mangers are initially and ultimately responsible for any business entertainment sponsored by employees under their supervision as well as for any gifts given or expense reimbursement offered, whether expensed to the firm or not. In addition, supervisors and managers are responsible for approving all expense reports relating to the reimbursement of their employees’ costs for such business entertainment and gifts. Expense reports relating to business entertainment and gifts not in compliance with this policy must be disapproved by supervisors or managers. Such disapprovals must be reported to the appropriate Division Head and the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee. In addition, all gift and business entertainment reporting is subject to testing by Group Compliance.

 

By Finance. The Finance Department is responsible for reviewing all expense reports and taking appropriate action regarding expenses that are deemed questionable or not in compliance with this Statement.

 

Who Must Submit Report? As a general rule, the most senior employee of the firm present at a business entertainment event should submit the expense report for that event.

 

Questions. Any question about this policy should be directed to the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate.

 

CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS

 

Requests Received from Clients, Vendors or Other Business Contacts for Corporate Charitable Contributions. On occasion, a T. Rowe Price entity may be asked by an employee of a client, vendor, or other business contact to make a charitable donation. In most cases, this request will be handled by the independent T. Rowe Price Foundation, which has developed criteria regarding which charities it will support.

 

In those instances where the Foundation does not make the requested contribution, the decision about the charitable contribution is made by the pertinent T. Rowe Price entity, subject to the following conditions:

 

 

the amount of charitable contribution may not be linked to the actual or anticipated level of business with the client, vendor or other business contact whose employee is soliciting the charitable contribution;

 

there is no reason to believe that the employee requesting the contribution will derive an improper economic or pecuniary benefit as a result of the proposed contribution;

 

 

if the T. Rowe Price entity considering the contribution is unfamiliar with the charity, its personnel should confirm with the Central Control Group that the charity does not appear on the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s Specially Designated Nationals List;

 

 

the contribution should be made payable directly to the charity; and

 

 

the personnel of the T. Rowe Price entity considering the contribution should check with Finance to determine the appropriate T. Rowe Price entity to make the contribution.

 

In addition, if the requested amount exceeds $1,000 the request must be referred to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee for prior approval. In making this decision, the Chairperson will consider whether the solicitation is for a charity that is closely aligned with the employee making the request ( e.g ., an organization in

 

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which the employee serves as an officer or a charity sponsored by the employee), rather than for a charity aligned with the client for which the employee works. If the charity is closely aligned with the requesting employee rather than with his or her employer, the Chairperson may in his or her discretion contact the employing client directly for further information and approval if appropriate.

 

Some broker/dealers sponsor days, often referred to as “ miracle” days, where they pledge that proceeds received on that day will be donated to a specific charity. Because of fiduciary and best execution obligations, the Price Advisers cannot agree to direct trades to a broker/dealer in support of such an event at either a client’s or the broker/dealer’s request. The Price Advisers are not prohibited, however, from placing trades for best execution that happen to occur on a “miracle” day or similar time and thus benefit a charity.

 

This policy does not apply to sponsorships or similar events paid for by a Marketing Department within a T. Rowe Price business unit to obtain recognition of T. Rowe Price ( e.g ., an advertisement in a booklet for attendees at a major sporting event).

 

Requests Received from Clients, Vendors or Other Business Contacts for Personal Charitable Contributions. On occasion, a T. Rowe Price employee may be asked by an employee of a client, vendor or other business contact to make a charitable contribution. If the employee makes a contribution directly to the charity and the contribution is not made in the name of or for the benefit of the business contact, no Code of Ethics and Conduct or FINRA issues arise. For example, a plan fiduciary might mention that her husband has recently recovered from a heart problem and that she is raising funds for a charity that supports cardiac research. The T. Rowe Price employee can make a personal contribution to that charity and if the contribution is not tied to the name of the business contact and does not create a benefit for her, the employee does not need to request prior clearance of or notify T. Rowe Price about the contribution.

 

However, personal charitable contributions, if made in the name of and for the benefit of a business contact ( e.g., if the business contact raise a certain amount of money, he or she gets a tangible award or opportunity like the chance to participate in a marathon) should be treated as “gifts” to the business contact. For business contacts related to T. Rowe Price fund business or other broker/dealer-related business, contributions of the latter type are subject to FINRA’s $100 limit. For other business, contributions in excess of $100 must be approved by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before they are given.

 

Requests to Clients, Vendors, or Other Business Contacts for Charitable Contributions. Employees should be sensitive to a possible perception of undue influence before requesting a client, vendor, or other business contact or an employee of such an entity to make a charitable contribution. In no case should such a request be made on a quid pro quo basis. If you have any questions about requesting a charitable contribution, you should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee before proceeding.

 

Under the NASDAQ listing rules, specific restrictions apply in this area to the independent directors of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

 

Supervision of Charitable Contribution Requests. Supervisors, managers and, as     appropriate, Division Heads are responsible for ensuring that responses to requests from clients, vendors, and other business contacts and our requests to clients, vendors, and other business contact for charitable contributions comply with these guidelines.

 

 

March, 2008

 

 

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY

 

ON

 

MATERIAL, INSIDE (NON-PUBLIC) INFORMATION

 

 

Purpose of Statement of Policy . The purpose of this Statement of Policy (" Statement ") is to comply with the United States Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act's (" Act ") requirement to establish, maintain, and enforce written procedures designed to prevent insider trading and to explain: (i) the general legal prohibitions and sanctions regarding insider trading under both U.S. and U.K. law; (ii) the meaning of the key concepts underlying the prohibitions; (iii) your obligations in the event you come into possession of material, non-public information; and (iv) the firm's educational program regarding insider trading.

 

Additionally Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, most European countries and many other jurisdictions have laws and regulations prohibiting the misuse of inside information. While no specific reference is made to these laws and regulations in this Statement, the Statement should provide general guidance regarding appropriate activities to employees who trade in these markets. There is, however, no substitute for knowledge of local laws and regulations and employees are expected to understand all relevant local requirements and comply with them. Any questions regarding the laws or regulations of any jurisdiction should be directed to the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

Price Group has also adopted a Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions ( see page 5-1), which requires both Access Persons ( see p. 5-3) and Non-Access Persons ( see p. 5-4) to obtain prior transaction clearance with respect to their transactions in Price Group stock and requires Access Persons to obtain prior transaction clearance with respect to all pertinent securities transactions. In addition, both Access Persons and Non-Access Persons are required to report covered securities transactions on a timely basis to the firm. The independent directors of the Price Funds, although Access Persons, are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements and are subject to modified reporting as described on pp. 5-20 to 5-22.

 

The Basic Insider Trading Prohibition . The "insider trading" doctrine under United States securities laws generally prohibits any person (including investment advisers) from:

 

 

trading in a security while in possession of material, non-public information regarding the issuer of the security;

 

 

tipping such information to others;

 

 

recommending the purchase or sale of securities while in possession of such information;

 

 

assisting someone who is engaged in any of the above activities.

 

Thus, "insider trading" is not limited to insiders of the issuer whose securities are being traded. It can also apply to non-insiders, such as investment analysts, portfolio managers, consultants and stockbrokers. In addition, it is not limited to persons who trade. It also covers persons who tip material, non-public information or recommend transactions in securities while in possession of such information. A “security” includes not just equity securities, but any security ( e.g., corporate and municipal debt securities, including securities issued by the federal government).

 

Policy of Price Group on Insider Trading. It is the policy of Price Group and its affiliates to forbid any of their officers, directors, employees, or other personnel ( e.g., consultants) while in possession of material, non-public information, from trading securities or recommending transactions, either personally or in their proprietary accounts or on behalf of others (including mutual funds and private accounts) or communicating material, non-public information to others in violation of securities laws of the United States, the United Kingdom, or any other country that has jurisdiction over its activities. Material, non-public information includes not only certain information about issuers, but also certain information about T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and its operating subsidiaries and may include the Price Advisers’ securities recommendations and holdings and transactions of Price Adviser clients, including mutual funds. See p. 4-8

 

 

4-1

 

 

 

 

"Need to Know" Policy . All information regarding planned, prospective or ongoing securities transactions must be treated as confidential. Such information must be confined, even within the firm, to only those individuals and departments that must have such information in order for the respective entity to carry out its engagement properly and effectively. Ordinarily, these prohibitions will restrict information to only those persons who are involved in the matter.

 

Transactions Involving Price Group Stock. You are reminded that you are an "insider" with respect to Price Group since Price Group is a public company and its stock is traded on the NASDAQ Stock market. It is therefore important that you not discuss with family, friends or other persons any matter concerning Price Group that might involve material, non-public information, whether favorable or unfavorable.

 

Sanctions. Penalties for trading on material, non-public information are severe, both for the individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and for their firms. A person or entity that violates the insider trading laws can be subject to some or all of the penalties described below, even if he/she/it does not personally benefit from the violation:

 

 

Injunctions;

 

Treble damages;

 

Disgorgement of profits;

 

Criminal fines;

 

Jail sentences;

 

Civil penalties for the person who committed the violation (which would, under normal circumstances, be the employee and not the firm) of up to three times the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the individual actually benefited; and

 

 

Civil penalties for the controlling entity ( e.g., Price Associates) and other persons, such as managers and supervisors, who are deemed to be controlling persons, of up to the greater of

 

$1,000,000 or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided under U.S. law. Fines can be unlimited under U.K. law.

 

In addition, any violation of this Statement can be expected to result in serious sanctions being imposed by Price Group, including dismissal of the person(s) involved.

 

The provisions of U.S. and U.K. law discussed below and the laws of other jurisdictions are complex and wide ranging. If you are in any doubt about how they affect you, you must consult the Legal Department or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate.

 

U.S. LAW AND REGULATION REGARDING INSIDER TRADING PROHIBITIONS

 

Introduction . "Insider trading" is a top enforcement priority of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act has far-reaching impact on all public companies and especially those engaged in the securities brokerage or investment advisory industries, including directors, executive officers and other controlling persons of such companies. Specifically, the Act:

 

Written Procedures . Requires SEC-registered brokers, dealers and investment advisers to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, non-public information by such persons.

 

Civil Penalties . Imposes severe civil penalties on brokerage firms, investment advisers, their management and advisory personnel and other "controlling persons" who fail to take adequate steps to prevent insider trading and illegal tipping by employees and other "controlled persons." Persons who directly or indirectly control violators, including entities such as Price Associates and their officers and directors, face penalties to be determined by the court in light of the facts and circumstances, but not to exceed the greater of $1,000,000 or three times the amount of profit gained or loss avoided as a result of the violation.

 

 

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Criminal Penalties . Provides as penalties for criminal securities law violations:

 

 

Maximum jail term -- twenty years;

 

Maximum criminal fine for individuals -- $5,000,000;

 

Maximum criminal fine for entities -- $25,000,000.

 

Private Right of Action . Establishes a statutory private right of action on behalf of contemporaneous traders against insider traders and their controlling persons.

 

Bounty Payments . Authorizes the SEC to award bounty payments to persons who provide information leading to the successful prosecution of insider trading violations. Bounty payments are at the discretion of the SEC, but may not exceed 10% of the penalty imposed.

 

 

The Act has been supplemented by three SEC rules, 10b5-1, 10b5-2 and FD, which are discussed later in this Statement.

 

Basic Concepts of Insider Trading . The four critical concepts under United States law in insider trading cases are: (1) fiduciary duty/misappropriation, (2) materiality, (3) non-public, and (4) use/possession. Each concept is discussed below.

 

Fiduciary Duty/Misappropriation . In two decisions, Dirks v. SEC and Chiarella   v. United States , the United States Supreme Court outlined when insider trading and tipping violate the federal securities law if the trading or tipping of the information results in a breach of duty of trust or confidence.

 

A typical breach of duty arises when an insider, such as a corporate officer, purchases securities of his or her corporation on the basis of material, non-public information. Such conduct breaches a duty owed to the corporation's shareholders. The duty breached, however, need not be to shareholders to support liability for insider trading; it could also involve a breach of duty to a client, an employer, employees, or even a personal acquaintance. For example, courts have held that if the insider receives a personal benefit (either direct or indirect) from the disclosure, such as a pecuniary gain or reputational benefit, that would be enough to find a fiduciary breach.

 

The concept of who constitutes an "insider" is broad. It includes officers, directors and employees of an issuer. In addition, a person can be a "temporary insider" if he or she enters into a confidential relationship in the conduct of an issuer’s affairs and, as a result, is given access to information solely for the issuer’s purpose. A temporary insider can include, among others, an issuer’s attorneys, accountants, consultants, and bank lending officers, as well as the employees of such organizations. In addition, any person may become a temporary insider of an issuer if he or she advises the issuer or provides other services, provided the issuer expects such person to keep any material, non-public information disclosed confidential.

 

Court decisions have held that under a "misappropriation" theory, an outsider (such as an investment analyst) may be liable if he or she breaches a duty to anyone by: (1) obtaining information improperly, or (2) using information that was obtained properly for an improper purpose. For example, if information is given to an analyst on a confidential basis and the analyst uses that information for trading purposes, liability could arise under the misappropriation theory. Similarly, an analyst who trades in breach of a duty owed either to his or her employer or client may be liable under the misappropriation theory. For example, the Supreme Court upheld the misappropriation theory when a lawyer received material, non-public information from a law partner who represented a client contemplating a tender offer, where that lawyer used the information to trade in the securities of the target company.

 

SEC Rule 10b5-2 provides a non-exclusive definition of circumstances in which a person has a duty of trust or confidence for purposes of the "misappropriation” theory of insider trading. It states that a "duty of trust or confidence" exists in the following circumstances, among others:

 

 

(1)

Whenever a person agrees to maintain information in confidence;

 

 

(2)

Whenever the person communicating the material nonpublic information and the person to whom it is communicated have a history, pattern, or practice of sharing confidences, that resulted in a reasonable expectation of confidentiality; or

 

 

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(3)

Whenever a person receives or obtains material nonpublic information from his or her spouse, parent, child, or sibling unless it is shown affirmatively, based on the facts and circumstances of that family relationship, that there was no reasonable expectation of confidentiality.

 

The situations in which a person can trade while in possession of material, non-public information without breaching a duty are so complex and uncertain that the only safe course is not to trade, tip or recommend securities while in possession of material, non-public information .

 

Materiality . Insider trading restrictions arise only when the information that is used for trading, tipping or recommendations is "material." The information need not be so important that it would have changed an investor's decision to buy or sell; rather, it is enough that it is the type of information on which reasonable investors rely in making purchase, sale, or hold decisions.

 

Resolving Close Cases . The United States Supreme Court has held that, in close cases, doubts about whether or not information is material should be resolved in favor of a finding of materiality. You should also be aware that your judgment regarding materiality may be reviewed by a court or the SEC with the 20-20 vision of hindsight.

 

Effect on Market Price . Any information that, upon disclosure, is likely to have a significant impact on the market price of a security should be considered material.

 

Future Events . The materiality of facts relating to the possible occurrence of future events depends on the likelihood that the event will occur and the significance of the event if it does occur.

 

Illustrations . The following list, though not exhaustive, illustrates the types of matters that might be considered material: a joint venture, merger or acquisition; the declaration or omission of dividends; the acquisition or loss of a significant contract; a change in control or a significant change in management; a call of securities for redemption; the borrowing of a significant amount of funds; the purchase or sale of a significant asset; a significant change in capital investment plans; a significant labor dispute or disputes with subcontractors or suppliers; an event requiring an issuer to file a current report on Form 8-K with the SEC; establishment of a program to make purchases of the issuer’s own shares; a tender offer for another issuer’s securities; an event of technical default or default on interest and/or principal payments; advance knowledge of an upcoming publication that is expected to affect the market price of the stock.

 

Non-Public Vs. Public Information . Any information that is not "public" is deemed to be "non-public." Just as an investor is permitted to trade on the basis of information that is not material, he or she may also trade on the basis of information that is public. Information is considered public if it has been disseminated in a manner making it available to investors generally. An example of non-public information would include material information provided to a select group of analysts but not made available to the investment community at large. Set forth below are a number of ways in which non-public information may be made public.

 

Disclosure to News Services and National Papers . The U.S. stock exchanges require exchange-traded issuers to disseminate material, non-public information about their companies

to: (1) the national business and financial newswire services (Dow Jones and Reuters); (2) the national service (Associated Press); and (3) The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

 

Local Disclosure . An announcement by an issuer in a local newspaper might be sufficient for an issuer that is only locally traded, but might not be sufficient for an issuer that has a national market.

 

Information in SEC Reports . Information contained in reports filed with the SEC will be deemed to be public.

 

If Price Group is in possession of material, non-public information with respect to a security before such information is disseminated to the public ( i.e., such as being disclosed in one of the public media described above), Price Group and its personnel must wait a sufficient period of time after the information is first publicly released before trading or initiating transactions to allow the information to be fully disseminated. Price Group may also follow Information Barrier Wall procedures, as described on page 4-9 of this Statement.

 

Concept of Use/Possession . It is important to note that the SEC takes the position that the law regarding insider trading

 

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prohibits any person from trading in a security in violation of a duty of trust and confidence while in possession of material, non-public information regarding the security. This is in contrast to trading on the basis of the material, non-public information. To illustrate the problems created by the use of the "possession" standard, as opposed to the "caused" standard, the following three examples are provided:

 

First , if the investment committee to a Price mutual fund were to obtain material, non-public information about one of its portfolio companies from a Price equity research analyst, that fund would be prohibited from trading in the securities to which that information relates. The prohibition would last until the information is no longer material or non-public.

 

Second , if the investment committee to a Price mutual fund obtained material, non-public information about a particular portfolio security but continued to trade in that security, then the committee members, the applicable Price Adviser, and possibly management personnel might be liable for insider trading violations.

 

Third , even if the investment committee to the Fund does not come into possession of the material, non-public information known to the equity research analyst, if it trades in the security, it may have a difficult burden of proving to the SEC or to a court that it was not in possession of such information.

 

The SEC has expressed its view about the concept of trading "on the basis" of material, nonpublic information in Rule 10b5-1. Under Rule 10b5-1, and subject to the affirmative defenses contained in the rule, a purchase or sale of a security of an issuer is "on the basis of" material nonpublic information about that security or issuer if the person making the purchase or sale was aware of the material nonpublic information when the person made the purchase or sale.

 

A person's purchase or sale is not "on the basis of" material, nonpublic information if he or she demonstrates that:

 

 

(A)

Before becoming aware of the information, the person had:

 

 

(1)

Entered into a binding contract to purchase or sell the security;

 

 

(2)

Instructed another person to purchase or sell the security for the instructing person's account, or

 

 

(3)

Adopted a written plan for trading securities.

 

When a contract, instruction or plan is relied upon under this rule, it must meet detailed criteria set forth in Rule 10b5-1(c)(1)(i)(B) and (C).

 

Under Rule 10b5-1, a person other than a natural person ( e.g., one of the Price Advisers) may also demonstrate that a purchase or sale of securities is not "on the basis of" material nonpublic information if it demonstrates that:

 

 

The individual making the investment decision on behalf of the person to purchase or sell the securities was not aware of the information; and

 

 

The person had implemented reasonable policies and procedures, taking into consideration the nature of the person's business, to ensure that individuals making investment decisions would not violate the laws prohibiting trading on the basis of material nonpublic information. These policies and procedures may include those that restrict any purchase, sale, and causing any purchase or sale of any security as to which the person has material nonpublic information, or those that prevent such individuals from becoming aware of such information.

 

Tender Offers . Tender offers are subject to particularly strict regulation under the securities laws. Specifically, trading in securities that are the subject of an actual or impending tender offer by a person who is in possession of material, non-public information relating to the offer is illegal, regardless of whether there was a breach of fiduciary duty. Under no circumstances should you trade in securities while in possession of material, non-public information regarding a potential tender offer.

 

Selective Disclosure of Material, Non-Public Information by Public Companies. The SEC has adopted Regulation FD to prohibit certain issuers from selectively disclosing material, nonpublic information to certain persons who would be expected to trade on it. The rule applies only to publicly-traded domestic (U.S.) companies, not to foreign government or foreign private issuers.

 

 

Under this rule, whenever:

 

 

4-5

 

 

 

 

 

An issuer, or person acting on its behalf,

 

 

discloses material, non-public information,

 

 

to securities professionals, institutional investors, broker-dealers, and holders of the issuer's securities,

 

 

the issuer must make public disclosure of that same information,

 

 

simultaneously (for intentional disclosures), or

 

 

promptly within 24 hours after knowledge of the disclosure by a senior official (for non- intentional disclosures)

 

Regulation FD does not apply to all of the issuer's employees; rather only communications by an issuer's senior management (executive officers and directors), its investor relations professionals, and others who regularly communicate with market professionals and security holders are covered. Certain recipients of information are also excluded from the Rule's coverage, including persons who are subject to a confidentiality agreement, credit rating agencies, and "temporary insiders," such as the issuer's lawyers, investment bankers, or accountants.

 

Information Regarding Price Group.

 

The illustrations of material information found on page 4-5 of this Statement are equally applicable to Price Group as a public company and should serve as examples of the types of matters that you should not discuss with persons outside the firm. Remember, even though you may have no intent to violate any federal securities law, an offhand comment to a friend might be used unbeknownst to you by such friend to effect purchases or sales of Price Group stock. If such transactions were discovered and your friend were prosecuted, your status as an informant or "tipper" would directly involve you in the case.

 

LAWS AND REGULATIONS REGARDING INSIDER TRADING PROHIBITIONS OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES

 

The jurisdictions outside the United States that regulate some T. Rowe Price entities (see page 1-3 for a description of these entities and jurisdictions) have laws in this area that are based on principles similar to those of the United States described in this Statement. If you comply with the Code, then you will comply with the requirements of these jurisdictions. If you have any concerns about local requirements, please contact the TRP International Compliance Team, the Director of International Compliance, or the Legal Department.

 

PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN RECEIVING MATERIAL, NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION

 

Whenever you believe that you have or may have come into possession of material, non-public information, you should immediately contact the appropriate person or group as described below

and refrain from disclosing the information to anyone else, including persons within Price Group, unless specifically advised to the contrary.

 

Specifically, you may not:

 

 

Trade in securities to which the material, non-public information relates;

 

 

Disclose the information to others;

 

 

Recommend purchases or sales of the securities to which the information relates.

 

If it is determined that the information is material and non-public, the issuer will be placed on either:

 

 

A Restricted List (" Restricted List ") in order to prohibit trading in the security by both clients and Access Persons; or

 

 

A Watch List (" Watch List "), which restricts the flow of the information to others within Price Group in order to

 

4-6

 

 

 

allow the Price Advisers investment personnel to continue their ordinary investment activities. This procedure is commonly referred to as an Information Barrier .

 

The Watch List is highly confidential and should, under no circumstances, be disseminated to anyone except authorized personnel in the Legal Department and the Code Compliance Section who are responsible for placing issuers on and monitoring trades in securities of issuers included on the Watch List. As described below, if a Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team believes that an issuer should be placed on the Watch List, he or she will contact the Code Compliance Section. The Code Compliance Section will coordinate review of trading in the securities of that issuer with the TRP International Compliance Team as appropriate.

 

The person whose possession of or access to inside information has caused the inclusion of an issuer on the Watch List may never trade or recommend the trade of the securities of that issuer without the specific prior approval of the Legal Department.

 

The Restricted List is also highly confidential and should, under no circumstances, be disseminated to anyone outside Price Group. Individuals with access to the Restricted List should not disclose its contents to anyone within Price Group who does not have a legitimate business need to know this information.

 

For U.S. - Based Personnel:

 

An individual subject to the Code who is based in the United States and is, or believes he or she may be, in possession of material, non-public information should immediately contact the Legal Department. If the Legal Department determines that the information is both material and non-public, the issuer will be

placed on either the Watch or Restricted List. If the issuer is placed on the Restricted List, the Code Compliance Section will promptly relay the identity of the issuer, the person(s) in possession of the information, the reason for its inclusion, and the local time and the date on which the issuer was placed on the Restricted List to a Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team and to the London and Hong Kong Head Dealers or their designees (“ Head Dealers ”). The Designated Person will place the issuer on the Restricted List in London.

 

The Watch List is maintained solely by the Code Compliance Section.

 

If the U.S.-based individual is unsure about whether the information is material or non-public, he or she should immediately contact the Legal Department for advice and may not disclose the information or trade in the security until the issue is resolved. The U.S.-based person may only disclose the information if approved on a "need to know" basis by the Legal Department.

 

When the information is no longer material or is public, the Code Compliance Section will remove the issuer from the Watch or Restricted List, noting the reason for and the date and local time of removal of the issuer from the List. If the issuer is being removed from the Restricted List, Code Compliance Section will promptly relay this information to a Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team and to the London and Hong Kong Head Dealers. The Designated Person will remove the issuer from the Restricted List in London. The Code Compliance Section will document the removal of the issuer from either List.

 

If you receive a private placement memorandum and the existence of the private offering and/or the contents of the memorandum are material and non-public, you should contact the Legal Department for a determination of whether the issuer should be placed on the Watch or Restricted List.

 

For International Personnel:

 

An individual stationed in London, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Luxembourg, Stockholm, or Buenos Aires will be referred to in this portion of the Statement as " London Personnel ." An individual stationed in Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney or Tokyo will be referred to in this portion of the Statement as " Hong Kong Personnel ."

 

Procedures for London Personnel. Whenever a person identified as London Personnel is, or believes he or she may be, in possession of material, non-public information about a security or an issuer of a security, he or she should immediately inform one of the Designated Persons on the TRP International Compliance Team that he or she is in possession of such information and the nature of the information. If the information is determined to be material and non-public, the Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team will make a record of this notification by contacting a Designated Person in the Code Compliance Section to place the issuer on the Watch List or by placing the issuer on the

 

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Restricted List. If the Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team places the issuer on the Restricted List, he or she will note such pertinent information as the identity of the issuer, the person(s) in possession of the information, the reason for its inclusion, and the local time and date on which the issuer was placed on this List. If the issuer is placed on the Restricted List, he or she will also promptly relay this information to one of the Designated Persons in the Code Compliance Section, who will place the issuer on the Restricted List in Baltimore, and to the London and Hong Kong Head Dealers.

 

If the London Personnel is unsure about whether the information is material and non-public, he or she should immediately contact the TRP International Compliance Team, the International Compliance Officer, or the Legal Department for advice and may not disclose the information or trade in the security until the issue is resolved. The London Personnel may only disclose the information if approved on a "need to know" basis by the TRP International Compliance Team, the International Compliance Officer, or the Legal Department.

 

When the information is no longer material or is public, one of the Designated Persons on the TRP International Compliance Team will contact a Designated Person in the Code Compliance Section regarding removing the issuer from the Watch List or will remove the issuer from the Restricted List and note the reason for and the date and local time of removal of the issuer from this List. If the issuer is being removed from the Restricted List, he or she will also promptly relay the information to one of the Designated Persons in the Code Compliance Section and to the London and Hong Kong Head Dealers. The Code Compliance Section will remove the issuer from the Restricted List in Baltimore. If the Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team is unsure whether the issuer should be removed from the Watch or Restricted List, he or she should first contact the International Compliance Officer or the Legal Department for advice. If the Designated Persons on the TRP Compliance Team are unavailable, the London Employee should contact the International Compliance Officer or the Legal Department regarding removal of the issuer from the Restricted List.

 

Procedures for Hong Kong Personnel. Whenever a person identified as Hong Kong Personnel is, or believes he or she may be, in possession of material, non-public information about a security or the issuer of any security, he or she should immediately inform the Hong Kong Head Dealer that he or she is in possession of such information and the nature of the information. The Hong Kong Head Dealer will make a record of this notification, noting the person(s) in possession of the information, the nature of the information, and the local time and date on which the information was received, and contact by email as soon as possible a Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team or, if they are unavailable, in the Code Compliance Section. Until a Designated Person has determined whether the issuer should be placed on the Watch or Restricted List, the Hong Kong Dealing Desk will refrain from trading the securities of the issuer. The Designated Person will inform the Hong Kong Head Dealer and a Designated Person in the other location ( i.e., the Code Compliance Section or the TRP International Compliance Team) as soon as possible regarding whether or not the issuer has been placed on the Watch or Restricted List.

 

If the Hong Kong Personnel is unsure about whether the information is material and non-public, he or she should immediately contact the Hong Kong Head Dealer. The Hong Kong Personnel and the Hong Kong Head Dealer may only disclose the information if approved on a "need to know" basis by the TRP International Compliance Team, the International Compliance Officer, or the Legal Department.

 

The Hong Kong Personnel or the Hong Kong Head Dealer should contact a Designated Person on the TRP International Compliance Team or in the Code Compliance Section, the International Compliance Officer, or the Legal Department regarding removal of the issuer from the Restricted List. When the information is no longer material and/or non-public, a Designated Person will remove the issuer from the Restricted List, note the reason for and the date and local time of removal of the issuer from this List and promptly relay the information to one of the Designated Persons in the other location and to the Hong Kong Head Dealer. The Designated Person will remove the issuer from the Restricted List in that location. The Hong Kong Personnel or the Hong Kong Head Dealer should contact a Designated Person in the Code Compliance Section regarding removal of the issuer from the Watch List.

 

Specific Procedures Relating to the Safeguarding of Inside Information.

 

To ensure the integrity of the Information Barrier, and the confidentiality of the Restricted List, it is important that you take the following steps to safeguard the confidentiality of material, non-public information:

 

 

Do not discuss confidential information in public places such as elevators, hallways or

social gatherings;

 

To the extent practical, limit access to the areas of the firm where confidential information could be observed or

 

4-8

 

 

 

overheard to employees with a business need for being in the area;

 

Avoid using speaker phones in areas where unauthorized persons may overhear

conversations;

 

Where appropriate, maintain the confidentiality of client identities by using code names or numbers for confidential projects;

 

Exercise care to avoid placing documents containing confidential information in areas where they may be read by unauthorized persons and store such documents in secure locations when they are not in use; and

 

Destroy copies of confidential documents no longer needed for a project.

 

 

ADDITIONAL PROCEDURES

 

Education Program . While the probability of research analysts and portfolio managers being exposed to material, non-public information with respect to issuers considered for investment by clients is greater than that of other personnel, it is imperative that all personnel understand this Statement, particularly since the insider trading restrictions also apply to transactions in the stock of Price Group.

 

To ensure that all appropriate personnel are properly informed of and understand Price Group's policy with respect to insider trading, the following program has been adopted.

 

Initial Review and Training for New Personnel. All new persons subject to the Code, which includes this Statement, will be given a copy of it at the time of their association and will be required to certify that they have read it. In addition, each new employee is required to take web-based training promptly after his or her start date.

 

Revision of Statement . All persons subject to the Code will be informed whenever this Statement is materially revised.

 

Annual Review for All Associates . All Associates receive training on the Code annually. This training may be in person or through another medium such as web-based training.

 

Confirmation of Compliance . All persons subject to the Code will be asked to confirm their understanding of and adherence to this Statement on at least an annual basis.

 

Questions . If you have any questions with respect to the interpretation or application of this Statement, you are encouraged to discuss them with your immediate supervisor, the Legal Department, or the TRP International Compliance Team as appropriate.

 

 

March, 2008

 

4-9

 

 

 

 

T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY

 

ON

 

SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION .

 

Legal Requirement . In accordance with the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “ Exchange Act ”), the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988, and the various United Kingdom and other jurisdictions’ laws and regulations, Price Group and the mutual funds (" Price Funds ") which its affiliates manage have adopted this Statement of Policy on Securities Transactions (" Statement ").

 

Price Advisers' Fiduciary Position . As investment advisers, the Price Advisers are in a fiduciary position which requires them to act with an eye only to the benefit of their clients, avoiding those situations which might place, or appear to place, the interests of the Price Advisers or their officers, directors and employees in conflict with the interests of clients.

 

Purpose of Statement . The Statement was developed to help guide Price Group's employees and independent directors and the independent directors of the Price Funds and the T. Rowe Price Savings Bank (“ Savings Bank ”) in the conduct of their personal investments and to:

 

 

eliminate the possibility of a transaction occurring that the SEC or other regulatory bodies would view as illegal, such as Front Running ( see definition below);

 

 

avoid situations where it might appear that Price Group or the Price Funds or any of their officers, directors, employees, or other personnel had personally benefited at the expense of a client or fund shareholder or taken inappropriate advantage of their fiduciary positions; and

 

 

prevent, as well as detect, the misuse of material, non-public information.

 

Those subject to the Code, including the independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds and the Savings Bank, are urged to consider the reasons for the adoption of this Statement. Price Group's and the Price Funds' reputations could be adversely affected as the result of even a single transaction considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duties of the Price Advisers and the independent directors of the Price Funds.

 

Front Running. Front Running is illegal. It is generally defined as the purchase or sale of a security by an officer, director or employee of an investment adviser or mutual fund in anticipation of and prior to the adviser effecting similar transactions for its clients in order to take advantage of or avoid changes in market prices effected by client transactions.

 

 

QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STATEMENT . You are urged to seek the advice of the Chief Compliance Officer TRPA, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee (U.S.-based personnel), the TRP International Compliance Team (International personnel), or Code Compliance in Baltimore (all locations) when you have questions as to the application of this Statement to individual circumstances.

 

EXCESSIVE TRADING AND MARKET TIMING OF MUTUAL FUND SHARES. The issue of excessive trading and market timing by mutual fund shareholders is a serious one and is not unique to T. Rowe Price. Employees may not engage in trading of shares of a Price Fund that is inconsistent with the prospectus of that Fund.

 

Excessive or short-term trading in fund shares may disrupt management of a fund and raise its costs. The Board of Directors/Trustees of the Price Funds have adopted a policy to deter excessive and short-term trading (the “ Policy ”), which applies to persons trading directly with T. Rowe Price and indirectly through intermediaries. Under this Policy, T. Rowe Price may bar excessive and short-term traders from purchasing shares.

 

 

 

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This Policy is set forth in each Fund’s prospectus, which governs all trading activity in the Fund regardless of whether you are holding T. Rowe Price Fund shares as a retail investor or through your T. Rowe Price U.S. Retirement Program account.

 

Although the Fund may issue a warning letter regarding excessive trading or market timing, any trade activity in violation of the Policy will also be reviewed by the Chief Compliance Officer, who will refer instances to the Ethics Committee as he or she feels appropriate. The Ethics Committee, based on its review, may take disciplinary action, including suspension of trading privileges, forfeiture of profits or the amount of losses avoided, and termination of employment, as it deems appropriate.

 

Employees are also expected to abide by trading restrictions imposed by other funds as described in their prospectuses. If you violate the trading restrictions of a non-Price Fund, the Ethics Committee may impose the same penalties available for violation of the Price Funds excessive trading Policy.

 

PERSONS SUBJECT TO STATEMENT . The provisions of this Statement apply as described below to the following persons and entities. Each person and entity (except the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank) is classified as either an Access Person or a Non-Access Person as described below. The provisions of this Statement may also apply to an Access Person's or Non-Access Person's spouse, minor children, and certain other relatives, as further described on page 5-5 of this Statement. All Access Persons except the independent directors of the Price Funds are subject to all provisions of this Statement except certain restrictions on purchases in initial public offerings that apply only to Investment Personnel. The independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements and are subject to modified reporting as described on p. 5-20. Non-Access Persons are subject to the general principles of the Statement and its reporting requirements, but are only required to receive prior transaction clearance for transactions in Price Group stock. The persons and entities covered by this Statement are:

 

Price Group . Price Group, each of its subsidiaries and affiliates, and their retirement plans.

 

Employee Partnerships. Partnerships such as Pratt Street Ventures.

 

Personnel . Each officer, inside director and employee of Price Group and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc., the principal underwriter of the Price Funds.

 

Certain Temporary Workers. These workers include:

 

 

All temporary workers hired on the Price Group payroll (" TRP Temporaries ");

 

All agency temporaries whose assignments at Price Group exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period;

 

All independent or agency-provided consultants whose assignments exceed four weeks or whose cumulative assignments exceed eight weeks over a twelve-month period and whose work is closely related to the ongoing work of Price Group's employees (versus project work that stands apart from ongoing work); and

 

Any contingent worker whose assignment is more than casual in nature or who will be exposed to the kinds of information and situations that would create conflicts on matters covered in the Code.

 

Retired Employees . Retired employees of Price Group who receive investment research information from one or more of the Price Advisers will be subject to this Statement.

 

Independent Directors of Price Group, the Savings Bank and the Price Funds. The independent directors of Price Group include those directors of Price Group who are neither officers nor employees of Price Group or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The independent directors of the Savings Bank include those directors of the Savings Bank who are neither officers nor employees of Price Group or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates. The independent directors of the Price Funds include those directors of the Price Funds who are not deemed to be "interested persons" of Price Group.

 

Although subject to the general principles of this Statement, including the definition of "beneficial ownership," independent directors are subject only to modified reporting requirements. See pp. 5-20 to 5-23. The trades of the independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements. The trades of

 

 

5-2

 

 

the independent directors of Price Group and of the Savings Bank are not subject to prior transaction clearance requirements except for transactions in Price Group stock.

 

ACCESS PERSONS. Certain persons and entities are classified as " Access Persons" under the Code. The term " Access Person" means:

 

 

the Price Advisers;

 

any officer or director of any of the Price Advisers or the Price Funds (except the independent directors of the Price Funds are not subject to prior transaction clearance and have modified reporting requirements, as described below);

 

any person associated with any of the Price Advisers or the Price Funds who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes, participates in, or obtains or has access to non-public information regarding the purchase or sale of securities by a Price Fund or other advisory client, or to non-public information regarding any securities holdings of any client of a Price Adviser, including the Price Funds, or whose functions relate to the making of any recommendations with respect to the purchases or sales; or

 

any person in a control relationship to any of the Price Advisers or a Price Fund who obtains or has access to information concerning recommendations made to a Price Fund or other advisory client with regard to the purchase or sale of securities by the Price Fund or advisory client.

 

All Access Persons are notified of their status under the Code. Although a person can be an Access Person of one or more Price Advisers and one or more of the Price Funds, the independent directors of the Price Funds are only Access Persons of the applicable Price Funds; they are not Access Persons of any of the Price Advisers.

 

Investment Personnel . An Access Person is further identified as " Investment Personnel " if, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, he or she "makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities" by a Price Fund or other advisory client.

 

The term "Investment Personnel" includes, but is not limited to:

 

 

those employees who are authorized to make investment decisions or to recommend securities transactions on behalf of the firm's clients (investment counselors and members of the mutual fund advisory committees);

 

research and credit analysts; and

 

traders who assist in the investment process.

 

All Investment Personnel are deemed Access Persons under the Code. All Investment Personnel are notified of their status under the Code. Investment Personnel are generally prohibited from investing in initial public offerings. See p. 5-14.

 

NON-ACCESS PERSONS . Persons who do not fall within the definition of Access Persons are deemed " Non-Access Persons. " If a Non-Access Person is married to an Access Person, then the non-Access Person is deemed to be an Access Person under the beneficial ownership provisions

described below. However, the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank are not included in this definition.

 

TRANSACTIONS SUBJECT TO STATEMENT . Except as provided below, the provisions of this Statement apply to transactions that fall under either one of the following two conditions:

 

First , you are a " beneficial owner " of the security under the Rule 16a-1 of the Exchange Act, as defined below; or

 

Second , if you control or direct securities trading for another person or entity, those trades are subject to this Statement even if you are not a beneficial owner of the securities. For example, if you have an exercisable trading authorization ( e.g., a power of attorney to direct transactions in another person's account) of an unrelated person’s or entity’s brokerage account, or are directing another person's or entity’s trades, those transactions will usually be subject to this Statement to the same extent your personal trades would be as described below.

 

 

 

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Definition of Beneficial Owner. A "beneficial owner" is any person who, directly or indirectly, through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship, or otherwise, has or shares in the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the security.

 

A person has beneficial ownership in:

 

 

securities held by members of the person’s immediate family sharing the same household, although the presumption of beneficial ownership may be rebutted;

 

a person’s interest in securities held by a trust, which may include both trustees with investment control and, in some instances, trust beneficiaries;

 

a person’s right to acquire securities through the exercise or conversion of any derivative security, whether or not presently exercisable;

 

a general partner’s proportionate interest in the portfolio securities held by a general or limited partnership;

 

certain performance-related fees other than an asset-based fee, received by any broker, dealer, bank, insurance company, investment company, investment adviser, investment manager, trustee or person or entity performing a similar function; and

 

a person’s right to dividends that is separated or separable from the underlying securities. Otherwise, right to dividends alone shall not represent beneficial ownership in the securities.

 

A shareholder shall not be deemed to have beneficial ownership in the portfolio securities held by a corporation or similar entity in which the person owns securities if the shareholder is not a

controlling shareholder of the entity and does not have or share investment control over the entity’s portfolio.

 

Requests for Clarifications or Interpretations Regarding Beneficial Ownership or Control . If you have beneficial ownership of a security, any transaction involving that security is presumed to be subject to the relevant requirements of this Statement, unless you have no direct or indirect influence or control over the transaction. Such a situation may arise, for example, if you have delegated investment authority to an independent investment adviser or your spouse has an independent trading program in which you have no input. Similarly, if your spouse has investment control over, but no beneficial ownership in, an unrelated account, the Statement may not apply to those securities and you may wish to seek clarification or an interpretation.

 

If you are involved in an investment account for a family situation, trust, partnership, corporation, etc., which you feel should not be subject to the Statement’s relevant prior transaction clearance and/or reporting requirements, you should submit a written request for clarification or interpretation to either the Code Compliance Section in Baltimore or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate. Any such request for clarification or interpretation should name the account, your interest in the account, the persons or firms responsible for its management, and the specific facts of the situation. Do not assume that the Statement is not applicable; you must receive a clarification or interpretation about the applicability of the Statement . Clarifications and interpretations are not self-executing; you must receive a response to a request for clarification or interpretation directly from the Code Compliance Section or the TRP International Compliance Team before proceeding with the transaction or other action covered by this Statement.

 

PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS GENERALLY. As described, certain transactions require prior clearance before execution. Receiving prior transaction clearance does not relieve you from conducting your personal securities transactions in full compliance with the Code, including its prohibition on trading while in possession of material, inside information, and the 60-Day Rule, and with applicable law, including the prohibition on Front Running ( see page 5-1 for definition of Front Running).

 

TRANSACTIONS IN STOCK OF PRICE GROUP . Because Price Group is a public company, ownership of its stock subjects its officers, inside and independent directors, employees and all others subject to the Code to special legal requirements under the United States securities laws. You are responsible for your own compliance with these requirements. In connection with these legal requirements, Price Group has adopted the following rules and procedures:

 

Independent Directors of Price Funds. The independent directors of the Price Funds are prohibited from owning the stock or other securities of Price Group.

 

 

 

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Quarterly Earnings Report . Generally, all Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank must refrain from initiating transactions in Price Group stock in which they have a beneficial interest from the second trading day after quarter end (or such other date as management shall from time to time determine) through the day after the filing of the firm’s earnings release with the SEC on Form 10-Q or Form 8-K. You will be notified by the Management Committee from time to time as to the controlling dates

 

Prior Transaction Clearance of Price Group Stock Transactions Generally. Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank are required to obtain clearance prior to effecting any proposed transaction (including gifts and other transfers of beneficial ownership) involving shares of Price Group stock owned beneficially, including through the Employee Stock Purchase Plan ( “ESPP” ). A transfer of shares of Price Group stock into or from street name to or from a securities account and a transfer of shares of Price Group stock between securities firms or accounts, including accounts held at the same firm, do not have to receive prior clearance, but must be reported.

 

Prior Transaction Clearance Procedures for Price Group Stock. Requests for prior transaction clearance must be in writing on the form entitled "Notification of Proposed Transaction" (available on the firm's Intranet under Services and Policies/Services/Employee Transactions-TRPG Stock) and must be submitted to the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group, BA-0372 or faxed to 410-345-6500. The Payroll and Stock Transaction Group is responsible for processing and maintaining the records of all such requests. This includes not only market transactions, but also sales of stock purchased either through the ESPP or through a securities account if shares of Price Group stock are transferred there from the ESPP. Purchases effected through the ESPP are automatically reported to the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group.

 

Prohibition Regarding Transactions in Publicly-Traded Price Group Options. Transactions in publicly-traded options on Price Group stock are not permitted.

 

Prohibition Regarding Short Sales of Price Group Stock. Short sales of Price Group stock are not permitted.

 

Applicability of 60-Day Rule to Price Group Stock Transactions. Transactions in Price Group stock are subject to the 60-Day Rule except for transactions effected through the ESPP, the exercise of employee stock options granted by Price Group and the subsequent sale of the derivative shares, and shares obtained through an established dividend reinvestment program.

For a full description of the 60-Day Rule, please see page 5-27.

 

Only Price Group stock that has been held for at least 60 days may be gifted. You must receive prior clearance before gifting shares of Price Group stock.

 

Purchases of Price Group stock in the ESPP through payroll deduction are not considered in determining the applicability of the 60-Day Rule to market transactions in Price Group stock. See p. 5-27.

 

To avoid issues with the 60-Day Rule, shares may not be transferred out of or otherwise removed from the ESPP if the shares have been held for less than 60 days.

 

 

Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank must obtain prior transaction clearance of any transaction involving Price Group stock, (unless specifically exempted, such as transfers of form of ownership) from the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group.

 

Initial Disclosure of Holdings of Price Group Stock. Each new employee must report to the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group any shares of Price Group stock of which he or she has beneficial ownership no later than 10 business days after his or her starting date.

 

Dividend Reinvestment Plans for Price Group Stock. Purchases of Price Group stock owned outside of the ESPP and effected through a dividend reinvestment plan need not receive prior transaction clearance. Reporting of transactions effected through that plan need only be made quarterly through statements provided to the Code Compliance Section or by the financial institution ( e.g. , broker/dealer) where the account is maintained, except in

 

 

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the case of employees who are subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, who must report such transactions immediately.

 

Effectiveness of Prior Clearance . Prior transaction clearance of transactions in Price Group stock is effective for three (3) United States business days from and including the date the clearance is granted, unless (i) advised to the contrary by the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group prior to the proposed transaction, or (ii) the person receiving the clearance comes into possession of material, non-public information concerning the firm. If the proposed transaction in Price Group stock is not executed within this time period, a new clearance must be obtained before the individual can execute the proposed transaction.

 

Reporting of Disposition of Proposed Transaction . You must use the form returned to you by the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group to notify it of the disposition (whether the proposed transaction was effected or not) of each transaction involving shares of Price Group stock owned directly. The notice must be returned within two business days of the trade's execution or within seven business days of the date of prior transaction clearance if the trade is not executed.

 

Insider Reporting and Liability . Under current SEC rules, certain officers, directors and 10% stockholders of a publicly traded company ( "Insiders" ) are subject to the requirements of Section 16. Insiders include the directors and certain executive officers of Price Group. The Payroll and Stock Transaction Group informs all those who are Insiders of their obligations under Section 16.

 

SEC Reporting . There are three reporting forms which Insiders are required to file with the SEC to report their purchase, sale and transfer transactions in, and holdings of, Price Group stock. Although the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will provide assistance in complying with these requirements as an accommodation to Insiders, it remains the legal responsibility of each Insider to ensure that the applicable reports are filed in a timely manner.

 

 

Form 3. The initial ownership report by an Insider is required to be filed on Form 3. This report must be filed within ten days after a person becomes an Insider ( i.e., is elected as a director or appointed as an executive officer) to report all current holdings of Price Group stock. Following the election or appointment of an Insider, the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will deliver to the Insider a Form 3 for appropriate signatures and will file the form electronically with the SEC.

 

 

Form 4. Any change in the Insider's ownership of Price Group stock must be reported on a Form 4 unless eligible for deferred reporting on year-end Form 5. The Form 4 must be filed electronically before the end of the second business day following the day on which a transaction resulting in a change in beneficial ownership has been executed. Following receipt of the Notice of Disposition of the proposed transaction, the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group will deliver to the Insider a Form 4, as applicable, for appropriate signatures and will file the form electronically with the SEC.

 

 

Form 5. Any transaction or holding that is exempt from reporting on Form 4, such as small purchases of stock, gifts, etc. may be reported electronically on a deferred basis on Form 5 within 45 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the transaction occurred. No Form 5 is necessary if all transactions and holdings were previously reported on Form 4.

 

Liability for Short-Swing Profits . Under the United States securities laws, profit realized by certain officers, as well as directors and 10% stockholders of a company (including Price Group) as a result of a purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) of stock of the company within a period of less than six months must be returned to the firm or its designated payee upon request.

 

Office of Thrift Supervision ("OTS") Reporting. TRPA and Price Group are holding companies of the Savings Bank, which is regulated by the OTS. OTS regulations require the directors and senior officers of TRPA and Price Group to file reports regarding their personal holdings of the stock of Price Group and of the stock of any non-affiliated bank, savings bank, bank holding company, or savings and loan holding company. Although the Bank's Compliance Officer will provide assistance in complying with these requirements as an accommodation, it remains the responsibility of each person to ensure that the required reports are filed in a timely manner.

 

PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) FOR ACCESS PERSONS .

 

 

 

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Access Persons other than the independent directors of the Price Funds must, unless otherwise provided for below, obtain prior transaction clearance before directly or indirectly initiating, recommending, or in any way participating in, the purchase or sale of a security in which the Access Person has, or by reason of such transaction may acquire, any beneficial interest or which he or she controls. This includes the writing of an option to purchase or sell a security and the acquisition of any shares in an Automatic Investment Plan through a non-systematic investment. Non-Access Persons are not required to obtain prior clearance before engaging in any securities transactions, except for transactions in Price Group stock.

 

Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and the independent directors of Price Group and the Savings Bank must obtain prior transaction clearance of any transaction involving Price Group stock, (unless specifically exempted, such as transfers of form of ownership) from the Payroll and Stock Transaction Group.

 

Where required, prior transaction clearance must be obtained regardless of whether the transaction is effected through TRP Brokerage (generally available only to U.S. residents) or through an unaffiliated broker/dealer or other entity. Please note that the prior clearance procedures do not check compliance with the 60-Day Rule (p. 5-27); you are responsible for ensuring your compliance with this rule.

 

The independent directors of the Price Funds are not required to received prior transaction clearance in any case.

 

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN IN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE EITHER PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE OR REPORTING UNLESS THEY OCCUR IN A “REPORTABLE FUND.” The following transactions do not require either prior transaction clearance or reporting:

 

Mutual Funds and Variable Insurance Products . The purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end investment companies and variable insurance products, except that Access Persons must report transactions in Reportable Funds, as described below. ( see p. 5-11).

 

Automatic Investment Plans. Transactions through a program in which regular periodic purchases or withdrawals are made automatically in or from investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An automatic investment plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan. An Access Person must report any securities owned as a result of transactions in an Automatic Investment Plan on his or her Annual Report. Any transaction that overrides the pre-set schedule or allocations of an automatic investment plan (a “non-systematic transaction” ) must be reported by both Access Persons and Non-Access Persons and Access Persons must also receive prior transaction clearance for such a transaction if the transaction would otherwise require prior transaction clearance.

 

U.S. Government Obligations . Purchases or sales of direct obligations of the U.S. Government.

 

Certain Commodity Futures Contracts. Purchases or sales of commodity futures contracts for tangible goods ( e.g., corn, soybeans, wheat) if the transaction is regulated solely by the United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (" CFTC "). Futures contracts for financial instruments, however, must receive prior clearance.

 

Commercial Paper and Similar Instruments. Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements.

 

Certain Unit Investment Trusts. Shares issued by unit investment trusts that are invested exclusively in one or more open-end funds, if none of the underlying funds is a Reportable Fund.

 

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BUT MUST BE REPORTED BY BOTH ACCESS PERSONS AND NON-ACCESS PERSONS. The following transactions do not require prior transaction clearance but must be reported:

 

 

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”). Purchases or sales of the following ETFs only :

 

 

 

 

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Diamond Trust Series I (“ DIA ”)

 

SPDR Trust Series I (“ SPY ”)

 

NASDAQ-100 Index Tracking Stock (“ QQQQ ”)

 

Ishares MSCI EAFE Index Fund (“ EFA ”)

 

Ishares Trust S&P 500 Index (“ IVV ”)

 

Ishares Trust Russell 2000 (“ IWM ”)

 

Ishares MSCI Emerging Market Index (“ EEM ”)

 

Transactions in all other ETFs must receive prior clearance and these transactions must be reported.

 

Unit Investment Trusts. Purchases or sales of shares in unit investment trusts registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, unless the unit investment trust is an ETF, in which case it must comply with the specific restrictions on ETFs described immediately above.

 

 

National Government Obligations (other than U.S.). Purchases or sales of direct

 

obligations of national (non-U.S.) governments.

 

Pro Rata Distributions . Purchases effected by the exercise of rights issued pro rata to all holders of a class of securities or the sale of rights so received.

 

Mandatory Tenders . Purchases and sales of securities pursuant to a mandatory tender offer.

 

Exercise of Stock Option of Corporate Employer by Spouse . Transactions involving the exercise by an Access Person's spouse of a stock option issued by the corporation employing the spouse. However, a subsequent sale of the stock obtained by means of the exercise, including sales effected by a “cash-less” transactions, must receive prior transaction clearance.

 

Inheritances . The acquisition of securities through inheritance.

 

Gifts . The giving of or receipt of a security as a gift.

 

Stock Splits, Reverse Stock Splits, and Similar Acquisitions and Dispositions . The mandatory acquisition of additional shares or the disposition of existing corporate holdings through stock splits, reverse stock splits, stock dividends, exercise of rights, exchange or conversion. Reporting of such transactions must be made within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which they occurred. Reporting is deemed to have been made if the acquisition or disposition is reported on a confirmation, statement or similar document sent to Code Compliance.

 

Spousal Employee-Sponsored Payroll Deduction Plans . Purchases, but not sales, by an Access Person's spouse pursuant to an employee-sponsored payroll deduction plan ( e.g., a 401(k) plan or employee stock purchase plan), provided the Code Compliance Section has been previously notified by the Access Person that the spouse will be participating in the payroll deduction plan. Reporting of such transactions must be made within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which they occurred. A sale or exchange of stock held in such a plan is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements for Access Persons.

 

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT DO NOT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BUT MUST BE REPORTED BY ACCESS PERSONS ONLY.

 

Reportable Funds. Purchases and sales of shares of Reportable Funds. A Reportable Fund is any open-end investment company, including money market funds, for which any of the Price Advisers serves as an investment adviser. This includes not only the Price Funds and SICAVs, but also any fund managed by any of the Price Advisers through sub-advised relationships, including any fund holdings offered through retirement plans ( e.g., 401(k) plans) or as an investment option offered as part of a variable annuity. Group Compliance maintains a listing of sub-advised Reportable Funds under the Tools menu on the TRP Exchange.

 

 

 

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Restrictions on Holding Price Funds Through Intermediaries. Many Reportable Funds are Price Funds. Access Persons are encouraged to buy, sell and maintain their holdings of Price Funds in an account or accounts on a T. Rowe Price platform, rather than through an intermediary where possible. For example, Access Persons are encouraged to trade shares in a Price Fund through T. Rowe Price Services, Inc., the transfer agent or through a TRP Brokerage account, rather than through a brokerage account maintained at an independent broker/dealer.

 

Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing a Price Fund through an intermediary if shares of that Price Fund are not currently held at that intermediary and if the purchase could have been effected through one of the T. Rowe Price transfer agents or in a TRP Brokerage Account. If an Access Person currently holds Price Funds under such circumstances, he or she is prohibited from purchasing shares of any other Price Fund through that intermediary. Situations where Price Funds must be held through an intermediary ( e.g., spouse of an Access Person has or is eligible to invest in Price Funds through the spouse’s 401(k) plan) do not violate this policy.

 

Access Persons must inform the Code Compliance Section about ownership of shares of Price Funds. Once this notification has been given, if the Price Fund is held on a T. Rowe Price platform or in a TRP Brokerage Account, the Access Person need not report these transactions directly. See p. 5-19.

 

In instances where Price Funds are held through an intermediary, transactions in shares of those Price Funds must be reported as described on p. 5-19.

 

Interests in Section 529 College Investment Plans. Purchases and sales of interests in any Section 529 College Investment Plan. Access Persons must also inform the Code Compliance Section about ownership of interests in the Maryland College Investment Plan, the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan, the University of Alaska College Savings Plan, or the John Hancock Freedom 529. Once this notification has been given, an Access Person need not report these transactions directly. See p. 5-19.

 

 

Notification Requirements. Notification to the Code Compliance Section about a

 

Reportable Fund or a Section 529 College Investment Plan should include:

 

 

account ownership information, and

 

account number

 

The independent directors of the Price Funds are subject to modified reporting requirements.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee reviews at a minimum the transaction reports for all securities required to be reported under the Advisers Act or the Investment Company Act for all employees, officers, and inside directors of Price Group and its affiliates and for the independent directors of the Price Funds.

 

 

TRANSACTIONS (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) THAT REQUIRE PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE BY ACCESS PERSONS. If the transaction or security is not listed above as not requiring prior transaction clearance, you should assume that it is subject to this requirement unless specifically informed otherwise by the Code Compliance Section or the TRP International Compliance Team. The only Access Persons not subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements are the independent directors of the Price Funds.

 

Among the transactions for which you must receive prior transaction clearance are:

 

 

Non-systematic transactions in a security that is not exempt from prior transaction clearance;

 

Closed-end fund transactions, including U.K., Canadian, and other non-U.S. investment trusts, and ETFs not specifically exempted from prior clearance (see p. 5-10); and

 

 

Transactions in sector index funds that are closed-end or exchange-traded funds.

 

 

 

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OTHER TRANSACTION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. Any transaction that is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements on behalf of an Access Person (except the independent directors of the Price Funds), including purchases in initial public offerings and private placement transactions , must be reported. Although Non-Access Persons are not required to receive prior transaction clearance for securities transactions (other than Price Group stock), they must report any transaction that would require prior transaction clearance by an Access Person. The independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds and the Savings Bank are subject to modified reporting requirements.

 

PROCEDURES FOR OBTAINING PRIOR TRANSACTION CLEARANCE (OTHER THAN PRICE GROUP STOCK) FOR ACCESS PERSONS. Unless prior transaction clearance is not required as described above or the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee has otherwise determined that prior transaction clearance is not required, Access Persons, other than the independent directors of the Price Funds, must receive prior transaction clearance for all securities transactions.

 

Access Persons should follow the procedures set forth below before engaging in the transactions described. If an Access Person is not certain whether a proposed transaction is subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements, he or she should contact the Code Compliance Section before proceeding.

 

Procedures For Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance For Initial Public Offerings ("IPOs"):

 

Non-Investment Personnel . Access Persons who are not Investment Personnel ( "Non-Investment Personnel ") may purchase securities that are the subject of an IPO only

after receiving prior transaction clearance in writing from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee (" Designee "). An IPO would include, for example, an offering of securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933 when the issuer of the securities, immediately before the registration, was not subject to certain reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. This requirement applies to all IPOs regardless of market.

 

In considering such a request for prior transaction clearance, the Chairperson or his or her Designee will determine whether the proposed transaction presents a conflict of interest with any of the firm's clients or otherwise violates the Code. The Chairperson or his or her Designee will also consider whether:

 

 

1.

The purchase is made through the Non-Investment Personnel's regular broker;

 

 

2.

The number of shares to be purchased is commensurate with the normal size and activity of the Non-Investment Personnel's account; and

 

 

3.

The transaction otherwise meets the requirements of the FINRA restrictions, as applicable, regarding the sale of a new issue to an account in which a “restricted person,” as defined in FINRA’s NASD Rule 2790, has a beneficial interest.

 

In addition to receiving prior transaction clearance from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her Designee, Non-Investment Personnel must also check with the Equity Trading Desk the day the offering is priced before purchasing in the IPO. If a client order has been received since the initial prior transaction approval was given, the prior transaction clearance will be withdrawn.

 

Non-Investment Personnel will not be permitted to purchase shares in an IPO if any of the firm's clients are prohibited from doing so because of affiliated transaction restrictions. This prohibition will remain in effect until the firm's clients have had the opportunity to purchase in the secondary market once the underwriting is completed -- commonly referred to as the aftermarket. The 60-Day Rule applies to transactions in securities purchased in an IPO.

 

Investment Personnel . Investment Personnel may not purchase securities in an IPO.

 

Non-Access Persons . Although Non-Access Persons are not required to receive prior transaction clearance before purchasing shares in an IPO, any Non-Access Person who is a registered representative or associated person of Investment Services is reminded that FINRA’s NASD Rule 2790 may restrict his or her ability to buy shares in a new issue in any market.

 

 

 

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Procedures For Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance For Private Placements. Access Persons may not invest in a private placement of securities, including the purchase of limited partnership interests, unless prior transaction clearance in writing has been obtained from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her Designee. A private placement is generally defined by the SEC as an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act. Private placement investments generally require the investor to complete a written questionnaire or subscription agreement. If an Access Person has any questions about whether a transaction is, in fact, a private placement, he or she should contact the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee.

 

In considering a request for prior transaction clearance for a private placement, the Chairperson will determine whether the investment opportunity (private placement) should be reserved for the firm's clients, and whether the opportunity is being offered to the Access Person by virtue of his or her position with the firm. The Chairperson will also secure, if appropriate, the approval of the proposed transaction from the chairperson of the applicable investment steering committee. These investments may also have special reporting requirements, as discussed under “Procedures for Reporting Transactions,” at p. 5-18.

 

Continuing Obligation. An Access Person who has received prior transaction clearance to invest and does invest in a private placement of securities and who, at a later date, anticipates participating in the firm's investment decision process regarding the purchase or sale of securities of the issuer of that private placement on behalf of any client, must immediately disclose his or her prior investment in the private placement to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee and to the chairperson of the appropriate investment steering committee.

 

Registered representatives of Investment Services are reminded that FINRA rules may restrict investment in a private placement in certain circumstances.

 

Procedures For Obtaining Prior Transaction Clearance For All Other Securities Transactions . Requests for prior transaction clearance by Access Persons for all other securities transactions requiring prior transaction clearance should generally be made via iTrade on the firm's intranet. The iTrade system automatically sends any request for prior transaction approval that requires manual intervention to the Equity Trading Department. If you cannot access iTrade, requests may be made orally, in writing, or by electronic mail (email address "Personal Trades” in the electronic mail address book). Obtaining clearance by electronic mail if you cannot access iTrade is strongly encouraged. All requests must include the name of the security, a definitive security identifier ( e.g., CUSIP, ticker, or Sedol), the number of shares or amount of bond involved, and the nature of the transaction, i.e. , whether the transaction is a purchase, sale, short sale, or buy to cover. Responses to all requests will be made by iTrade or the Equity Trading Department, documenting the request and whether or not prior transaction clearance has been granted. The Examiner system maintains the record of all approval and denials, whether automatic or manual.

 

Requests will normally be processed on the same day; however, additional time may be required for prior transaction clearance for certain securities, including non-U.S. securities.

 

Effectiveness of Prior Transaction Clearance . Prior transaction clearance of a securities transaction is effective for three (3) United States business days from and including the date the clearance is granted, regardless of the time of day when clearance is granted. If the proposed securities transaction is not executed within this time, a new clearance must be obtained . For example, if prior transaction clearance is granted at 2:00 pm Monday, the trade must be executed by Wednesday. In situations where it appears that the trade will not be executed within three business days even if the order is entered in that time period ( e.g., certain transactions through Transfer Agents or spousal employee-sponsored payroll deduction plans), please notify the Code Compliance Section after prior clearance has been granted, but before entering the order with the executing agent.

 

Reminder . If you are an Access Person and become the beneficial owner of another's securities ( e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, then transactions in those securities also become subject to the prior transaction clearance requirements. You must also report acquisition of beneficial ownership or control of these securities within 10 business days of your knowledge of their existence.

 

 

 

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REASONS FOR DISALLOWING ANY PROPOSED TRANSACTION . Prior transaction clearance will usually not be granted for a proposed transaction by the Trading Department, either directly or by iTrade, and/or by the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or by the TRP International Compliance Team if:

 

Pending Client Orders . Orders have been placed by any of the Price Advisers to purchase or sell the security unless certain size or volume parameters as described below under “Large Issuer/Volume Transactions” are met.

 

Purchases and Sales Within Seven (7) Calendar Days . The security has been purchased or sold by any client of a Price Adviser within seven calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction, unless certain size or volume parameters as described below under “Large Issuer/Volume Transactions” are met.

 

For example, if a client transaction occurs on Monday, prior transaction clearance is not generally granted to an Access Person to purchase or sell that security until Tuesday of the following week. Transactions in securities in pure as opposed to enhanced index funds are not considered for this purpose.

 

If all clients have eliminated their holdings in a particular security, the seven-day restriction is not applicable to an Access Person's transactions in that security.

 

Approved Company Rating Changes. A change in the rating of an approved company as reported in the firm's Daily Research News has occurred within seven (7) calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction. Accordingly, trading would not be permitted until the eighth (8) calendar day.

 

Securities Subject to Internal Trading Restrictions . The security is limited or restricted by any of the Price Advisers as to purchase or sale by Access Persons.

 

If for any reason an Access Person has not received a requested prior transaction clearance for a proposed securities transaction, he or she must not communicate this information to another person and must not cause any other person to enter into such a transaction.

 

Requests for Reconsideration of Prior Transaction Clearance Denials. If an Access Person has not been granted a requested prior transaction clearance, he or she may apply to the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or his or her designee for reconsideration. Such a request must be in writing and must fully describe the basis upon which the reconsideration is being requested. As part of the reconsideration process, the Chairperson or his or her designee will determine if any client of any of the Price Advisers may be disadvantaged by the proposed transaction by the Access Person. The factors the Chairperson or his or her designee may consider in making this determination include:

 

 

the size of the proposed transaction;

 

the nature of the proposed transaction ( i.e. , buy or sell) and of any recent, current or pending client transactions;

 

the trading volume of the security that is the subject of the proposed Access Person transaction;

 

the existence of any current or pending order in the security for any client of a Price Adviser;

 

the reason the Access Person wants to trade ( e.g. , to provide funds for the purchase of a home); and

 

the number of times the Access Person has requested prior transaction clearance for the proposed trade and the amount of time elapsed between each prior transaction clearance request.

 

TRANSACTION CONFIRMATIONS AND PERIODIC ACCOUNT STATEMENTS . All Access Persons (except the independent directors of the Price Funds) and Non-Access Persons must request broker-dealers, investment advisers, banks, or other financial institutions executing their transactions to send a duplicate confirmation or contract note with respect to each and every reportable transaction, including Price Group stock, and a copy of all periodic statements for all securities accounts in which the Access Person or Non-Access Person is considered to have beneficial ownership and/or control ( see page 5-4 for a discussion of beneficial ownership and control concepts) to Compliance, Legal Department, T. Rowe Price, P.O. Box 17218, Baltimore, Maryland 21297-1218.

 

 

 

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The independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds, and the Savings Bank are subject to modified reporting requirements described at pp. 5-20 to 5-23.

 

If transaction or statement information is provided in a language other than English, the employee should provide a translation into English of the documents.

 

NOTIFICATION OF SECURITIES ACCOUNTS . All persons (except the independent directors of the Price Funds) and all entities subject to this Statement must give notice by email to the Code Compliance section (email address “Legal Compliance Employee Trading”) before opening a securities account with, or as soon as the person or entity subject to this Statement knows of the existence of an account with, any broker, dealer, investment adviser, bank, or other financial institution, including TRP Brokerage.

 

The independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds, and the Savings Bank are not subject to this requirement.

 

New Personnel Subject to the Code . A person subject to the Code must give written notice as directed above of any existing securities accounts maintained with any broker, dealer, investment adviser, bank or other financial institution within 10 business days of association with the firm.

 

You do not have to report accounts at transfer agents or similar entities if the only securities in those accounts are variable insurance products or open-end mutual funds if these are the only types of securities that can be held or traded in the accounts. If other securities can be held or traded, the accounts must be reported. For example, if you have an account at a transfer agent that can only hold shares of a mutual fund, that account does not have to be reported. If, however, you have a brokerage account it must be reported even if the only securities currently held or traded in it are mutual funds.

 

Officers, Directors and Registered Representatives of Investment Services . FINRA requires each associated person of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. to:

 

 

Obtain approval for a securities account from Investment Services (whether the registered person is based in the United States or internationally); the request for approval should be in writing, directed to the Code Compliance Section, and submitted before opening or placing the initial trade in the securities account; and

 

 

If the securities account is with a broker/dealer, provide the broker/dealer with written notice of his or her association with Investment Services.

 

Annual Statement by Access Persons. Each Access Person, except an Access Person who is an independent director of the Price Funds, must also file with the firm a statement of his or her accounts as of year-end in January of the following year.

 

Reminder. If you become the beneficial owner of another's securities ( e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, then the associated securities accounts become subject to the account reporting requirements.

 

PROCEDURES FOR REPORTING TRANSACTIONS. The following requirements apply both to Access Persons and Non-Access Persons except the independent directors of Price Group, the Price Funds and the Savings Bank, who are subject to modified reporting requirements:

 

Report Form . If the executing firm provides a confirmation, contract note or similar document directly to the firm, you do not need to make a further report. The date this document is received by the Code Compliance Section will be deemed the date the report is submitted for purposes of SEC compliance. The Code Compliance Section must receive the confirmation or similar document no later than 30 days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction occurred. You must report all other transactions on the form designated "T. Rowe Price Employee's Report of Securities Transactions," which is available on the firm's Intranet under the Tools menu on the TRP Exchange.

 

 

 

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What Information Is Required. Each transaction report must contain , at a minimum, the following information about each transaction involving a reportable security in which you had, or as a result of the transaction acquired, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

 

the date of the transaction

 

the title of the security

 

the ticker symbol or CUSIP number, as applicable

 

the interest rate and maturity date, as applicable

 

the number of shares, as applicable

 

the principal amount of each reportable security involved, as applicable.

 

the nature of the transaction ( i.e. purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition)

 

the price of the security at which the transaction was effected

 

the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through which the transaction was effected; and

 

the date you submit the report

 

When Reports are Due . You must report a securities transaction (other than a transaction in a Reportable Fund or Section 529 College Investment Plan [Access Persons only] or a spousal payroll deduction plan or a stock split or similar acquisition or disposition) within ten (10) business days after the trade date or within ten (10) business days after the date on which you first gain knowledge of the transaction (for example, a bequest) if this is later. A transaction in a Reportable Fund, a Section 529 College Investment Plan, a spousal payroll deduction plan or a stock split or similar acquisition or disposition must be reported within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which it occurred.

 

Access Person Reporting of Reportable Funds and Section 529 College Investment Plan Interests Held on a T. Rowe Price Platform or in a TRP Brokerage account. You are required to inform the Code Compliance Section about Reportable Funds and/or Section 529 College Investment Plan interests ( i.e., the Maryland College Investment Plan, the T. Rowe Price College Savings Plan, the University of Alaska College Savings Plan, and the John Hancock Freedom 529) held on a T. Rowe Price Platform or in a TRP Brokerage account. See p. 5-12. Once you have done this, you do not have to report any transactions in those securities; your transactions and holdings will be updated and reported automatically to Code Compliance on a monthly basis. You should send an email to the Access Persons Legal Compliance mailbox when you first purchase shares in a Reportable Fund or invest in Section 529 College Investment Plan Interests held on a T.Rowe Price Platform or in a TRP Brokerage account providing the account number and Reportable Fund name, if applicable, and the account registration to inform the Code Compliance Section of new holdings.

 

Access Person Reporting of Reportable Funds and Section 529 College Investment Plan Interests NOT Held on a T. Rowe Price Platform or in a TRP Brokerage Account.

You must notify the Code Compliance Section of any Reportable Fund or Section 529 College Investment Plan interests that you beneficially own or control that are held at any intermediary, including any broker/dealer other than TRP’s Brokerage Division. This would include, for example, a Price Fund held in your spouse’s retirement plan, even if T. Rowe Price Retirement Plan Services, Inc. acts as the administrator or recordkeeper of that plan. Any transaction in a Reportable Fund or in interests in a Section 529 College Investment Plan must be reported by duplicate account information sent directly by the intermediary to the Code Compliance Section or by the Access Person directly on the “T. Rowe Price Employees Report of Securities Transactions” within 30 days of the end of the quarter in which the transaction occurred.

 

Reporting Certain Private Placement Transactions. If your investment requires periodic capital calls ( e.g., in a limited partnership) you must report each capital call within ten (10) business days. This is the case even if you are an Access Person and you received prior transaction clearance for a total cumulative investment.

 

Reminder. If you become the beneficial owner of another's securities ( e.g., by marriage to the owner of the securities) or begin to direct trading of another's securities, the transactions in these securities become subject to the transaction reporting requirements.

 

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF THE PRICE FUNDS.

 

 

 

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Transactions in Publicly Traded Securities. An independent director of the Price Funds must report transactions in publicly-traded securities where the independent director controls or directs such transactions. These reporting requirements apply to transactions the independent director effects for his or her own beneficial ownership as well as the beneficial ownership of others, such as a spouse or other family member. An independent director does not have to report securities transactions in accounts over which the independent director has no direct or indirect influence or control ( e.g., transactions in an account managed by an investment professional pursuant to a discretionary agreement and where the independent director does not participate in the investment decisions).

 

Transactions in Non-Publicly Traded Securities. An independent director does not have to report transactions in securities which are not traded on an exchange or listed on NASDAQ ( i.e., non-publicly traded securities), unless the independent director knew, or in the ordinary

course of fulfilling his or her official duties as a Price Funds independent director, should have known that during the 15-day period immediately before or after the independent director’s transaction in such non-publicly traded security, a Price Adviser purchased, sold or considered purchasing or selling such security for a Price Fund or Price advisory client.

 

Methods of Reporting . An independent director has the option to satisfy his or her obligation to report transactions in securities via a Quarterly Report or by arranging for the executing brokers of such transactions to provide duplicate transaction confirmations directly to the Code Compliance Section.  

 

Quarterly Reports . If a Price Fund independent director elects to report his or her transactions quarterly: (1) a report for each securities transaction must be filed with the Code Compliance Section no later than thirty (30) days after the end of the calendar quarter in which the transaction was effected; and (2) a report must be filed for each quarter, regardless of whether there have been any reportable transactions. The Code Compliance Section will send to each independent director of the Price Funds who chooses to report transactions on a quarterly basis a reminder letter and reporting form approximately ten days before the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Duplicate Confirmation Reporting. An independent director of the Price Funds may also instruct his or her broker to send duplicate transaction information (confirmations) directly to the Code Compliance Section. An independent director who chooses to have his or her broker send duplicate account information to the Code Compliance Section in lieu of directly reporting broker-executed transactions must nevertheless continue to report in the normal way ( i.e., Quarterly Reports) any securities transactions for which a broker confirmation is not generated.

 

Among the types of transactions that are commonly not reported through a broker confirmation and may therefore have to be reported directly to T. Rowe Price are:  

 

 

Exercise of Stock Option of Corporate Employer;

 

Inheritance of a Security;

 

Gift of a Security; and

 

Transactions in Certain Commodities Futures Contracts ( e.g., financial indices).

 

An independent director of the Price Funds must include any transactions listed above, as applicable, in his or her Quarterly Reports if not otherwise contained in a duplicate broker confirmation. The Code Compliance Section will send to each independent director of the Price Funds who chooses to report transactions through broker confirmations a reminder letter and reporting form approximately ten days before the end of each calendar quarter so that transactions not reported by broker confirmations can be reported on the reporting form.

 

Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from the Price Funds. An independent director of the Price Funds shall report to the Code Compliance Section any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which he or she holds with any public, private, or governmental issuer other than the Price Funds.

 

 

 

5-15

 

 

 

Reporting of Significant Ownership .

 

Issuers (Other than Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds) . If an independent director of the Price Funds owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer (other than a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund), he or she must immediately report this ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Section, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuer’s shares beneficially owned.

 

Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds . If an independent director of the Price Funds owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the independent director exercises control or influence, or is informed of the investment transactions of that entity, the independent director must report such ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Section. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the independent director does not exercise control or influence and is not informed of the investment transactions of such entity, the independent director need not report such ownership to the Code Compliance Section unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity.

 

Investments in Price Group . An independent director of the Price Funds is prohibited from owning the common stock or other securities of Price Group.

 

Investments in Non-Listed Securities Firms. An independent director of the Price Funds may not purchase or sell the shares of a broker/dealer, underwriter or federally registered investment adviser unless that entity is traded on an exchange or listed on NASDAQ or the purchase or sale has otherwise been approved by the Price Fund Boards.

 

Restrictions on Client Investment Partnerships.

 

Co-Investing . An independent director of the Price Funds is not permitted to co-invest in client investment partnerships of Price Group or its affiliates, such as Strategic Partners, Threshold, and Recovery.

 

Direct Investment . An independent director of the Price Funds is not permitted to invest as a limited partner in client investment partnerships of Price Group or its affiliates.

 

Dealing with Clients . Aside from market transactions effected through securities exchanges or via NASDAQ, an independent director of the Price Funds may not, directly or indirectly, sell to or purchase from a client any security. This prohibition does not preclude the purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end mutual fund that is a client of any of the Price Advisers.

 

REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF PRICE GROUP.

 

Reporting of Personal Securities Transactions. An independent director of Price Group is not required to report his or her personal securities transactions (other than transactions in Price Group stock) as long as the independent director does not obtain information about the Price Advisers' investment research, recommendations, or transactions. However, each independent director of Price Group is reminded that changes to certain information reported by the respective independent director in the Annual Questionnaire for Independent Directors are required to be reported to Corporate Records in Baltimore ( e.g., changes in holdings of stock of financial institutions or financial institution holding companies).

 

Reporting of Officership, Directorship, General Partnership or Other Managerial Positions Apart from Price Group. An independent director of Price Group shall report to the Code Compliance Section any officership, directorship, general partnership or other managerial position which he or she holds with any public, private, or governmental issuer other than Price Group.

 

Reporting of Significant Ownership .

 

Issuers (Other than Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds) . If an independent director of Price Group owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private issuer (other than a

 

 

5-16

 

 

non-public investment partnership, pool or fund), he or she must immediately report this ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Section, providing the name of the issuer and the total number of the issuer’s shares beneficially owned.

 

Non-Public Investment Partnerships, Pools or Funds . If an independent director of Price Group owns more than ½ of 1% of the total outstanding shares or units of a non-public investment partnership, pool or fund over which the independent director exercises control or influence, or is informed of the investment transactions of that entity, the independent director must report such ownership in writing to the Code Compliance Section. For non-public investment partnerships, pools or funds where the independent director does not exercise control or influence and is not informed of the investment transactions of such entity, the independent director need not report such ownership to the Code Compliance Section unless and until such ownership exceeds 4% of the total outstanding shares or units of the entity.

 

TRANSACTION REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS OF THE SAVINGS BANK. The independent directors of the Savings Bank are not required to report their personal securities transactions (other than transactions in Price Group stock) as long as they do not obtain information about the Price Advisers’ investment research, recommendations, or transactions, other than information obtained because the Savings Bank is a client of one or more of the Price Advisers. In addition, the independent directors of the Savings Bank may be required to report other personal securities transactions and/or holdings as specifically requested from time to time by the Savings Bank in accordance with regulatory or examination requirements.

 

MISCELLANEOUS RULES REGARDING PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS . These rules vary in their applicability depending upon whether you are an Access Person.

 

The following rules apply to all Access Persons, except the independent directors of the Price Funds, and to all Non-Access Persons:

 

Dealing with Clients . Access Persons and Non-Access Persons may not, directly or indirectly, sell to or purchase from a client any security. Market transactions are not subject to this restriction. This prohibition does not preclude the purchase or redemption of shares of any open-end mutual fund that is a client of any of the Price Advisers and does not apply to transactions in a spousal employer-sponsored payroll deduction plan or spousal employer-sponsored stock option plan.

 

Investment Clubs. These restrictions vary depending upon the person's status, as follows:

 

Non-Access Persons. A Non-Access Person may form or participate in a stock or investment club without prior clearance from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee (U.S.–based personnel) or the TRP International Compliance Team (international personnel). Only transactions in Price Group stock are subject to prior transaction clearance. Club transactions must be reported just as the Non-Access Person's individual trades are reported.

 

Access Persons . An Access Person may not form or participate in a stock or investment club unless prior written clearance has been obtained from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee (U.S.-based personnel) or the TRP International Compliance Team (international personnel). Generally, transactions by such a stock or investment club in which an Access Person has beneficial ownership or control are subject to the same prior transaction clearance and reporting requirements applicable to an individual Access Person's trades. If, however, the Access Person has beneficial ownership solely by virtue of his or her spouse's participation in the club and has no investment control or input into decisions regarding the club's securities transactions, the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee or the TRP International Compliance Team may, as appropriate as part of the prior clearance process, require the prior transaction clearance of Price Group stock transactions only.

 

Margin Accounts. While margin accounts are discouraged, you may open and maintain margin accounts for the purchase of securities provided such accounts are with firms with which you maintain a regular securities account relationship.

 

Trading Activity. You are discouraged from engaging in a pattern of securities transactions that either:

 

 

 

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is so excessively frequent as to potentially impact your ability to carry out your assigned responsibilities, or

 

involves securities positions that are disproportionate to your net assets.

 

At the discretion of the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee, written notification of excessive trading may be sent to you and/or the appropriate supervisor if ten or more reportable trades occur in your account(s) in a month, or if circumstances otherwise warrant this action.

 

The following rules apply only to Access Persons other than the independent directors of the Price Funds:

 

Large Issuer/Volume Transactions . Although subject to prior transaction clearance, transactions involving securities of certain large issuers or of issuers with high trading volumes, within the parameters set by the Ethics Committee (the “ Large Issuer/Volume List ”), will be permitted under normal circumstances, as follows:

 

Transactions involving no more than U.S. $30,000 (all amounts are in U.S. dollars) or the nearest round lot (even if the amount of the transaction marginally exceeds $30,000) per security per seven (7) calendar day period in securities of:

 

 

issuers with market capitalizations of $5 billion or more, or

 

U.S. issuers with an average daily trading volume in excess of 500,000 shares over the preceding 90 calendar days

 

are usually permitted, unless the rating on the security as reported in the firm’s Daily Research News has been changed to a 1 or a 5 within the seven (7) calendar days immediately prior to the date of the proposed transaction.

 

These parameters are subject to change by the Ethics Committee. An Access Person should be aware that if prior transaction clearance is granted for a specific number of shares lower than the number requested, he or she may not be able to receive permission to buy or sell additional shares of the issuer for the next seven (7) calendar days.

 

If you believe one or both of these criteria should be applied to a non-U.S. issuer, you should contact the Code Compliance Section or the TRP International Compliance Team, as appropriate. When contacted, the TRP International Compliance Team will coordinate the process with the Code Compliance Section.

 

Transactions Involving Options on Large Issuer/Volume List Securities . Access Persons may not purchase uncovered put options or sell uncovered call options unless otherwise permitted under the "Options and Futures" discussion below. Otherwise, in the case of

options on an individual security on the Large Issuer/Volume List (if it has not had a prohibited rating change), an Access Person may trade the greater of 5 contracts or sufficient option contracts to control $30,000 in the underlying security; thus an Access Person may trade 5 contracts even if this permits the Access Person to control more than $30,000 in the underlying security. Similarly, the Access Person may trade more than 5 contracts as long as the number of contracts does not permit him or her to control more than $30,000 in the underlying security.

 

Transactions Involving Exchange-Traded Index Options . Generally, an Access Person may trade the greater of 5 contracts or sufficient contracts to control $30,000 in the underlying securities; thus an Access Person may trade 5 contracts even if this permits the Access Person to control more than $30,000 in the underlying securities. Similarly, the Access Person may trade more than 5 contracts as long as the number of contracts does not permit him or her to control more than $30,000 in the underlying securities. These parameters are subject to change by the Ethics Committee.

 

Please note that an option on a Unit Investment Trust ( e.g., QQQQ) is not an exchange-traded index option and does not fall under this provision. See the discussion under General Information on Options and Futures below.

 

Client Limit Orders . Although subject to prior transaction clearance, an Access Person’s proposed trade in a security is usually permitted even if a limit order has been entered for a client for the same security, if:

 

 

 

5-18

 

 

 

 

The Access Person’s trade will be entered as a market order; and

 

The client’s limit order is 10% or more away from the market at the time the Access Person requests prior transaction clearance.

Japanese New Issues. All Access Persons are prohibited from purchasing a security which is the subject of an IPO in Japan.

 

General Information on Options and Futures (Other than Exchange – Traded Index Options). If a transaction in the underlying instrument does not require prior transaction clearance ( e.g., National Government Obligations, Unit Investment Trusts), then an options or futures transaction on the underlying instrument does not require prior transaction clearance. However, all options and futures transactions, except the commodity futures transactions described on page 5-10, must be reported even if a transaction in the underlying instrument would not have to be reported ( e.g., U.S. Government Obligations). Transactions in publicly traded options on Price Group stock are not permitted. See p. 5-7. Please consult the specific discussion on Exchange – Traded Index Options above for transactions in those securities. Please note that Contracts for Difference are treated under this Statement in the same manner as call options, and, as a result, are subject to the 60-Day Rule.

 

 

 

Before engaging in options and futures transactions, Access Persons should understand the impact that the 60-Day Rule and intervening client transactions may have upon their ability to close out a position with a profit ( see page 5-27).

 

Options and Futures on Securities and Indices Not Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. There are no specific restrictions with respect to the purchase, sale or writing of put or call options or any other option or futures activity, such as multiple writings, spreads and straddles, on a security (and options or futures on such security) or index that is not held by any of the Price Advisers’ clients.

 

Options on Securities Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. With respect to options on securities of companies which are held by any of Price Advisers’ clients, it is the firm’s policy that an Access Person should not profit from a price decline of a security owned by a client (other than a “pure” Index account). Therefore, an Access Person may: (i) purchase call options and sell covered call options and (ii) purchase covered put options and sell put options. An Access Person may not purchase uncovered put options or sell uncovered call options, even if the issuer of the underlying securities is included on the Large Issuer/Volume List, unless purchased in connection with other options on the same security as part of a straddle, combination or spread strategy which is designed to result in a profit to the Access Person if the underlying security rises in or does not change in value. The purchase, sale and exercise of options are subject to the same restrictions as those set forth with respect to securities, i.e., the option should be treated as if it were the common stock itself.

 

Other Options and Futures Held by Clients of the Price Advisers. Any other option or futures transaction with respect to domestic or foreign securities held by any of the Price Advisers' clients will receive prior transaction clearance if appropriate after due consideration is given, based on the particular facts presented, as to whether the proposed transaction or series of transactions might appear to or actually create a conflict with the interests of any of the Price Advisers' clients. Such transactions include transactions in futures and options on futures involving financial instruments regulated solely by the CFTC.

 

Closing or Exercising Option Positions. A transaction initiated by an Access Person to exercise an option or to close an option transaction must also receive prior transaction clearance. If an intervening client transaction in the underlying security has occurred since the position was opened, the Access Person may not receive prior clearance to initiate a transaction to exercise the option or to close out the position, as applicable. The sale of an option by an Access Person must receive prior clearance, which also covers the exercise of that option against the Access Person, if one occurs.

 

 

 

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Short Sales . Short sales by Access Persons are subject to prior clearance unless the security itself does not otherwise require prior clearance. In addition, Access Persons may not sell any security short which is owned by any client of one of the Price Advisers unless a transaction in that security would not require prior clearance. Short sales of Price Group stock are not permitted. All short sales are subject to the 60-Day Rule described below.

 

The 60-Day Rule. Access Persons are prohibited from profiting from the purchase and sale or sale and purchase ( e.g., short sales and certain option transactions) of the same (or equivalent) securities within 60 calendar days. An "equivalent" security means any option, warrant, convertible security, stock appreciation right, or similar right with an exercise or conversion privilege at a price related to the subject security, or similar securities with a value derived from the value of the subject security. Thus, for example, the rule prohibits options transactions on or short sales of a security that may result in a gain within 60 days of the purchase of the underlying security. In addition, the rule applies regardless of the Access Person’s other holdings of the same security or whether the Access Person has split his or her holdings into tax lots. For example, if an Access Person buys 100 shares of XYZ stock on March 1, 2003 and another 100 shares of XYZ stock on November 27, 2007, he or she may not sell any shares of XYZ stock at a profit for 60 days following November 27, 2007.

 

Similarly, an Access Person must own the underlying security for more than 60 days before entering into any options transaction on that security.

 

The 60-Day Rule "clock" restarts each time the Access Person trades in that security.

 

The closing of a position in an option or Contract for Difference on any security other than an index will result in a 60-Day Rule violation if the position was opened within the 60-day window and the closing transaction results in a gain. Multiple positions will not be netted to determine an overall gain or loss in options on the same underlying security expiring on the same day.

 

The 60-Day Rule does not apply to:

 

 

any transaction by a Non-Access Person other than transactions in Price Group stock not excluded below;

 

any transaction which because of its nature or the nature of the security involved does not require prior transaction clearance ( e.g., if an Access Person inherits a security, a transaction that did not require prior transaction clearance, then he or she may sell the security inherited at a profit within 60 calendar days of its acquisition; other examples include the purchase or sale of a unit investment trust, including SPYDER and QQQQ, the exercise of a corporate stock option by an Access Person’s spouse, or pro-rata distributions; see pp. 5-9; 5-10; 5-11);

 

the purchase and sale or sale and purchase of exchange-traded index options;

 

any transaction in Price Group stock effected through the ESPP (note that the 60-Day Rule does apply to shares transferred out of the ESPP to a securities account; generally, however, an employee remaining in the ESPP may not transfer shares held less than 60 days out of the ESPP);

 

the exercise of "company-granted" Price Group stock options or receipt of Price Group shares through Company-based awards and the subsequent sale of the derivative shares; and

 

any purchase of Price Group stock through an established dividend reinvestment plan.

 

Prior transaction clearance procedures do not check compliance with the 60-Day Rule when considering a trading request. Access Persons are responsible for checking their compliance with this rule before entering a trade. If you have any questions about whether this Rule will be triggered by a proposed transaction, you should contact the Code Compliance Section or the TRP International Compliance Team before requesting prior transaction clearance for the proposed trade.

 

Access Persons may request in writing an interpretation from the Chairperson of the Ethics Committee that the 60-Day Rule should not apply to a specific transaction or transactions.

 

 

 

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Expanded Holding Period Requirement for Employees in Japan. Securities owned by Staff employed by the Tokyo branch of T. Rowe Price Global Services Limited may be subject to a longer holding period than 60 days. If you have any questions about this restriction, you should contact the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

Investments in Non-Listed Securities Firms. Access Persons may not purchase or sell the shares of a broker/dealer, underwriter or federally registered investment adviser unless that entity is traded on an exchange or listed as a NASDAQ stock or prior transaction clearance is given under the private placement procedures ( see p. 5-14).

 

REPORTING OF ONE – HALF OF ONE PERCENT OWNERSHIP. If an employee owns more than 1/2 of 1% of the total outstanding shares of a public or private company, he or she must immediately report this in writing to the Code Compliance Section, providing the name of the company and the total number of such company's shares beneficially owned.

 

GAMBLING RELATED TO THE SECURITIES MARKETS. All persons subject to the Code are prohibited from wagering, betting or gambling related to individual securities, securities indices, currency spreads, or other similar financial indices or instruments. This prohibition applies to wagers placed through casinos, betting parlors or internet gambling sites and is applicable regardless of where the activity is initiated ( e.g., home or firm computer or telephone). This specific prohibition does not restrict the purchase or sale of securities through a securities account reporting to the Code Compliance Section even if these transactions are effected with a speculative investment objective.

 

INITIAL DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS BY ACCESS PERSONS. Upon commencement of employment, appointment or promotion (no later than 10 calendar days after the starting date) , each Access Person, except an independent director of the Price Funds, is required by United States securities laws to disclose in writing all current securities holdings in which he or she is considered to have beneficial ownership or control (“Securities Holdings Report”) ( see page 5-5 for definition of the term Beneficial Owner) and provide or reconfirm the information regarding all of his or her securities accounts.

 

The form to provide the Securities Holdings Report will be provided upon commencement of employment, appointment, promotion, or designation as an Access Person, and should be submitted to the Code Compliance Section. It is sent by email from the Access Persons mailbox.

 

SEC rules require that each Securities Holding Report contain, at a minimum, the following information:

 

 

securities title

 

 

securities type

 

 

exchange ticker number or CUSIP number, as applicable

 

 

number of shares or principal amount of each reportable securities in which the Access Person has any direct or indirect beneficial ownership

 

 

the name of any broker, dealer or both with which the Access Person maintains an account in which any securities are held for the Access Person’s direct or indirect benefit; and

 

 

the date the Access Person submits the Securities Holding Report.

 

The information provided must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the person becomes an Access Person.

 

ANNUAL DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS BY ACCESS PERSONS . Each Access Person, except an independent director of the Price Funds, is also required to file a “ Personal Securities Report ,” consisting of a Statement of Personal Securities Holdings and a Securities Account Verification Form Report, on an annual basis. The Personal Securities Report must be as of year end and must be filed with the firm by the date it specifies . The Chief Compliance Officer or his or her designee reviews all Personal Securities Reports.

 

ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURE OF OPEN-END INVESTMENT COMPANY HOLDINGS BY INVESTMENT PERSONNEL. If a person has been designated “Investment Personnel,” he or she must report with the initial and annual

 

 

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Securities Holdings Report a listing of shares of all open-end investment companies (except money market funds), whether registered under the Investment Company Act or sold in jurisdictions outside the United States, that the Investment Personnel either beneficially owns or controls. If an Access Person becomes Investment Personnel, he or she must file a supplement to his or her existing Securities Holdings Report within thirty (30) days of the date of this designation change, listing all shares of open-end investment companies (except money market funds) that he or she beneficially owns or controls. Previously disclosed ownership of Reportable Funds does not have to be reported again in this disclosure.

 

CONFIDENTIALITY OF RECORDS . Price Group makes every effort to protect the privacy of all persons and entities in connection with their Securities Holdings Reports, Reports of Securities Transactions, Reports of Securities Accounts, and Personal Securities Reports.

 

SANCTIONS . Strict compliance with the provisions of this Statement is considered a basic provision of employment or other association with Price Group and the Price Funds. The Ethics Committee, the Code Compliance Section, and the TRP International Compliance Team are primarily responsible for administering this Statement. In fulfilling this function, the Ethics Committee will institute such procedures as it deems reasonably necessary to monitor each person's and entity's compliance with this Statement and to otherwise prevent and detect violations.

 

Violations by Access Persons, Non-Access Persons and Independent Directors of Price Group or the Savings Bank. Upon discovering a material violation of this Statement by any person or entity other than an independent director of a Price Fund, the Ethics Committee will impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate and as are approved by the Management Committee or the Board of Directors including, inter alia , a letter of censure or suspension, a fine, a suspension of trading privileges or termination of employment and/or officership of the violator. In addition, the violator may be required to surrender to Price Group, or to the party or parties it may designate, any profit realized from any transaction that is in violation of this Statement. All material violations of this Statement shall be reported to the Board of Directors of Price Group and to the Board of Directors of any Price Fund with respect to whose securities such violations may have been involved.

 

Violations by Independent Directors of Price Funds. Upon discovering a material violation of this Statement by an independent director of a Price Fund, the Ethics Committee shall report such violation to the Board on which the director serves. The Price Fund Board will impose such sanctions as it deems appropriate.

 

March, 2008

 

 

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

WITH RESPECT TO COMPLIANCE WITH

COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK LAWS

 

 

Purpose of Statement of Policy. To protect the interests of Price Group and its personnel, Price Group has adopted this Statement of Policy with Respect to Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws (" Statement" ) to: (1) describe the legal principles governing copyrights, trademarks, and service marks; (2) ensure that Price Group's various copyrights, trademarks, and service marks are protected from infringement; and, (3) prevent Price Group from violating intellectual property rights of others. Although this Statement primarily describes the requirements of United States law, it is important to note that many nations have laws in this area.

 

Definition of Copyright

 

In order to protect authors and owners of books, articles, drawings, designs, business logos, music, videos, electronic media, or computer programs and software, the U.S. Copyright Law makes it a crime to reproduce, in any manner, any copyrighted material without the express written permission of the copyright owner. Under current law, all original works are copyrighted at the moment of creation; it is no longer necessary to officially register a copyright. Copyright infringements may result in judgments of actual damages (i.e., the cost of additional subscriptions, attorneys fees and court costs) as well as statutory damages, which can range from $750 to $30,000 per infringement plus a potential of $150,000 per infringement for willful infringement.

 

Reproduction of Articles and Similar Materials for Internal and External Distribution. In general, the unauthorized reproduction and distribution of copyrighted material is a U.S. and state crime. This includes downloading or copying information from an Internet website or any fee-paid subscription publication services. Copyrighted material may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the copyright owner (a sample Permission Request Letter is available from the Legal Department). An exception to the copyright law is the “fair use” doctrine, which allows reproduction for scholarly purposes, criticism, or commentary. This exception ordinarily does not apply in a business environment. Thus, personnel wishing to reproduce copyrighted material for internal or external distribution must obtain written permission from the author or publisher.

 

It is your responsibility to obtain permission to reproduce copyrighted material. The permission must be in writing and forwarded to the Legal Department. If the publisher will not grant permission to reproduce the copyrighted material, then the requestor must purchase from the publisher or owner either additional subscriptions or copies of the work or refrain from using it. The original article or periodical may be circulated as an alternative to purchasing additional copies. If the work in question is accessible via an Internet web site, the web site address may be circulated in order for others to publicly view the information.

 

 

For works published after January 1 st 1978, copyrights last for the life of the author or owner plus 70 years or up to 120 years from creation.

 

The electronic transmission of copyrighted works can constitute an infringement.

 

The United States Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“ DMCA ”) makes it a violation to (i) alter or remove copyright notices, (ii) provide false copyright notices, or (iii) distribute works knowing that the copyright notice has been removed or altered.

 

Derivative Works – a derivative work is a new work created based on an original work. Only the owner of a copyright has the right to authorize someone else to create a new version of the original work.

 

Subscription Agreements for on-line publications typically only grant permission for the licensee to make a single copy. Permission from the copyright owner must be granted in order to make additional copies.

 

Personal Computer Software Programs. Software products and on-line information services purchased for use on Price Group's personal computers are generally copyrighted material and may not be reproduced or transferred without the proper authorization from the software vendor. See the T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Statement of Policy With Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues for more information.

 

Definition of Trademark and Service Mark

 

 

 

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Trademark . A trademark is either a word, phrase or design, or combination of words, phrases, symbols or designs, which identifies and distinguishes the source of the goods or services of one party from those of others. For example, Kleenex is a trademark for facial tissues.

 

Service Mark . A service mark is the same as a trademark except that it identifies and distinguishes the source of a service rather than a product. For example, “ Invest With Confidence” is a registered service mark, which identifies and distinguishes the services offered by Price Group or its affiliates.

 

Normally, a mark for goods appears on the product or on its packaging, while a service mark appears in advertising for the services.

 

Use of the “TM”, “SM” and (

 

Anyone who claims rights in a mark may use the TM (trademark) or SM (service mark) designation with the mark to alert the public to the claim. It is not necessary to have a federal registration, or even a pending application, to use these designations. The claim may or may not be valid. The registration symbol,(, may only be used when the mark is registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (“ PTO ”) or a Foreign Trademark Office. It is improper to use this symbol at any point before the registration issues. The symbols are not considered part of the mark.

 

It is important to recognize that many nations have laws in this area. It is important to contact the Legal Department before using a mark in any country.

 

Registered Trademarks and Service Marks . Once Price Group has registered a trademark or service mark with the PTO or a Foreign Trademark Office, it has the exclusive right to use that mark. In order to preserve rights to a registered trademark or service mark, Price Group must (1) use the mark on a continuous basis and in a manner consistent with the Certificate of Registration; (2) place the registration symbol, (, next to the mark in all publicly distributed media; and (3) take action against any party infringing upon the mark.

 

Establishing a Trademark or Service Mark. The Legal Department has the responsibility to register and maintain all trademarks and service marks and protect them against any infringement. If Price Group wishes to utilize a particular word, phrase, or symbol, logo or design as a trademark or service mark, the Legal Department must be notified in advance so that a search may be conducted to determine if the proposed mark has already been registered or is in use by another entity. Until clearance is obtained from the Legal Department, no new mark should be used. This procedure has been adopted to ensure that Price Group does not unknowingly infringe upon another company’s trademark. Once a proposed mark is cleared for use and Price wishes to use the mark, it must be accompanied by the abbreviations “TM” or “SM” as appropriate, until it has been registered. All trademarks and service marks that have been registered with the PTO or a Foreign Trademark Office, must be accompanied by an encircled ( when used in any public document. These symbols need only accompany the mark in the first or most prominent place it is used in each public document. Subsequent use of the same trademark or service mark in such material would not need to be marked. The Legal Department maintains a written summary of all Price Group's registered and pending trademarks and service marks, which is posted on the firm’s intranet under Corporate/Legal/Trademarks and Service Marks of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. If you have any questions regarding the status of a trademark or service mark, you should contact the Legal Department.

 

Infringement of Price Group's Registered Marks . If you notice that another entity is using a mark similar to one that Price Group has registered, you should notify the Legal Department immediately to that appropriate action can be taken to protect Price Group's interests in the mark.

 

March, 2008

 

 

 

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY WITH RESPECT TO

COMPUTER SECURITY AND RELATED ISSUES

 

PURPOSE OF STATEMENT OF POLICY. The central and critical role of computer systems in our firm's operations underscores the importance of ensuring the integrity of these systems. The data stored on our firm's computers, as well as the specialized software programs and systems developed for the firm’s use, are extremely valuable assets and highly confidential.

 

This Statement of Policy (“ Statement” ) establishes an acceptable use policy for all Price Group Associates and all other individuals with Price Group systems access. Contact Enterprise Security regarding additional or new policy determinations that may be relevant for specific situations and for current policy concerning systems and network security, system development, and new technologies.

 

The Statement has been designed to:

 

prevent the unauthorized use of or access to our firm's computer Systems as defined below;

prevent breaches in computer security;

support a quality Systems user environment;

maintain the integrity of confidential information;

protect customer information; and

prevent the introduction of malicious software into our Systems that could imperil the firm's operations.

 

In addition, the Statement describes various issues that arise in connection with the application of United States Copyright Law to computer software.

 

Any material violation of this Statement may lead to disciplinary sanctions, up to and including dismissal of individuals involved. Additionally, actions in violation of this Statement may constitute a crime under applicable laws.

 

T. ROWE PRICE SYSTEMS AND INFORMATION. Systems activities and information will be referred to collectively in this Statement as the “Systems.” The Systems include all hardware, software, operating systems, and network resources involved in the business of T. Rowe Price; all information transmitted, received, logged or stored through the Systems including email, voice mail, messaging, and online facsimiles; and all back-ups and records retained for regulatory or other purposes including all portable and fixed storage media and locations for storage.

 

The Systems also include the use of computer access, data, services and equipment provided by T. Rowe Price including any access to the Internet or via Internet resources (including, but not limited to, email, instant messaging, remote FTP, Telnet, World Wide Web, remote administration, secure shell, and using IP tunneling software to remotely control Internet servers), voice messaging, and email use; access to and use of commercial and specialized software programs and systems licensed or developed for the firm’s use; access to and use of customer and T. Rowe Price business data; use of and data on T. Rowe Price desktop and portable computers, and other mobile devices including Blackberry devices, PDAs, and cell phones. Use, access, or storage of data on non-T. Rowe Price or personally owned equipment (including but not limited to personally owned or “home” equipment, hotel or business center-supplied devices, and conference supplied or internet café terminals) used for T. Rowe Price business purposes is included in the definition of Systems insofar as the requirements to protect the privacy, integrity and confidentiality of T. Rowe Price or T. Rowe Price customer information is concerned.

 

Any new device, application or methodology offered by T. Rowe Price subsequent to the date of this version of this Statement, or that comes into common use for business purposes, is also covered under this definition of T. Rowe Price Systems and Information.

 

UNDERSTANDING REGARDING CONFIDENTIALITY OF SYSTEMS ACTIVITIES AND INFORMATION. Systems activities and information stored on our firm's computers may be subject to monitoring by firm personnel or others. Any new technologies, whether introduced by Price Group or instigated by the Associate (see the Portable and Personal Computer Equipment and Hardware section below), may also be monitored. All such information, including

 

 

7-1

 

 

messages on the firm's email, voice mail, messaging, and online facsimile systems, are records of the firm and the sole property of the firm. The firm reserves the right to monitor, access, and disclose for any purpose all information, including all messages sent, received, or stored through the Systems.

 

The use of the firm's computer systems is intended for the transaction of firm business and is for authorized users only. Associates should limit any personal use. All firm policies apply to the use of the Systems. See the Code of Ethics and Conduct and pertinent Human Resources handbooks and guidelines.

 

By using the firm's Systems, you agree to be bound by this Statement and consent to the access to and disclosure of all information, by the firm. You do not have any expectation of privacy in connection with the use of the Systems, or with the transmission, receipt, or storage of information in the Systems. You should be aware that some telephone calls within the firm are made on recorded lines. For example, calls to and from the Corporate Action group are recorded and retained.

 

Information entered into our firm's computers but later deleted from the Systems may continue to be maintained permanently on our firm's back-up tapes or in records retained for regulatory or other purposes. You should take care so that you do not create documents or communications that might later be embarrassing to you or to our firm. This policy applies to all communications on the Systems.

 

PRIVACY AND PROTECTION OF DATA AND COMPUTER RESOURCES. The protection of firm information and the maintenance of the privacy of corporate and customer data require consistent effort by each individual and involve many aspects of the work environment. Individuals who are users of computer and network resources and those who work within the Systems areas must bear in mind privacy and protection obligations. Therefore, data within the Price Group network should be considered proprietary and confidential and should be protected as such. In addition, particular customer data, or the data of customers of certain business units, may be required to be specifically protected as prescribed by laws or regulatory agency requirements as further described in the Code’s Statement of Policies and Procedures on Privacy. Responsible use of computer access and equipment, including Internet and email use, as described in this Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues, is integral to protecting data. In addition, the protection of data privacy must be observed during the design, development, maintenance, storage, handling, access, transfer and disposal phases of computer-related activities.

 

It is the responsibility of every Associate and other person subject to the Code to protect sensitive and confidential information while in use, while stored or in transit. Confidential information must never be put on or saved to a computer, network drive or storage device that can be accessed by those without authority to access that information. Confidential or sensitive information should not be moved from a secure location to an insecure location for any reason or use.

 

In addition:

 

 

It is firm policy not to publicize the location of the Owings Mills Technology Center. The goal is to not link this address to the main location of the firm’s computer systems. It is the responsibility of all Associates and all other individuals to protect information about the location of the Technology Center whenever possible. Although there will be situations where using the address is unavoidable, use of the address is generally not necessary. It should not be used on the Internet for any reason, business or personal.

 

The @troweprice.com email address should be treated as a business asset. It should not be used for situations not related to immediate business responsibilities. The email addresses of other individuals working at the firm should never be given out without their permission.

 

SECURITY ADMINISTRATION. Enterprise Security is responsible for identifying security needs and overseeing the maintenance of computer security, including Internet-related security issues.

 

AUTHORIZED SYSTEMS USERS . In general, access to any type of system is restricted to authorized users who need access in order to support their business activities. All System and application access must be requested on a “Security Access Request” (“ SAR ”) form. The form is available on the Enterprise Security intranet site. Access requests and changes must be approved by the appropriate supervisor or manager in the user’s department or that department’s designated SAR approver where one has been appointed. “Security Access Approvers” are responsible for ensuring that only required access is approved and that access is reduced or removed when no longer needed. “Security Access Approvers” can be held accountable for any access they approve. Non-employees are not permitted to be “Security Access Approvers.”

 

 

 

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Managers and supervisors are responsible for notifying Enterprise Security, in a timely manner, that an Associate or non-employee has terminated association with the firm, so that access may be suspended. Managers and supervisors have an obligation to prevent the mis-use or re-use of “User-IDs” of terminated Associates and non-employees. If a non-employee is not currently working on a TRP project for an amount of time – even though he or she is expected to return to that project at a later date – the User-ID should be disabled, although not deleted, until the non-employee returns to the project.

 

The Enterprise Security department has the authority, at its own discretion, to disable any User- ID or other ID, that appears to be dormant or abandoned, on any platform. Efforts will be made to contact presumed owners of these IDs, but, in the absence of an identifiable owner, IDs may be disabled as part of system or vulnerability management processes.

 

AUTHORIZED APPLICATION OWNERS . Additional approval may be required from the “Owner” of some applications or data. The Owner is the employee who is responsible for making judgements and decisions on behalf of the firm with regard to the application or data, including the authority to decide who may have access. Secondary approval, when required, is part of the Security Access Request process and access cannot be processed until secondary approval is received.

 

Where applications or data are especially sensitive, confidential, or involve Nonpublic Customer Information, authorized application owners are also responsible for making judgments as to whether the applications or data should have additional security or approval processes.

 

USER-IDS, PASSWORDS, AND OTHER SECURITY ISSUES. Once a request for access is approved, a unique User-ID will be assigned the user. Each User-ID has a password that must be kept confidential by the user. For most systems, passwords must be changed on a regular schedule and Enterprise Security has the authority to determine the password policy. Passwords should be of reasonable complexity and uniqueness to prevent easy guessing; employee IDs should not be used as the password and easily deducible personal or family information should not be used for passwords. Passwords should expire on a schedule approved by Enterprise Security unless specific variance has been permitted.

 

User-IDs and passwords may not be shared with anyone else except under special circumstances and with the prior approval of Enterprise Security. Users can be held accountable for work performed with their User-IDs. Personal computers must not be left logged on and unattended. When leaving a logged-on machine, lock the PC by pressing the <CTRL> <ALT> <DEL>keys and selecting “Lock Computer,” or by setting a screen saver with password protection. Press <CTRL> <ALT> <DEL> and type in your password to unlock. System and application administrators are prohibited from altering security settings to their advantage, for the advantage of someone else, or for any other reason, without appropriate, documented instruction to do so, even though their administrative privileges give them the ability to do so. Pranks, jokes, or other actions that simulate or trigger a system security event such as, but not limited to, a computer virus are prohibited. No one may engage in activities that bypass or compromise the integrity of security features or change security settings locally or on the network.

 

EXTERNAL COMPUTER SYSTEMS. Our data processing environment includes access to data stored not only on our firm's computers, but also on external systems, such as DST. Although the security practices governing these outside systems are established by the providers of these external systems, requests for access to such systems should be directed to Enterprise Security. User-IDs and passwords to these systems must be kept confidential by the user.

 

PORTABLE AND PERSONAL COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND HARDWARE. Price Group privacy and confidentiality requirements apply no matter how information may be accessed, stored or transmitted. It must be assumed that portable computers and other mobile computer equipment ( e.g., Blackberry devices, flash drives, and cell phones) contain information that is sensitive. Therefore, portable computer equipment should be encrypted if available or, at a minimum, password protected with a frequently changed, non-intuitive password. They should be protected in transit and either kept with the user or maintained securely if not with the user. Sensitive information that is not currently needed should be removed and stored elsewhere. Passwords and SecurId cards/tokens should not be stored with the machine and information about accounts or passwords should not be maintained as a list on the device. In the event of loss or theft, the Enterprise Help Desk should be contacted immediately to review with the individual whether there are any protective actions that need to be taken.

 

Employees should be aware that many common devices like cell phones and MP3 players have cameras and video capabilities that can store and be used to misappropriate confidential or proprietary information.

 

 

 

7-3

 

 

 

Applications, services, or equipment ( e.g ., flash drives, USBs) that connect with or interact with the Price Group network that are not provided or supported by Price Group are prohibited except as provided below for certain personally owned PCs. Damage to the Price Group network, systems, data, or reputation by use of any of these can result in disciplinary action to the individual or individuals involved. Areas of concern include, but are not limited to, introducing a wireless networking connection into the T. Rowe Price network. Violation of this policy is a great potential risk to the T. Rowe Price network and any such unapproved wireless device will be disabled and confiscated.

 

Wireless access to the network is permitted only in limited circumstances; you must check the current Security Policy available on the intranet to see if the use contemplated is permitted. Where T. Rowe Price-approved or supplied wireless technology is being used for PC’s for external use, such as while traveling, these PCs should only be connected in accordance with the firm’s current wireless policy. (See Enterprise Security’s Wireless Policy on the Enterprise Security intranet site).

 

Personally owned PCs used with T. Rowe Price approved access may be permitted if all of the conditions of access are followed. Please review the Enterprise Help Desk intranet site for current information.

 

ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND OTHER ON-LINE SERVICES. Access to the Internet (including, but not limited to, email, instant messaging, remote FTP, Telnet, World Wide Web, remote administration, secure shell, and using IP tunneling software to remotely control Internet servers) presents special security considerations due to the world-wide nature of the connection and the security weaknesses present in Internet protocols and services. The firm provides authorized individuals with access to Internet email and other Internet services (such as the World Wide Web) through a direct connection from the firm’s network.

 

Access to the Internet or Internet services from our firm's computers, including the firm's email system, is intended for legitimate business purposes; individuals should limit personal use. Internet email access must be requested through Enterprise Security, approved by the individual’s supervisor or an appropriate T. Rowe Price manager , and provided only through firm-approved connections. All firm policies apply to the use of the Internet or Internet services. See the Code and the pertinent Human Resources handbooks and guidelines. In addition to the prohibition on accessing inappropriate sites discussed below, the following policies apply:

 

 

The use of Firm Systems is intended for legitimate business purposes and individuals should limit any personal use.

 

You should not use firm’s Systems to create or forward documents or communications that could be offensive to others or embarrassing to you or T. Rowe Price.

 

You are prohibited from using firm Systems to access or send inappropriate content, including, but not limited to adult or gambling internet sites or programs.

 

In the event that you receive an email or other communication with inappropriate content, you should immediately delete such communication and not forward it to others. In the case of harassing or threatening communications, you should provide a copy to Human Resources.

 

You may not download anything for installation or storage onto the firm’s computers for personal use including, but not limited to, music, games, or messaging and mail applications.

 

You may not use the firm’s Systems or hardware in any way that might pose a business risk or customer data privacy risk, or violate other laws, including U.S. Copyright laws.

 

You may not spend excessive time or use excessive network resources for personal purposes.

 

You may not engage in activities that bypass or compromise the integrity of network security features like firewalls or virus scanners.

 

 

No Associate, non-employee, or vendor may contract for domain names for use by Price Group or for the benefit of Price Group. Internet domain names are assets of the firm and are purchased and maintained by Enterprise Security.

 

 

 

7-4

 

 

 

Please note that many activities other than those mentioned may be prohibited because they pose a risk to the firm or its Systems and Information. Check the current Enterprise Security intranet site and policy for further information or contact Enterprise Security. The following are examples of prohibited activities:

 

Use of Internet. In accordance with firm policies, individuals are prohibited from accessing inappropriate sites, including, but not limited to, adult and gambling sites. Firm personnel monitor Internet use for visits to inappropriate sites and for inappropriate use. See p. 5-28 for a more detailed discussion of the prohibitions of internet gambling related to security markets.

 

Accessing one’s home or personal account, any personal email or messaging account, or any account not provided or authorized by T. Rowe Price, is prohibited due to the risk of virus or malicious code bypassing firm protective methods.

 

Dial-Out Access. Unauthorized modems are not permitted. Dial-out access that circumvents the Internet firewall, proxy server, or authentication mechanisms except by authorized personnel in the business of Price Group is prohibited.

 

On-line Services, Web-based Email, and Instant Messaging. Certain individuals are given special TRP accounts to bypass the T. Rowe Price network and access commercial on-line service providers or web email for the purpose of testing Price Group systems or products. Otherwise, use of email services not provided by T. Rowe Price is prohibited and use of instant messaging ( “IM” ) facilities for business purposes is restricted to authorized personnel only. Access to external IM must be requested on a SAR form and approval must be obtained from the appropriate supervisor with secondary approval by Legal. Access is only granted to one of the permitted IM service providers as determined by Legal and the Distributed Processing Support Group (”DPSG”). Instant Message communications are archived if this is required to comply with regulatory requirements. Questions regarding Instant Messaging access should be directed to Enterprise Security.

 

Participation on Internet Discussion Sites. The internet has made available a variety of services for massive, collaborative public comment and response including bulletin boards, chat rooms, social networking sites, web logs (blogs), pod casting, wikis, video sites, and many other services. Because communications by our firm, or any individuals associated with it, about our firm, its clients or business partners, and its investment services and products, are subject to United States, state, international, and FINRA regulations, independent or unsupervised participation can result in serious securities violations.

 

Certain designated individuals have been authorized to monitor and respond to inquiries about our firm and its investment services and products or otherwise observe messages on such services. Any individual not within this special group should contact the appropriate supervisor and the Legal Department before engaging in these activities. Generally, an individual must also receive the independent authorization of one member of the Board of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, Inc. before initiating or responding to a message on any of these services, including online bulletin boards, chat services or similar services relating to the firm, a Price Fund or any investment (including publicly traded securities) or Brokerage option or service. This policy applies if the individual contributes to any discussion, whether or not the individual intends to disclose his or her relationship to the firm, whether or not our firm sponsors the discussion service, and whether or not the firm is the principal focus of the venue. Employee should be aware that it is possible for some venue hosts to determine the IP address of anyone observing activity at that site even if the observer is not commenting. If an employee has any questions about the advisability of visiting a specific site from a T. Rowe Price computer, he or she should contact his or her supervisor or the Legal Department.

 

There are times when collaborative discussion services can facilitate or solve a problem, for example with a systems technical issue or among users of a vendor’s services. With your manager’s knowledge of what will be discussed and his or her approval to communicate in that manner, participation that does not violate the investment industry requirements may be permissible. Even where the content of the discussion is not about the firm, its clients or business partners, or investment services or products, information disclosed could be used to prepare a malicious attack or disclose something the firm does not wish to make public.

 

Blogs, social networking sites, video sites, online journals and similar services allow an individual to post commentary over time on either a specific topic or general information of interest to the writer. Under the Code, even postings not done on T. Rowe Price Systems could result in discipline, including termination of employment, if the postings make false or defamatory statements about the firm, its employees, its work

 

 

7-5

 

 

products, business partners, or clients, violate copyrights, are illegal, disclose trade secrets, or defames or invades the privacy of third parties.

 

Email Use. Access to the firm's email system is intended for legitimate business purposes; individuals should limit any personal use. All firm policies apply to the use of email. Firm personnel may monitor email usage for inappropriate use. If you have any questions regarding what constitutes inappropriate use, you should discuss it first with your supervisor or an appropriate T. Rowe Price manager, who may refer the question to Human Resources. Email services, other than those provided or approved by Price Group, may not be used for business purposes. In addition, accessing web-based email services (such as AOL email or Hotmail) not provided or approved by Price Group from firm equipment for any reason could allow the introduction of viruses or malicious code into the network or lead to the compromise of confidential data and is therefore prohibited.

 

Not Confidential. Email and Instant Messaging sent through the Internet are not secure and could be intercepted by a third party. Confidential and firm proprietary information should not be included in such communications unless specifically permitted by accepted business procedures. When remote access to the firm’s email system, or external access to firm email, is required, the method provided by T. Rowe Price for secure access should be employed; at the time this version of this Statement was issued, Microsoft Outlook Web Access provides an encrypted mail session so that email is not in the clear over the Internet and is not passing through a non-Price Group email system. Using Microsoft Outlook Web Access or another T. Rowe Price approved solution is the preferred mode of access. If accessing Outlook Web Access email from an insecure machine, be sure to log out and close the browser before leaving the area.

 

REMOTE ACCESS. The ability to access our firm's computer Systems and Information from a remote location is limited to authorized users and authorized methods. A security system that is approved by Enterprise Security and that uses a strong authentication method must be employed when accessing our firm's network from a remote computer. Authorization for remote access can be requested by completing a "Security Access Request" form. Any individual who requires remote access should contact the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk for desktop setup. Telephone numbers used to access our firm's computer systems are confidential.

 

Vendors may need remote access to the Price Group network or specific servers for application support, system troubleshooting, or maintenance. The preferred method for vendor access to the Price Group network is via an approved VPN connection with the SecurID card portion of the required two factor authentication being held by someone internally on behalf of the vendor. Other methods of remote access should not be offered or established without prior approval from Enterprise Security. Prior approval from Enterprise Security is not required for vendors accessing non-Price Group equipment that is not connected to the Price Group network.

 

PROTECTION FROM MALICIOUS CODE. “ Malicious code” is computer code designed to damage or impair software or data on a computer system. Types of carriers and transmission methods increase daily and currently include all portable storage media, file transfers and downloads, executables, some attachments, web-links, and active code over the Web. A comprehensive malicious code prevention and control program is in place throughout Price Group. This program provides policy and procedures for anti-virus and malicious code controls on all systems. More information about the anti-virus/malicious code program can be found on the Help Desk or Enterprise Security intranet sites.

 

Introducing a virus or similar malicious code into the Price Group Systems by engaging in prohibited actions, such as downloading non-business related software, or by failing to implement recommended precautions, such as updating virus scanning software on remote machines, may lead

to sanctions. Opening a file or attachment is at your own risk and presumes you have knowledge of the safety of the contents.

 

In summary:

 

 

No one should endeavor to, or assist another to, introduce into the Price Group environment for any reason anything identified as a virus by a scanner used by Price Group for any reason.

 

No one may disable or subvert virus scanning or a similar protective technology for any reason, including allowing something to be received or downloaded onto a Price Group asset or system or in an effort to speed up or optimize processing.

 

 

 

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No one should endeavor to, or assist another to, create an unauthorized or foreign connection to the network in any matter.

 

Failing to protect Price Group systems and assets is against policy; an example of this is failing to maintain updated scanning files.

 

At all times, receipt of files, execution of attachments, etc. is at the user's own risk and depends on the user’s awareness of the risks and his or her evaluation of the legitimacy and safety of what is being opened.

 

Virus Scanning Software. As part of the Price Group malicious code program, virus scanning software is installed and configured to detect and eradicate malicious code. All desktop computers have the corporate standard anti-virus scanning software installed and running. Virus scanning software updates are automatically distributed to the desktops as they become available. Desktop virus scanning software can also be used by the employee to scan diskettes, CDs, directories, and attachments “on demand.” Altering or disabling this desktop scanning software is prohibited. Contact the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk for assistance.

 

Email. An email malicious code/anti-virus gateway scans the content of inbound and outbound email for viruses. Infected email and attachments will be cleaned when possible and quarantined when not able to be cleaned. Updating of the email gateway anti-virus software and pattern files is done automatically.

 

Certain potentially harmful file types of email attachments are permanently blocked at the email gateway and in Outlook. Transmission of these file types poses a risk to Price Group’s infrastructure since malicious code is transmitted via these extensions. Additional attachment types, file characteristics, or content, may be blocked on a temporary or permanent basis (possibly without prior notification) as the risk evaluations dictate. Opening any file is at your own risk and presumes you have knowledge of the safety of the contents.

 

Portable and Remote Computers. Laptops and other computers that remotely access the Price Group network are also required to have the latest anti-virus software and pattern files. It is the responsibility of each user to ensure that his or her portable computer’s anti-virus software is regularly updated and that personal machines remotely connecting to the Price Group network include necessary virus, application and operating system security updates. The Price Group Enterprise Help Desk has instructions available. Contact the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk to obtain further information. Remote machines that do not meet these requirements may be prevented from connecting to the T. Rowe Price network.

 

Downloading or Copying. The user of a PC with a modem or with an Internet connection has the ability to connect to other computers or on-line services outside of the firm’s network and there may be business reasons to download or copy software from those sources. Downloading or copying software, which includes documents, graphics, programs and other computer-based materials, from any outside source is not permitted unless it is for a necessary and legitimate business purpose because downloads and copies could introduce viruses and malicious code into the Systems.

 

Use of any peer-to-peer or file-sharing software or web interface, which allows users to search the hard drives of other users for files or access personal computers remotely, is prohibited on the Price Group network and PCs. Downloading, uploading, or copying to removable media, copyrighted materials may violate the rights of the authors of the materials, and the use of, or storage on the Price Group network, of these materials may create a liability, privacy or security breach, or cause embarrassment to the firm.

 

Other Considerations. Individuals must immediately call the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk when viruses are detected so that it can ensure that appropriate tracking and follow-up take place. Do not forward any virus warning email you receive to other staff until you have contacted the Enterprise Help Desk, since many of these warnings are hoaxes or viruses themselves. When notified that a user has received a virus warning email, the Enterprise Help Desk will contact Enterprise Security, whose personnel will check to determine the validity of the virus warning.

 

Individuals should not attempt to treat a computer virus or suspected computer virus on a Price Group-owned machine themselves. Immediately contact the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk for assistance; its personnel will determine whether the machine is infected, the severity of the infection, and the appropriate remedial actions.

 

 

 

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APPLICATION OF U.S. COPYRIGHT LAW TO SOFTWARE PROGRAMS. Software products and on-line information services purchased for use on Price Group personal computers are generally copyrighted material and may not be reproduced without proper authorization from the software vendor. This includes the software on CDs or diskettes, any program manuals or documentation, and data or software retrievable from on-line information systems. Unauthorized reproduction of such material or information, or downloading or printing such material, violates United States law, and the software vendor can sue to protect the developer’s rights. In addition to criminal penalties such as fines and imprisonment, civil damages can be awarded for actual damages as well as statutory damages, which range from $750 to $30,000 per infringement, plus a potential of $150,000 per infringement for willful infringement. In addition, many other nations have laws in this area. See the T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. Statement of Policy with Respect to Compliance with Copyright and Trademark Laws for more information about this subject.

 

GUIDELINES FOR USING PERSONAL COMPUTER SOFTWARE

 

Acquisition and Installation of Software . Only DPSG- approved and installed software is authorized. Any software program that is to be used by Price Group personnel in connection with the business of the firm must be ordered through the Price Group Enterprise Help Desk and installed by DPSG.

 

DPSG has the authority, at its own discretion, to remove any installed software, downloaded       software, or any other application or executable that is not authorized for use by Price Group.

 

Licensing . Software residing on firm LAN servers will be either: (1) maintained at an appropriate license level for the number of users, or (2) made accessible only for those for whom it is licensed.

 

Original CDs, Diskettes and Copies . In most cases, software is installed by DPSG and original software CDs and diskettes are not provided to the user. In the event that original CDs or diskettes are provided, they must be stored properly to reduce the possibility of damage or theft. CDs and diskettes should be protected from extreme heat, cold, and contact with anything that may act as a magnet or otherwise damage them. You may not make additional copies of software or software manuals obtained through the firm.

 

Recommendations, Upgrades, and Enhancements . All recommendations regarding computer hardware and software programs are to be forwarded to the Price Group Help Desk, which will coordinate upgrades and enhancements.    

 

QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS STATEMENT . Any questions regarding this Statement should be directed to Enterprise Security.

 

March, 2008

 

 

 

 

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC.

STATEMENT OF POLICY

ON

COMPLIANCE WITH ANTITRUST LAWS

 

Purpose

 

To protect the interests of Price Group and its personnel, Price Group has adopted this Statement of Policy on Compliance with Antitrust Laws (" Statement ") to:

 

 

Describe the legal principles governing prohibited anticompetitive activity in the conduct of Price Group's business; and

 

 

Establish guidelines for contacts with other members of the investment management industry to avoid violations of the antitrust laws.

 

The Basic United States Anticompetitive Activity Prohibition

 

Section 1 of the United States Sherman Antitrust Act (the " Act" ) prohibits agreements, understandings, or joint actions between companies that constitute a "restraint of trade ," i.e., reduce or eliminate competition.

 

This prohibition is triggered only by an agreement or action among two or more companies; unilateral action never violates the Act. To constitute an illegal agreement, however, an understanding does not need to be formal or written. Comments made in conversations, casual comments at meetings, or even as little as "a knowing wink," as one case says, may be sufficient to establish an illegal agreement under the Act.

 

The agreed-upon action must be anticompetitive . Some actions are " per se " anticompetitive, while others are judged according to a " rule of reason."

 

 

Some activities have been found to be so inherently anticompetitive that a court will not even permit the argument that they have a procompetitive component. Examples of such per se illegal activities are agreements between competitors to fix prices or terms of doing business; to divide up markets in any way, such as exclusive territories; or to jointly boycott a competitor or service provider.

 

Other joint agreements or activities will be examined by a court using the rule of reason approach to see if the procompetitive results of the arrangement outweigh the anticompetitive effects. Under certain circumstances, permissible agreements among competitors may include a buyers' cooperative, or a syndicate of buyers for an initial public offering of securities. The rule of reason analysis requires a detailed inquiry into market power and market conditions.

 

There is also an exception for joint activity designed to influence government action. Such activity is protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. For example, members of an industry may agree to lobby Congress jointly to enact legislation that may be manifestly anticompetitive.

 

Penalties for Violating the Sherman Act

 

A charge that the Act has been violated can be brought as a civil or a criminal action. Civil damages can include treble damages, plus attorneys fees. Criminal penalties for individuals can include fines of up to $350,000 and three years in jail, and $10 million or more for corporations.

 

Situations in Which Antitrust Issues May Arise

 

 

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To avoid violating the Act, any discussion with other members of the investment management industry regarding which securities to buy or sell and under what circumstances we buy or sell them, or about the manner in which we market our mutual funds and investment and retirement services, must be made with the prohibitions of the Act in mind.

 

Trade Association Meetings and Activities . A trade association is a group of competitors who join together to share common interests and seek common solutions to common problems. Such associations are at a high risk for anticompetitive activity and are closely scrutinized by regulators. Attorneys for trade associations, such as the Investment Company Institute, are typically present at meetings of members to assist in avoiding violations.

 

Permissible Activities:

 

 

Discussion of how to make the industry more competitive.

 

An exchange of information or ideas that have procompetitive or competitively neutral effects, such as: methods of protecting the health or safety of workers; methods of educating customers and preventing abuses; and information regarding how to design and operate training programs.

 

Collective action to petition government entities.

 

Activities to be Avoided:

 

 

Any discussion or direct exchange of current information about prices, salaries, fees, or terms and conditions of sales. Even if such information is publicly available, problems can arise if the information available to the public is difficult to compile or not as current as that being exchanged.

 

Discussion of specific customers, markets, or territories.

 

Negative discussions of service providers that could give rise to an inference of a joint refusal to deal with the provider (a " boycott ").

 

Investment-Related Discussions

 

Permissible Activities : Buyers or sellers with a common economic interest may join together to facilitate securities transactions that might otherwise not occur, such as the formation of a syndicate to buy in a private placement or initial public offering of an issuer's stock, or negotiations among creditors of an insolvent or bankrupt company.

 

Competing investment managers are permitted to serve on creditors committees together and engage in other similar activities in connection with bankruptcies and other judicial proceedings.

 

Activities to be Avoided : It is important to avoid anything that suggests involvement with any other firm in any threats to "boycott" or "blackball" new offerings, including making any ambiguous statement that, taken out of context, might be misunderstood to imply such joint action. Avoid careless or unguarded comments that a hostile or suspicious listener might interpret as suggesting prohibited coordinated behavior between Price Group and any other potential buyer.

 

Example : After an Illinois municipal bond default where the state legislature retroactively abrogated some of the bondholders' rights, several investment management complexes organized to protest the state's action. In doing so, there was arguably an implied threat that members of the group would boycott future

 

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Illinois municipal bond offerings. Such a boycott would be a violation of the Act. The investment management firms' action led to an 18-month United States Department of Justice investigation. Although the investigation did not lead to any legal action, it was extremely expensive and time consuming for the firms and individual managers involved.

 

If you are present when anyone outside of Price Group suggests that two or more investors with a grievance against an issuer coordinate future purchasing decisions, you should immediately reject any such suggestion. As soon as possible thereafter, you should notify the Legal Department, which will take whatever further steps are necessary.

 

Benchmarking . Benchmarking is the process of measuring and comparing an organization's processes, products and services to those of industry leaders for the purpose of adopting innovative practices for improvement.

 

 

Because benchmarking usually involves the direct exchange of information with competitors, it is particularly subject to the risk of violating the antitrust laws.

 

The list of issues that may and should not be discussed in the context of a trade association also applies in the benchmarking process.

 

All proposed benchmarking agreements must be reviewed by the Legal Department before the firm agrees to participate in such a survey.

 

International Requirements. The United Kingdom and the European Union (“E.U.”) have requirements based on principles similar to those of United States law. In many cases, the laws of the E.U. are stricter than the laws of the United States. If you have specific questions about United Kingdom or E.U. requirements, you should contact the Legal Department.

 

 

March, 2008

 

 

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T. ROWE PRICE GROUP, INC. STATEMENT OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON PRIVACY

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This Statement of Policies and Procedures on Privacy (“ Privacy Statement ”) applies to T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively “ T. Rowe Price ”), including its international operations. It is T. Rowe Price's policy to:

 

 

Treat our customers' personal and financial information (“ Nonpublic Customer Information ”) as confidential;

 

Protect Nonpublic Customer Information;

 

Not share this information with third parties unless in connection with processing customer transactions, servicing accounts, or as otherwise permitted by law; and

 

Comply with applicable federal, state, and international privacy laws and regulations.

 

In the United States, the primary federal law governing customer privacy is Title V of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, 15 U.S.C. 6801 et seq. (“ Privacy Act ”). The Securities and Exchange Commission (“ SEC ”), federal banking regulators, and others have issued regulations under the Privacy Act ( e.g. , the SEC’s Regulation S-P). For purposes of this Privacy Statement and unless otherwise specified, the term “ customer ” generally refers to individuals or entities who are current or former customers of TRP, both directly and indirectly such as those who have accounts or services established through the retail, retirement plan, separate account/institutional, broker/dealer, or Investment Counsel Group areas.

 

While the Privacy Act and related regulations in the privacy area apply generally only to direct customer relationships with individuals ( i.e., natural person customers) as opposed to direct customer relationships with entities or indirect relationships such as with retirement plan participants, TRP also protects and safeguards such relationships in a substantially similar manner. In the institutional arena, the contracts TRP has entered into with customers frequently contain provisions relating to the duty to keep customer information confidential and/or limiting the use of customer information. Finally, the personal and financial information of employees retained on a full-time or part-time basis, and of independent contractors and temporary workers are protected and safeguarded in a substantially similar manner as described above.

Nonpublic Customer Information comprises virtually all the information that a customer supplies to TRP and the information that TRP otherwise obtains or generates in connection with providing financial products or services to that customer. Accordingly, Nonpublic Customer Information would include personally-identifiable account balance, holdings and transactional history, as well as the existence of the customer relationship itself ( e.g., customer lists) and the contents of an account application ( e.g., a person’s name in combination with taxpayer identification number or beneficiary information).

 

The privacy policy for the firm’s international business is posted on the TRP Global website ( www.trowepriceglobal.com) . Internationally based subsidiaries and affiliates must comply with the U.K. Data Protection Act as it applies to their activities. The U.K. Data Protection Act and other international privacy regulation are beyond the scope of this Privacy Statement and for business conducted internationally, Associates

_________________________

 Nonpublic Customer Information refers generally to information that can be linked to a specific customer or individual as opposed to data that is not specifically linked. For example, a listing of trades done for a particular customer or group of customers, without any indication of the customer(s) at issue, is generally not considered to be “Nonpublic Customer Information” in and of itself because it is not linked to an identified customer. Nevertheless, even for aggregate data, there may be corporate business reasons for safeguarding such information.

 

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should be aware of the applicable privacy regulations in the foreign jurisdiction where the business is conducted. If you have any questions in this area, please contact the TRP International Compliance Team.

 

INITIAL AND ANNUAL PRIVACY NOTICES

 

Certain regulated T. Rowe Price companies offer financial products and services directly to individuals and, consequently, are required to develop and deliver a privacy notice under the Privacy Act and related regulations.

 

As a means of complying with these requirements, the firm has adopted a written “ Privacy Policy ,” which is provided to such customers as required. The Privacy Policy is included with or accompanies applicable account application or other material delivered to prospective customers. The Privacy Policy is sent annually to such customers ( e.g. , typically with first quarter statements for retail mutual fund customers). A copy of the Privacy Policy is located on TRP’s Internet site under the link to “Privacy Policy.” The contents of the Privacy Policy are contained under the sub-heading of “General Privacy Policy,” and it is followed by information concerning additional online privacy practices. Questions from customers concerning the Privacy Policy should be referred to the Legal Department.

 

The Legal Department is responsible for identifying any amendments that are required to be made to the Privacy Policy and must approve non-required amendments. Generally, Retail Operations is responsible for the distribution of the Privacy Policy to prospective customers and the annual distribution of the Privacy Policy to Price Fund shareholders, Brokerage customers, annuity customers, and other retail customers. Other business units ( e.g., Investment Counsel Group) not covered by Retail Operations will be notified by the Legal Department of any obligations to deliver the Privacy Policy to their respective customers.

 

EDUCATION ABOUT PRIVACY AND ASSOCIATE RESPONSIBILITY

 

Every Associate should be aware of this Privacy Statement and any privacy policies and procedures applicable to their business unit (collectively “ Privacy Policies ”), and every Associate bears responsibility to protect Nonpublic Customer Information.

 

Managers and supervisors shall ensure that the Privacy Policies are reviewed with all new Associates at T. Rowe Price. Particular attention should be given to any temporary or part-time workers and consultants to ensure that they are educated to the critical importance of protecting confidential information. Additionally, if such temporary worker is being retained independent of the on-site temporary agencies utilized by Human Resources, the supervisor must contact the Legal Department to verify that there are adequate contractual safeguards relative to privacy and confidentiality. Managers and supervisors also shall ensure that revisions to Privacy Policies are communicated to applicable Associates as an integral part of the continuing education of such Associates

 

Violations of Privacy Policies may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including fines and dismissal from employment.

 

METHODS BY WHICH T. ROWE PRICE PRESERVES CONFIDENTIALITY

 

Each Business Unit Head has responsibility with respect to his or her business unit to establish procedures whereby the confidentiality of Nonpublic Customer Information is preserved. Such procedures should address access to and safeguards for Nonpublic Customer Information based upon the business unit’s operations, access to, and handling of such information as it exists in both hardcopy and electronic formats. The procedures should address safeguards relating to administrative, technical, and physical access to and distribution of Nonpublic Customer Information.

 

Access to Information

 

Managers and supervisors are responsible for limiting access to Nonpublic Customer Information to those Associates who require access to such information to support their respective job functions.

 

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Situations where excessive or inappropriate access to or exposure of Nonpublic Customer Information are identified requires prompt remediation.

 

Computer Access

 

Business unit managers and supervisors are responsible for making judgments and decisions with regard to the use of Nonpublic Customer Information, including decisions as to who shall have computer access to such information.

 

In general, managers and supervisors shall instruct Enterprise Security to grant access to any system that maintains Nonpublic Customer Information to Associates who require access to support their respective job functions. System access, or changes to such access, shall be submitted in the format directed by Enterprise Security and authorized by the appropriate business unit manager or supervisor. Managers and supervisors also are responsible for timely notification to Enterprise Security when an employee or consultant has left the firm so that access may be terminated. This is especially important for temporary employees who are contracted independent of Human Resources and/or one of the on-site temporary agencies.

 

New Business and Systems Development

 

All new business and systems application development that relates to or affects Nonpublic Customer Information must be developed and reviewed with consideration to the firm’s Privacy Statement. Individuals at T. Rowe Price working on systems and processes dealing with Nonpublic Customer Information must evaluate the potential risks for breach of the confidentiality of Nonpublic Customer Information and implement safeguards that will provide reasonable protection of the privacy of such information consistent with the risks identified. Please refer to the Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues in this Code for additional information on system requirements related to the protection of Nonpublic Customer Information.

 

Safeguarding Nonpublic Customer Information

 

To safeguard the interests of our customers and to respect the confidentiality of Nonpublic Customer Information, all individuals at T. Rowe Price shall take the following precautions:

 

 

Do not discuss Nonpublic Customer Information in public places such as elevators, hallways, lunchrooms, or social gatherings;

 

To the extent practical, access to particularly sensitive areas of the firm where Nonpublic Customer Information could be observed or overheard readily shall be provided only to Associates with a business need for being in the area;

 

Avoid using speaker phones in areas where or at times when unauthorized persons may overhear conversations;

 

Where appropriate, maintain the confidentiality of client identities by using code names or numbers for confidential projects, or use aggregate data that is not personally identifiable to any customer;

 

Exercise care to avoid placing documents with Nonpublic Customer Information in areas where they may be read by unauthorized persons and store such documents in secure locations when they are not in use (particular attention should be directed to securing the information outside of normal business hours to prevent misappropriation of the information);

 

Destroy copies of confidential documents no longer needed by using the secure recycling bins;

 

Lock the computer at your work-station when not in use;

 

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Protect customer information by not including Nonpublic Customer Information within the body of any unencrypted email. In lieu of sending email attachments to clients or other authorized third parties with Nonpublic Customer Information, consideration should be given to more secure methods that may be available such as the client or authorized third party logging in to a secure web session for data retrieval. To the extent email attachments are sent, consideration should be made to password protecting the attachment or using email services that encrypt the message and attachments while in transit; and

 

Sample calls or screens must be edited in advance to delete any confidential information when a prospect or consultant wishes to listen in on calls to gauge our level of service. Sample data cannot be linked to a specifically identified customer.

 

From time to time, Associates at T. Rowe Price may bring Nonpublic Customer Information outside of firm facilities as needed during business trips, meetings, or for work at home (whether in hard-copy or electronically). Associates are responsible for taking care to safeguard such materials and may not leave them unattended or otherwise in an unsecured situation.

 

Additionally, T. Rowe Price Enterprise Security maintains policies and procedures to help safeguard Nonpublic Customer Information. For example, the Enterprise Security department monitors the firewalls deployed for locations where an outside network connects to the T. Rowe Price network. Such monitoring includes daily and real-time alerts and periodic testing of the security rules using automated tools and manual processes. Please refer to the Statement of Policy with Respect to Computer Security and Related Issues in this Code for additional information.

 

Record Retention

 

TRP is required to produce, maintain and retain various records, documents, and other written (including electronic) communications pursuant to various federal and state laws and regulations, and all Associates at T. Rowe Price are responsible for adhering to the firm’s record maintenance and retention policies.

 

Destruction of Records

 

All Associates at T. Rowe Price must use care in disposing of any Nonpublic Customer Information. Confidential paper records should be discarded using the secure recycling bins. T. Rowe Price Report Services should be contacted for instructions regarding proper disposal when a significant quantity of material is involved.

 

The firm has set up procedures so that electronic data stored on physical equipment issued by the firm, such as computer hard drives, Blackberry devices and PDAs, are destroyed based upon internal protocols. For example, computer hard drives are erased according to federally suggested guidelines prior to re-deployment or conveyance to a third party. Non-functional hard drives are physically destroyed, rendering them useless. Tapes failing media validation routines are physically destroyed by a specialist third party organization that provides certification of destruction back to T. Rowe Price. Tapes that will be re-used are wiped of all data prior to re-use.

 

Data files stored on file servers are subject to standardized back-up and recovery cycles. Retention of individual files is determined by the owner of the data and also can vary depending upon the nature of the data and its regulatory requirements. For example, certain categories of emails are subject to specific regulation regarding retention and destruction and protocols designed to adhere to these standards have been implemented firm-wide. Otherwise, the contents of email inboxes are destroyed after a specified period of time.

 

DEALINGS WITH THIRD PARTIES

 

 

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Generally, T. Rowe Price will not disclose Nonpublic Customer Information to unaffiliated third parties unless in connection with processing a transaction, servicing an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. TRP also is permitted to provide information to others as the customer has specifically directed, such as to the customer’s accountants or consultants. Associates will consult with managers or supervisors for any proposed disclosure which does not fall into one of the above categories. Questions will be elevated to the Legal Department as needed. Associates will not divulge any Nonpublic Customer Information or the existence of customer relationships to anyone outside of the firm, including disclosing to members of Associates’ families or friends, except as noted above to process a transaction, service an account, or as otherwise permitted by law. For example, Associates shall not supply a third party with anything showing actual customer information for the purpose of providing a “sample” ( e.g., for software testing or problem resolution) without explicit approval from the Legal Department.

 

At times, in an effort to obtain confidential information, third parties will assert that they are entitled to certain information pursuant to a subpoena or some other legal process or authority. Because there can be various issues that may affect the validity of such demands, no records or information concerning customers shall be disclosed unless specifically directed by the Legal Department. Any such demands for information should be promptly referred to the Legal Department.

 

 

RETENTION OF THIRD PARTY ORGANIZATIONS BY TRP

 

T. Rowe Price may on occasion use third party organizations (“ Third Parties ”) to provide support services to the firm ( e.g., consultants, systems vendors). Whenever T. Rowe Price hires Third Parties to provide support services, Nonpublic Customer Information may be provided to the third parties only for the purposes for which they are retained. Therefore, it is important that in retaining such third parties, T. Rowe Price has contractual representations from each Third Party that preserves the confidentiality of Nonpublic Customer Information and, where deemed appropriate, enables T. Rowe Price to verify compliance with contractual representations. Accordingly, no Third Parties shall be retained to deal with or have access to Nonpublic Customer Information unless the Legal Department has determined that there are adequate contractual provisions in place. All non-standard contracts relating to the use of Nonpublic Customer Information should be submitted to the Legal Department for review; a standard Nondisclosure Agreement may also be used if approved by the Legal Department.

 

POTENTIAL RELEASE OF NONPUBLIC CUSTOMER INFORMATION

 

When there has or may have been a release of Nonpublic Customer Information to anyone not authorized to receive such information or when Nonpublic Customer Information is missing, it is important that the incident be reported and investigated promptly. T. Rowe Price has implemented a centralized reporting and escalation process ( e.g. , reporting to supervisor and specified Help Desk area), particularly for areas that routinely handle Nonpublic Customer Information. The process is designed to investigate reported incidents efficiently, recommend improvements to reduce future errors, and to communicate with customers where appropriate under the firm’s business practices or where required by law. T. Rowe Price Operations and several other areas have implemented this process and their Associates are subject to its reporting protocols.

 

To the extent that an Associate’s business unit has not adopted the centralized reporting process, the Associate shall follow the business unit’s procedures for reporting, which may include promptly reporting the incident to his or her supervisor, who in turn would notify the respective Business Unit Head and the Director of Compliance of T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. or member of the Legal Department. Generally, the Business Unit Head would investigate (or supervise the investigation of) the matter and, in consultation with the Legal Department, would instruct T. Rowe Price personnel on what actions, if any, should be taken to remedy any breach of T. Rowe Price Privacy Policies, including any customer communications.

 

 

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March, 2008

 

 

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Exhibit (p)(27)

 

NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC

 

Code of Ethics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC

Code of Ethics

1/12/2006 to Current

 

 

Table of Contents

 

  1 - Statement of General Policy

  2 - Definitions

  3 - Standards of Business Conduct

  4 - Prohibition Against Insider Trading

  5 - Personal Securities Transactions

  6 - Gifts and Entertainment

  7 - Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

  8 - Service as a Director

  9 - Compliance Procedures

10 - Certification

11 - Records

12 - Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

 

 

 

Statement of General Policy

 

This Code of Ethics (the “Code”) has been adopted by NorthStar Financial Services Group, LLC and its affiliated companies (refer to the attached Schedule A, “Schedule of Affiliated Companies” to which this Code applies, collectively, 'NorthStar'), including, specifically CLS Investment Firm, LLC, a registered investment adviser and Aquarius Fund Distributors, LLC, a registered broker/dealer and is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”) and Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of NorthStar and is designed to, among other things, govern personal securities trading activities in the accounts of employees. The general ethical principles and personal Securities reporting provisions of this Code apply to all employees of NorthStar, although many provisions of this Code are written to specifically address the duties and obligations of CLS Investment Firm, LLC and Aquarius Fund Distributors, LLC under the Advisers Act and the Investment Company Act of 1940. The Code is based upon the principle that NorthStar and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to their clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with their respective company and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

This Code is designed to ensure that the high ethical standards long maintained by NorthStar continue to be applied. The purpose of this Code is to preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct. The excellent name and reputation of NorthStar continues to be a direct reflection of the conduct of each employee.

 

This Code prohibits conduct of all NorthStar employees, which in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, of a Security held or to be acquired by a fund serviced by NorthStar:

 

1. To employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud the fund;

 

2. To make any untrue statement of a material fact to the fund or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made to the fund, in light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading;

 

3. To engage in any act, practice or course of business that operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit on the fund; or

 

4. To engage in any manipulative practice with respect to the fund.

 

 

 

 

Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both NorthStar and its employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that NorthStar has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients.

 

NorthStar and its employees are subject to the following specific fiduciary obligations when dealing with clients:

 

The duty to have a reasonable, independent basis for the investment advice provided;

 

The duty to obtain best execution for a client’s transactions where the firm is in a position to direct brokerage transactions for the client;

 

The duty to ensure that investment advice is suitable to meeting the client’s individual objectives, needs and circumstances; and

 

A duty to be loyal to clients.

 

In meeting any fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, NorthStar expects every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct for continued employment with NorthStar. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment. NorthStar's reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously damaged

as the result of even a single Securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Employees of NorthStar are urged to seek the advice of the Chief Compliance Officer of Aquarius Fund Distributors, LLC who is responsible for administration of this Code, for any questions about this Code or the application of this Code to their individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of this Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment with NorthStar.  In performing her duties hereunder, the Chief Compliance Officer of Aquarius Fund Distributor, LLC may utilize resources and share information among compliance and legal personnel across the NorthStar group of affiliated companies.  

 

The provisions of this Code are not all-inclusive. Rather, they are intended as a guide for employees of NorthStar in their conduct. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of the Code, he/she is advised to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer. The Chief Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain

 

 

provisions contained in the Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of our clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

 

The Chief Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management of NorthStar, CLS Investment Firm, LLC and Aquarius Fund Distributors, LLC to document compliance with this Code.

 

Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

“Access Person” means any Supervised Person who: has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of Securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any fund NorthStar or its control affiliates manage; or is involved in making Securities recommendations to clients that are nonpublic.

 

“Account” means accounts of any employee and includes accounts of the employee’s immediate family members (any relative by blood or marriage living in the employee’s household), and any account in which he or she has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts or other accounts in which the employee has a Beneficial Ownership or exercises investment discretion.

 

“Automatic Investment Plan” means a program in which regular periodic purchases (or withdrawals) are made automatically in (or from) investment accounts in accordance with a predetermined schedule and allocation. An Automatic Investment Plan includes a dividend reinvestment plan.

 

“Beneficial Ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a Security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder. Generally, “Beneficial Ownership” means ownership of Securities or Securities accounts by or for the benefit of a person, or such person’s “family member,” including any account in which the person or family member of that person holds a direct or indirect beneficial interest, retains discretionary investment authority or exercises a power of attorney. The term “family member” means any person’s spouse, child or other relative, whether related by blood, marriage, or otherwise, who either resides with, is financially dependent upon, or whose

 

 

investments are controlled by that person. The term also includes any unrelated individual whose investments are controlled and whose financial support is materially contributed to by that person, such as a “significant other.”

 

“Control” means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of NorthStar. See Section 2(a)(9) of the Adviser's Act.

 

“Initial Public Offering” means an offering of Securities registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the issuer of which, immediately before the registration, was not subject to the reporting requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

“Investment Personnel” means (1) any employee of NorthStar (or of any company in a Control relationship to NorthStar) who, in connection with his or her regular functions or duties, makes or participates in making recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of Securities, and (2) any natural person who Controls NorthStar and who obtains information concerning recommendations made regarding the purchase or sale of Securities.

 

“Limited Offering” means an offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, pursuant to Section 4(2) or Section 4(6) or pursuant to Rule 504, 505 or 506 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

“Reportable Security” means any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it does not include: (i) Transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) Shares issued by money market funds; (iv) Transactions and holdings in shares of other types of open-end registered mutual funds, unless NorthStar or a Control affiliate acts as the investment adviser, principal underwriter, fund accountant or fund administrator for the fund (refer to Schedule B “Schedule of Funds”) as amended, attached to the Code; and (v) Transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in mutual funds, unless NorthStar or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund.    

 

“Security” means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing

 

 

agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security”, or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guaranty of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase any of the foregoing. See Section 202(a)(18) of the Adviser’s Act.

 

“Supervised Person” means managers, officers and partners of NorthStar (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of NorthStar; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of NorthStar and is subject to NorthStar's supervision and control.

 

Standards of Business Conduct

 

NorthStar places the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in our firm and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct sets forth policies and procedures to achieve these goals. This Code is intended to comply with the various provisions of the Advisers Act and also requires that all Supervised Persons comply with the various applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and

Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. Such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. The Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all Supervised Persons as defined herein. These procedures cover transactions in a Reportable Security in which a Supervised Person has Beneficial Ownership in or accounts over which the Supervised Person exercises control as well as transactions by members of the Supervised Person’s immediate family.

 

Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client, or to engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative practices. This Code contains provisions that prohibit these and other

 

 

enumerated activities and that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the Code, the Advisers Act and rules thereunder.

 

 

Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

Introduction

 

Trading Securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose Supervised Persons and NorthStar to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, Supervised Persons and NorthStar may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to Securities trading and information handling by Supervised Persons and their immediate family members.

 

The law of insider trading is unsettled and continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You must notify the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

General Policy

 

No Supervised Person may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by NorthStar), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of NorthStar communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s Securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

 

 

Material information often relates to a company’s results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company’s Securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell Securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal’s “Heard on the Street” column.

 

You should also be aware of the SEC’s position that the term “material nonpublic information” relates not only to issuers but also to NorthStar's Securities recommendations and client Securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is “public” when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones “tape” or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely.

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by NorthStar (“Client Accounts”), you must determine whether you have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Do not purchase or sell the Securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by the firm.

 

Do not communicate the information inside or outside the firm, other than to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

 

 

 

After the Chief Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the firm will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the firm will take.

 

You should consult with the Chief Compliance Officer before taking any action. This degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the firm.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The firm may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, a Supervised Person of NorthStar or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company’s Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, NorthStar must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the firm, you should contact the Chief Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

 

5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company’s Securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and “tipping” while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding

a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised Persons of NorthStar and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although NorthStar does not typically receive confidential information from portfolio companies, it may, if it receives such information take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain Securities.

 

Personal Securities Transactions

 

 

 

 

General Policy

 

The following principles governing personal investment activities by Supervised Persons have been adopted:

 

The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;

 

All personal Securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and

 

Supervised Persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPO’s

 

No Supervised Persons shall acquire any Beneficial Ownership in any Securities in an Initial Public Offering for his or her account, as defined herein without the prior written approval of the compliance department after being provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the Supervised Person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Private or Limited Offerings

 

No Supervised Person shall acquire Beneficial Ownership of any Securities in a Limited Offering or private placement without the prior written approval of the compliance department who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the Supervised Person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Blackout Periods

 

No Investment Personnel shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any Security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial interest within seven (7) calendar days of the purchase or sale of the same Security by a NorthStar client under such Investment Personnel’s supervision or  a NorthStar client  for whom such Investment Personnel otherwise participates in decision making or obtains information in connection with the purchase or sale of Securities.  (For example, if a NorthStar client trades in a Security on day one, day eight is the first day the Investment Personnel may trade in such Security for an account he or she has

 

 

Beneficial Ownership.)  In the event a Securities transaction is executed in a NorthStar client account within seven (7) calendar days after an Investment Personnel executed a transaction in the same Security, the Chief Compliance Officer, or his/her designee, will review such Investment Personnel’s and the client’s transactions to determine whether any fiduciary duties to the client have been violated.  

 

Interested Transactions

 

No Supervised Person shall recommend any Securities transactions for a client without having disclosed his or her interest, if any, in such Securities or the issuer thereof, including without limitation:

 

any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership of any Securities of such issuer;

 

any contemplated transaction by such person in such Securities;

 

any position with such issuer or its affiliates; and

 

any present or proposed business relationship between such issuer or its affiliates and such person or any party in which such person has a significant interest.

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. NorthStar has adopted the policies set forth below to guide Supervised Persons in this area.

 

General Policy

 

NorthStar's policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business may give rise to an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest;

 

Supervised Persons should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions you or the recipient must make in business transactions involving NorthStar, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions;

 

 

 

 

Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis. Entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices also is permissible;

 

Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Any Supervised Person who accepts, directly or indirectly, anything of value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of NorthStar, including gifts and gratuities with value in excess of $100 per year, must obtain consent from the compliance department before accepting such gift.

 

This reporting requirement does not apply to bona fide dining or bona fide entertainment if, during such dining or entertainment, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with NorthStar.

 

This gift reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping NorthStar monitor the activities of its employees. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any Supervised Person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift, please consult the compliance department.

 

Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of providing its services NorthStar gains access to non-public information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients, advice provided by NorthStar to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as 'Confidential Client Information'). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to NorthStar's current or former

 

 

clients, is subject to the Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

Non-Disclosure Of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding NorthStar's clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the firm's policy and the client's direction. NorthStar does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. NorthStar will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by NorthStar (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by NorthStar only for the performance of the specific service requested by NorthStar;

 

As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over NorthStar, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event NorthStar is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the firm shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, NorthStar shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required;

 

To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

Employee Responsibilities

 

All Supervised Persons are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside the firm, including family members, except under the circumstances described above. A Supervised Person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such other Supervised Persons who need to have access to such information to deliver services to the client.

 

Supervised Persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with NorthStar, must return all such documents to NorthStar.

 

 

 

 

Any Supervised Person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

Security of Confidential Personal Information

 

NorthStar enforces the following policies and procedures to protect the security of Confidential Client Information:

 

The firm restricts access to Confidential Client Information to those Supervised Persons who need to know such information to provide NorthStar's services to clients;

 

Any Supervised Person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day;

 

All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons;

 

Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by Supervised Persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

Privacy Policy

 

NorthStar has adopted a privacy policy to comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires the adoption of policies and procedures to protect the 'nonpublic personal information' of natural person clients. 'Nonpublic information,' under Regulation S-P, includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions, any information obtained in providing products or services. The policies and procedures adopted by NorthStar serve to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

 

The legal department of NorthStar is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing NorthStar's confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for

 

 

conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exceptions to this policy require the written approval of the legal department.

 

Service as a Director

 

No Supervised Person shall serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company without prior authorization by the Chief Compliance Officer or a designated supervisory person based upon a determination that such board service would be consistent with the interest of NorthStar's clients. Where board service is approved NorthStar shall implement a “Chinese Wall” or other appropriate procedure to isolate such person from making decisions relating to the company’s securities.

 

Compliance Procedures

 

Pre-clearance

 

All Supervised Persons may, directly or indirectly, acquire or dispose of Beneficial Ownership of a Reportable Security only if: (i) such purchase or sale has been approved by a supervisory person designated by the compliance department; (ii) the approved transaction is completed within 24 hours after approval is received unless otherwise approved by the Chief Compliance Officer; and (iii) the designated supervisory person has not rescinded such approval prior to execution of the transaction. Post-approval is not permitted.

 

Clearance must be obtained by completing the “Pre-Clearance Form” attached to the Code and providing a copy to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.  The designee for all employees of Gemini Fund Services, LLC or its subsidiaries is Emile Molineaux.  All other employees must obtain pre-clearance directly from the Chief Compliance Officer.  Clearance will generally be obtained by receiving the signed “Pre-Clearance Form” back from the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee indicating approval.  The Chief Compliance Officer, or his/her designee, monitors all transactions by all Supervised Persons in order to ascertain any pattern of conduct which may evidence conflicts or potential conflicts with the principles and objectives of this Code, including a pattern of front-running.

 

Advance trade clearance in no way waives or absolves any Supervised Persons of the obligation to abide by the provisions, principles and objectives of this Code.

 

Holding Period Requirements

 

Supervised Persons cannot sell a Reportable Security within less than 30 days of its purchase or purchase a Reportable Security within less than 30 days of its sale. Approved Securities purchased in an Initial Public Offering also must be held for at least

 

 

30 days.  Hardship exceptions to this 30-day holding period requirement may be granted at the discretion of the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Every Supervised Person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports to the Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee which must contain the information described below. It is the policy of NorthStar that each Supervised Person must arrange for their brokerage firm(s) to send automatic duplicate brokerage account statements and trade confirmations of all Securities transactions to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every Supervised Person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes a Supervised Person, file an initial holdings report containing the following information:

 

The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of Security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each Reportable Security in which the Supervised Person had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership when the person becomes a Supervised Person;

 

The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, number and location with whom the Supervised Person maintained an account in which any Securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Supervised Person; and

 

The date that the report is submitted by the Supervised Person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became a Supervised Person.

 

2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every Supervised Person shall, no later than February 14th each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

 

 

 

Every Supervised Person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a Reportable Security in which the Supervised Person had any direct or indirect Beneficial Ownership:

 

The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each Reportable Security;

 

The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

The price of the Reportable Security at which the transaction was effected;

 

The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

The date the report is submitted by the Supervised Person.

 

The quarterly transaction report must also contain the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the Supervised Person established any account during the period in which Securities are held, the date the account was established and the date the report is submitted by the Supervised Person.

 

4. Exempt Transactions

 

A Supervised Person need not submit a report with respect to:

 

Transactions effected for, Securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

Transactions effected pursuant to an Automatic Investment Plan;

 

 

 

 

 

A quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in Securities transaction confirmations or brokerage account statements that NorthStar holds in its records so long as the firm receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter;

 

Any transaction or holding report if NorthStar has only one Supervised Person, so long as the firm maintains records of the information otherwise required to be reported.

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Chief Compliance Officer or his/her designee will monitor and review all reports required under the Code for compliance with NorthStar's policies regarding personal Securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Chief Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of Supervised Persons regarding personal Securities trading. Supervised Persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed by NorthStar. Any transactions for any accounts of the Chief Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by NorthStar’s General Counsel. The Chief Compliance Officer shall at least annually identify all Supervised Persons who are required to file reports pursuant to the Code and will inform such Supervised Persons of their reporting obligations.

 

Certification

 

Initial Certification

 

All Supervised Persons will be provided with a copy of this Code and must initially certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of the Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of the Code; (iii) agreed to abide by the Code; and (iv), reported all account holdings as required by the Code.

 

Amendments

 

All Supervised Persons shall receive any amendments to the Code and agree to abide by the Code as amended.

 

Annual Certification

 

All Supervised Persons must annually certify in writing to the Chief Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of the Code, as amended; (ii) complied with all requirements of the Code; and (iii) submitted all holdings and transaction reports as required by the Code.

 

Further Information

 

 

 

 

Supervised Persons should contact the Chief Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to the Code or the policies established herein.

 

Records

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

A copy of any code of ethics adopted by NorthStar pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1 which is or has been in effect during the past five years;

 

A record of any violation of NorthStar's Code and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

 

A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, a Supervised Person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be a Supervised Person;

 

A copy of each report made pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1, including any brokerage confirmations and account statements made in lieu of these reports;

 

A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, Access Persons;

 

A record of any decision and reasons supporting such decision to approve a Supervised Persons' acquisition of Securities in Initial Public Offerings and Limited Offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.

 

Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All Supervised Persons shall promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer or an alternate designee all apparent violations of the Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of the Code.

 

 

 

 

The Chief Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. When the Chief Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of Section 206 of the Advisers Act, he or she may, in his or her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not the Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee’s employment.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(28)

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

For

Horizon Investments, LLC

 

 

 

 

Adopted and Implemented via Unanimous
Written Consent of the Members, dated as of
January 19, 2006, Effective February 1, 2006.


 

 

Code of Ethics - 1


 

CODE OF ETHICS

PREAMBLE

Upon the recommendation of the management, the members of Horizon Investments, LLC, hereby establish this Code of Ethics. This Code of Ethics is effective as of February 1, 2006 and supersedes any previous policies issued by the Company with respect to its subject matter as of that date.

1.      

General Provisions

 
1.1      

Company’s Registration

 

Horizon Investments, LLC (“ Company ”) is registered as an investment adviser pursuant to the provisions of Section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “ Act ”).

1.2     Company’s Professional Responsibilities

The Company is dedicated to providing effective and proper professional investment management services to a wide variety of institutional and individual advisory clients through its strategic broker-dealer and solicitor, partners. Its reputation is a reflection of the quality of its employees and their dedication to excellence in serving the Company’s clients. To ensure these qualities and the dedication to excellence, the Company’s employees must possess the requisite qualifications of experience, education, intelligence, and judgment necessary to effectively serve as investment management professionals. In addition, every employee is expected to demonstrate the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct for continued employment with the Company.

The Company serves as investment manager for individual and institutional advisory clients through its strategic broker-dealer and solicitor, partners. When used herein, the term “ client ” includes individual and institutional investors for whom the Company provides investment supervisory services or manages investment advisory accounts. It also includes any investment company for which Company manages, co-manages assets or for which it otherwise provides portfolio management services (the “ Strategic Partners ”). The term also includes those clients for whom Company provides advice on matters not involving securities.

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) and the courts have stated that portfolio management professionals, including registered investment advisers, have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients. In the context of securities investments, fiduciary responsibility should be thought of as the duty to place the interests of the client before that of the person providing investment advice; and, failure to do so may render the adviser in violation of the anti-fraud provisions of the Advisers Act. Fiduciary responsibility also includes the duty to disclose material facts that might influence an investor’s decision to purchase, or refrain from purchasing, a security recommended by the adviser, or to engage the adviser to manage the client’s investments. The SEC has made it clear that the duty of an investment adviser not to engage in fraudulent conduct includes an obligation to disclose material facts to clients whenever the failure to disclose such facts might cause financial harm. An adviser’s duty to disclose material facts is particularly important whenever the advice given to clients involves a conflict, or potential conflict, of interest between the employees of the adviser and its clients.

Pursuant to Rule 204A-1, issued by the SEC in its collection of rules titled the “Rules and Regulations promulgated under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940” (each a “ Rule ”), the Company is required to adopt a written Code of Ethics reasonably designed to prevent and detect

 

Code of Ethics - 1


Version 1.0 (December 1, 2005)

conflicts of interest that arise from personal trading by its employees. In addition to establishing a Code of Ethics, the Company is also required to “maintain” and “enforce” the Code of Ethics.

In meeting its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, the Company has promulgated this Code of Ethics (the “ Code ”) addressing the potential problems in the purchase and/or sale of securities in the personal accounts of its employees or in those accounts in which its employees may have a direct or indirect beneficial interest and reporting obligation. The Company has also opted to incorporate into its Code, policies and procedures on insider training designed to address the Companies obligations under § 204A of the Act (see Section 7 below).

This Code is intended to lessen the chance of any misunderstanding between the Company and its employees regarding trading activities and insider trading infractions. In those situations where employees may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of this Code, they are advised to consult with the Chief Compliance Officer (“ CCO ”) and/or the General Counsel (“ GC ”). The CCO may under circumstances that are considered appropriate, and after consultation with the GC, if necessary, grant exceptions to the provisions contained in this Code only when it is clear that the interests of Company’s clients will not be adversely affected and no legal violations will occur. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the interest of the clients even at the expense of the interest of our employees.

To “enforce” the policies and procedures contained in the Code, the CCO, in conjunction with the General Counsel, will provide periodic training for employees on requirements imposed by the Code. The CCO will also maintain a folder(s) titled “Code of Ethics” 1 containing the Code and revisions to the Code -- noting the effective date of each revision. The CCO will also maintain a folder which will include evidence of training and will be evidenced by giving each new employee a copy of the Code and requiring they acknowledge receipt by signing a statement, and to require each employee to annually read and sign a log or other record that he/she has read the Code, had a chance to ask questions concerning the Code and will adhere to the Code. This file folder should be current at all times and available for review by regulatory authorities.

Rule 204A-1(a)(4) states that supervised employees have an obligation to report any violations of Company’s Code promptly to the CCO or the GC.

1.3     Failure to Comply with the Provisions of this Code – Sanctions

Strict compliance with the provisions of this Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment with the Company. As such, it is important that employees understand the reasons for compliance with this Code. The Company’s reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients, its strategic partners and the investment community in general, has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously damaged as the result of a single securities transaction, considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Employees are urged to seek the advice of the CCO for any questions as to the application of this Code to their individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of this Code may constitute grounds for sanctions against the employee by the Company, including, without limitation, termination of employment with Company.

2.        Applicability of the Code’s Restrictions and Procedures

__________________
1      

See the Document Retention Policy, §3.4 for more details on this file and its maintenance.

 

 

Code of Ethics - 2


Version 5.0 (January 2005)

2.1     Supervised Person

Section 202(a)(25) of the Advisers Act defines “supervised person” to include any partner, officer or director (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employee of an investment adviser; or, other person who makes, participates in making, or whose activities relate to making any recommendations as to the purchase and/or sale of securities on behalf of the Company and is subject to the supervision and control of the Company.

Rule 204A-1 requires that all supervised persons of Company be provided with a copy of this Code and that each supervised person provide written acknowledgement of their receipt of the Code and any amendments. Moreover, all supervised persons must report any violations of this Code that come to their attention to the CCO.

2.2     Access Persons

For purposes of Rule 204A-1(e)(1) of the Advisers Act, “access persons” include those supervised persons who participate in making securities recommendations to clients, or who have access to such recommendations, or who have access to non-public information regarding any client accounts, and any other person who provides investment advice on Company’s behalf. Inasmuch as providing investment advice is the Company’s primary business, all directors, officers, and partners are considered access persons. In addition, because the Company is actively involved in managing the investments of individual and institutional clients, it is presumed that all of its employees fall within the definition of access person.

Rule 204A-1 requires access persons to report their securities holdings and personal securities transactions as outlined below. However, it is the Company’s policy that all supervised persons are required to report their securities holdings and personal securities transactions.

For purposes of the Company’s Code, the terms “supervised person”, “access person”, and “employee” may be used synonymously unless specified otherwise.

3.      Securities Subject to the Provisions of this Code

3.1   “Covered Securities”

§ 202(a)(18) of the Act and § 2(a)(36) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “ Company Act ”), as amended, both define the term “Security” as follows:

Any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, pre-organization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas or other mineral rights, any put, call straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to a foreign currency, or in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a “security” or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing.

For purposes of this Code, the term “ Covered Security ” shall mean all such securities described above except:

Code of Ethics - 3


Version 1.0 (December 1, 2005)

i.      

Securities that are direct obligations of the United States;

 
ii.      

Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short- term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements;

 
iii.      

Securities issued by any state or municipal subdivision thereof;

 
iv.      

Shares issued by money market funds;

 
v.      

Shares of any registered open-end investment company unless managed by Company or any of our affiliates;

 
vi.      

Purchases effected upon exercise of rights offered by an issuer pro-rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights are acquired from such issuer; or

 
vii.      

Any transaction exempt from registration is not subject to the prior clearance provisions of this Section.

Although the term “covered security” under the Act and the Company Act represents an all-inclusive list of investment products, for purposes of this Code, the term will most often apply to those securities listed on any of the nationally recognized stock exchanges of the United States ( i.e. , New York Stock Exchange, American Stock Exchange, Chicago Stock Exchange, Pacific Stock Exchange, Philadelphia/Baltimore Stock Exchange, or the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ) market, etc.) However, if there is any question by an Access Person as to whether a security is “covered” under this Code, he/she should consult with the CCO and/or GC for clarification on the issue before entering any trade for his/her personal account.

3.2    Securities Not Subject to Restrictions

Reporting of securities transactions pursuant to an automatic investment plan or in accounts in which the Access Person has a beneficial interest, but over which he/she has no direct or indirect control, are not required by Rule 204A-1 and are not subject to the trading restrictions of this Code; however, the Supervised Person should advise the CCO in writing, giving the name of the account(s), the person(s) or firm(s) responsible for its management, and the reason for believing that he/she should be exempt from reporting requirements under this Code.

4.     Limitations on Personal Trading by Supervised Persons

Personal securities transactions by the Company’s supervised persons are subject to the following trading restrictions 1 :

4.1    Pre-clearance of Transactions

No supervised person may purchase or sell any covered security without first obtaining prior clearance from the CCO. The CCO in his or her sole discretion, may reject any proposed trade.

4.2    Black-Out Periods

No supervised person may purchase a security if he/she knows that a client of the Company is selling that security or a related security, or has sold such a security within the past five (5)

_______________________
1
The terms of some of these restrictions may conflict with the terms of other restrictions. All conflicting provisions should be reconciled before inclusion in an adviser’s compliance procedures.

 

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business days. No supervised person may sell a security if he/she knows that a client of the Company is purchasing that security or a related security, or has purchased such a security within the past five (5) business days.

4.3     Short Term Trading

No supervised person of the Company may purchase and subsequently sell (or sell and purchase) the same security within any 60-day period, unless such transaction is approved in advance in writing by the CCO, or unless such transaction is necessitated by an unexpected special circumstance involving the Supervised Person. The CCO shall consider the totality of the circumstances, including whether the trade would involve a breach of any fiduciary duty, whether it would otherwise be inconsistent with applicable laws and/or the Company’s policies and procedures, and whether the trade would create an appearance of impropriety. Based on his/her consideration of these issues, the CCO shall have the sole authority to grant or deny permission to execute the trade.

4.4     Short Sales

Supervised persons are prohibited from selling short any security, which is held broadly in client portfolios, except that short sales may be made “against the box” in the supervised person’s personal account for tax purposes. Short sales executed by supervised persons must also comply with the other applicable trading restrictions of this Code.

4.5     Options

Transactions in put or call options are subject to the same criteria as those for the underlying securities.

4.6     Margin Accounts

While brokerage margin accounts are discouraged, a supervised person may open or maintain a margin account with a brokerage firm with whom the supervised person has maintained a regular brokerage account for a minimum of six months. This provision may be waived by the CCO, in the CCO’s sole discretion, upon written request by the supervised person.

4.7     New Issues

In view of the potential conflicts of interest, supervised persons are not permitted to purchase initial public offerings of securities (“ IPO’s ”) that are over-subscribed and likely to rise to an immediate premium over the issue price. Such IPOs are termed “hot issues.” However, supervised persons may purchase IPO’s when such securities are not oversubscribed or have not been requested by or are not being considered for purchase by clients of Company. In all cases, supervised persons must obtain written approval from the CCO before subscribing to or purchasing any new issue.

4.8      Private Placements

No supervised person shall purchase any security which is the subject of a private offering, unless prior written approval has been obtained from the CCO.

4.9      Bonds (Corporate and Municipal)

Purchases and sales of $200,000 or greater of a single bond issue by supervised persons in their personal accounts shall not be executed prior to the completion of all client orders pending in the same bond.

4.10     Potential Conflicts of Interest in Trading by Supervised Persons for Their Own

 

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Accounts

In order to avoid any potential conflict of interest between the Company and its clients, securities transactions for the accounts of supervised persons in the same security as that purchased/sold for advisory accounts or mutual funds issued or managed by the Company’s (in the event that the Company issues or manages a mutual fund) or any fund managed by the Company, should be entered only after completion of all reasonably anticipated trading in that security for those accounts on any given day. If after completion of all anticipated trading for client accounts, a trade is executed for a supervised person’s personal account on that same day at a price better than that received by the client, the supervised person must notify the CCO who will prepare a memorandum detailing the circumstances of the transaction. If after reviewing the transaction, the CCO determines that a potential conflict of interest exists, he/she shall have the authority to make any necessary adjustments, including canceling and re-billing the transaction to such other account(s) as appropriate. Such memoranda and any corrective action taken will be recorded and maintained in Company’s compliance files.

5.       Securities Reporting by Supervised Persons

5.1     Application of this Code of Ethics to Supervised Persons of Company

The provisions of this Code apply to every security transaction, in which a supervised person of the Company has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial interest, in any account over which he/she has any direct or indirect control. Generally, a person is regarded as having a beneficial interest in those securities held in his or her name, the name of his or her spouse, and the names of his or her minor children who reside with him/her. A person may also be regarded as having a beneficial interest in the securities held in the name of another person (individual, partnership, corporation, trust, custodian, or another entity) if by reason of any contract, understanding, or relationship he/she obtains or may obtain benefits substantially equivalent to those of ownership. Beneficial interest is not derived simply by virtue of serving as a trustee or executor unless the person, or a member of his/her immediate family, has a vested interest in the income or corpus of the trust or estate. However, if a family member is a fee-paying client, the account will be managed in the same manner as that of all other Company clients with similar investment objectives.

5.2      Holding Reports On Becoming a Supervised Person of Company

All supervised persons of the Company must provide the CCO with an Initial Securities Holdings Report (in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) no later than 10 days after becoming a supervised person and it must be current as of the date the report is submitted. This report must include the following information:

A list including the title and type of security, and as applicable the exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, number of shares, and principal amount (if fixed income securities) of each covered security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest or ownership as of the date the employee became an Access Person;

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with which the Access Person maintained an account, or in any other account in which securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit or ownership of the Access Person;

The date the report is submitted to the CCO by the Access Person.

5.3 Quarterly Transaction Reports - Rule 204A-1(b)(2) of the Advisers Act

 

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Every supervised person must submit a Quarterly Personal Securities Trading Report (in the form of Exhibit G to the Document Retention Policy) to the CCO not later than 30 days after the end of each calendar quarter listing all securities transactions executed during that quarter in the supervised person’s brokerage account(s) or in any account(s) in which the supervised person may have any direct or indirect beneficial interest or ownership. Those supervised persons having no securities transactions to report need not file a Quarterly Personal Securities Trading Report.

The Quarterly Personal Securities Trading Report must contain the following information:

In addition to the securities transaction data, the report will contain representations that the Advisory Representative (i) during the period, has not purchased or sold any securities not listed on the report; (ii) has not opened a securities brokerage account during the period which has not been reported to the Company, and (iii) agrees to notify the Company if he/she opens a personal securities account which has not otherwise been disclosed to the Company.

The date the report is submitted to the CCO by the Advisory Representative and/or Access Person. (Note: The report must be submitted to the CCO within 30 days following the end of the quarter.)

Following submission of the Quarterly Personal Securities Trading Report, the CCO, or such other qualified person as designated by Company’s management, will review each report for any evidence of improper trading activities or conflicts of interest by the supervised person. No supervised person will be responsible for reviewing his/her own report. After careful review of each report, the CCO or other designated person will sign and date the report attesting that he/she conducted such review. Quarterly securities transaction reports are to be maintained by the CCO in accordance with the Document Retention Policy.

5.4     Annual Securities Holdings Report

Rule 204A-1(b)(1)(ii) requires supervised persons to submit an Annual Personal Securities Holdings Report (in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A) to the CCO listing all covered securities held by that person on a date specified by the adviser. The information on the report must be current as of a date no more than 45 days prior to the date the report was submitted. It is the Company’s policy that Annual Personal Securities Holdings Reports list all securities held by that person as of December 31 st of each year. The report must be submitted not later than January 30 th following year end. The Annual Personal Securities Holding Report must contain the following information:

The title, number of shares and principal amount (if fixed income securities) of each covered security in which the Access Person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership interest or ownership;

The name of any broker, dealer or bank with whom the Access Person maintains an account in

 

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which any covered securities are held for the direct or indirect benefit of the Access Person; and

The date the annual report is submitted by the Access Person to the CCO.

Following submission of the Annual Personal Securities Holding Report, the CCO will review each report for any evidence of improper trading activities or conflicts of interest by the Access Person. After careful review of each report, the CCO will sign and date the report attesting that he/she conducted such review.

6.     Reports of Supervised Persons’ Securities Trades in Accounts with Broker/Dealers

All supervised persons of Company having account(s) with any broker/dealer must ensure that the account(s) are established so that duplicate copies of trade confirmations and monthly account statements are submitted directly to Company by the broker/dealer.

7.     Personal Securities Transactions and Insider Trading

The definition and application of inside information is continually being revised and updated by the regulatory authorities. If a supervised person of the Company believes he/she is in possession of inside information, it is critical that he/she not act on the information or disclose it to anyone, but instead advise the CCO, the GC, or a principal of the Company. Acting on such information may subject the supervised person to severe federal criminal penalties, including, without limitation, the forfeiture of any profit realized from any transaction.

7.1  Background – Section 206-4

The anti-fraud provision of Section 206 of the Advisers Act is expressed generally in terms of prohibiting an investment adviser from defrauding his clients or prospective clients. However, the anti-fraud provisions of section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Rule 10b-5 thereunder, are expressed in all-embracing terms of defrauding any person, directly or indirectly, in the offer or sale of any security or in connection with the purchase or sale of any security.

Like many active market participants, investment advisers may have access to material information that has not been publicly disseminated. The investment adviser may then use such information improperly to effect transactions in securities to the detriment of others in the investing public who may not be his clients or prospective clients. This may be a situation where the investment adviser’s clients are benefiting from the information to the detriment of the investing public.

An investment adviser may be an officer or director of a corporation, an investment company, bank, etc. who, in the ordinary course of business, may receive “inside,” non-public, or confidential information pertaining to securities or their issuers. Non-public information may be obtained through associations with insiders of such entities. In these cases, where non-public information is obtained or received, there is a duty and obligation under the law generally not to trade on such information, until this information becomes public. In other words, such information must be disclosed publicly before trades in those securities can be made.

7.2   Section 204A

Section 204A of the Advisers Act was enacted in response to the enactment of the Insider Trading and Securities Enforcement Act, in an effort to combat the misuse of material non-

 

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public information by advisers, their employees, affiliates, or clients through insider trading or otherwise.

Section 204A requires that the Company establish, maintain, and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed to preserve the confidentiality of information; to prevent possible insider trading and the misuse of material, non-public information by the Company or any person associated with the Company; and, to punish employees who obtain and trade on such information or disseminate the information to third parties (“ Tippees ”). At the same time, Congress significantly increased the penalties the Company is subject to for insider trading by its employees and other persons under its control.

In addition to establishing Section 204A procedures, the section requires that the Company “enforce” the procedures by conducting periodic training for employees on how they might recognize “insider information” or “non-public information” and the steps to be taken if they obtain such information.

In light of the increased focus on insider trading and increased penalties, the Company has implemented these necessary policies and procedures in order to protect itself against the significant monetary penalties and damage in reputation that may result from an insider trading violation.

7.3    Responsibilities of Company and Employees of Company Regarding Insider Trading

The CCO (with the help of the GC), is responsible for overseeing compliance with insider trading guidelines and providing a resource for giving guidance and answering employee questions. The insider trading policy applies to all employees of the Company who have any knowledge of the securities being traded or access to confidential information. However, all employees of the Company are expected to read and be familiar with the insider trading policies and procedures.

In meeting the requirement to “enforce” the provisions of Section 204A, every employee of the Company, as stated above, will annually sign a disclosure statement attesting to his understanding of his duties and responsibilities outlined in the Code including a section regarding the use and/or dissemination of insider information. The CCO will maintain copies of each employee’s signed disclosure statement in accordance with the Document Retention Policy. The signed statement of each employee will contain wording to the effect that the employee has read and understands the Company’s insider trading policies.

7.4    If Insider Information is Received

If an employee of the Company, regardless of position, receives information he believes is material non-public information, he/she must convey such information to the CCO. The CCO will then make a judgment as to the handling of such information in order to prevent possible charges of 204A insider trading violations. Failure of the employee to disclose such information to the CCO in a timely manner may result in termination of the employee.

7.5    Company’s Section 204A Policies and Procedures on Insider Trading

The following procedures have been established to assist the Company’s employees in avoiding violations of the insider trading provisions of Section 204A of the Act. Every employee of the Company must follow these procedures or risk being subject to the sanctions described above. If an employee has any questions about these procedures, he/she should bring such questions promptly to the CCO or GC.

 

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(1)   Identification of Insider Information

Every employee of Company must be able to determine if information is material and/or non-public. This determination may be made by asking the following two questions:

Is the information material? Would an investor consider this information important in making an investment decision? Would disclosure of this information substantially affect the market price of the security?

Is the information non-public? To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace through publication in any magazine or newspaper of general circulation, or through some other media available to the public?

If, after considering the above, an employee believes that the information may be material and/or non-public, he/she should; (i) report the matter promptly to the CCO, disclosing all information which the employee believes may be relevant on the issue of whether the information is material and non-public; (ii) refrain from purchasing or selling any security about which such information has been received. This prohibition applies to the employee’s personal securities account(s), any account(s) in which he/she may have a beneficial interest, and any client account(s) managed by Company; and (iii) not communicate the information to anyone outside the firm or within the firm, other than Company’s CCO.

After reviewing the information, the CCO will determine whether such information is material and non-public and will advise and direct the employee concerning the appropriate course of action.

(2)   Supervisory Procedures for Dealing with Material Nonpublic Information

The supervisory procedures set forth below are designed to, (i) prevent insider trading by the Company’s employees, (ii) detect such trading if it occurs and (iii) provide appropriate sanctions for violations of these procedures.

7.6    Steps to Prevent Insider Trading

Every new employee of the Company will be provided with a copy of these procedures regarding insider trading, receipt of which will be acknowledged.

The CCO will enforce the applicable Personal Securities Trading Restrictions set forth herein and in any other Company policy or procedure.

The CCO and GC will on a regular basis, conduct training to familiarize employees with the Company’s insider trading procedures. Such training may be held more often for those employees working in areas where they are more likely to receive inside information in the course of their duties.

The CCO and GC will be available to assist the Company’s employees on questions involving insider trading or any other matters covered in the Company’s policies and procedures.

The CCO and GC will resolve issues of whether information received by an employee of the Company is material and non-public.

The CCO and GC will review on a regular basis and update as necessary, the Company’s policies and procedures related thereto.

If it has been determined that an employee of the Company has received material non-public information, the CCO will (i) implement measures to prevent dissemination of such information,

 

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(ii)  place such security on the Company’s restricted trading list, and (iii) immediately advise all employees of the inclusion of the security on the restricted list.

7.7   Steps to Detect Insider Trading

The CCO will review all personal securities transactions by employees to ensure that such activities are in compliance with the applicable Personal Securities Trading Restrictions provided in the Policy.

The CCO will review excess trading activities in any client accounts handled by the Company’s portfolio managers

The CCO will review the trading activities, particularly excessive trading, in the Company’s proprietary accounts, if any, and

The CCO will conduct such investigation, as necessary, when the CCO has reason to believe that any employee of the Company has received and acted (traded) on inside information or has disseminated such information to other persons.

8.   Dealings with Clients

No supervised person may directly or indirectly purchase from or sell to a client of the Company any security, unless the transaction is pre-approved in writing by the CCO. Supervised persons of the Company are prohibited from ever holding customer funds, or securities (including stock certificates or any other physical evidence of such securities) or acting in any capacity as custodian for a client account. Moreover, supervised persons are prohibited from borrowing money or securities from any client of the Company and from lending money to any client of the Company, unless the client is a member of the supervised person’s immediate family and the transaction has been approved in writing by the CCO.

9.    Other Restricted Activities Applicable to All Supervised Persons of Company

9.1   Outside Business Interests

A supervised person who seeks or is offered a position as an officer, trustee, director, or is contemplating employment in any other capacity in an outside enterprise is expected to discuss such anticipated plans with the Company’s CCO prior to accepting such a position. Information submitted to the CCO will be considered confidential and will not be discussed with the supervised person’s prospective employer without the supervised person’s permission.

The Company does not wish to limit any supervised person’s professional or financial opportunities, but needs to be aware of such outside interests so as to avoid potential conflicts of interest and ensure that there is no interruption in services to our clients. Understandably, the Company must also be concerned about whether there may be any potential financial liability or adverse publicity that may arise from an undisclosed business interest by a supervised person.

9.2    Personal Gifts

Personal gifts of cash, fees, trips, favors, etc. of more than a nominal value to a supervised person of the Company are discouraged. Gratuitous trips and other favors whose value may exceed $100 should be brought to the attention of the CCO.

9.3    Use of Source Material

 

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Investment related materials (research reports, investment summaries, etc.) written by supervised persons of the Company for distribution outside of the company or available to outside parties should be original information and, if appropriate, include proper reference to sources. It is not necessary to reference publicly available information. However, any investment related material referencing the Company or bearing the Company’s name or logo must first be submitted to the CCO for approval prior to presentation to outside parties

9.4    Communications with Clients through Radio, Television and Other Media

Supervised persons of the Company are encouraged to participate in lectures, seminars, and media appearances where the purpose of such communications is to provide investment advice or explain the services offered through the Company. However, the supervised person must submit to the CCO for approval, prior to presentation, an outline of any speech or lecture to members of the general public which discusses investments in general or specific securities.

Supervised persons making appearances on radio or television programs as representatives of the Company are prohibited from recommending any specific security. In situations where a supervised person is asked his/her opinion on the investment merits of a security not on the Company’s recommended list, the supervised person should make it clear to the audience that any opinion given is his/her own and not necessarily that of the Company.

10.    Promulgation, Execution and Distribution of the Code

Pursuant to a unanimous written consent, the members of the Company have read and approved this Code of Conduct, regarding personal securities trading by Access Persons/Associates of Company. In addition to having approved this Code, the members agrees to review at least annually the provisions of this Code, which may require periodic revisions, clarifications, or updating so as to comply with the provisions of the Act, the Company Act and SEC interpretations thereof with respect to personal securities trading by Access Persons/Associates of Company.

 

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EXHIBIT A

INITIAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS REPORT

To: Chief Compliance Officer, Horizon Investments, LLC (the “ Company ”)

From:    ____________________________    (“ New Associate ”)

Re:    Report of Personal Securities held by the New Associate upon becoming a supervised person for the Company.

o       I hereby represent that this form contains a true and complete list of the covered securities for which I have direct or indirect beneficial interest or ownership as of the date hereof:

Ticker or CUSIP Security Bought or Sold # Shares Amount Type of Securities Broker, dealer or bank


o      

I do not currently have a personal securities brokerage account. However, I agree to promptly notify Company if I open such an account so long as I am employed by Company.

 

Signed:  _______________________________________

Date: __________________

Name:

   
Title:    
               
          

Report reviewed by:

 ______________________________ Date:  __________________
Name:    
Title:    

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EXHIBIT B

ANNUAL SECURITIES TRANSACTION REPORT

To:    Chief Compliance Officer, Horizon Investments, LLC (the “ Company ”)

From:  _____________________________________________
                                                   (Associate)

Re:    Report of Personal Securities Transactions Pursuant to Rule 204A-1(B)(1)(ii) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.

o      

During the year ending  __________________, I have held the following securities:

 

Date Security (including ticker or CUSIP)  Broker, dealer or bank Buy/Sell Amount 1 Shares Interest Rate Maturity

o      

During the above period, I have not held any personal securities. However, I agree to promptly notify Company if I open such an account so long as I am employed by Company.

 

Signed:  _______________________________________

Date: __________________

Name:

   
Title:    
               
          

Report reviewed by:

 ______________________________ Date:  __________________
Name:    
Title:    


______________________
1      

Buys represented as positive amounts and sells represented as negative amounts.



 

Code of Ethics - B


Exhibit (p)(29)

 

Niemann Capital Management

Code of Ethics

2/1/2007 to Current

 

 

Table of Contents

1 - Statement of General Policy

2 - Definitions

3 - Standards of Business Conduct

4 - Prohibition Against Insider Trading

5 - Personal Securities Transactions

6 - Gifts and Entertainment

7 - Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

8 - Compliance Procedures

9 - Certification

10 - Records

11 - Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

 

 

 

Statement of General Policy

 

This Code of Ethics (“Code”) has been adopted by Niemann Capital Management and is designed to comply with Rule 204A-1 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Advisers Act”).

 

This Code establishes rules of conduct for all employees of Niemann Capital Management and is designed to, among other things, govern personal securities trading activities in the accounts of employees. The Code is based upon the principle that Niemann Capital Management and its employees owe a fiduciary duty to Niemann Capital Management's clients to conduct their affairs, including their personal securities transactions, in such a manner as to avoid (i) serving their own personal interests ahead of clients, (ii) taking inappropriate advantage of their position with the firm and (iii) any actual or potential conflicts of interest or any abuse of their position of trust and responsibility.

 

The Code is designed to ensure that the high ethical standards long maintained by Niemann Capital Management continue to be applied. The purpose of the Code is to preclude activities which may lead to or give the appearance of conflicts of interest, insider trading and other forms of prohibited or unethical business conduct. The excellent name and reputation of our firm continues to be a direct reflection of the conduct of each employee.

 

Pursuant to Section 206 of the Advisers Act, both Niemann Capital Management and its employees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct. Compliance with this section involves more than acting with honesty and good faith alone. It means that the Niemann Capital Management has an affirmative duty of utmost good faith to act solely in the best interest of its clients.

 

Niemann Capital Management and its employees are subject to the following specific fiduciary obligations when dealing with clients:

 

 

The duty to have a reasonable, independent basis for the investment advice provided;

 

The duty to obtain best execution for a client’s transactions where the Firm is in a position to direct brokerage transactions for the client;

 

The duty to ensure that investment advice is suitable to meeting the client’s individual objectives, needs and circumstances; and

 

A duty to be loyal to clients.

 

In meeting its fiduciary responsibilities to its clients, Niemann Capital Management expects every employee to demonstrate the highest standards of ethical conduct for continued employment with Niemann Capital Management. Strict compliance with the provisions of the Code shall be considered a basic condition of employment with Niemann Capital Management. Niemann Capital Management's reputation for fair and honest dealing with its clients has taken considerable time to build. This standing could be seriously damaged as the result of even a single securities transaction being considered questionable in light of the fiduciary duty owed to our clients. Employees are urged to seek the advice of the Compliance Officer, the Chief Compliance Officer, for any questions about the Code or the application of the Code to their individual circumstances. Employees should also understand that a material breach of the provisions of the Code may constitute grounds for disciplinary action, including termination of employment with Niemann Capital Management.

 

The provisions of the Code are not all-inclusive. Rather, they are intended as a guide for employees of Niemann Capital Management in their conduct. In those situations where an employee may be uncertain as to the intent or purpose of the Code, he/she is advised to consult with the Compliance Officer. the Compliance Officer may grant exceptions to certain provisions contained in the Code only in those situations when it is clear beyond dispute that the interests of our clients will not be adversely affected or compromised. All questions arising in connection with personal securities trading should be resolved in favor of the client even at the expense of the interests of employees.

 

The Compliance Officer will periodically report to senior management/board of directors of Niemann Capital Management to document compliance with this Code.

 

 

 

 

Definitions

 

For the purposes of this Code, the following definitions shall apply:

 

 

“Access person” means any supervised person who: has access to nonpublic information regarding any clients’ purchase or sale of securities, or nonpublic information regarding the portfolio holdings of any fund RIA or its control affiliates manage; or is involved in making securities recommendations to clients that are nonpublic. At Niemann Capital Management an access person is defined as any individual who is in the "Trade" email group, therefore, in order for new persons to be placed in the "Trade" email group prior authorization and approval is required by either the CCO or designee.

 

 

“Account” means accounts of any employee and includes accounts of the employee’s immediate family members (any relative by blood or marriage living in the employee’s household), and any account in which he or she has a direct or indirect beneficial interest, such as trusts and custodial accounts or other accounts in which the employee has a beneficial interest or exercises investment discretion.

 

 

“Beneficial ownership” shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of such Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

 

“Reportable security” means any security as defined in Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it does not include: (i) Transactions and holdings in direct obligations of the Government of the United States; (ii) Bankers’ acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and other high quality short-term debt instruments, including repurchase agreements; (iii) Shares issued by money market funds; (iv) Transactions and holdings in shares of other types of open-end registered mutual funds, unless Niemann Capital Management or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund; and (v) Transactions in units of a unit investment trust if the unit investment trust is invested exclusively in mutual funds, unless Niemann Capital Management or a control affiliate acts as the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the fund.

 

 

“Supervised person” means directors, officers and partners of Niemann Capital Management (or other persons occupying a similar status or performing similar functions); employees of Niemann Capital Management; and any other person who provides advice on behalf of Niemann Capital Management and is subject to Niemann Capital Management's supervision and control.

 

 

 

 

Standards of Business Conduct

 

Niemann Capital Management places the highest priority on maintaining its reputation for integrity and professionalism. That reputation is a vital business asset. The confidence and trust placed in our firm and its employees by our clients is something we value and endeavor to protect. The following Standards of Business Conduct sets forth policies and procedures to achieve these goals. This Code is intended to comply with the various provisions of the Advisers Act and also requires that all supervised persons comply with the various applicable provisions of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

 

Section 204A of the Advisers Act requires the establishment and enforcement of policies and procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of material, nonpublic information by investment advisers. Such policies and procedures are contained in this Code. The Code also contains policies and procedures with respect to personal securities transactions of all Niemann Capital Management's access persons as defined herein. These procedures cover transactions in a reportable security in which an access person has a beneficial interest in or accounts over which the access person exercises control as well as transactions by members of the access person’s immediate family.

 

Section 206 of the Advisers Act makes it unlawful for Niemann Capital Management or its agents or employees to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud any client or prospective client, or to engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative practices. This Code contains provisions that prohibit these and other enumerated activities and that are reasonably designed to detect and prevent violations of the Code, the Advisers Act and rules thereunder.

 

 

 

 

Prohibition Against Insider Trading

 

Introduction

 

Trading securities while in possession of material, nonpublic information, or improperly communicating that information to others may expose supervised persons and Niemann Capital Management to stringent penalties. Criminal sanctions may include a fine of up to $1,000,000 and/or ten years imprisonment. The SEC can recover the profits gained or losses avoided through the illegal trading, impose a penalty of up to three times the illicit windfall, and/or issue an order permanently barring you from the securities industry. Finally, supervised persons and Niemann Capital Management may be sued by investors seeking to recover damages for insider trading violations.

 

The rules contained in this Code apply to securities trading and information handling by supervised persons of Niemann Capital Management and their immediate family members.

 

The law of insider trading is unsettled and continuously developing. An individual legitimately may be uncertain about the application of the rules contained in this Code in a particular circumstance. Often, a single question can avoid disciplinary action or complex legal problems. You must notify the Compliance Officer immediately if you have any reason to believe that a violation of this Code has occurred or is about to occur.

 

General Policy

 

No supervised person may trade, either personally or on behalf of others (such as investment funds and private accounts managed by Niemann Capital Management), while in the possession of material, nonpublic information, nor may any personnel of Niemann Capital Management communicate material, nonpublic information to others in violation of the law.

 

1. What is Material Information?

 

Information is material where there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions. Generally, this includes any information the disclosure of which will have a substantial effect on the price of a company’s securities. No simple test exists to determine when information is material; assessments of materiality involve a highly fact-specific inquiry. For this reason, you should direct any questions about whether information is material to the Compliance Officer.

 

Material information often relates to a company’s results and operations, including, for example, dividend changes, earnings results, changes in previously released earnings estimates, significant merger or acquisition proposals or agreements, major litigation, liquidation problems, and extraordinary management developments.

 

Material information also may relate to the market for a company’s securities. Information about a significant order to purchase or sell securities may, in some contexts, be material. Prepublication information regarding reports in the financial press also may be material. For example, the United States Supreme Court upheld the criminal convictions of insider trading defendants who capitalized on prepublication information about The Wall Street Journal’s “Heard on the Street” column.

 

You should also be aware of the SEC’s position that the term “material nonpublic information” relates not only to issuers but also to Niemann Capital Management's securities recommendations and client securities holdings and transactions.

 

2. What is Nonpublic Information?

 

Information is “public” when it has been disseminated broadly to investors in the marketplace. For example, information is public after it has become available to the general public through a public filing with the SEC or some other government agency, the Dow Jones “tape” or The Wall Street Journal or some other publication of general circulation, and after sufficient time has passed so that the information has been disseminated widely.

 

3. Identifying Inside Information

 

Before executing any trade for yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by Niemann Capital Management (“Client Accounts”), you must determine whether you

 

 

have access to material, nonpublic information. If you think that you might have access to material, nonpublic information, you should take the following steps:

 

 

Report the information and proposed trade immediately to the Compliance Officer.

 

Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment funds or private accounts managed by the firm.

 

Do not communicate the information inside or outside the firm, other than to the Compliance Officer.

 

After the Compliance Officer has reviewed the issue, the firm will determine whether the information is material and nonpublic and, if so, what action the firm will take.

 

You should consult with the Compliance Officer before taking any action. This degree of caution will protect you, our clients, and the firm.

 

4. Contacts with Public Companies

 

Contacts with public companies may represent an important part of our research efforts. The firm may make investment decisions on the basis of conclusions formed through such contacts and analysis of publicly available information. Difficult legal issues arise, however, when, in the course of these contacts, a supervised person of Niemann Capital Management or other person subject to this Code becomes aware of material, nonpublic information. This could happen, for example, if a company’s Chief Financial Officer prematurely discloses quarterly results to an analyst, or an investor relations representative makes selective disclosure of adverse news to a handful of investors. In such situations, Niemann Capital Management must make a judgment as to its further conduct. To protect yourself, your clients and the firm, you should contact the Compliance Officer immediately if you believe that you may have received material, nonpublic information.

 

5. Tender Offers

 

Tender offers represent a particular concern in the law of insider trading for two reasons: First, tender offer activity often produces extraordinary gyrations in the price of the target company’s securities. Trading during this time period is more likely to attract regulatory attention (and produces a disproportionate percentage of insider trading cases). Second, the SEC has adopted a rule which expressly forbids trading and “tipping” while in the possession of material, nonpublic information regarding a tender offer received from the tender offeror, the target company or anyone acting on behalf of either. Supervised persons of Niemann Capital Management and others subject to this Code should exercise extreme caution any time they become aware of nonpublic information relating to a tender offer.

 

6. Restricted/Watch Lists

 

Although Niemann Capital Management does not typically receive confidential information from portfolio companies, it may, if it receives such information take appropriate procedures to establish restricted or watch lists in certain securities.

 

The Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a “restricted list.” Access persons are prohibited from personally, or on behalf of an advisory account, purchasing or selling securities during any period they are listed. Securities issued by companies about which a number of supervised persons are expected to regularly have material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the restricted list.

 

The Compliance Officer shall take steps to immediately inform all supervised persons of the securities listed on the restricted list. The Compliance Officer may place certain securities on a “watch list.” Securities issued by companies about which a limited number of supervised persons possess material, nonpublic information should generally be placed on the watch list. The list will be disclosed only to the Compliance Officer and a limited number of other persons who are deemed necessary recipients of the list because of their roles in compliance.

 

 

 

 

Personal Securities Transactions

 

General Policy

 

Niemann Capital Management has adopted the following principles governing personal investment activities by Niemann Capital Management's supervised persons:

 

 

The interests of client accounts will at all times be placed first;

 

All personal securities transactions will be conducted in such manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of an individual’s position of trust and responsibility; and

 

Access persons must not take inappropriate advantage of their positions.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Participation in IPOs

 

No access person shall acquire any beneficial ownership in any securities in an Initial Public Offering for his or her account, as defined herein without the prior written approval of the Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the access person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

Pre-Clearance Required for Private or Limited Offerings

 

No access person shall acquire beneficial ownership of any securities in a limited offering or private placement without the prior written approval of the Compliance Officer who has been provided with full details of the proposed transaction (including written certification that the investment opportunity did not arise by virtue of the access person’s activities on behalf of a client) and, if approved, will be subject to continuous monitoring for possible future conflicts.

 

 

 

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business setting may create an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest. Niemann Capital Management has adopted the policies set forth below to guide access persons in this area.

 

General Policy

 

Niemann Capital Management's policy with respect to gifts and entertainment is as follows:

 

 

Giving, receiving or soliciting gifts in a business may give rise to an appearance of impropriety or may raise a potential conflict of interest ;

 

Access persons should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions you or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Niemann Capital Management, or that others might reasonably believe would influence those decisions;

 

Modest gifts and favors, which would not be regarded by others as improper, may be accepted or given on an occasional basis. Entertainment that satisfies these requirements and conforms to generally accepted business practices also is permissible;

 

Where there is a law or rule that applies to the conduct of a particular business or the acceptance of gifts of even nominal value, the law or rule must be followed.

 

Reporting Requirements

 

 

Any access person who accepts, directly or indirectly, anything of value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of Niemann Capital Management, including gifts and gratuities with value in excess of $300 per year (Note: Dual registrants sometimes use a $100 gift threshold for all employees based on NASD rule), must obtain consent from the Compliance Officer before accepting such gift.

 

This reporting requirement does not apply to bona fide dining or bona fide entertainment if, during such dining or entertainment, you are accompanied by the person or representative of the entity that does business with Niemann Capital Management.

 

This gift reporting requirement is for the purpose of helping Niemann Capital Management monitor the activities of its employees. However, the reporting of a gift does not relieve any access person from the obligations and policies set forth in this Section or anywhere else in this Code. If you have any questions or concerns about the appropriateness of any gift, please consult the Compliance Officer.

 

 

 

 

Protecting the Confidentiality of Client Information

 

Confidential Client Information

 

In the course of investment advisory activities of Niemann Capital Management, the firm gains access to nonpublic information about its clients. Such information may include a person's status as a client, personal financial and account information, the allocation of assets in a client portfolio, the composition of investments in any client portfolio, information relating to services performed for or transactions entered into on behalf of clients, advice provided by Niemann Capital Management to clients, and data or analyses derived from such non-public personal information (collectively referred to as "Confidential Client Information"). All Confidential Client Information, whether relating to Niemann Capital Management's current or former clients, is subject to the Code's policies and procedures. Any doubts about the confidentiality of information must be resolved in favor of confidentiality.

 

Non-Disclosure Of Confidential Client Information

 

All information regarding Niemann Capital Management's clients is confidential. Information may only be disclosed when the disclosure is consistent with the firm's policy and the client's direction. Niemann Capital Management does not share Confidential Client Information with any third parties, except in the following circumstances:

 

 

As necessary to provide service that the client requested or authorized, or to maintain and service the client's account. Niemann Capital Management will require that any financial intermediary, agent or other service provider utilized by Niemann Capital Management (such as broker-dealers or sub-advisers) comply with substantially similar standards for non-disclosure and protection of Confidential Client Information and use the information provided by Niemann Capital Management only for the performance of the specific service requested by Niemann Capital Management;

 

As required by regulatory authorities or law enforcement officials who have jurisdiction over Niemann Capital Management, or as otherwise required by any applicable law. In the event Niemann Capital Management is compelled to disclose Confidential Client Information, the firm shall provide prompt notice to the clients affected, so that the clients may seek a protective order or other appropriate remedy. If no protective order or other appropriate remedy is obtained, Niemann Capital Management shall disclose only such information, and only in such detail, as is legally required;

 

To the extent reasonably necessary to prevent fraud, unauthorized transactions or liability.

 

Employee Responsibilities

 

All access persons are prohibited, either during or after the termination of their employment with Niemann

Capital Management, from disclosing Confidential Client Information to any person or entity outside the firm, including family members, except under the circumstances described above. An access person is permitted to disclose Confidential Client Information only to such other access persons who need to have access to such information to deliver the Niemann Capital Management's services to the client.

 

Access persons are also prohibited from making unauthorized copies of any documents or files containing

Confidential Client Information and, upon termination of their employment with Niemann Capital Management, must return all such documents to Niemann Capital Management.

 

Any supervised person who violates the non-disclosure policy described above will be subject to disciplinary action, including possible termination, whether or not he or she benefited from the disclosed information.

 

Security Of Confidential Personal Information

 

Niemann Capital Management enforces the following policies and procedures to protect the security of

Confidential Client Information:

 

 

The firm restricts access to Confidential Client Information to those access persons who need to know such information to provide Niemann Capital Management's services to clients;

 

Any access person who is authorized to have access to Confidential Client Information in connection with the performance of such person's duties and responsibilities is required to keep such information in a secure compartment, file or receptacle on a daily basis as of the close of each business day;

 

All electronic or computer files containing any Confidential Client Information shall be password secured and firewall protected from access by unauthorized persons;

 

 

 

 

 

Any conversations involving Confidential Client Information, if appropriate at all, must be conducted by access persons in private, and care must be taken to avoid any unauthorized persons overhearing or intercepting such conversations.

 

Privacy Policy

 

As a registered investment adviser, Niemann Capital Management and all supervised persons, must comply with SEC Regulation S-P, which requires investment advisers to adopt policies and procedures to protect the "nonpublic personal information" of natural person clients. "Nonpublic information," under Regulation S-P, includes personally identifiable financial information and any list, description, or grouping that is derived from personally identifiable financial information. Personally identifiable financial information is defined to include information supplied by individual clients, information resulting from transactions, any information obtained in providing products or services. Pursuant to Regulation S-P Niemann Capital Management has adopted policies and procedures to safeguard the information of natural person clients.

 

Enforcement and Review of Confidentiality and Privacy Policies

 

The Compliance Officer is responsible for reviewing, maintaining and enforcing Niemann Capital Management's confidentiality and privacy policies and is also responsible for conducting appropriate employee training to ensure adherence to these policies. Any exceptions to this policy require the written approval of the Compliance Officer.

 

 

 

 

Compliance Procedures

 

Reporting Requirements

 

Every access person shall provide initial and annual holdings reports and quarterly transaction reports to the Compliance Officer which must contain the information described below.

 

1. Initial Holdings Report

 

Every access person shall, no later than ten (10) days after the person becomes an access person, file an initial holdings report containing the following information:

 

 

The title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, type of security, number of shares and principal amount (if applicable) of each reportable security in which the access person had any direct or indirect beneficial interest ownership when the person becomes an access person;

 

The name of any broker, dealer or bank, account name, number and location with whom the access person maintained an account in which any securities were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the access person; and

 

The date that the report is submitted by the access person.

 

The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the person became an access person.

 

2. Annual Holdings Report

 

Every access person shall, no later than January 30 each year, file an annual holdings report containing the same information required in the initial holdings report as described above. The information submitted must be current as of a date no more than forty-five (45) days before the annual report is submitted.

 

3. Quarterly Transaction Reports

 

Every access person must, no later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter, file a quarterly transaction report containing the following information:

 

With respect to any transaction during the quarter in a reportable security in which the access persons had anydirect or indirect beneficial ownership:

 

 

The date of the transaction, the title and exchange ticker symbol or CUSIP number, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares and the principal amount (if applicable) of each covered security;

 

The nature of the transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

The price of the reportable security at which the transaction was effected;

 

The name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected; and

 

The date the report is submitted by the access person.

 

4. Exempt Transactions

 

An access person need not submit a report with respect to:

 

 

Transactions effected for, securities held in, any account over which the person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

Transactions effected pursuant to an automatic investment plan;

 

A quarterly transaction report if the report would duplicate information contained in securities transaction confirmations or brokerage account statements that Niemann Capital Management holds in its records so long as the firm receives the confirmations or statements no later than 30 days after the end of the applicable calendar quarter;

 

Any transaction or holding report if Niemann Capital Management has only one access person, so long as the firm maintains records of the information otherwise required to be reported

 

5. Monitoring and Review of Personal Securities Transactions

 

The Compliance Officer or a designee will monitor and review all reports required under the Code for compliance with Niemann Capital Management's policies regarding personal securities transactions and applicable SEC rules and regulations. The Compliance Officer may also initiate inquiries of access persons regarding personal securities trading. Access persons are required to cooperate with such inquiries and any monitoring or review procedures employed Niemann Capital Management. Any transactions for any

 

 

accounts of the Compliance Officer will be reviewed and approved by the President or other designated supervisory person. The Compliance Officer shall at least annually identify all access persons who are required to file reports pursuant to the Code and will inform such access persons of their reporting obligations.

 

 

 

 

Certification

 

Initial Certification

 

All supervised persons will be provided with a copy of the Code and must initially certify in writing to the

Compliance Officer that they have: (i) received a copy of the Code; (ii) read and understand all provisions of the Code; (iii) agreed to abide by the Code; and (iv) reported all account holdings as required by the Code.

 

Acknowledgement of Amendments

 

All supervised persons shall receive any amendments to the Code and must certify to the Compliance Officer in writing that they have: (i) received a copy of the amendment; (ii) read and understood the amendment; (iii) and agreed to abide by the Code as amended.

 

Annual Certification

 

All supervised persons must annually certify in writing to the Compliance Officer that they have: (i) read and understood all provisions of the Code; (ii) complied with all requirements of the Code; and (iii) submitted all holdings and transaction reports as required by the Code.

 

Further Information

 

Supervised persons should contact the Compliance Officer regarding any inquiries pertaining to the Code or the policies established herein.

 

 

 

 

Records

 

The Compliance Officer shall maintain and cause to be maintained in a readily accessible place the following records:

 

 

A copy of any code of ethics adopted by the firm pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1 which is or has been in effect during the past five years;

 

A record of any violation of Niemann Capital Management's Code and any action that was taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years from the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

 

A record of all written acknowledgements of receipt of the Code and amendments thereto for each person who is currently, or within the past five years was, an access person which shall be retained for five years after the individual ceases to be an access person of Niemann Capital Management;

 

A copy of each report made pursuant to Advisers Act Rule 204A-1, including any brokerage confirmations and account statements made in lieu of these reports;

 

A list of all persons who are, or within the preceding five years have been, access persons;

 

A record of any decision and reasons supporting such decision to approve an access persons' acquisition of securities in IPOs and limited offerings within the past five years after the end of the fiscal year in which such approval is granted.

 

 

 

 

Reporting Violations and Sanctions

 

All supervised persons shall promptly report to the Compliance Officer or an alternate designee all apparent violations of the Code. Any retaliation for the reporting of a violation under this Code will constitute a violation of the Code.

 

The Compliance Officer shall promptly report to senior management all apparent material violations of the Code. When the Compliance Officer finds that a violation otherwise reportable to senior management could not be reasonably found to have resulted in a fraud, deceit, or a manipulative practice in violation of Section 206 of the Advisers Act, he or she may, in his or her discretion, submit a written memorandum of such finding and the reasons therefore to a reporting file created for this purpose in lieu of reporting the matter to senior management.

 

Senior management shall consider reports made to it hereunder and shall determine whether or not the Code has been violated and what sanctions, if any, should be imposed. Possible sanctions may include reprimands, monetary fine or assessment, or suspension or termination of the employee’s employment with the firm.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(31)

 

PARAMETRIC PORTFOLIO ASSOCIATES

CODE OF ETHICS

 

Effective January , 2006

 

INTRODUCTION

 

This Code of Ethics is based on the principle that you, as an officer or employee of Parametric Portfolio Associates (Parametric), (1) owe a fiduciary duty to the shareholders of the registered investment companies (the Funds) and other clients (together with the Funds, the Advisory Clients) for which Parametric serves as an adviser or subadviser and, (2) must comply with all Federal securities laws. Accordingly, you must avoid activities, interests and relationships that might interfere or appear to interfere with making decisions in the best interests of our Advisory Clients, or which violate Federal law.

At all times, you must:

 

1.              Place the interests of our Advisory Clients first. In other words, as a fiduciary you must scrupulously avoid serving your own personal interests ahead of the interests of our Advisory Clients. You may not cause an Advisory Client to take action, or not to take action, for your personal benefit rather than the benefit of the Advisory Client. For example, you would violate this Code if you caused an Advisory Client to purchase a Security you owned for the purpose of increasing the price of that Security. If you are an employee who makes (or participates in making) recommendations regarding the purchase or sale of securities by any Advisory Client, (each a Portfolio Manager) or provides information or advice to a Portfolio Manager or has access to or obtains information regarding such recommendations or helps execute a Portfolio Manager's recommendations (together with Portfolio Managers, each a Portfolio Employee), you would also violate this Code if you made a personal investment in a Security that might be an appropriate investment for an Advisory Client without first considering the Security as an investment for the Advisory Client.

 

2.              Conduct all of your personal Securities transactions in full compliance with this Code, Federal law and the Parametric Insider Trading Policy. Parametric encourages you and your family to develop personal investment programs. However, you must not take any action in connection with your personal investments that could cause even the appearance of unfairness or impropriety. Accordingly, you must comply with the policies and procedures set forth in this Code under the heading Personal Securities Transactions. In addition, you must comply with the policies and procedures set forth in the Parametric Insider Trading Policy, which is attached to this Code as Appendix I. Doubtful situations should be resolved against your personal trading.

 

3.              Avoid taking inappropriate advantage of your position. The receipt of investment opportunities, gifts or gratuities from persons seeking business with Parametric directly or on behalf of an Advisory Client could raise questions about the independence of your business judgment. Accordingly, you must comply with the policies and procedures set

 

 

forth in this Code under the heading Fiduciary Duties. Doubtful situations should be resolved against your personal interest.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Part I

 

PARAMETRIC PORTFOLIO ASSOCIATES

CODE OF ETHICS

 

PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS..................................................................3

TRADING IN GENERAL ..................................................................................................3

SECURITIES.......................................................................................................................3

PURCHASE OR SALE OF A SECURITY ......................................................................3

EXEMPT SECURITIES......................................................................................................3

BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP ............................................................................................4

EXEMPT TRANSACTIONS ............................................................................................5

ADDITIONAL EXEMPT TRANSACTIONS....................................................................6

PROHIBITED TRANSACTIONS ....................................................................................7

CAUTION ..........................................................................................................................7

PRECLEARANCE PROCEDURES..................................................................................7

INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS .......................................................................................9

PRIVATE PLACEMENTS ...............................................................................................9

SHORT-TERM TRADING PROFITS ..............................................................................9

PUTS, CALLS, SHORT SALES ......................................................................................9

USE OF BROKER-DEALERS .........................................................................................9

REPORTING.....................................................................................................................10

REPORTING OF TRANSACTIONS AND BROKERAGE...........................................10

INITIAL AND ANNUAL REPORTS..............................................................................10

FIDUCIARY DUTIES......................................................................................................10

GIFTS................................................................................................................................10

SERVICE AS A DIRECTOR ...........................................................................................10

COMPLIANCE ................................................................................................................11

CERTIFICATE OF RECEIPT ..........................................................................................11

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLIANCE.................................................................................11

REMEDIAL ACTIONS ....................................................................................................11

REPORTS TO MANAGEMENT AND TRUSTEES......................................................12

REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT REMEDIAL ACTION ..................................................12

ANNUAL REPORTS.......................................................................................................12

 

Part II

 

EATON VANCE CORPORATION CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS.....................14

 

 

 

 

THE FOLLOWING APPENDICES ARE ATTACHED AND ARENOT A PART OF THIS CODE:

 

I. PARAMETRIC INSIDER TRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES ....................24

 

II. FORM FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT OF THIS CODE...................31

 

III. FORM FOR INITIAL AND ANNUAL REPORT OF PERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS.......................32

 

IV. FORM FOR REPORTING BROKERAGE ACCOUNTS AND NON-BROKER TRANSACTIONS................34

 

V. FORM FOR ANNUAL CERTIFICATIONOF COMPLIANCE WITH THIS CODE.............36

 

VI. FORM FOR PRECLEARANCE OF PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS................37

 

PERSONAL SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS

 

Trading in General

 

You may not engage, and you may not permit any other person or entity to engage, in any purchase or sale of any Security (other than an Exempt Security), of which you have, or by reason of the transaction will acquire, Beneficial Ownership, unless (i) the transaction is an Exempt Transaction or (ii) you have complied with the procedures set forth under Preclearance Procedures. In all cases, an order to purchase or sell any Security (other than an Exempt Security) must be a market order and placed prior to the earlier of (i) noon Eastern time, or (ii) such time as you have access to proprietary model information from a third party investment manager.

 

Securities

 

The following are Securities:

 

Any note, stock, treasury stock, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a security, or any certificate of

 

 

interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any security.

 

The following are not Securities:

 

Commodities, futures and options traded on a commodities exchange, including currency futures. However, futures and options on any group or index of Securities are Securities.

 

Purchase or Sale of a Security

 

The purchase or sale of a Security includes, among other things, the writing of an option to purchase or sell a Security.

 

Exempt Securities

 

The following are Exempt Securities:

1 .

Direct obligations of the Government of the United States.

2.             Bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper and high quality short-term debt instruments (defined as any instrument that has a maturity at issuance of less than 366 days and that is rated in one of the two highest rating categories by a Nationally Recognized Statistical Rating Organization, including repurchase agreements.

3.             Shares of registered open-end investment companies unless they are shares of registered investment companies advised or subadvised by Parametric or its affiliates (including but not limited to Eaton Vance Management).

 

Beneficial Ownership

 

The following section is designed to give you a practical guide with respect to Beneficial Ownership. However, for purposes of this Code, Beneficial Ownership shall be interpreted in the same manner as it would be under Rule 16a-1(a)(2) of the Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) in determining whether a person is the beneficial owner of a security for purposes of Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations thereunder.

 

You are considered to have Beneficial Ownership of Securities if you have or share a direct or indirect Pecuniary Interest in the Securities.

You have a Pecuniary Interest in Securities if you have the opportunity, directly or indirectly, to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in the Securities.

The following are examples of an indirect Pecuniary Interest in Securities:

 

1.              Securities held by members of your immediate family sharing the same household; however, this presumption may be rebutted by convincing evidence that profits derived from transactions in these Securities will not provide you with any economic benefit.

 

 

 

 

Immediate family means any child, stepchild, grandchild, parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law, and includes any adoptive relationship.

 

2.              Your interest as a general partner in Securities held by a general or limited partnership.

 

3.              Your interest as a manager-member in the Securities held by a limited liability company.

 

You do not have an indirect Pecuniary Interest in Securities held by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity in which you hold an equity interest, unless you are a controlling equityholder or you have or share investment control over the

 

Securities held by the entity.

 

The following circumstances constitute Beneficial Ownership by you of Securities held by a trust:

 

1.              Your ownership of Securities as a trustee where either you or members of your immediate family have a vested interest in the principal or income of the trust.

 

2.

Your ownership of a vested beneficial interest in a trust.

 

3.              Your status as a settlor of a trust, unless the consent of all of the beneficiaries is required in order for you to revoke the trust.

 

Exempt Transactions

 

The following are Exempt Transactions:

 

1.              Any transaction in Securities in an account over which you do not have any direct or indirect influence or control. There is a presumption that you can exert some measure of influence or control over accounts held by members of your immediate family sharing the same household, but this presumption may be rebutted by convincing evidence.

 

2.

Purchases of Securities under dividend reinvestment plans.

 

3.              Purchases of Securities by exercise of rights issued to the holders of a class of Securities pro rata, to the extent they are issued with respect to Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership.

 

4.              Acquisitions or dispositions of Securities as the result of a stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, merger, consolidation, spin-off or other similar corporate distribution or reorganization applicable to all holders of a class of Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership.

 

 

 

 

5.              Such other classes of transactions as may be exempted from time to time by Compliance based upon a determination that the transactions are unlikely to violate Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. Compliance may exempt designated classes of transactions from any of the provisions of this Code except the provisions set forth below under Reporting.

 

6.              Such other specific transactions as may be exempted from time to time by Compliance. On a case-by-case basis when no abuse is involved Compliance may exempt a specific transaction from any of the provisions of this Code except the provisions set forth below under Reporting. The form for requesting approval from Compliance is attached to this Code as Appendix VI.

 

Additional Exempt Transactions

 

The following classes of transactions have been designated as Exempt Transactions by the Compliance :

 

1.              Purchases or sales of up to $100,000 per calendar month per issuer of fixed-income Securities.

 

2.              Any purchase or sale of fixed-income Securities issued by agencies or instrumentalities of, or unconditionally guaranteed by, the Government of the United States.

 

3.              Purchases or sales of up to $1,000,000 per calendar month per issuer of fixed-income Securities issued by qualified foreign governments.

 

A qualified foreign government is a national government of a developed foreign country with outstanding fixed-income securities in excess of fifty billion dollars.

 

4.

Purchases or sales of up to 2,000 shares per day per issuer, of large-cap issuers.

 

A large-cap issuer is an issuer with a total market capitalization in excess of one billion dollars and an average daily trading volume during the preceding calendar quarter, on the principal securities exchange (including NASDAQ) on which its shares are traded, in excess of 100,000 shares.

 

Information concerning large-cap issuers is available on the Internet. If you are unsure whether a security is a large-cap issue, contact Compliance .

 

5.              Purchases or sales of up to the lesser of 1,000 shares or $10,000 per calendar week, per issuer, of stock of issuers other than large-cap issuers including any registered closed-end investment companies not exempted elsewhere and not advised or subadvised by Parametric or its affiliates (including Eaton Vance Management).

 

 

 

 

6.              Purchases or sales of exchange-traded options on broadly-based indices and units, and/or exchange traded trusts or funds representing a group, index or a basket of securities (e.g., HHH, QQQQ, and SPY).

 

7.              Purchases or sales of any registered open-end investment companies not advised or subadvised by Parametric or its affiliates (including Eaton Vance Management).

 

8.              If you are not a Portfolio Employee, short sales of any Security otherwise permitted hereunder or puts, calls, straddles or options where the underlying amount of Securities controlled is an amount or transaction otherwise permitted hereunder.

 

Prohibited Transactions

a. Front Running. “Front Running” is the practice of taking a position, or effecting the purchase or sale of Securities for personal benefit, based upon non-public information regarding an impending transaction in the same, or equivalent Security.

 

b. To cause or recommend a Client to take action for your personal benefit. Thus, for example, you may not trade in or recommend a security for a Client in order to support or enhance the price of a security in your personal account. Because your responsibility is to put your Client’s interests ahead of your own, you may not delay taking appropriate action for a Client in order to avoid potential adverse consequences in your personal account.

 

c. Trading on Changes in MSL Ratings. Notwithstanding the Exempt Transactions listed above, if you are a Portfolio Manager, you may not purchase or sell any Security until the seventh (7th) day after any change in the rating of that Security in the Eaton Vance Monitored Stock List (i) from 1, 2 or 3 to 4 or 5, or (ii) from 3, 4 or 5 to 1 or 2, in each case to provide sufficient time for Client transactions in that Security before personal transactions in that Security.

 

Due to the volume and scope of securities transactions within Client portfolios, and the unpredictable nature of optimization-driven trading, the possibility exists that personal transactions will occur in the same or opposite direction of client transactions. A personal transaction that occurs in the same direction prior to a Client trade, or in the opposite direction after a client trade, is not necessarily a violation of paragraphs a and b above unless you knew or should have known that the Client trade would occur.

 

CAUTION

 

Qualified foreign governments, large-cap issuers and broadly based indices may change from time to time. Accordingly, you may purchase Securities in an Exempt Transaction only to find that when you wish to sell them, you may not do so without preclearance and approval of Compliance .

 

Preclearance Procedures

 

 

 

 

If a Securities transaction requires preclearance:

 

1.              The Securities may not be purchased or sold if at the time of preclearance there is a pending buy or sell order on behalf of an Advisory Client in the same Security or an equivalent Security or if you knew or should have known that an Advisory Client would be trading in that security or an equivalent Security on the same day.

 

An equivalent Security of a given Security is (i) a Security issuable upon exercise, conversion or exchange of the given Security, (ii) a Security exercisable to purchase, convertible into or exchangeable for the given Security, or (iii) a Security otherwise representing an interest in or based on the value of the given Security.

 

2.              If you are a Portfolio Manager (or a person identified by the CCO as having access to the same information), the Securities may not be purchased or sold during the period which begins seven days before and ends seven days after the day on which an Advisory Client trades in the same Security or an equivalent Security; except that you may, if you preclear the transaction, (i) trade “same way” to an Advisory Client after its trading is completed, or (ii) trade “opposite way” to an Advisory Client before its trading is commenced.

 

If you are a Portfolio Manager (or a person identified by the CCO as having access to the same information), and you preclear a Securities transaction and trade same way to an Advisory Client before its trading is commenced, the transaction is not a violation of this Code unless you knew or should have known that the Advisory Client would be trading in that Security or an equivalent Security within seven days after your trade.

 

The Securities may be purchased or sold only if you have asked Compliance to preclear the purchase or sale, Compliance has given you preclearance in writing, and the purchase or sale is executed by the close of business on the day preclearance is given. The form for requesting preclearance is attached to this Code as Appendix VI.

 

Initial Public Offerings

 

If you are a Portfolio Employee, you may not acquire Beneficial Ownership of any Securities in an initial public offering (as defined in Rule 17j-1).

 

Private Placements

 

If you are a Portfolio Employee, you may not acquire Beneficial Ownership of any Securities in a private placement (a limited offering as defined in Rule 17j-1), unless you have received the prior written approval from a member of the Compliance Committee. Approval will be not be given unless a determination is made that the investment opportunity should not be reserved for one or more Advisory Clients, and that the opportunity to invest has not been offered to you by virtue of your position.

If you are a Portfolio Employee, and you have acquired Beneficial Ownership of Securities in a private placement, you must disclose your investment when you play a

 

 

part in any consideration of an investment by an Advisory Client in the issuer of the Securities, and any decision to make such an investment must be independently reviewed by a Portfolio Manager who does not have Beneficial Ownership of any Securities of the issuer.

 

Short-Term Trading Profits

 

You are strongly discouraged from engaging in excessive short-term trading of Securities. The purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same or equivalent Securities within sixty (60) days are generally regarded as short-term trading.

 

Puts, Calls, Short Sales

 

If you are a Portfolio Employee, you are prohibited from transactions involving puts, calls, straddles, options and/or short sales except for: Exempt Transactions, transactions in Exempt Securities or transactions approved by Compliance.

You are considered to profit from a short-term trade if Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership are sold for more than the purchase price of the same Securities or equivalent Securities, even though the Securities purchased and the Securities sold are held of record or beneficially by different persons or entities.

 

Use of Broker-Dealers and Brokerage Accounts

 

You may not engage, and you may not permit any other person or entity to engage, in any purchase or sale of publicly traded Securities (other than Exempt Securities) of which you have, or by reason of the transaction will acquire, Beneficial Ownership, except through a registered broker-dealer.

 

REPORTING

 

Reporting of Transactions and Brokerage Accounts

 

You must report all brokerage accounts and all Securities transactions that are not transactions in Exempt Securities. To satisfy these requirements; (i) you must cause each registered broker-dealer which maintains an account for Securities of which you have Beneficial Ownership, to provide to Compliance , within 10 days of the end of each calendar quarter, duplicate copies: (a) of confirmations of all transactions in the account and (b) periodic statements (no frequently less than quarterly) for the account, and (ii) you must report (on the Form attached as Appendix IV hereto) to Compliance , within 10 days of the occurrence, the opening of a new or previously unreported brokerage account and all transactions effected without the use of a registered broker-dealer for Securities (other than Exempt Securities) of which you have Beneficial Ownership.

 

The confirmations and statements required by (i)(a) and (i)(b) above must in the aggregate provide all of the information required by the form attached as Appendix IV

 

 

hereto. If they do not, you must complete and submit a Brokerage Account and Non-Broker Transaction Report within 10 days of the end of each calendar quarter.

 

Initial and Annual Reports

 

You must disclose your holdings of all Securities (other than Exempt Securities) of which you have Beneficial Ownership no later than 10 days after becoming an employee and annually thereafter. The form for this purpose is attached to this Code as Appendix III.

 

Disclaimer

 

Anyone filing a report required hereunder may disclaim Beneficial Ownership of any Security listed thereon.

 

FIDUCIARY DUTIES

 

Gifts

 

You may not accept any investment opportunity, gift, gratuity or other thing of more than nominal value, from any person or entity that does business, or desires to do business, with Parametric directly or on behalf of an Advisory Client. You may accept more than one gift from a single giver if the aggregate annual value of all the gifts does not exceed the equivalent of $100. You may attend business meals, business related conferences, sporting events and other entertainment events at the expense of a giver, if the expense is reasonable, and both you and the giver are present. You must obtain prior written approval from your supervisor (the person to whom you report) for all air travel, conferences, and business events that require overnight accommodations. You must provide a copy of such written approval to the Compliance Department.

 

Service as a Director

 

If you are a Portfolio Employee, you may not serve on the board of directors or other governing board of a publicly traded entity, unless you have received the prior written approval of the Parametric’s Board of Managers. Approval will not be given unless a determination is made that your service on the board would be consistent with the interests of our Advisory Clients. If you are permitted to serve on the board of a publicly traded entity, you will be isolated from those Portfolio Employees who make investment decisions with respect to the securities of that entity, through a "Chinese Wall" or other procedures.

 

COMPLIANCE

 

Certificate of Receipt

 

You are required to acknowledge receipt of your copy of this Code. A form for this purpose is attached to this Code as Appendix II.

 

 

 

 

Annual Certificate of Compliance

 

You are required to certify upon commencement of your employment or the effective date of this Code, whichever occurs later, and annually thereafter, that you have read and understand this Code and recognize that you are subject to this Code. Each annual certificate will also state that you have complied with the requirements of this Code during the prior year, and that you have disclosed, reported, or caused to be reported all holdings required hereunder and all transactions during the prior year in Securities (other than Exempt Securities) of which you had or acquired Beneficial Ownership. A form for this purpose is attached to this Code as Appendix V.

 

Remedial Actions

 

If you violate this Code, you are subject to remedial actions, which may include, but are not limited to, disgorgement of profits, imposition of a substantial fine, demotion, suspension or termination.

 

REPORTS TO MANAGEMENT AND TRUSTEES

 

Reports of Significant Remedial Action

 

The General Counsel of Parametric or his delegate will on a timely basis inform the management of Parametric and trustees of each Fund which is an Advisory Client of each significant remedial action taken in response to a violation of this Code. A significant remedial action means any action that has a significant financial effect on the violator, such as disgorgement of profits, imposition of a significant fine, demotion, suspension or termination.

 

Annual Reports

 

The General Counsel of Parametric or his delegate will report annually to the management of Parametric and the trustees of each Fund which is an Advisory Client with regard to efforts to ensure compliance by the directors, officers and employees of Parametric with their fiduciary obligations to our Advisory Clients.

The annual report will, at a minimum:

 

1.              Describe any issues arising under the Code of Ethics or procedures since the last report to the trustees, as the case may be, including, but not limited to, information about material violations of the Code or procedures and sanctions imposed in response to the material violations; and;

 

2.              Certify that Parametric has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent all employees from violating the Code.

 

 

 

 

 

PART II

 

EATON VANCE CORP.And SUBSIDIARIES

 

CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICSFor Directors, Officers and Employees

 

Adopted by the Board of Directors and effective on October 31, 2004 (as revised February 1, 2005) Eaton Vance Corp. (“Corporation”) desires to be a responsible member of the various communities in which it does business and to assure the welfare of those dependent upon the continuation of the Corporation’s good health, namely its shareholders, employees, customers and suppliers. It is the policy of the Corporation to comply with all laws and to conduct its business in keeping with the highest moral, legal, ethical and financial reporting standards. The Corporation’s policies apply equally to employees at all levels, and this Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (“Code”) applies to all Subsidiaries of the Corporation (“Subsidiary” is a company of which the Corporation holds, directly or indirectly, all of the ownership interests) and their officers, directors, managers and employees to the same extent as those of the Corporation. Accordingly, the term “Corporation” in this Code includes each Subsidiary, unless otherwise indicated.

 

The Corporation welcomes and appreciates the efforts of employees who communicate violations or suspected violations of this Code, and will not tolerate any form of retaliation against individuals who in good faith report possible misconduct even if, upon investigation, their suspicions prove to be unwarranted. To facilitate its compliance efforts, the Corporation has established a Business Conduct and Ethics Committee (“Ethics Committee”) consisting of the following officers of Eaton Vance Corp.: Executive Vice President; Chief Legal Officer; Chief Financial Officer; and Chief Administrative Officer.

 

All officers and managers of the Corporation are responsible for communicating and implementing these policies within their specific areas of supervisory responsibility.

Of course, no code of conduct can replace the thoughtful behavior of an ethical director, officer or employee, and the Corporation relies upon each individual within the organization to act with integrity, to use good judgment and to act appropriately in any given situation. Nevertheless, we believe that this Code can help focus the Eaton Vance Corp. Board of Directors (“Board”) and the Corporation’s management on areas of ethical risk, provide guidance to our personnel to help them to recognize and deal with ethical issues and help to foster a culture of honesty and accountability. We encourage each member of the Board (“Director”) and management and each other employee to review this Code carefully, ask any questions regarding the policies and procedures embodied in this Code to ensure that everyone understands each such policy and procedure and the overall intent of the Code, and make every effort to remain in full compliance with both the letter and spirit of this Code.

 

Without limiting the generality of the above, the following presents the Corporation’s policy on specific topics concerning business ethics and legal compliance.

 

 

 

 

Conflicts of Interest

 

The Corporation’s officers, Directors and employees have a duty to be free of conflicting interests that might influence their decisions when representing the Corporation. Consequently, as a general matter, our Directors, officers and employees are not permitted to maintain any conflict of interest with the Corporation, and should make every effort to avoid even the appearance of any such conflict. A “conflict of interest” occurs when an individual’s private interest interferes in any way -or even appears to interfere -with the Corporation’s interests as a whole. A conflict of interest can arise when a Director, officer or employee take actions or has interests that may make it difficult to perform his or her company work objectively and effectively or when a Director, officer or employee or a member of his or her family receives any improper personal benefits as a result of his or her position in the Corporation. Any officer or employee who believes that he or she may have a potential conflict of interest must report his or her concerns to a member of the Corporation’s Ethics Committee immediately. Any individual Director who believes that he or she has a potential conflict of interest must immediately report his or her concerns to the Chairman of the Board, who shall consult with the Ethics Committee on such matters.

Without limiting the generality of this Code’s prohibition on conflicts of interest involving the Corporation’s officers, Directors and employees:

               The Corporation’s dealings with suppliers, customers, contractors and others should be based solely on what is in the Corporation’s best interest, without favor or preference to any third party, including close relatives.

 

               Employees who deal with or influence decisions of individuals or organizations seeking to do business with the Corporation shall not own interests in or have other personal stakes in such organizations that might affect the decision-making process and/or the objectivity of such employee, unless expressly authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of the Corporation after the interest or personal stake has been disclosed.

 

               Employees shall not do business on behalf of the Corporation with close relatives, unless expressly authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of the Corporation after the relationship has been disclosed.

 

Directors, officers and employees, while representing the Corporation, shall not seek or accept from any prospective or current provider of goods or services to the Corporation or any prospective or current investment management client of the Corporation (“Client”) any gift, favor, preferential treatment, or special arrangement of “Material Value.” “Material Value” includes such items as tickets for theater, musical, sporting or other entertainment events on a recurring basis; costs of transportation and/or lodging to locations outside of the Corporation’s headquarter city, unless approved in advance by an appropriate senior executive of the Corporation as having a legitimate business purpose; personal loans or guarantees of loans; or preferential brokerage or underwriting commissions or spreads or allocations of shares or interests in an investment. “Material

 

 

Value” does not include occasional meals or social gatherings for business purposes; occasional tickets for theater, musical, sporting or other entertainment events conducted for business purposes; or occasional small gifts or mementos with a value of under $100.

If you are an employee of Eaton Vance Distributors, Inc. (“EVD”), you are also subject to the rules of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. (“NASD”). Please check with the Chief Compliance Officer of EVD if you have any questions about those rules.

 

Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationship between officers of the Corporation and the investment companies sponsored or advised by the Corporation (the “EV Funds”), and are subject to provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (“Investment Company Act”) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (“Investment Advisers Act”) and the regulations thereunder that address conflicts of interest. For example, officers of the Corporation may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the EV Funds because of their status as “affiliated persons” of “affiliated persons” of the EV Funds. The Corporation's and the EV Funds’ compliance programs and procedures are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of such provisions. This Code does not, and is not intended to, duplicate, change or replace those programs and procedures, and such conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code.

 

Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationships between the Corporation and the EV Funds, the officers of which may also be officers of the Corporation. As a result, this Code recognizes that the officers of the Corporation, in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for the Corporation or for the EV Funds, or for all of them), will be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on each entity. The participation of the officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationships between those entities and is consistent with the performance by the officers of their duties as officers of the Corporation. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the Investment Company Act and the Investment Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, the Board recognizes that officers of the Corporation may also be officers or employees of one or more investment companies or Subsidiaries covered by this Code or other codes of ethics.

 

Corporate Opportunities

 

Each of our Directors, officers and employees holds a personal duty to the Corporation to advance the Corporation’s legitimate business interests when the opportunity so arises. No Director, officer or employee of the Corporation is permitted to:

               take personally, whether for economic gain or otherwise, any business opportunity discovered though the use of the Corporation’s property or information or such person’s position with the Corporation, where such opportunity might be taken by the Corporation, unless, after full disclosure, it is authorized in writing by the chief executive officer of the Corporation;

 

 

 

 

               use any of the Corporation’s corporate property, information, or his or her position with the Corporation for personal gain to the detriment of the Corporation; or

 

• compete with the Corporation.

 

Confidentiality/Insider Information

 

It is imperative that our Directors, officers and employees safeguard confidential information including, but not limited to, information regarding transactions contemplated by the Corporation and the Corporation’s finances, business, computer files, employees, present and prospective customers and suppliers and stockholders. You must not disclose confidential information except where disclosure is authorized by the Corporation’s chief executive officer or Legal Department, or is otherwise required by applicable law. Your obligation to preserve and not disclose the Corporation’s confidential information continues even after your employment by the Corporation ends.

You must keep confidential, and not discuss with anyone other than other employees for valid business purposes, information regarding Client investment portfolios, actual or proposed securities trading activities of any Client, or investment research developed in the Corporation. You should take appropriate steps, when communicating the foregoing information internally, to maintain confidentiality, for example, by using sealed envelopes, limiting computer access, and speaking in private.

 

As noted above, no officer, Director or employee of the Corporation may in any manner use his or her position with the Corporation or any information obtained in connection therewith for his or her personal gain. Your obligations to the Corporation in this regard within the context of non-public, or “insider” information regarding the Corporation compel particular emphasis. Directors, officers and employees must not disclose or use or attempt to use “confidential” or “insider” information to further their own interests or for personal gain, economic or otherwise or for any other reason except the conduct of the

Corporation’s business.

 

“Insider information” is non-public information that could affect the market price of our stock or influence investment decisions. Our officers, directors and employees are prohibited from disclosing or using non-public information for personal gain, whether through the purchase or sale of our publicly traded securities or otherwise, and are urged to avoid even the appearance of having disclosed or used non-public information in this manner. To use non-public information for personal financial benefit or to “tip” others who might make an investment decision on the basis of this information is not only unethical but also illegal and may result in civil and/or criminal penalties. Every employee is responsible for being familiar with the Eaton Vance Policies and Procedures in Prevention of Insider Trading, available upon request from the Chief Compliance Officer of Eaton Vance Corp.

 

Protection and Proper Use of Other Corporation Assets

 

 

 

 

All of our Directors, officers and employees should endeavor at all times to protect our Corporation assets and ensure their efficient use. Theft, carelessness and waste can have a direct impact on the Corporation and our profitability; corporate assets should be used only for legitimate business purposes and in an otherwise responsible and reasonably efficient manner.

 

Fair Dealing

 

Although other sections of this Code specifically address your compliance with applicable laws and regulations and other standards, as a general matter, all of our directors, officers and employees shall endeavor under all circumstances to deal fairly with our customers, suppliers, competitors and employees. No Director, officer or employee of the Corporation shall take unfair advantage in the context of his or her position with the Corporation of any other person or entity through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material fact or any other unfair-dealing practice.

 

Compliance with Laws and Regulations

 

The Corporation and its employees shall comply with all laws and regulations applicable to its business, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

Securities Law. Applicable federal and state securities laws, including but not limited to the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), as well as applicable rules of the NASD and, in the case of Eaton Vance Corp., the listed company rules of the New York Stock Exchange.

 

Antitrust. Antitrust and related laws designed to protect against illegal restraint of competition. The Corporation will not engage or attempt to engage in agreements with competitors or suppliers to fix or illegally discriminate in pricing, or participate or attempt to participate in any form of bid rigging.

 

Foreign Activities. The U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and, in the case of a Subsidiary organized and doing business in a foreign country, the applicable laws of such country. Actions taken outside the U.S., whether by non-U.S. personnel or by U.S. personnel operating internationally which may be in conformance with local custom, may be viewed as against permissible American standards of conduct. Accordingly, in instances where U.S. laws, regulations and standards relating to ethical conduct are more restrictive than those of a particular locality outside the U.S., conduct should be governed by U.S. standards.

 

You are not expected to know every detail of these or other applicable laws or rules, but should seek advice from the Corporation’s internal auditing staff, independent auditor, or internal legal staff, as appropriate.

 

 

 

 

Illegal or Unethical Payments

 

The Corporation does not permit illegal, improper, corrupt or unethical payments to be made in cash, property, or services by or on behalf of the Corporation in order to secure or retain or attempt to secure or retain business or other advantages, including, but not limited to, payments to any employee of a customer or supplier of the Corporation for the purpose of influencing that employee’s actions with respect to his employer’s business. Such payments may constitute a crime in most U.S. and foreign jurisdictions. In jurisdictions where they are not so considered, they are regarded by the Corporation as unethical payments. Agents and representatives of the Corporation are required to follow

the provisions of this Code in their dealings on behalf of the Corporation.

 

Public Officials. Reasonable business entertainment, such as lunch, dinner, or occasional athletic or cultural events may be extended to government officials, but only where permitted by local law.

 

Customers and Others. Business entertainment that is reasonable in nature, frequency and cost is permitted, as is the presentation of modest gifts where customary. Because no clear guidelines define the point at which social courtesies escalate to, and may be regarded as, improper or unethical payments, extreme care must be taken in this regard. This is subject to the applicable rules of the NASD with respect to employees of EVD.

 

Form of Payments of Amounts Due Agents, Representatives and Others. All payments for commissions or other similar obligations are to be paid by check or draft, bank wire transfer, or other authorized means, and shall, in each case, be made payable to the order of the recipient or his authorized agent. The use of currency or other forms of “cash” payments is not acceptable.

 

Accounting and Financial Reporting Standards

 

The Corporation has implemented and will comply with generally accepted accounting principles for entries on our books and records. Entries should be properly authorized, complete, and accurate and reflect the transactions to which they relate. No false, artificial, misleading or deceptive entries should be made for any reason. No employee of the Corporation shall provide false information to, or otherwise mislead, our independent or internal auditors.

 

Bank or other accounts shall be fully accounted for and accurately described in our records.

 

In addition to this Code, Eaton Vance Corp. has adopted a Code of Ethics for Principal

Executive and Senior Financial Officers, which supplements this Code and is intended to promote (a) honest and ethical conduct and avoidance of improper conflicts of interest; (b) full, fair, accurate, timely, and understandable disclosure in the Corporation’s periodic

 

 

reports; and (c) compliance by such senior financial executives with all applicable governmental rules and regulations.

 

Outside Directorships and Employment

 

No officer or employee of the Corporation may serve as a director, officer, employee, trustee, or general partner of any corporation or other entity, whether or not for pay, without the prior written approval of his or her department head and the Chief Legal Officer. This restriction shall not apply to serving any charitable or non-profit organization.

 

Media Inquiries

 

Occasionally, employees may receive an inquiry from a media representative requesting information or comment on some aspect of the Corporation’s affairs. Such questions must be referred to the Corporation’s Director of Public Affairs or the Legal Department, unless specifically covered by a formal procedure adopted by the Corporation.

 

Political Activities

 

Employees are encouraged to participate in political activities as they see fit, on their own time and at their own expense. The Corporation will not compensate or reimburse employees for such activities.

 

The Corporation will not contribute anything of value to political parties, candidates for public office or elected officials, except in jurisdictions where such contributions are legal and approved by our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer and reported to the Board. Furthermore, without such approval, no corporate asset may be used in support of any organization whose political purpose is to influence the outcome of a referendum or other vote of the electorate on public issues.

 

Discipline

 

Any employee who violates or attempts to violate this Code or any other formal policies of the Corporation may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, in management’s discretion.

 

Periodic Review and Revision

 

Management reserves the right to amend and revise this Code in its sole discretion. Management shall report such amendments to the Board at its next following meeting. At least annually Management shall provide a report to the Board regarding material violations of this Code, and the Board shall review this Code at least annually. Employees will be apprised promptly of any changes to the policies, procedures and obligations set forth herein.

 

 

 

 

Reporting Obligation

 

It is the responsibility of each of our employees who has knowledge of misappropriation of funds, activities that may be of an illegal nature, or other incidents involving company loss, waste, and abuse or other violations of this Code to promptly report, in good faith, the situation to the Chief Compliance Officer.

 

Prohibition Against Retaliation

 

Under no circumstances may the Corporation or any director, officer or employee of the Corporation discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass or in any other manner discriminate against an employee in the terms or conditions of his or her employment on the basis of any lawful act by that employee to:

               provide information, cause information to be provided, or otherwise assist in an investigation regarding any conduct which the employee reasonably believes constitutes a violation of the federal securities laws, the rules and regulations of the SEC or any provision of federal law relating to fraud against shareholders, when the information or assistance is provided to, or the investigation conducted by:

 

 

o

A federal regulatory or law enforcement agency;

 

 

o

Any member of Congress or any committee of Congress; or

 

 

o

Any person with supervisory authority over the employee (or such other person working for the employer who has the authority to investigate, discover, or terminate misconduct); or

 

               file, cause to be filed, testify, participate in or otherwise assist in a proceeding filed or about to be filed (with any knowledge of the employer) relating to any such alleged violation.

 

No Rights Created; Not Exclusive Code

 

This Code is a statement of certain fundamental principles, policies and procedures that govern the Corporation’s Directors, officers and employees in the conduct of the Corporation’s business. It is not intended to and does not create any rights in any employee, customer, client, supplier, competitor, shareholder or any other person or entity.

 

This Code is not the exclusive code of ethics applicable to employees of the Corporation, who are also subject to the code of ethics – policy on personal securities transactions, designed to comply with the requirements of rules under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.

 

GENERAL PROVISIONS

 

 

 

 

1. Maintenance of List of Access Persons and Investment Professionals: Notification. The Compliance Assistant shall maintain a list of all Access Persons and Investment Professionals, shall notify each of his or her status, and shall ensure that each has received a copy of the Code of Ethics.

 

2. Review of Securities Reports. The Chief Compliance Officer shall ensure that all Initial and Annual Reports of Securities Holdings and Quarterly Transaction Reports, together with all Securities Transaction Confirmations and Account Statements received by the Compliance Assistant, will be reviewed in accordance with the attached Procedures (Appendix 1).

 

3. Certifications by Employees. Each employee of a Company must certify at the time of hire and annually thereafter that he or she has read and understood the Code of Ethics and has complied and will comply with its provisions. In addition upon any revision to a Company’s Code of Ethics, each employee of that Company must certify that he or she has read the Code, as revised, and understands and will comply with its provisions.

 

4. Fund Board Approval. The Board of Trustees of each Fund, including a majority of the Independent Fund Trustees, has approved this Code of Ethics and must approve any material change hereto within six months after such change is adopted.

 

5. Annual Report to Fund Board. At least annually each Company shall submit to the Board of Trustees of each Fund and each Sub-advised Fund for consideration a written report that (i) describes any issues arising under the Code of Ethics or the Procedures since the last report the Board, including information about material violations of the Code of Ethics or the Procedures and the sanctions imposed in response to material violations, and (ii) certifies that each Company has adopted procedures reasonably necessary to prevent Access Persons from violating the Code of Ethics.

 

6. Recordkeeping Requirements. Each Company shall maintain the following records at its principal place of business in an easily accessible place and make these records available to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“Commission”) or any representative of the Commission at any time and from time to time for reasonable periodic, special or other examination:

 

 

(1)

copies of the Code of Ethics currently in effect and in effect at any time within the past five (5) fiscal years;

 

 

(2)

a record of any violation of the Code of Ethics and of any action taken as a result of the violation, to be maintained for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurred;

 

 

(3)

copies of each report, including transaction confirmations and other information, referred to in section C.7 of the Policy on Personal Securities Transactions (“Policy”), Part I above, to be maintained for at least five (5)

 

 

 

years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made or information provided;

 

 

(4)

a record of all persons, currently or within the past five (5) fiscal years, who are or were required to make reports referred to in section C.7 of the Policy and who are or were responsible for reviewing such reports;

 

 

(5)

copies of each certification referred to in paragraph 3 of these General Provisions made by a person who currently is, or in the past five (5) years was, subject to this Code of Ethics, to be maintained for at least five (5) years after the fiscal year in which the certification made; and

 

 

(6)

a copy of each Annual Report to a Fund Board referred to in paragraph 5 above, to be maintained for at least five (5) years after the end of the fiscal year in which it was made.

 

7. Confidentiality. All reports and other documents and information supplied by any employee of a Company or Access Person in accordance with the requirements of this Code of Ethics shall be treated as confidential, but are subject to review as provided herein and in the Procedures, by senior management of EVC, by representatives of the Commission, or otherwise as required by law, regulation, or court order.

 

8. Interpretations. If you have any questions regarding the meaning or interpretation of the provisions of this Code of Ethics, please consult with the Compliance Attorney.

 

9. Violations and Sanctions. Any employee of a Company who violates any provision of this Code of Ethics shall be subject to sanction, including but not limited to censure, a ban on personal Securities trading, disgorgement of any profit or taking of any loss, fines, and suspension or termination of employment. Each sanction shall be recommended by the Chief Compliance Officer and approved by the Management Committee of EVC. In

the event the Chief Compliance Officer violates any provisions of this Code of Ethics, the Chief Legal Officer shall recommend the sanction to be imposed for approval by the Management Committee of EVC.

 

If the Chief Compliance Officer believes that any Fund trustee who is not an employee of a Company has violated any provision of the Policy, he or she shall so advise the trustees of the Fund, providing full particulars. The Fund trustees, in consultation with counsel to the Fund and/or counsel to the Independent Trustees, shall determine whether a material violation has occurred and may impose such sanctions as they deem appropriate.

In adopting and approving this Code of Ethics, the Company and the Fund or Sub-advised Fund Boards of Trustees do not intend that a violation of this Code of Ethics necessarily is or should be considered to be a violation of Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

 

END APPENDIX I

 

 

 

 

PARAMETRIC

 

INSIDER TRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

SECTION I. POLICY STATEMENT ON INSIDER TRADING

 

A. Policy Statement on Insider Trading

Parametric Portfolio Associates (“Parametric”) forbids any of its officers, directors or employees from trading, either personally or on behalf of others (such as, mutual funds and private accounts managed by Parametric), on the basis of material non-public information or communicating material non-public information to others in violation of the law. This conduct is frequently referred to as "insider trading".

The term "insider trading" is not defined in the federal securities laws, but generally is used to refer to the use of material non-public information to trade in securities or to communications of material non-public information to others in breach of a fiduciary duty.

 

While the law concerning insider trading is not static, it is generally understood that the law prohibits:

(1) trading by an insider, while in possession of material non-public

information, or

(2) trading by a non-insider, while in possession of material non-public information, where the information was disclosed to the non-insider in violation of an insider's duty to keep it confidential, or

(3) communicating material non-public information to others in breach of a

fiduciary duty.

 

This policy applies to every such officer, director and employee and extends to activities within and outside their duties at Parametric. Every officer, director and employee must read and retain this policy statement. Any questions regarding this policy statement and the related procedures set forth herein should be referred to Parametric Compliance .

The remainder of this memorandum discusses in detail the elements of insider trading, the penalties for such unlawful conduct and the procedures adopted by Parametric to implement its policy against insider trading.

 

1. TO WHOM DOES THIS POLICY APPLY?

 

This Policy applies to all employees, officers and directors (direct or indirect) of Parametric ("Covered Persons"), as well as to any transactions in any Securities participated in by family members, trusts or corporations controlled by such persons. In particular, this Policy applies to securities transactions by:

the Covered Person's spouse;the Covered Person's minor children;any other relatives living in the Covered Person's household;a Trust in which the Covered Person has a beneficial interest, unless suchperson has no direct or indirect control over the Trust;a Trust as to which the Covered Person is a trustee;a revocable Trust as to which the Covered Person is a settlor;a corporation of which the Covered Person is an officer,

 

 

director or10% or greater stockholder; ora partnership of which the Covered Person is a partner (including mostinvestment clubs) unless the Covered Person has no direct or indirect controlover the partnership.

 

2. WHAT IS MATERIAL INFORMATION?

Trading on inside information is not a basis for liability unless the information is material. "Material information" generally is defined as information for which there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor would consider it important in making his or her investment decisions, or information that is reasonably certain to have a substantial effect on the price of a company's securities.

 

Although there is no precise, generally accepted definition of materiality, information is likely to be "material" if it relates to significant changes affecting such matters as:

dividend or earnings expectations;

write-downs or write-offs of assets;

additions to reserves for bad debts or contingent liabilities;

expansion or curtailment of company or major division operations;

proposals or agreements involving a joint venture, merger, acquisition,

divestiture, or leveraged buy-out;

new products or services;

exploratory, discovery or research developments;

criminal indictments, civil litigation or government investigations;

disputes with major suppliers or customers or significant changes in

the relationships with such parties;

labor disputes including strikes or lockouts;

substantial changes in accounting methods;

major litigation developments;

major personnel changes;

debt service or liquidity problems;

bankruptcy or insolvency;

extraordinary management developments;

public offerings or private sales of debt or equity securities;

calls, redemptions or purchases of a company's own stock;issuer tender offers; or recapitalizations.

 

Information provided by a company could be material because of its expected effect on a particular class of the company's securities, all of the company's securities, the securities of another company, or the securities of several companies. Moreover, the resulting prohibition against the misuses of "material" information reaches all types of securities (whether stock or other equity interests, corporate debt, government or municipal obligations, or commercial paper) as well as any option related to that security (such as a put, call or index security).

 

Material information does not have to relate to a company's business. For example, in Carpenter v. U.S., 108 U.S. 316 (1987), the Supreme Court considered as material certain information about the contents of a forthcoming newspaper column that was expected to

 

 

affect the market price of a security. In that case, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal was found criminally liable for disclosing to others the dates that reports on various companies would appear in the Journal and whether those reports would be favorable or not.

 

3. WHAT IS NON-PUBLIC INFORMATION?

In order for issues concerning insider trading to arise, information must not only be "material", it must be "non-public". "Non-public" information is information which has not been made available to investors generally. Information received in circumstances indicating that it is not yet in general circulation or where the recipient knows or should know that the information could only have been provided by an "insider" is also deemed "non-public" information.

 

At such time as material, previously non-public information has been effectively distributed to the investing public, it is no longer subject to insider trading restrictions. However, for "non-public" information to become public information, it must be disseminated through recognized channels of distribution designed to reach the securities marketplace.

 

To show that "material" information is public, you should be able to point to some fact verifying that the information has become generally available, for example, disclosure in a national business and financial wire service (Dow Jones or Reuters), a national news service (AP or UPI), a national newspaper (The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times or Financial Times), or a publicly disseminated disclosure document (a proxy statement or prospectus). The circulation of rumors or "talk on the street", even if accurate, widespread and reported in the media, does not constitute the requisite public disclosure. The information must not only be publicly disclosed, there must also be adequate time for the market as a whole to digest the information. Although timing may vary depending upon the circumstances, a good rule of thumb is that information is considered non-public until the third business day after public disclosure.

 

Material non-public information is not made public by selective dissemination. Material information improperly disclosed only to institutional investors or to a fund analyst or a favored group of analysts retains its status as "non-public" information which must not be disclosed or otherwise misused. Similarly, partial disclosure does not constitute public dissemination. So long as any material component of the "inside" information possessed by Parametric has yet to be publicly disclosed, the information is deemed "non-public" and may not be misused.

 

Information Provided in Confidence. Occasionally, one or more directors, officers, or employees of Parametric may become temporary "insiders" because of a fiduciary or commercial relationship. For example, personnel at Parametric may become insiders when an external source, such as a company whose securities are held by one or more of the accounts managed by Parametric, entrusts material, non-public information to Parametric’s portfolio managers or analysts with the expectation that the information will remain confidential.

 

 

 

 

As an "insider", Parametric has a fiduciary responsibility not to breach the trust of the party that has communicated the "material non-public" information by misusing that information. This fiduciary duty arises because Parametric has entered or has been invited to enter into a commercial relationship with the client or prospective client and has been given access to confidential information solely for the corporate purposes of that client or prospective client. This obligation remains whether or not Parametric ultimately participates in the transaction.

 

Information Disclosed in Breach of a Duty. Analysts and portfolio managers at Parametric must be especially wary of "material non-public" information disclosed in breach of a corporate insider's fiduciary duty. Even where there is no expectation of confidentiality, a person may become an "insider" upon receiving material, non-public information in circumstances where a person knows, or should know, that a corporate insider is disclosing information in breach of the fiduciary duty he or she owes the corporation and its shareholders. Whether the disclosure is an improper "tip" that renders the recipient a "tippee" depends on whether the corporate insider expects to benefit personally, either directly or indirectly, from the disclosure. In the context of an improper disclosure by a corporate insider, the requisite "personal benefit" may not be limited to a present or future monetary gain. Rather, a prohibited personal benefit could include a reputational benefit, an expectation of a “quid pro quo” from the recipient or the recipient's employer by a gift of the "inside" information.

A person may, depending on the circumstances, also become an "insider" or "tippee" when he or she obtains apparently material, non-public information by happenstance, including information derived from social situations, business gatherings, overheard conversations, misplaced documents, and "tips" from insiders or other third parties.

 

4.

IDENTIFYING MATERIAL INFORMATION

Before trading for yourself or others, including investment companies or private accounts managed by Parametric, in the securities of a company about which you may have potential material, non-public information, ask yourself the following questions:

 

i.               Is this information that an investor could consider important in making his or her investment decisions? Is this information that could substantially affect the market price of the securities if generally disclosed?

ii.              To whom has this information been provided? Has the information been effectively communicated to the marketplace by being published in The Financial Times, Reuters, The Wall Street Journal or other publications of general circulation?

 

Given the potentially severe regulatory, civil and criminal sanctions to which you, Parametric and its personnel could be subject, any director, officer and employee uncertain as to whether the information he or she possesses is "material non-public" information should immediately take the following steps:

i.               Report the matter immediately to Compliance or the General Counsel of Parametric;

 

 

 

 

ii.              Do not purchase or sell the securities on behalf of yourself or others, including investment companies or private accounts managed by Parametric; and

iii.            Do not communicate the information inside or outside Parametric, other than to Compliance or the General Counsel of Parametric.

 

After Compliance or General Counsel has reviewed the issue, you will be instructed to continue the prohibitions against trading and communication or will be allowed to trade and communicate the information.

 

5.

PENALTIES FOR INSIDER TRADING

Penalties for trading on or communicating material non-public information are severe, both for individuals involved in such unlawful conduct and their employers. A person can be subject to some or all of the penalties below even if he or she does not personally benefit from the violation. Penalties include:

civil injunctions

treble damages

disgorgement of profits

jail sentences

fines for the person who committed the violation of up to three times

the profit gained or loss avoided, whether or not the person actually

benefited, and

fines for the employer or other controlling person of up to the greater of

$1,000,000 or three times the amount of the profit gained or loss avoided.

 

In addition, any violation of this policy statement can be expected to result in serious sanctions by Parametric, including dismissal of the persons involved.

 

SECTION II. PROCEDURES TO IMPLEMENT THE POLICY AGAINST INSIDER TRADING

 

A.

Procedures to Implement the Policy Against Insider Trading

The following procedures have been established to aid the officers, directors and employees of Parametric in avoiding insider trading, and to aid Parametric in preventing, detecting and imposing sanctions against insider trading. Every officer, director and employee of Parametric must follow these procedures or risk serious sanctions, including dismissal, substantial personal liability and criminal penalties.

 

TRADING RESTRICTIONS AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

 

1.              No employee, officer or director of Parametric who obtains material non-public information which relates to any other company or entity in circumstances in which such person is deemed to be an insider or is otherwise subject to restrictions under the federal securities laws may buy or sell securities of that company or otherwise take advantage of, or pass on to others, such material non-public information.

 

 

 

 

2.              No employee shall engage in a securities transaction with respect to any securities of any other company, except in accordance with the specific procedures set forth in Parametric’s Code of Ethics.

 

3.              Employees shall submit reports concerning each securities transaction in accordance with the terms of the Code of Ethics and verify their personal ownership of securities in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Code of Ethics.

 

4.              Because even inadvertent disclosure of material non-public information to others can lead to significant legal difficulties, officers, directors and employees of Parametric should not discuss any potentially material non-public information concerning Parametric or other companies, including other officers, employees and directors, except as specifically required in the performance of their duties.

 

B. Chinese Wall Procedures

 

The Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act in the US requires the establishment and strict enforcement of procedures reasonably designed to prevent the misuse of "inside" information1. Accordingly, you should not discuss material non-public information about Parametric or other companies with anyone, including other employees, except as required in the performance of your regular duties. In addition, care should be taken so that such information is handled in a secure manner. For example, files containing material non-public information should be sealed; access to computer files containing material non-public information should be restricted.

 

C. Resolving Issues Concerning Insider Trading

The federal securities laws, including the US laws governing insider trading, are complex. If you have any doubts or questions as to the materiality or non-public nature of information in your possession or as to any of the applicability or interpretation of any of the foregoing procedures or as to the propriety of any action, you should contact Compliance. Until advised to the contrary by Compliance, you should presume that the information is material and non-public and you should not trade in the securities or disclose this information to anyone.

 

1 The antifraud provisions of United States securities laws reach insider trading or tipping activity worldwide which defrauds domestic securities markets. In addition, the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act specifically authorizes the SEC to conduct investigations at the request of foreign governments, without regard to whether the conduct violates United States law.

 

APPENDIX II

 

PARAMETRIC

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENT CERTIFICATION

 

 

 

 

CODE OF ETHICS

and

INSIDER TRADING POLICY AND PROCEDURES

 

I hereby certify that I have read and understand the attached Parametric Code of Ethics and Insider Trading Policy and Procedures. Pursuant to such Code, I recognize that I must disclose or report all personal securities holdings and transactions required to be disclosed or reported thereunder and comply in all other respects with the requirements of the Code. I also agree to cooperate fully with any investigation or inquiry as to whether a possible violation of the foregoing Code has occurred2. I understand that any failure to comply in all aspects with the foregoing and these policies and procedures may lead to sanctions including dismissal.

 

Date: ________________________________________________________ Signature

 

Print Name

Submit Form to Human Resources

.

2 The antifraud provisions of United States securities laws reach insider trading or tipping activity worldwide which defrauds domestic securities markets. In addition, the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act specifically authorizes the SEC to conduct investigations at the request of foreign governments, without regard to whether the conduct violates United States law.

 

APPENDIX III

 

PARAMETRIC

 

INITIAL AND ANNUAL REPORT OFPERSONAL SECURITIES HOLDINGS

 

In accordance with the Code of Ethics, please provide a list of all Securities (other than Exempt Securities) in which you or any account, in which you have a Pecuniary Interest, has a Beneficial Interest and all Securities (other than Exempt Securities) in non-client accounts for which you make investment decisions. This includes not only securities held by brokers, but also Securities held at home, in safe deposit boxes, or by an issuer.

 

(1) Name of employee:

(2) If different than #1, name of the person

in whose name the account is held:

(3) Relationship of (2) to (1):

(4) Broker(s) at which Account is Maintained:

(5) Account Number(s): ____________________________

(6) Telephone number(s) of Broker: ____________________________

 

Submit Form to Human Resources

Appendix III – (cont’d)

 

 

 

 

(7)            For each account, attach your most recent account statement listing Securities in that account. This information must be current as of a date no more than 30 days before this report is submitted. If you own Securities that are not listed in an attached account statement, list them below:

Name of Security* Quantity Value Custodian

1. __________________ ___________ ___________ ___________________

 

2. __________________ ___________ ___________ ___________________

 

3. __________________ ___________ ___________ ___________________

 

4. __________________ ___________ ___________ ___________________

 

5. __________________ ___________ ___________ ___________________

*Including principal amount, if applicable. (Attached separate sheet if necessary) I certify that this form and the attached statements (if any) constitute all of the Securities of which I have Beneficial Ownership as defined in the Code.

 

Signature

Print Name

Dated: _________________

 

Submit Form to Human Resources

 

APPENDIX IV

 

PARAMETRIC

 

BROKERAGE ACCOUNT AND NON-BROKER TRANSACTION REPORT

 

You may not engage, and you may not permit any other person or entity to engage, in any purchase or sale of publicly-traded securities (other than Exempt Securities) of which you have, or by reason of the transaction will acquire, Beneficial Ownership, except through a registered broker-dealer.

 

You must also cause each broker-dealer who maintains an account for Securities of which you have beneficial ownership, to provide to Compliance, on a timely basis, duplicate copies of confirmations of all transactions in the account and duplicate statements for the account and you must report to Compliance, within 10 days of the occurrence, all transactions effected without the use of a registered broker-dealer in Securities (other than transactions in Exempt Securities).

 

I have requested that you receive duplicate confirms on my behalf from the following brokers:

 

Name Broker Account Number Date Account Opened

 

 

 

 

The following are securities transactions that have not been reported and/or executed other than through a Broker-Dealer (i.e., direct purchase of a private placement.)

Date Time Buy/Sell Security Name Amount Price Broker/Issuer

 

By signing this document, I am certifying that I have caused duplicate confirms and duplicate statements to be sent to Compliance for every brokerage account that trades in Securities other than Exempt Securities (as defined in the Parametric Code of Ethics).

 

Date Signature

 

Submit Form to Human Resources

 

1.              Transactions required to be reported. You should report every transaction in which you acquired or disposed of any beneficial ownership of any security during the calendar quarter. The term “beneficial ownership” is the subject of a long history of opinions and releases issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission and generally means that you would receive the benefits of owning a security. The term includes, but is not limited to the following cases and any other examples in the Code:

(A)           Where the security is held for your benefit by others (brokers, custodians, banks and pledgees);

(B)           Where the security is held for the benefit of members of your immediate family sharing the same household;

(C)           Where securities are held by a corporation, partnership, limited liability company, investment club or other entity in which you have an equity interest if you are a controlling equityholder or you have or share investment control over the securities held by the entity;

(D)           Where securities are held in a trust for which you are a trustee and under which either you or any member of your immediate family have a vested interest in the principal or income; and

(E)            Where securities are held in a trust for which you are the settlor, unless the consent of all of the beneficiaries is required in order for you to revoke the trust.

 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, none of the following transactions need be reported:

(A)

Transactions in securities which are direct obligations of the United States;

(B)           Transactions effected in any account over which you have no direct or indirect influence or control; or

(C)

Other Exempt Transactions as noted in the Code.

 

2.              Security Name. State the name of the issuer and the class of the security (e.g., common stock, preferred stock or designated issue of debt securities) including the interest rate, principal amount and maturity date, if applicable. In the case of the acquisition or disposition of a futures contract, put, call option or

 

APPENDIX IV (cont’d)

 

 

 

 

other right (hereinafter referred to as “options”), state the title of the security subject to the option and the expiration date of the option.

 

3.              Futures Transactions. Please remember that duplicates of all Confirmations, Purchase and Sale Reports, and Month-end Statements must be send to the firm by your broker. Please double check to be sure this occurs if you report a futures transaction. You should use the address below.

 

4.              Transaction Date. In the case of a market transaction, state the trade date (not the settlement date).

 

5.              Transaction Time. Most trade confirmations do not specify the time of trade. It is your obligation to provide proof of the time of the trade either by broker confirmation or other evidence.

 

6.              Nature of Transaction (Buy or Sale). State the character of the transaction (e.g., purchase or sale of security, purchase or sale of option, or exercise of option).

 

7.              Amount of Security Involved (No. of Shares). State the number of shares of stock, the face amount of debt securities or other units of other securities. For options, state the amount of securities subject to the option. If your ownership interest was through a spouse, relative or other natural person or through a partnership, trust, other entity, state the entire amount of securities involved in the transaction. In such cases, you may also indicate, if you wish, the extent of your interest in the transaction.

 

8.              Purchase or Sale Price. State the purchase or sale price per share or other unit, exclusive of brokerage commissions or other costs of execution. In the case of an option, state the price at which it is currently exercisable. No price need be reported for transactions not involving cash.

 

9.              Broker, Dealer or Bank Effecting Transaction. State the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom the transaction was effected.

 

10.

Signature. Sign the form in the space provided.

 

11.            Filing of Report. A report should be filed NO LATER THAN 10 CALENDAR DAYS after establishing a new brokerage account or effecting a non-reported securities transaction with the Compliance Department.

 

APPENDIX V

 

PARAMETRIC

 

ANNUAL CERTIFICATION OF COMPLIANCE

 

 

 

 

I hereby certify that I have complied with the requirements of the Code of Ethics and the Insider Trading Policy and Procedures, for the fiscal year ending July 31, ____. Pursuant to the Code, I have disclosed or reported all personal securities holdings and transactions required to be disclosed or reported thereunder, and complied in all other respects with the requirements of the Code. I also agree to cooperate fully with any investigation or inquiry as to whether a possible violation of the Code has occurred.

Date: _________________________________________________ Signature

Print Name

SAMPLE FORM

 

APPENDIX VI

 

EMPLOYEE TRADE PRECLEARANCE FORM

 

PLEASEUSEASEPARATEFORMFOREACHSECURITY

 

Name of Employee (please print)

Department Supervisor Telephone Date

Broker Account Number Telephone ( ) Sales Representative

 

• Buy .Sell

Ticker Symbol

Price: Market •

Quantity

Issue (Full Security Description)

Portfolio Employee IPO Private Placement Traded Security in Prior 60 days Short Sale Special Instructions

.Yes .No .Yes .No .Yes .No .Yes .No .Yes .No

 

Approvals

This area reserved for Trading Department use only

Trade Has Been .Approved .Not Approved Date Approved Approved By

 

Legal / Compliance (if required)

Approvals are valid until the close of business on the day approval has been granted. Accordingly, GTC (good till canceled) orders are prohibited. If a trade is not executed by the close of business resubmitting a new preclearance form is required. It is each employee’s responsibility to comply with all provisions of the Code. Obtaining preclearance satisfies the preclearance requirements of the Code and does not imply compliance with the Code’s other provisions.

Preclearance procedures apply to all employees and their immediate family (as defined by the Code) including: a) all accounts in the name of the employee or the employee’s spouse or minor children; b) all accounts in which any of such persons have a beneficial interest; and c) all other accounts over which any such person exercises any investment discretion. Please see the Code for the complete definition of immediate family.

 

 

 

 

By signing below the employee certifies the following: The employee agrees that the above order is in compliance with the Code of Ethics and is not based on knowledge of an actual client order within the previous seven calendar days in the security that is being purchased or sold, or knowledge that the security is being considered for purchase or sale in one or more specific client accounts, or knowledge of a change or pendency of a change of an investment management recommendation. The employee also acknowledges that he/she is not in possession of material, inside information pertaining to the security or issuer of the security.

 

PLEASE SEND A COPY OF THIS COMPLETED FORM TO THE COMPLIANCEDEPARTMENT FOR ALL EXECUTED TRADES

SAMPLE FORM

 

APPENDIX VII

 

Eaton Vance Personal Securities Transaction Pre-Approval Request

 

Employee Name Department ____________________ Covered Account1 Name & A/C

 

#____________________________

 

Full Name of Security No. of Shares/ Aggregate Par Value Buy/Sell/Other

Pvt. Placement or IPO5 Bond -New Issue

Symbol and/or Cusip (if available)

 

Type of Security2 If sale, enter purchase or other acquisition date of security

Do you manage any funds and/or client accounts?3 _______________________________ Signature4

If yes, Invest Manager initials

Group Manager Signature (required for Prime Rate Group employees) Date

Approved by Trading Desk Date

Approved by Investment Compliance Officer Date

Approved by Fixed Income Approval Authority Date

Approved by Chief Financial Officer (required for securities issued by Eaton Vance) Date

Approved by Director of Compliance (required for Pvt. Placements or IPO’s) Date

Approval Expires at Close of Business on .

 

1 Covered Accounts include all those in which the employee has "a direct or indirect beneficial interest" unless the employee has no "direct or indirect influence or control." See Statement of Policy.

2 Type of Security: C-Common, P-Preferred, O-Option, W-Warrant, B-Bond, CEF-Closed-End Investment Company, X-Other

3 Pursuant to Section D2 of the Statement of Policy, portfolio managers and counselors are prohibited from buying or selling a security 7 days before or after a fund or client whose account s/he manages trades in that security.

 

 

 

 

4 In executing this form the employee affirms the accuracy of the information supplied and additionally represents that s/he is not in possession of material non-public information concerning the securities listed hereon or their issuer.

5 Private Placements and IPO’s are prohibited under the code. Please attach a memo supporting the request to make an exception.

 

 

 

 

Exhibit (p)(32)

 

STATEMENT OF POLICY RESTRICTING COMMUNICATION AND USE

OF ISSUER-RELATED INFORMATION BY PRUDENTIAL INVESTMENT ASSOCIATES

 

 

Prudential’s Ethics Policy requires Prudential associates including those of QMA to conduct every aspect of our business in a fair, lawful and ethical manner and to maintain the confidentiality of confidential or proprietary information obtained in the course of their employment, including information with respect to the financial condition and business activity of any enterprise with which Prudential is doing business. The Federal securities laws prohibit Prudential and Prudential associates from trading securities on the basis of material non-public information and require Prudential to establish, maintain and enforce written policies and procedures reasonably designed, taking into consideration the nature of its business, to prevent the misuse of material non-public information by Prudential or any Prudential associate. This Statement of Policy, which replaces the “Policy Statement Concerning Handling of Non-Public Investment Information” originally adopted in 1988, is designed to ensure that Prudential’s investment operations comply with these requirements.

 

The Statement of Policy establishes a “Chinese Wall” between Prudential investment units engaged in private fixed-income, equity and real estate investing (which often acquire non-public information) and Prudential investment units engaged in the management of portfolios of publicly traded securities. It prohibits, without the prior approval of compliance officers, the communication by employees assigned to “private-side” units to employees assigned to “public-side” units (and to employees assigned to Prudential Securities business units that engage in trading, sales and research activities) of any information with respect to identified issuers as to which the private-side units possess material non-public information. It also prohibits communication by employees assigned to “public-side” units with employees assigned to “private-side” units (and with employees assigned to Prudential Securities business units that engage in investment banking and merchant banking activities) for the purpose of eliciting material non-public information with respect to issuers of publicly traded securities. The Statement of Policy also establishes access restrictions, compliance monitoring procedures and training and confirmation procedures that are designed to ensure compliance with the communication restrictions.

 

All employees assigned to Prudential investment units are expected to become familiar with and to comply with the Statement of Policy. All such employees will be required to sign an annual statement confirming their understanding of and compliance with the Statement of Policy. Violations of the Statement of Policy will be considered serious matters and may lead to serious disciplinary actions, including termination of employment in appropriate cases.

 

 

Q UANTITATIVE M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATES

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q UANTITATIVE M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATES

 

 

 

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER CODE OF ETHICS

 

INTRODUCTION

Rule 204A-1 under the Advisers Act requires each federally registered investment adviser to adopt a written code of ethics (the “Code”) designed to prevent fraud by reinforcing the principles that govern the conduct of investment advisory firms and their personnel. In addition, the Code must set forth specific requirements relating to personal securities trading activity including reporting transactions and holdings.

 

Generally, the Code applies to directors, officers and employees acting in an investment advisory capacity who are known as Supervised Persons and in some cases, also as Access Persons, of the adviser. Supervised Persons covered by more than one code of ethics meeting the requirements of Rule 204A-1 will be subject to the code of the primary entity with which the Supervised Persons is associated.

 

Employees identified as Supervised and Access Persons must comply with the Code. Compliance is responsible for notifying each individual who is subject to the Code. Supervised Persons must be provided and must acknowledge receipt of this Code and any amendments to the Code. They must also comply with the federal securities laws.

 

GENERAL ETHICAL STANDARDS

Prudential holds its employees to the highest ethical standards. Maintaining high standards requires a total commitment to sound ethical principles and Prudential’s values. It also requires nurturing a business culture that supports decisions and actions based on what is right, not simply what is expedient.

 

It is the responsibility of management to make the Company’s ethical standards clear. At every level, associates must set the right example in their daily conduct. Prudential expects associates to be honest and forthright and to use good judgment. We expect them to deal fairly with customers, suppliers, competitors, and one another. We expect them to avoid taking unfair advantage of others through manipulation, concealment, abuse of confidential information or misrepresentation. Moreover, associates are encouraged to understand the expectations of the Company and apply these guidelines to analogous situations or seek guidance if they have questions about conduct in given circumstances.

 

It is each associate’s responsibility to ensure that we:

 

 

Nurture a company culture that is highly moral and make decisions based on what is right.

 

Build lasting customer relationships by offering only those products and services that are appropriate to customers’ needs and provide fair value.

 

Create an environment where associates conduct themselves with courage, integrity, honesty and fair dealing.

 

Ensure no individual’s personal success or business group’s bottom line is more important than preserving the name and goodwill of Prudential.

 

Regularly monitor and work to improve our ethical work environment.

 

 

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Because Ethics is not a science, there may be gray areas. We encourage individuals to ask for help in making the right decisions. Business Management, Business Ethics Officers, and our Human Resources, Law and Compliance and Enterprise Ethics professionals are all available for guidance at any time.

 

INVESTMENT ADVISER FIDUCIARY STANDARDS

Investment advisers frequently are fiduciaries for clients. Fiduciary status may exist under contract; common law; state law; or federal laws, such as the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the Investment Company Act of 1940 and ERISA.

 

Whenever a Prudential adviser acts in a fiduciary capacity, it will endeavor to consistently put the client’s interest ahead of the firm’s. It will disclose actual and potential meaningful conflicts of interest. It will manage actual conflicts in accordance with applicable legal standards. If applicable legal standards do not permit management of a conflict, the adviser will avoid the conflict. Advisers will not engage in fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative conduct with respect to clients. Advisers will act with appropriate care, skill and diligence.

 

Advisory personnel are required to know when an adviser is acting as a fiduciary with respect to the work they are doing. If it is, they are expected to comply with all fiduciary standards applicable to the firm in performing their duties. In addition, they must also put the client’s interest ahead of their own personal interest. An employee’s fiduciary duty is a personal obligation. While advisory personnel may rely upon subordinates to perform many tasks that are part of their responsibilities, they are personally responsible for fiduciary obligations even if carried out through subordinates.

 

Employees should be aware that failure to adhere to the standards under this Code might lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

 

REPORTING VIOLATIONS OF THE CODE

It is the responsibility of each Supervised Person and Access Person to promptly report any violations of this Code to his/her Chief Compliance Officer.

 

INCORPORATED POLICIES

In addition to this document the following policies are also considered part of this Code:

 

 

Statement of Policy Restricting Communication and the Use of Issuer-Related Information By Prudential Investment Associates (“Chinese Wall Policy”). It is each Supervised and Access Person’s responsibility to know whether their investment management unit is subject to the information barrier restrictions under the Chinese Wall Policy.

 

Personal Securities Trading Policy

 

Section I – Prudential’s Policy Statement on Insider Trading

 

Section II – Securities Trade Monitored for Covered and Access Persons

 

Section IV – Trading Restrictions for Employees of Broker-Dealers

 

Section V – Trading Restrictions for Portfolio Management and Trading Units and Registered Investment Advisers

 

 

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Section VI – Trading Restrictions for Private Asset Management Units

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Although not part of the Code, the Company’s ethics policy, Making the Right Choices, applies to all Prudential employees, including those affiliated with an investment adviser. In addition to the Code, employees in the investment advisory business are also subject to all applicable compliance manuals, policies and procedures.

 

If you have any questions as to your requirements under the Code or as to which registered investment adviser(s) you are affiliated with, you should contact your business unit compliance officer.

 

 

 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

 

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

7

 

INTRODUCTION

8

 

WHO WE ARE

9

 

 

Our Mission.............

9

 

 

Our Vision...............

9

 

 

Our Strategy.............................

9

 

 

Our Values

9

 

 

Our Principles of Doing Business

9

 

Our Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

11

 

Managing Our Business

13

 

 

Open and Safe Environment

14

 

 

Compliance with All Applicable Laws

14

 

 

Fair Competition

15

 

 

Payments and Gifts

16

 

Sharing Information

18

 

 

Public Disclosure

18

 

 

Communications

18

 

 

Financial Reporting Concerns

19

 

 

Confidentiality and Privacy

22

 

 

Material Non-public Information ("Inside Information")

25

 

 

Insider Trading Rules

27

 

Balancing Conflicting Interests

29

 

 

Conflicts of Interest

29

 

Involvement in Outside Business

32

 

 

Financial Transactions

34

 

 

Transactions and Relationships with Suppliers

38

 

 

Family or Household Member Business with Prudential

39

 

 

Gifts and Entertainment

41

 

 

Disclosure and Approval Requirements

43

 

PROCEDURES FOR DISCLOSURE AND/OR APPROVAL OF OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES AND OTHER MATTERS GOVERNED BY MTRC                                                                                                                                                             43

 

 

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Preserving Our Name and Assets

45

 

Use and Protection of Corporate Assets

45

 

Political Contributions and Activities

46

Glossary

49

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN

A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN


 

"No business objective will ever be more important than being true to the values and principles that are the foundation of our company.”

 

Doing business the right way is critical to our ability to succeed as a company. And we must not only meet expectations for ethical behavior – we must exceed them. Making the Right Choices , our business ethics code of conduct, can help make sure we live up to that responsibility.

 

Making the Right Choices provides a summary of business ethics policies by which we must abide, as well as scenarios that help illustrate how to apply our policies in specific situations. It’s just one of many resources available -- including our values, our principles and our policies – to help guide your decision-making.

 

You can also turn to our Business Ethics Office for guidance on ethical issues, or to report, in a private manner, a possible violation of our policies or ethical code. And I urge you to speak out if you’re concerned that a decision or action is wrong. Raising concerns takes courage. But it’s an important part of ensuring we do business the right way. And it’s part of your responsibility as an associate of Prudential.

 

Living up to our high ethical standards may mean doing more than just what the law requires. It may mean doing more than customers expect or ask of us. It means making a personal commitment to do what’s right. What’s most important is that you use your good judgment, and abide by our principles and policies, in deciding the right course of action to take.

 

Millions of people around the world trust us to help them achieve financial security. Only by doing business the right way, every day, can we prove we are worthy of their trust. I know I can count on you to ensure that you and your colleagues act with integrity.


 

 

 

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INTRODUCTION


 

“Making the Right Choices” (MTRC) helps employees conduct business in a way that is consistent with Prudential’s values , principles and policies .

In every business, our management teams must make the Company’s ethical standards clear. At every level, associates must understand the policies that affect their areas of responsibility and apply them appropriately, or seek guidance if they have questions about the action to take in a specific circumstance.

Sometimes there may be uncertainty about the right course of action. In these instances, associates should ask themselves, “Would I be comfortable with this action if it came to the attention of my fellow associates, friends, family members or the media?” If the answer is “no,” then it may not be the right thing to do - either for you or for Prudential. It is imperative that we make business decisions based on what is right, not simply what is expedient.

In addition to establishing its own guidelines and policies, Prudential has incorporated into its operations the principles of ethical conduct adopted by the Insurance Marketplace Standards Association (IMSA), to help ensure that our customers, shareholders, business colleagues and the public are treated fairly, honestly and competently.

No policy, statement or code of conduct can cover every conceivable situation. But by following the guidance of MTRC, as well as the other policies and processes the company has embraced, associates can be confident they are making business decisions that meet Prudential’s ethical standards.

 

 

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WHO WE ARE


Prudential Financial serves its customers by providing products and services designed to help them achieve their financial goals. That’s why people worldwide continue to look to Prudential for the expertise they need to grow and protect their wealth. We operate our company in accordance with our Mission, Vision and Strategy, as well as our company values, principles and policies.

 

Our Mission

Help our customers achieve financial prosperity and peace of mind.

   

Our Vision

Distinguish Prudential Financial as a worldwide financial services leader in both the growth and protection of our clients’ assets.

   

Our Strategy

Provide customers with the advice and information they seek through the distribution options of their choice, offering proprietary and non-proprietary investment and insurance products supported by excellent service.

 

Our Values

Worthy of Trust

Prudential has flourished because we have earned people’s trust. Our heritage reinforces the need to safeguard our customers’ interests. We will keep our promises. We will behave with integrity at all times.

Customer Focused

To earn the loyalty of our customers, we will offer quality products and services that satisfy customer needs. By providing quality and value, we will ensure that our customers stay with us, do repeat business with us and recommend us to their friends.

Mutual Respect

How we work together is key to our success in meeting customer needs. We must build our relationships on mutual respect. We will listen actively, talk straight and act fairly. We will encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and talents to contribute creatively and grow to their fullest potential.

Winning

Our job is to beat the competition by serving customers better. By doing this efficiently, we will increase value for our shareholders. We must continuously improve to win. We will set challenging targets and reward associates for achieving those targets while conducting their business activities with integrity. Our goals will balance the interests of our customers, our shareholders, our associates and Prudential.

Our Principles of Doing Business

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

We will safeguard the Company’s financial assets and produce accurate and reliable financial reports.

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and regulatory obligations.

 

 

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We will foster an open and respectful culture where each employee can thrive personally and professionally.

We will protect and enhance Prudential’s reputation and brand through our words and actions.

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks and protect important Company assets.

 

 

 

 

 

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OUR CODE OF BUSINESS CONDUCT AND ETHICS


 

Ethical conduct is the obligation of all who work for or act on behalf of Prudential. It is each associate’s responsibility to ensure that we:

Nurture a company culture that is highly moral and make decisions based on what is right.

Build lasting customer relationships by offering only those products and services that are appropriate to customers’ needs and provide fair value.

Enhance our reputation as a company that people trust and respect.

Create an environment where associates conduct themselves with courage, integrity, honesty and fair dealing.

Ensure no individual’s personal success or business group’s bottom line is more important than preserving the name and goodwill of Prudential.

Regularly monitor and work to improve our ethical work environment.

Prudential expects associates to be honest and forthright and to use good judgment. We expect them to deal fairly with customers, suppliers, competitors and one another. We expect them to avoid taking unfair advantage of others through manipulation, concealment, abuse of confidential information or misrepresentation.

Because ethics is not a science, there may be gray areas. We encourage individuals to ask for help in making the right decisions. Business management, Business Ethics Officers and our Human Resources, Law, Compliance and Enterprise Business Ethics professionals are all available to provide guidance at any time.

Associates should also be aware that failure to adhere to the standards of this Policy might lead to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.

Prudential employees are required to bring any knowledge of possible or actual unethical business conduct to the attention of their management or supervisor, Human Resources, a Business Ethics Officer or to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office, including any violations of laws, rules, regulations or any provisions of “Making the Right Choices.”

In today’s business climate, it is particularly important for associates to raise any financial reporting concerns (questionable accounting or auditing matters) they may have. The Enterprise Business Ethics Office has been designated the central facility for handling financial reporting concerns and has established ways for associates to report such concerns in a confidential, anonymous manner. All business ethics matters are treated confidentially, to the extent possible. There will be no retaliation or adverse consequences resulting from the reporting of unethical or questionable behavior. In accordance with our “Whistleblower Protection” policy and our "Open and Respectful Culture” principle, however, any employee who knowingly reports false or misleading information with the intent to defame or injure any person or entity will be subject to disciplinary action.

MTRC may also cover conduct by members of an associate’s family and individuals living in an associate’s household. If, for example, an associate’s family or household member is involved in an activity that could create a conflict of interest, or the appearance of a conflict of interest, you, the

 

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associate, would be considered in violation of MTRC if you did not adhere to its approval and disclosure requirements.

Prudential seeks to foster an environment of respectful engagement and encourages the professional development of all associates.

Prudential is committed to providing:

 

Equal opportunity without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, gender identity, including the expression of gender (consistent with applicable law), sexual orientation, marital status, domestic partnership status, pregnancy, national origin, physical or mental disability, citizenship status, veteran status, military obligation or any other basis that is protected under applicable law

 

A climate of mutual respect and trust, free of any discrimination or harassment

 

Advancement based solely on merit and the Company’s needs

Associates should:

 

Assume responsibility for their personal growth and development

 

Participate in internal and approved external programs that enhance knowledge about ethical business conduct

 

Exhibit professionalism and good ethical conduct in all business dealings

 

Promote and protect Prudential’s good name and reputation

While MTRC covers many issues, it is not intended to be all-inclusive. Prudential associates are expected to consult other appropriate Company approved publications and manuals for guidance to ensure that they comply with all of Prudential’s policies (e.g., Human Resources Policies, Company Principles and Policies, Expense Manual, Compliance Manuals, etc.). These resources are available on-line through lotus notes or can be obtained from their management, Business Ethics Officer, the Human Resources, Law and Compliance Departments and the Enterprise Business Ethics Office, all of whom can also provide assistance in understanding the Company’s expectations.

 

Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

Human Resources Policies

 

Expense Management Policies

 

 

 

 

 

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MANAGING OUR BUSINESS


 

 

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Open and Safe Environment

Our Company’s growth and success is assured if our associates are confident that their input is valued and appreciated. Creating an environment where associates can freely share their ideas and ask questions and raise concerns, without retaliation, and be assured their concerns are being handled appropriately, is the right way of doing business for us and for our businesses.

We expect associates to uphold our commitment to maintain an honest and ethical work environment. Our employees also have a responsibility to report any perceived unethical or illegal conduct, including behavior, which is contrary to our business ethics standards, as well as any adverse action taken for the reporting of such behavior.

To foster an open and safe environment of respectful engagement, Prudential has adopted a policy to facilitate the reporting of any suspected unethical or illegal activity by associates and to protect associates who report such activity. Associates should report inappropriate conduct to their management, their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey. Various mechanisms are provided such as phone, fax, intranet, mail or in-person communication to make it easier to report, including confidential reporting of, inappropriate activity. It is up to each associate to make sure that we protect our Company’s reputation by stepping up and bringing such behavior to the attention of management.

Any questions or further information can be obtained from your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will foster an open and respectful culture where each

associate can thrive personally and professionally.

 

 

Whistleblower Protection

Compliance with All Applicable Laws

As a global company, Prudential must adhere to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations of the United States or any other country in which we do business. Associates are expected to be familiar with the laws and regulations that apply to their work in the country or countries where their business operates.

Since these laws and regulations may vary according to state and country, and may be ambiguous and difficult to interpret, it is important that associates seek advice from the Company’s legal counsel and/or compliance officers. We expect good faith efforts from all Prudential associates in following the spirit and intent of all laws and regulations.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Compliance or Law Departments. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

 

 

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Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

Authority for Law and Compliance

Fair Competition

Antitrust laws are intended to facilitate free and open competition and prohibit any activity or conduct that improperly reduces or eliminates such competition in the marketplace.

Prudential has a longstanding policy of support for these antitrust laws and expects all associates to comply with them fully. Penalties for their violation can be severe.

Our purchases of goods and services and sales to our customers must be based strictly on considerations of suitability, quality, service, price, and efficiency. Reciprocal arrangements or tie-in sales are not permitted.

No customer should be led to believe that he or she must buy a particular product or service from Prudential in order to obtain any other product or service we offer or to induce Prudential to purchase any product or service which the customer offers.

Offering special discounts or “packaged” products as a marketing promotion is permissible but only when approved by the appropriate business heads and the Law Department.

Associates cannot engage in conversations with competitors about our practices, policies, future plans regarding commissions, fees, costs, interest crediting rates or other matters affecting the prices we charge for our products. Engaging in such conversations may be construed as price-fixing, or otherwise found to be illegal.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Any questions or concerns should be directed to local counsel who, in turn, may consult with the Chief Litigation Officer of the Law Department in Newark, New Jersey. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource for assistance.

Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Antitrust and Unfair Competition

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

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Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Vendor Agreements and Acquisition of Goods and Services

 

Law Intranet Site

Payments and Gifts

Prudential does not permit associates to engage in activities or use Prudential resources for any purposes that violate the laws or regulations of any country in which Prudential does business. No gift, payment or entertainment that would violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) or other applicable local laws may be offered or provided to any official, employee or representative of a non –U.S. government or public international organization or any non-U.S. political party, party official or candidate. While the FCPA permits giving gifts or payments to expedite or secure the performance of routine governmental actions, it is Prudential’s policy to discourage such payments. They are permissible only in limited circumstances as described in Prudential’s Company Principles and Policies. The FCPA requires Prudential to maintain books, records and accounts in reasonable detail that accurately and fairly reflect all Company transactions.

Associates should consult Prudential’s Company Principles and Policies for specific details regarding the Company’s policy on compliance with the FCPA and other laws, including with respect to facilitating payments, the Company’s responsibilities in joint ventures, partnerships and other strategic relationships and dealings with third parties, consultants or intermediaries.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Questions regarding this policy should be directed to the Compliance Department. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Authority for Law and Compliance

 

Antitrust and Unfair Competition

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

 

 

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and protect important company assets.

 

 

Vendor Agreements and Acquisition of Goods and Services

 

Compliance Intranet Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SHARING INFORMATION


 

Public Disclosure

Prudential’s obligation to its investors, customers and the general public reflects a strong commitment to maintaining integrity and confidence in the markets for its securities. Accordingly, Prudential has adopted an express policy regarding its public disclosures.

The information that Prudential and its subsidiaries disclose in their filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators and in other public communications should be full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable.

The Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller and all officers and associates who have a role in finance, accounting, tax and investor relations or who oversee those functions or have a responsibility for preparing or reviewing information or reports or documents that the company files with, or submits to, the Securities and Exchange Commission or other regulators or disseminates in other public communications are expected to support this goal.

For further information, contact your Finance, Audit or Law Departments. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Communications

Associates are responsible for complying with corporate and/or marketing and compliance guidelines, regulatory policies and rules governing internal and external communications. These communications include, but are not limited to, television and radio broadcasts, advertising, marketing, sales illustrations, surveys or general reports and memoranda.

All internal and external Company communications with the media, regulators, investors, shareholders, customers and associates must be accurate and forthright.

Communication with news media should only be conducted by the Company’s official spokespersons.

Communication with regulatory authorities should only be conducted by the Company’s regulatory professionals.

Requests for financial information regarding Prudential should be referred to the Company’s investor relations professionals for consideration and response.

Associates are not permitted to create, publish or circulate, either externally or internally, any oral or written statement that is false, derogatory, defamatory or maliciously critical of Prudential, a competitor or another Prudential associate. Such statements are inappropriate and may be illegal.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Associates should consult with their Communications, Compliance or Investor Relations areas for further information. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Suggested Resources

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

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Principle

We will protect and enhance Prudential’s reputation and

brand through our words and action.

 

 

Authority for External Communications

 

Authority for Investor Relations

 

Investor Relations Intranet Site

Law Intranet Site

Global Communications Intranet Site

Financial Reporting Concerns

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors of Prudential to establish procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints regarding financial reporting from employees and external sources, including the confidential, anonymous submission of concerns by employees.

In response to this mandate, the Audit Committee has designated the Enterprise Business Ethics Office as the central facility for the receipt, retention and treatment of concerns related to financial reporting. Under this policy, all financial reporting concerns not directly made to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office must be forwarded there for oversight and determination about appropriate handling.

Associates who have a concern about how the Company has treated an accounting or financial reporting matter may submit those concerns directly or anonymously to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office through its toll-free help line (800-752-7024) or the Enterprise Business Ethics Web site. Concerns may also be submitted to the Business Ethics fax (973-802-9955) but senders should be aware that the fax will identify the number from which the transmittal was sent, unless otherwise programmed by the sender. Alternatively, associates may communicate their concerns directly to the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors by writing to P.O. Box 949, Newark, New Jersey 07101-0949. Associates may, but are not required to, use the “Financial Reporting Concerns” form, which can be obtained from the Web site or from their local Business Ethics Officer.

If an associate raises a concern about a financial reporting or an accounting matter with a manager/supervisor, the manager/supervisor must complete a “Financial Reporting Concerns” form within one business day and submit it directly to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office or to his/her local Business Ethics Officer who, in turn, will forward the matter to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office. Managers/Supervisors may obtain the “Financial Reporting Concerns” form from the Enterprise Business Ethics Web site, the Enterprise Business Ethics Office or their local Business Ethics Officer.

Financial reporting and accounting are areas in which issues arise that often require the consideration of alternative approaches and the application of judgment in order to reach the most appropriate result for the Company and its shareholders. Prudential wants associates and others to report issues relating to financial reporting and accounting that they believe have been handled improperly, but the Company also wants to foster an environment where a full discussion of issues and alternatives is encouraged. It is understood that in the normal course of work an associate may approach a manager with a question or a request for an opinion about an issue in these areas. It is sometimes difficult to tell whether an inquiry is a straightforward question or, in fact, a

 

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concern. If there is any doubt in the manager’s mind, he/she should treat the matter as a reportable concern.

All financial reporting and accounting concerns will be investigated. When the investigation is complete, the Enterprise Business Ethics Office will inform the associate of the outcome, if his/her identity is known, although details may be withheld to preserve confidentiality.

As a public company, Prudential is committed to reinforcing good corporate behavior by establishing best practices for doing the right thing. With the assistance and support of our associates, Prudential will maintain an environment in which associates can freely raise concerns and protect the interests of our shareholders, our customers, our associates, and the general public.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

For further information, contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

In reviewing accounts payable expense vouchers, you notice one voucher covers the costs of an extravagant party on a foreign island. Based upon your review of the supporting information, it is clear that the party was a personal expenditure for a top executive, yet the Company is paying the voucher. You want to report your concerns, but you're worried about possible repercussions from management. What can you do?

 

Answer

You should be aware that Prudential has a policy prohibiting retaliation against any associate because he/she has reported a business ethics concern. The Company will take appropriate disciplinary action against any employee found to have engaged in retaliatory behavior. You should also feel free to report your concerns to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office, anonymously and confidentially using the Enterprise Business Ethics Web site, toll-free Help line or fax. None of these mechanisms identify the individual contacting the Enterprise Business Ethics Office.

 

Scenario 2

 

 

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In the process of performing the quarterly close of the accounting records you, a manager, happen to overhear two managers in another unit of the company discussing how they need to alter the company’s actual earnings to be in line with the investment community’s expectations. They go on to discuss how they might be able to accomplish this by not recording certain expenses that occurred in the current period by hiding them as an asset on the balance sheet. The manager is not directly responsible for the accuracy of that unit’s portion of the report. May the manager begin to look into the matter?

 

Answer

No, the manager may not. Under the Company’s policy, managers must report financial reporting concerns within one business day of learning of them to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office or, alternatively, to the local Business Ethics Officer who, in turn, will forward the matter to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office for handling. It is inappropriate for any manager to take any further action unless contacted by the Enterprise Business Ethics Office

 

 

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Scenario 3

A new associate in the Accounting Department of one of the business units working on the quarterly close process asks the associate who previously had her job and has recently been promoted to a managerial position in another area what the correct method is for calculating year-end accruals with respect to a certain type of expense, because she is having trouble tying some of the numbers. Does this constitute a “concern” that must be reported to the local Business Ethics Officer or Enterprise Business Ethics Office?

 

Answer

Ordinarily not. New associates or associates new to a position are encouraged to ask questions. However, it is a judgment call and the surrounding circumstances of each situation must be assessed separately. In this example, it appears that the new associate is just asking a question, and is not implying that there is anything wrong with the underlying numbers. However, if the context or other factors, suggest that there is something more to the matter, then the manager should err on the side of reporting the matter to the local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will foster an open and respectful culture where

each associate can thrive personally and professionally.

 

 

Whistleblower Protection

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

 

Principle

We will safeguard the company’s financial assets and

 

produce accurate and reliable financial reports and

 

disclosures.

 

 

Expense Management

 

Financial Reporting Concerns Form

 

 

Business Ethics Intranet Site

 

Law Intranet Site

 

Confidentiality and Privacy

Many business relationships require the exchange of confidential information. Similarly, Prudential’s relationship with our employees requires the maintaining of confidential information. Confidential information includes but is not limited to personal, medical and financial information about customers and associates, as well as business information, including but not limited to, client lists, marketing plans, files, systems

 

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information, product data and research and development. Associates have a responsibility to protect this information at all times.

Our clients and our associates are very valuable - and so is their right to privacy.

Access to confidential information must be secured. Information that can be accessed through your computer is only as secure as your computer, files, documents, etc. Associates are expected to protect confidential information.

Information may only be used for Prudential’s business purposes.

Clients may ask us not to disclose information when it will be used to tell them about other products or services offered by Prudential or a third party. Before sharing information for this purpose, you must be sure that the client has not asked that this information not be disclosed.

Prudential’s success depends on the confidence our customers and associates have that we properly handle confidential information. Unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential information may result in liability for the associate and the Company or place the Company at a business disadvantage.

Associates have a further responsibility to safeguard confidential information so that access is restricted to those who have a need to know. Associates who, during the normal course of performing their jobs, have or require access to confidential information about Prudential or a particular business unit have a “need to know.” Need is determined based upon job-specific responsibilities.

When conducting Company business, associates should:

Request and use only information that is related to business needs. Such information should be used, revealed and discussed only within the scope of an associate’s job.

Restrict access to records to persons with proper authorization and legitimate business needs.

Include in files only relevant and accurate data used as a basis for taking action or making business or personnel decisions.

Unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential information could be harmful and might result in liability for the associate and the Company. More importantly, Prudential’s success in business depends on our customers’ and associates’ confidence that we will properly handle the confidential information they have entrusted to us.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Associates should contact the Privacy Office for further information. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

 

 

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I work the mailroom. Part of my job entails printing address labels for mailings to Prudential customers. A friend of mine just landed a sales job and asked me for a list of names and addresses so he can begin building a client base. Is it acceptable to provide him with this information?

 

Answer

No, it is not. Prudential’s policy requires that this remain confidential information. Customer information may only be disclosed to outside parties under strictly controlled conditions and only when the customer has not instructed Prudential to keep the information confidential.

 

Scenario 2

I played a role in an innovative financial transaction. Its success depends on a complex series of computer simulations that my business group designed and conducted. A former colleague calls to ask how Prudential was able to structure the deal on a profitable basis. May I disclose the information?

 

Answer

This information is proprietary and disclosure is directly contrary to your responsibility to keep this information strictly confidential.

 

Suggested Resources

 

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Confidentiality of Personal Information

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Personal Securities Trading and Trading in PRU stock -Treatment of Inside Information and Confidential Information.

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Security for Business Information

 

 

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Privacy Office Intranet Site

Compliance Department Intranet Site

 

Material Non-public Information (“Inside Information”)

Associates are required to read, understand and comply with Prudential’s policies and procedures governing the use of “material non-public information”. These policies and procedures are based on federal and state securities laws, violations of which could result in liability to both Prudential and associates. Restrictions on the use of material non-public information apply to information about Prudential as well as other public companies with which Prudential is doing business (such as a client, vendor or partner). Material non-public information about a company is often referred to as “inside information”.

Information is “material” if an investor, considering all the surrounding facts and circumstances, would consider the information important in deciding whether or when to buy, sell or hold a security. Information is “non-public” if it is not generally available to the investing public through sources such as the media or public corporate filings.

In the course of their work, associates may receive or have access to material, non-public information. Some associates may have day-to-day access to it because it is required to perform their jobs. Company policy, industry practice, and federal and state laws establish strict guidelines for the use of material, non-public information.

A summary of Prudential’s policy restrictions on the use of material non-public information includes:

Associates may not use material non-public information obtained in the course of their employment for their own personal gain or share such information with others for the personal benefit of either party.

Associates must treat as confidential all information that is not publicly disclosed concerning, among other matters, Prudential's financial information, investment activity, financial condition, and business plans or activities.

Associates must preserve the confidentiality of material nonpublic information and share it only with authorized associates who have a legitimate business need for the information.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

To determine if information is material, associates should confer with business management, who will consult with the Law or Compliance Departments or other areas as needed. You may also contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

 

 

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I am working on my MBA two nights a week. Our professor thinks it is important for students to use real world examples in our class, all of whom are Prudential associates. I have heard we might be buying a large company in the insurance segment. If I do not tell anyone the name of the company we may purchase, may I share this information with my classmates?

 

Answer

No, you may not. Because investors would consider a potential acquisition material to their decision to sell or buy, it may not be shared. You may not discuss confidential or material nonpublic information, such as a potential acquisition, in public places. You must be conscious of what you say. The financial markets may respond to the information about potential merger and acquisition activity no matter how it is communicated. It is also important not to reveal confidential information to co-workers who do not have a need to know, including business partners, consultants, and vendors.

 

Scenario 2

A colleague in my office told me he had been working on a project and learned that the Board of Directors was going to approve a dividend increase at a future meeting. I told a friend about it and he said I should buy some Prudential stock. I’m not sure if it is right for me to do that.

 

Answer

You may not buy the Prudential stock. The information disclosed by your colleague about the dividend is material nonpublic information. The colleague, who obtained the information through his work, should not have shared it with you. Moreover, once you learned about the dividend, you should not have shared it with your friend.

 

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Personal Securities Trading and Trading in PRU Stock - Treatment of Inside Information and Confidential Information.

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

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Security for Business Information

 

Privacy Office Intranet Site

 

Compliance Department Intranet Site

 

Insider Trading Rules

Under U.S. federal and state securities laws and Prudential’s policies, associates cannot buy or sell a security while in possession of material non-public information relating to the issuer of that security . Associates are also prohibited from "tipping" others about such information.

The following kinds of information often constitute material nonpublic information about a company:         

Information about earnings, dividends, rating changes

Information about material physical assets (e.g., sale of a building, an oil discovery, an environmental problem) or financial status (e.g., developments concerning financial restructuring or the issuance or redemption of, or any payments on, any securities)

Information about a merger, acquisition, divestiture, tender offer, joint venture, or similar transaction

Information about a substantial contract to purchase or sell supplies or services

Information that a company is considering a purchase or sale of a security or is going to make a trade or has just made a trade of that security. This applies at Prudential whether Prudential is trading for the general account, for the account of an institutional client that Prudential manages, or as part of a share repurchase program.

A summary of Prudential’s insider trading policy restrictions includes:

Associates may not buy or sell any security issued by Prudential or other public company, if they have material non-public information about the company. This restriction applies to transactions for Prudential associates, members of their families, on behalf of Prudential or for the benefit of other persons. In addition, associates with material non-public information may not recommend to others that they buy or sell any security issued by the company (“tipping”).

Associates who are aware that Prudential is considering or actually trading any security for any account it manages must regard that as material non-public information. These individuals may not make any trade or recommendation involving that security until seven calendar days after knowing that such trading is no longer being considered by Prudential or until seven calendar days after Prudential ceases trading in that security.

Associates may not communicate material non-public information to anyone except those who have a need to know and are authorized to receive it in connection with the performance of their responsibilities for Prudential.

_________________________

  Certain sales of Prudential common stock and exercises of stock options are permitted if made pursuant to prearranged trading plans that meet the requirements of the Company’s policy on individual trading plans under SEC Rule 10b5-1.

 

 

 

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Some associates are subject to special restrictions and monitoring of their personal securities trading (including trading in securities issued by Prudential) due to their job responsibilities or positions at Prudential. Associates are notified if they fall into this category and given specific information on the conduct required.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

For further information, associates should consult with their Compliance Department. Associates may also contact their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office located in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

In the course of your work, you become aware that Prudential is acquiring a financial services company. This information is material and nonpublic. At the same time, you read a general announcement to employees stating that eligible employees only have two weeks left to fund a “make-up contribution” in their PESP account. You are an eligible employee under this program and would like to purchase Prudential stock in your PESP account.

 

Although you have material nonpublic information, you believe it is permissible for you to buy the stock. You note that you are not buying the stock based on the material public information you have, but rather because you have been purchasing Prudential stock in your PESP account every quarter for two years as part of your personal investment plan.

 

Answer

You cannot purchase Prudential stock in your PESP account. Under Prudential’s insider trading policy, associates are prohibited from buying or selling Prudential stock if they possess material nonpublic information. Trading restrictions are not limited to situations where an associate is actually using the information to decide whether or not to trade. Prudential’s policy aligns with the recent position taken by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with respect to insider trading.

 

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Q UANTITATIVE M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATES

 

 

 

 

 

Personal Securities Trading and Trading in PRU Stock - Treatment of Inside Information and Confidential Information.

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Security for Business Information

 

Privacy Office Intranet Site

 

Compliance Department Intranet Site

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BALANCING CONFLICTING INTERESTS


 

Conflicts of Interest

A conflict of interest is a personal interest that could conflict with one's obligations to Prudential or its customers, shareholders or associates. When decisions are made by associates acting on behalf of Prudential who have a personal stake in the outcome of that business decision, trust and confidence - so critical to our success as a Company - is eroded.

A conflict of interest may exist even when no wrong has actually been committed. The mere opportunity to act improperly may be enough to create the appearance of a conflict. The appearance of a conflict of interest may be as damaging to the Company and to the associate as

 

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an actual conflict of interest because it diminishes the credibility of otherwise appropriate decisions and transactions.

All Prudential associates must prevent their personal interests from conflicting or appearing to conflict with the ethical principles and practices of Prudential in their interactions with customers, shareholders, the public or other associates. Business must be conducted in a manner that earns their trust and respect. Prudential’s business decisions must be based solely on the best interest of the Company. Further, associates are expected to advance the legitimate interests of the Company when the opportunity to do so arises.

Associates may not engage in outside activities that would create, or appear to create, a potential or actual conflict of interest with respect to their ability to make decisions and/or act regarding Prudential's business. They may not take for themselves personally opportunities that are discovered through the use of Company property, information or position and may not use such property, information or position for personal gain. Associates may not compete with the Company.

It is important to disclose all potential conflicts of interest to a member of management or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office and seek guidance as to whether a situation may violate the guidelines set forth in this Policy. In addition, associates should disclose the relationship of any family or household members who work at companies in similar businesses to Prudential, or which are clients of, or suppliers to, Prudential, where an appearance of a conflict of interest could result if the family/household member benefits from the Prudential associate’s actions or advice.

MTRC addresses issues associates should be aware of while conducting business on behalf of Prudential. The guidelines contained in MTRC should not be viewed as comprehensive. Rather, they are intended to provide a general framework within which associates are expected to conduct themselves. Where associates are faced with circumstances raising a conflict of interest concern similar to those set forth herein, associates are expected to address the concern consistent with the underlying spirit reflected in MTRC.

 

We recognize the value of privacy to our associates and their desire to conduct their personal lives without unnecessary interference. However, Prudential requires full and timely written disclosure of any situation that could create a conflict of interest or the appearance of one. The Company must determine whether or not there is a conflict. This determination may not be made solely by the associate.

For more information, contact your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

I work in a customer service center taking care of policyholder changes. A policyholder has requested a change on one of his policies – changing the beneficiary to me. I’ve tried to persuade the policyholder that I felt it was not appropriate, but the policyholder is insisting on

 

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designating me as a beneficiary in recognition of my years of service to his policy matters. May I accept the beneficiary designation?

 

Answer

No, you may not. Although the policyholder has the legal right to designate anyone he chooses to be the beneficiary on a policy, it might appear that your services to this customer were motivated by an interest in obtaining financial benefits from the customer. As a result, there would be the appearance of a conflict of interest in violation of Company policy, even though you handled the customer’s needs in the same manner as other accounts and advised the customer that this would be inappropriate. In this situation, contact your management, Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey for advice on how to proceed.

 

Scenario 2

I am an investment professional and I just learned that my broker, who has full discretion over my brokerage account, has purchased shares for my account in a company to which Prudential is about to lend money. I am working on the deal team for this transaction. Should I disclose this investment as a potential conflict of interest?

 

Answer

Yes. Even though you did not instruct your broker to buy this security, you are the beneficial owner of the shares, and this investment may create the appearance of a conflict of interest. Others may view your conduct as being motivated by an interest in enhancing your holdings as a result of the loan the Company is about to make. This activity must be reported and management may determine that it is necessary to exclude you from participating in this financial transaction.              

 

Scenario 3

I am a portfolio manager and I just got married. My husband is a trader at Merrill Lynch. Should I disclose this as a potential conflict of interest?

 

Answer

Yes, this should be disclosed as a potential conflict of interest. In addition, neither you nor your spouse may disclose significant information about your respective employers’ activities that might influence, or give the appearance of influencing, the other's decisions or actions.

 

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Disclosure will allow management an opportunity to request any recusal that may be necessary or to impose conditions that will avoid any potential or actual conflict of interest.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Political Activities and Contributions

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Security for Business Information

 

Business Ethics Intranet Site

 

Human Resources Intranet Site

 

Involvement in Outside Business

All full-time employees are expected to devote full time to their Company duties. Involvement in an outside business activity, including activities for not for profit organizations, is not permitted when it interferes with one's ability to perform the duties of his/her job or poses a potential or actual conflict of interest as determined by the Company.

A management employee may not serve as an outside director, officer, employee, partner or trustee nor hold any other position in an outside business enterprise without prior written approval from the Company.

No employee, regardless of rank, is permitted to be involved in an outside business that is in competition with Prudential; nor may an employee be involved with an outside business that is doing business with Prudential without the Company’s approval.

An employee does not need prior approval to participate in another business as a director, officer, employee, partner or trustee if all of the following apply:

      The outside business enterprise is principally owned by the associate and/or other members of the associate’s immediate family and/or household; and

      The outside business enterprise is not doing business with, or in competition with Prudential; and

      The nature of the associate’s participation in the outside business enterprise will not conflict with his/her duties at Prudential.

Note: A passive interest in a limited partnership or limited liability company engaged primarily in investment in securities, real estate or other investment assets would not be deemed involvement in an outside business.

 

 

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Non-management full-time employees do not need prior approval to accept outside employment, if permitted under applicable administrative policies or an agreement relating to their employment and the employment is not with a competitor.

In all instances, whether or not approval is needed, employees are required to disclose outside business affiliations in writing to their management.

Under no circumstances may an employee conduct external business on Company time or by using Company property. This includes, but is not limited to, circulating catalogs, soliciting sales, use of Company e-mail or otherwise promoting the external business.

Employees may not solicit for any cause or any organization on company property during their working time or during the working time of the employees who are being solicited. In addition, employees may not distribute literature on company property during working time or in working areas at any time. Non- employees and outside organizations are not permitted to solicit employees or distribute literature on company property at any time. This includes solicitation on company property by an outside organization for charity or distribution for sale of any type of goods, raffle tickets or the like.

The only exceptions to this policy are company-sponsored philanthropic programs, items offered through Working Advantage and other company-sponsored programs. The prohibition against distribution of literature for both employee and non-employee groups includes materials distributed via paper and/or electronic means such as e-mail, voice-mail or fax.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

For further information, consult with the Human Resources or Law Departments and the local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

My spouse runs a flower shop that was financed with a loan from his parents. The flower shop does occasional business with a Prudential business group that I do not work in. If, in my spare time, I help handle the shop's accounting requirements and tax returns, is approval required?

 

Answer

Yes, you should disclose in writing your involvement with the flower shop and seek appropriate approval. It could be viewed as a conflict of interest because the shop does business with Prudential, even if infrequently.

 

Scenario 2

 

 

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I am a Prudential employee and sit on the board of a non-profit charitable organization. To increase awareness of this organization’s activities and hopefully generate financial support, I have been asked to distribute literature including invitations to an upcoming fundraiser. I am contemplating asking my Human Resources professional to run off employee labels so I can send the information. Is this permissible?

 

Answer

Prudential is extremely supportive of employee philanthropic involvement. Programs like Community Champions, Matching Gifts, Global Volunteer Day and many others provide opportunities for associates to become involved in their communities. Employees who wish to solicit workplace support for their favorite charities may utilize these company-supported programs. Employees may not solicit for any cause or organization or distribute literature on company property during work time or the work time of the employees being solicited.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Political Activities and Contributions

 

Human Resources Intranet Site

 

Financial Transactions

Associates may not act on behalf of Prudential in any transactions in which they have a personal interest.

If associates find themselves involved in a transaction presenting an actual or potential conflict of interest, they should immediately disclose in writing their personal interest to their supervisor who will consult with the local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office and appropriate legal and/or compliance areas and will implement any necessary controls.

Exception : This rule does not apply to a personal interest resulting from participation in a compensation plan that has been approved by an associate’s business unit, or any plan that provides for direct participation in specific transactions approved by Prudential's Board of Directors or one of its committees.

Associates may not, without prior approval, have a substantial ownership interest in any outside business that, to their knowledge, is involved in a business transaction with Prudential or is engaged in businesses similar to any business engaged in by Prudential.

A substantial interest includes but is not limited to :

 

 

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      Any investment in an outside business involving an amount greater than ten percent of an associate’s or family or household member’s gross assets; and/or

      Any investment involving an ownership interest greater than two percent of the outstanding equity interests.

Associates do not need approval for bank deposits and investments in mutual funds, partnerships and similar enterprises that are publicly owned and engaged primarily in the business of investing in securities, real estate, or other investment assets.

Employees may not, without prior approval, borrow an amount greater than ten percent of their gross assets, on an unsecured basis from any bank, financial institution, or other business that, to the associate’s knowledge, currently does business with Prudential or with which Prudential has an outstanding investment relationship.

Note : This rule does not apply to residential mortgage loans, (including bridge loans in anticipation of a residential mortgage loan), margin accounts, or other adequately secured loans.

Associates may not, without prior approval, engage in any transaction involving the purchase of products and services from Prudential, except on the same terms and conditions as they are offered to the public.

Prior approval is not required to accept special discounts or other favorable terms that are in the nature of associate benefits or items available from “My Discounts” page on the Company’s intranet which are generally offered to our associates.

Directors and Officers of Prudential may be prohibited by law from engaging in certain transactions, even though the terms and conditions are the same as those generally offered to the public. Those individuals should consult with the Law Department.

Margin accounts are considered to involve loans to the account holder. Therefore, an Officer of one of the subsidiaries of Prudential would be prohibited from opening a margin account with the Company or one of its affiliates.

Associates are also prohibited from appropriating business opportunities from our customers or clients. Associates may have access to considerable information about investments and other types of business opportunities obtained while carrying out the normal scope of their Prudential duties. These opportunities are for the benefit of our customers and/or clients. If an associate were to take advantage of the opportunity for his/her own personal gain, when the opportunity would otherwise be suitable for one of our customers, clients, policyholders, or the Company itself, the associate would be appropriating that opportunity.

Note : This does not apply to products and services offered by Prudential or to investments available to the general public through third parties or in public markets.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

If there is any question whether the terms and conditions are the same as those generally offered to the public or there is the possibility of an appearance of conflict, associates should seek advice from management, their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Scenarios

 

 

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The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

I work in an investment area of Prudential and my division lends money to companies. I was just named to the team that will be reviewing five possible companies to which we may lend money, and I personally hold an equity position in one of the companies. Should I disclose this as a possible conflict of interest?

 

Answer

Yes, you should immediately disclose your personal interest to your supervisor. Your personal interest in one of the companies may give the appearance of having influenced your evaluations, and your judgment could be called into question. You may be asked to exclude yourself from any activities regarding the company in which you hold a financial interest.

 

Scenario 2

I have a $17,000 investment in a Real Estate Investment Trust ("REIT") with which Prudential is affiliated. My gross assets amount to $210,000, including my home, car and savings account. Do I have to disclose my REIT investment as a potential conflict of interest?

 

Answer

No, for two independent reasons. Your investment is not greater than ten percent of your gross assets (i.e. 21,000) therefore, no prior approval is required. In addition, since the REIT is publicly owned and is in the business of investing in real estate, your investment would not be viewed as a conflict of interest, regardless of the amount.

 

Scenario 3

I plan on borrowing $50,000 on an unsecured basis to finance my child’s college education. My gross assets amount to $250,000. I’ve just learned that the bank I’m borrowing this money from is a bank that Prudential uses as a custodian for its mutual funds. Do I need approval from Prudential before proceeding with this loan?

 

Answer

 

 

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Yes. Prior approval is required because the loan exceeds ten percent of your gross assets (i.e. $25,000) and is being borrowed on an unsecured basis.

 

Scenario 4

My father has owned and operated a real estate relocation business for 30 years as a sole proprietor. He recently retired and asked me to take over the business. However, at the same time, a relocation company, that is publicly traded, made an offer to buy the business, which my father has accepted. As part of the deal, my father and I will become joint owners of two and one-half percent of the relocation company’s outstanding stock. Do I have to get permission for this from Prudential?

 

Answer

Yes, you do. Under the transaction you describe, you will have an ownership interest in the company that is greater than two percent of the company’s outstanding equity. Under Prudential’s policy, an ownership interest greater than two percent is deemed to be a “substantial interest”. Since Prudential is engaged in the relocation business, you will have to disclose and get prior approval for this ownership interest.

 

Scenario 5

I am a portfolio manager and have been offered the chance to purchase warrants in a company for my personal account. This investment would also be suitable for one of my clients. Would it be acceptable to allocate a portion to my client and purchase a portion for my own personal account?

 

Answer

No, it would not. Because this investment is suitable for your client, this would be considered appropriating an investment from your client and would constitute a conflict of interest.

 

Note: If you had determined that the investment was not suitable for your client and you wanted to personally invest in the company, you should seek prior written approval from your compliance officer.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Q UANTITATIVE M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATES

 

 

 

 

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Personal Securities Trading and Trading in PRU Stock - Treatment of Inside Information and Confidential Information.

 

Compliance Intranet Site

Business Ethics Intranet Site

Human Resources Intranet Site

 

Transactions and Relationships with Suppliers

A conflict of interest may arise if an associate is offered goods or services from a third party on terms not generally available to the public. This includes gifts from vendors or suppliers with whom Prudential does business and which are not otherwise permitted under the Gifts and Entertainment Policy. Such an arrangement could create the appearance that an associate is being singled out because of his/her position with the Company. In addition, it may appear that the individual would be expected to provide something in return for the benefit he/she has received.

We should be fair to our suppliers. It is our policy to award orders, contracts and commitments to suppliers strictly on the basis of merit without favoritism. The choice of suppliers should be based on factors such as price, quality, reliability, service, and technical advantage and, in appropriate circumstances, the impact on the community, such as purchasing from local, minority or women-owned vendors.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Associates should seek guidance from business management, their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey, if they have questions regarding any transaction with our suppliers or vendors.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

An external broker offers a portfolio manager a lower commission rate on his/her personal investments. The portfolio manager has directed client business to that broker in the past. If the portfolio manager takes advantage of the offer, would this be viewed as a conflict of interest?

 

 

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Answer

Yes. Portfolio managers have a fiduciary responsibility to their clients and must always keep their client's interests ahead of their own personal interest. While the portfolio manager’s action would presumably have directed the client’s business to the external broker because doing so was in the client’s best interest at the time, the acceptance of the lower commission rate calls into question whether having done so in the past was motivated by an expectation of gaining personally for doing so. Independently, future business directed to the broker raises the specter of doing so because of an interest in continuing to receive the favorable rate, again creating a conflict of interest.

 

Scenario 2

I am a lawyer with Prudential, and I recently placed a bid on a house. An outside law firm that Prudential is doing business with has offered me a special discount on the house closing costs. May I accept this offer?

 

 

Answer

No, you may not. It is not appropriate to accept this special discount as it is not generally available to the public and the selection of this law firm as one with which Prudential will do business may be perceived as influenced by the discount received.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

Family or Household Member Business with Prudential

Associates should have the best interest of Prudential's customers in mind when conducting business. It follows, then, that associates may not direct business to someone due to their relationship with the person.

Associates may not steer or direct business to a family or household member.

 

 

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Steering business may include directing brokerage transactions and contracting with a vendor for goods and/or services. It could also include offering employment, in which instance the associate should seek guidance from his/her Human Resources area. If an associate believes that a family/household member can offer the best goods and/or service to the Company, he/she should provide the competitive bids to his/her supervisor, disclose in writing his/her relationship with the individual and not participate in the decision-making process. This removes the appearance of a conflict and allows an independent third party to make the decision.

Associates should consult with business management, Human Resources, their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey if they have any questions or need additional information.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

I am an operations manager for one of Prudential's business units, and I will have to hire an outside vendor to supply office furniture for our upcoming move. May I contract with my niece, who owns an office supply and furniture business, to supply the equipment?

 

 

Answer

No, you may not unilaterally make that decision. Associates generally may not channel business to family or household members. Prudential has negotiated contracts with certain preferred suppliers. However, if your niece can provide the best service and price for the equipment, you should fully disclose your relationship to your supervisor and ask him/her to make a determination whether or not to consider the use of this vendor’s services. You should not participate in that decision in any way.

 

Scenario 2

I am in one of the systems areas and will have to hire an external vendor to provide computer services during our transition to a new system. Should I seek approval before hiring the company where my husband works to provide the services?

 

Answer

 

 

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Yes, you must seek prior approval in this circumstance. Depending on your husband's position in the company, the request to hire this company might not be approved. However, if it is determined that there is no actual conflict, i.e., your husband would not receive an unfair benefit from the decision, both of you are removed from the actual decision, and no future conflicts could be expected to arise during the project, this request could be approved.

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Personal Securities Trading and Trading in PRU Stock - Treatment of Inside Information and Confidential Information.

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Security for Business Information

 

Human Resources Intranet Site

 

Gifts and Entertainment

Associates should not accept or provide any gifts or favors that might influence the decisions they or the recipient must make in business transactions involving Prudential, or that others might reasonably believe could influence those decisions. Even a nominal gift should not be accepted if, to an observer, it might appear that the gift could influence business decisions. Prudential associates may not solicit gifts, meals, and entertainment.

Associates may occasionally give or receive gifts, meals or entertainment of moderate or reasonable value, subject to compliance with federal and state laws and regulations, rules of self-regulatory organizations and Prudential’s policies. The value of gifts, meals and entertainment that are permitted to be given or received must be consistent with generally accepted business practice and adhere to the Company’s Gift and Entertainment Policy mandates, including its reporting requirements.

Business Groups may impose stricter gift and entertainment requirements than those rules set forth in the Gift and Entertainment Policy, but may not permit more liberal rules. Associates that are registered with broker-dealers or hold insurance or other licenses may be subject to more stringent rules and reporting requirements and should consult with their compliance officer.

 

 

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Employees can find more detailed information on gifts, meals, entertainment, speaking engagements, prohibited gifts, public officials and reporting requirements in Prudential’s Company Principles and Policies.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

If there are questions about a gift, entertainment or payment, employees should discuss the matter with business management, Compliance, their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

My spouse and I received an invitation to dinner and the theater from a longtime business associate from a consulting firm that my unit occasionally retains. May I accept the invitation?

 

Answer

This is a fairly common practice and is permissible unless your unit adopts a stricter rule prohibiting such entertainment. However, the value of the dinner and entertainment may subject you to the reporting requirements of the Policy.

 

Scenario 2

Our Gift Policy contained in the Policy and Principles Manual states gifts having value of under $100 could be considered acceptable. In my dealings with a specific vendor, they send me two or three times a year, gifts and/or discounts adding up to over $100 in total, but on a per occasion basis only may be worth $50-60. Is this acceptable?

 

Answer

No, it is not acceptable. Gifts given to or received from any one individual or firm in any one calendar year with a cumulative value that exceeds $100 would exceed the policy limit.

 

Suggested Resources

 

 

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Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Gifts and Entertainment

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

 

Compliance Intranet Site

 

Disclosure and Approval Requirements

Each year Prudential associates at certain grade levels and above, as well as certain associates in areas that are considered particularly sensitive, such as investment, purchasing and sales, must complete the Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire. The questionnaire asks associates to disclose relevant outside interests, potential conflicts and information known to them about violations of “Making the Right Choices.”

Associates being hired, promoted, or transferred into any of these levels or positions must also complete and submit the Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire at the time they are placed in these positions.

By completing and signing the Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire, associates certify they have read MTRC and have fully disclosed relevant information consistent with it. Associates are responsible for providing accurate information on this questionnaire. Associates are strongly encouraged to become familiar with the guidelines set forth in MTRC and consult with their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office to ensure they understand their responsibilities and are in compliance with the requirements set forth in this Policy.

If any circumstances addressed in MTRC arise after completion of the questionnaire, associates should seek guidance to ensure any necessary written approvals are obtained promptly.

The specific steps for disclosing and obtaining approvals with respect to MTRC follow below:

Procedures for Disclosure and/or Approval of Outside Activities and other Matters Governed by MTRC

Members of the Board of Directors:

 

Must submit disclosures or requests for approvals directly to the Corporate Secretary.

 

Must obtain written approval from the Board of Directors’ committee responsible for Business Ethics matters.

Associates at or above the level of senior vice president or its equivalent:

 

Must notify in writing the Enterprise Business Ethics Officer and the Corporate Secretary.

 

 

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Must obtain written approval from the Board of Directors’ committee responsible for Business Ethics matters.

Any waivers of this policy will be promptly disclosed to shareholders.

 

Associates at the vice president level or its equivalent:

 

Must present a written request for review of potential conflicts of interest or other matters covered by MTRC to the Enterprise Business Ethics Officer, who will review the request with the Law Department and present it to the appropriate vice chairman or to the chairman and CEO for approval.

All exempt associates below vice president level:

 

Must obtain written approval from their business head at a level of at least senior vice president who has overall responsibility for that business.

 

Senior vice presidents should seek advice from the Enterprise Business Ethics Office and Law Department on the individual cases before approval is granted.

 

Senior vice presidents must submit to the Business Ethics Officer a copy of the written approval.

Non-exempt associates:

 

Must obtain written approval from the manager to whom they report, directly or indirectly, at the level of vice president or above.

 

Managers who are contacted for written approval should consult with the Enterprise Business Ethics Office, their local Business Ethics Officer or other appropriate areas before granting approval.

 

Managers who are contacted for written approval must submit a copy of the written approval to the Enterprise Business Ethics Office.

Persons charged with responsibility for reviewing disclosures or requests for approval under these provisions of MTRC should handle such matters with appropriate seriousness. The reputations of the Company and our associates are at stake. The Enterprise Business Ethics Office will monitor judgments made in exercising this responsibility.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Questions regarding disclosure requirements or approvals of outside activities should be referred to your local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Suggested Resources

Business Ethics Intranet Site

 

Conflicts of Interest Questionnaire

 

Conflicts of Interest Approval Process and Disclosure Forms

 

 

 

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PRESERVING OUR NAME AND ASSETS


 

Use and Protection of Corporate Assets

Associates should protect the Company’s assets and promote their efficient use. They should protect the Company’s assets from theft, carelessness and waste and use them only for legitimate business purposes or such incidental personal uses as may be permitted by the Company’s written policies and procedures.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

 

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Use of Company Property and Facilities and Disposal of Surplus Property

 

 

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Political Contributions and Activities

Prudential does not contribute financial or other assistance to political parties, committees, candidates for public office or other organizations providing financial or other assistance to political parties, committees, candidates for public office or to support or oppose ballot initiatives, except where lawfully permitted and approved in advance in accordance with procedures adopted by Prudential’s Board of Directors Corporate Governance and Business Ethics or other Board committee.

Associates may make personal political contributions directly to political candidates, parties or causes to the extent permitted by law, but only on their own behalf and not as representatives of Prudential. Such contributions are not reimbursable by Prudential.

Associates making personal contributions should be aware that U.S. federal and certain state laws require that candidates, party committees and political action committees obtain and report the contributor’s name, address, employer and title. In these instances, and only to the extent necessary to enable the recipient candidate or committee to comply with applicable law, an associate may disclose his or her Prudential title and the Company name.

Associates may contribute to a Prudential-sponsored Political Action Committee (PAC) to the extent permitted by law. Such contributions are voluntary, and the Company or its management will not reward anyone for making such contributions nor penalize anyone for electing not to participate. Contributions to a Company sponsored PAC are not reimbursable by Prudential.

Associates may seek and hold elective or appointive office, provided they do so as individuals and not as representatives of Prudential. Associates are expected to conduct any campaign activities and to perform the duties of the office in a manner that does not interfere with their responsibilities to the Company, does not occur in Prudential facilities, and does not utilize any Prudential property.

Use of Company property (including letterheads, telephones, envelopes, stamps, duplicating equipment, etc.) is generally not permitted in connection with political activities or the making of contributions by associates.

MTRC may also cover conduct discussed above by an associate’s family or household members.

Any questions should be referred to your local Compliance or Law Departments. Associates may also contact their local Business Ethics Officer or the Enterprise Business Ethics Office in Newark, New Jersey for referral to the appropriate resource.

Scenarios

The following scenarios are designed to illustrate the application of the above discussed policy to assist you further in understanding its requirements.

 

Scenario 1

Prudential is involved in the development of an office building through a joint venture. The mayor of the local community asks our joint venture partner for an election campaign contribution from

 

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our partnership. Our partner seeks your approval for the contribution, which, in this area, is permitted under state law.

 

Answer

Such contributions cannot be made without proper authorization. The Company’s policy is to grant such approvals only under extraordinary circumstances with the approval of the Law Department.

 

Scenario 2

My friend is running for mayor in my hometown, and he has asked that I act as his Campaign Treasurer. This position may require that I make occasional phone calls during the day to various sponsors. I work a long day at Prudential - usually arriving at 8 a.m. and leaving around 8 p.m. Would it be permissible if I took a half hour out of my day to make the phone calls?

 

Answer

Yes, you may as long as management agrees the activity will not interfere with your Prudential responsibilities, is not performed on Company time, and you are not using any Prudential property to perform these activities (including telephones, office space, staff, Company letterhead, etc.).

 

Scenario 3

In making a campaign contribution, I mistakenly wrote a cover note to include with my check and used my Prudential letterhead. Is this a violation of the Policy?

 

Answer

Yes, it contravenes the policy. Although associates are free to contribute to any political campaign of their own choosing, it must not appear in any way that they may be representing Prudential. Even the use of Prudential stationery could give this appearance.

 

Suggested Resources

 

Company Principles and Policies

 

 

Q UANTITATIVE M ANAGEMENT A SSOCIATES

 

 

 

 

 

Principle

We will be honest, fair and trustworthy in all of our activities.

 

 

Personal Conflicts of Interest and Outside Business Activities

 

 

Political Activities and Contributions

 

 

Principle

We will effectively manage our business and financial risks

and protect important company assets.

 

 

Use of Company Property and Facilities and Disposal of Surplus Property

 

 

Principle

We will honor the letter and spirit of our legal and

regulatory obligations.

 

 

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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GLOSSARY


Associate: any full or part time employee, employee agent, intern, Officer or Director of Prudential, its subsidiaries and/or affiliates.

Business Ethics Officer: the designee imbedded in business/corporate center functions having responsibility for managing investigations of business ethics complaints, nurturing the ethical climate of the business, implementing the annual Conflicts of Interest process and approval procedures and providing ethics-related advice to associates within their respective areas.

Communications: internal or external communication in any form that includes, but is not limited to, television and radio broadcasts, advertising, marketing materials, sales illustrations, brochures, general internal reports, memoranda and e-mail.

Confidential Information: includes, but is not limited to, personal, medical and financial information about individuals, including applicants, customers and associates, as well as business information, including, but not limited to client lists, marketing plans, files, systems information, product data, and research and development.

Conflict of Interest: a personal interest outside of the Company, that could be placed ahead of one’s obligations to Prudential, and/or its customers or gives the appearance of a conflict by way of influences, interests or relationships.        

Fair Competition: the facilitation of free and open competition where any activity or conduct that improperly reduces or eliminates such competition in the marketplace is prohibited.

Family Member: includes but is not limited to an associate’s spouse, parents, children and stepchildren, siblings, in-laws, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles and domestic partners.

Gifts/Entertainment: anything of value that may influence or appear to influence the decision an associate or third party makes in a business transaction involving Prudential. Gifts include, but are not limited to, money, securities, loans, investment or business opportunities, goods and services, discounts, entertainment events, meals, outings, trips, travel and favorable interest or brokerage rates.

Household Member: excludes individuals who reside in the same house but who pay rent representing fair market value, negotiated in good faith and at arm’s length, and who are not otherwise related.

Inside Information: for the purposes of this Policy, any confidential or proprietary information obtained in the course of employment.

Material Information: information which an investor, considering all the surrounding facts and circumstances, would consider important in deciding whether to buy, sell or hold a security.

Non-public Information: information that is not generally available to the investing public through sources such as the media or public corporate filings.

Officer: a Prudential employee at or above the level of Vice President or its equivalent.

 

 

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Passive Interest: a purely financial involvement in an organization where the associate performs no managerial functions provides no advice and has no ability to influence the policies, products or business of the outside organization.

Proprietary Information: information owned by Prudential including, but not limited to, client lists, marketing plans, files systems information, product data and research and development.

 

 

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PERSONAL SECURITIES TRADING SUMMARY

 

Regulation :

 

Federal Law requires all broker-dealers and investment advisers to establish procedures to prevent insider trading by their associates. In addition, the Federal Sentencing Guidelines require companies to establish reasonable procedures to prevent and detect violations of the law. To comply with these and other similar laws and rules, Prudential has developed the Personal Securities Trading Policy to prevent the misuse of material nonpublic information about Prudential or other public companies. All employees are held to the general principles of the Policy to ensure the proper use of material nonpublic information.

 

Policy Statement :

 

As a leader in the financial services industry, Prudential Financial, Inc. (“Prudential” or “Company”) aspires to the highest standards of business conduct. Consistent with this standard, Prudential has developed a Personal Securities Trading Policy (“Policy”) incorporating policies and procedures followed by leading financial service firms. This Policy is designed to ensure Prudential and its associates comply with various securities laws and regulations including the Insider Trading and Securities Fraud Enforcement Act of 1988 (“ITSFEA”) and the National Association of Securities Dealers (“NASD”) Conduct Rules, and to ensure that its associates conduct their personal trading in a manner consistent with Prudential’s policy of placing its shareholders’ and customers’ interests first.

 

All PIM associates are subject to Prudential’s Personal Securities Trading Policy including the system of monitoring personal securities trading. All PIM associates are also subject to certain restrictions on the securities in which they may trade for their personal or related accounts, depending upon their particular PIM unit. PIM associates may only maintain a brokerage account with broker/dealers authorized by Corporate Compliance as stated in the Policy.

 

Description of Line and Supervisory Responsibilities :

 

Prudential has established a program to monitor the personal securities trading of certain associates. All PIM and QMA associates have been designed for participation in the Prudential Securities Trade Monitoring System, known as “SMARTS” (Securities Monitoring Automated Reporting and Tracking System) because of their access to material nonpublic information concerning publicly traded companies. Corporate Compliance maintains and administers SMARTS, the Prudential Personal Trading Policy, and associated maintenance of records.

 

In general, all securities transactions are reportable except for purchases and sales in variable insurance products (including annuities), certificates of deposit and certain United States government securities. Additionally, certain associates identified in the Policy also have restrictions on trading in proprietary mutual funds.

 

Public-Side associates who are deemed access persons must pre-clear all personal securities transactions (with certain exceptions detailed in the Policy). In addition, investment personnel have further restrictions. Investment personnel, i.e., portfolio managers, analysts and traders may not (1) participate in IPOs (other than governments or municipals) and may not acquire securities in a private placement without prior approval, (2) may not trade in a security within seven calendar days before or after a portfolio managed within the same investment unit trades in the

 

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same or an equivalent security (7-day blackout), and (3) may not profit from a purchase and sale, or sale and purchase, of the same security within a 60-day period; subject to certain exceptions as outlined in the Policy.

 

Preclearance is performed by the compliance unit, utilizing a NOTES database. Associates must input particular details of their request prior to placing a trade order. Compliance will review the request and provide an electronic acknowledgment of whether the request is approved or denied. Preclearance requests that are approved are valid only on the day of the approval.

 

Monitoring :

 

Corporate Compliance utilizes SMARTS to monitor the trading activity of individuals, as reported by the approved broker/dealers, and the firm’s trading activity. SMARTS is run daily to ensure the most up to date reporting of potential violations as matches are identified against the Policy restrictions.

 

Business unit compliance officers will receive reports daily from Corporate Compliance when potential violations are noted. The business unit compliance officers will research and document the conclusions of each matter and report back to Corporate Compliance. Any violations are also reported to the associate’s supervisor and business unit head.

 

On a monthly basis, Corporate Compliance provides details on policy violations to the PIM Ethics Committee. The Committee reviews any infractions and determines disciplinary action under the framework of the firm’s Discipline and Sanctions Guidelines.

 

 

As of 12/2005

 

 

 

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Exhibit (p)(34)

 

Revised 1-31-05

 

CODE OF ETHICS FOR EARNEST PARTNERS

 

I. Statement of General Principles

 

It is the policy of EARNEST Partners (“EARNEST”) that:

 

A. With respect to the personal investment activities of access persons (as defined herein), it is the duty of access persons at all times to place the interests of the clients (as defined herein) first.

 

B. All personal securities transactions of access persons be conducted consistent with this Code of Ethics and in such a manner as to avoid any actual or potential conflict of interest or any abuse of any access person’s (as defined herein) position of trust and responsibility.

 

C. Access persons should not take inappropriate advantage of their positions with respect to their personal investment activities.

 

D. Access persons must comply with all applicable federal securities laws.

 

II. Definitions

 

For purposes of this Code of Ethics, the following definitions shall apply:

 

1. The term "access person" shall mean any director, officer, general partner, advisory person (as defined below), supervised person (as defined below), or affiliated person, as that term is defined in Section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”), of EARNEST.

 

2. The term "advisory person" shall mean every employee of EARNEST (or of any company in a control relationship to EARNEST).

 

3. The term "beneficial ownership" shall mean a direct or indirect "pecuniary interest" (as defined in subparagraph (a) (2) of Rule 16a-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) that is held or shared by a person directly or indirectly (through any contract, arrangement, understanding, relationship or otherwise) in a security. While the definition of "pecuniary interest" in subparagraph (a) (2) of Rule 16a-1 is complex, the term generally means the opportunity directly or indirectly to profit or share in any profit derived from a transaction in a security.

 

4. The term "control" shall mean the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of EARNEST, unless such power is solely the

 

 

result of an official position with EARNEST, all as determined in accordance with Section 2 (a) (9) of the 1940 Act.

 

5. The term "client" shall mean an entity (natural person, corporation, investment company or other legal structure having the power to enter into legal contracts) for whom or which EARNEST serves as an “investment adviser” within the meaning of Section 202(a)(11) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), which has entered into a contract with EARNEST to receive investment management services.

 

6. The term "investment company" shall mean a management investment company registered as such under the 1940 Act, which is a client of EARNEST.

 

7. The term "material non-public information" with respect to a client shall mean information, not yet released to the public, that would have a substantial likelihood of affecting a reasonable investor's decision to buy or sell any securities of such issuer.

 

8. The term "purchase" shall include the writing of an option to purchase a security.

 

9. The term "Review Officer" shall mean the chief compliance officer designated from time to time by EARNEST to receive and review reports of purchases and sales by access persons. The term "Alternate Review Officer" shall mean the officer of EARNEST designated from time to time to receive and review reports of purchases and sales by the Review Officer, and who shall act in all respects in the manner prescribed herein for the Review Officer.

 

10.The term "sale" shall include the writing of an option to sell a security.

 

11.The term "security" shall have the meaning set forth in Section 2 (a) (36) of the 1940 Act and Section 202(a)(18) of the Advisers Act, except that it shall not include shares of registered open-end investment companies that are not advised or sub-advised by EARNEST or its affiliates, securities issued by the United States government, short-term securities which are "government securities" within the meaning of Section 2 (a) (16) of the 1940 Act, bankers' acceptances, bank certificates of deposit, commercial paper, high quality short-term debt obligations, including repurchase agreements, and such other money market instruments as may be designated from time to time by EARNEST.

 

12. The term “supervised person” shall mean any partner, officer, director (or other person occupying a similar status or performing similar functions), or employee of an investment adviser, or other person who provides investment advice on behalf of the investment adviser and is subject to the supervision and control of the investment adviser as set forth in Section 202(a)(25) of the Advisers Act.

 

 

 

 

III. Legal Requirements

 

The federal securities laws, provide, among other things, that it is unlawful for any access person of EARNEST to engage in any act, practice or course of business in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, by such access person of any security held or to be acquired by a client in contravention of such rules and regulations as the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission") may adopt to define and prescribe means reasonably necessary to prevent such acts, practices or courses of business as are fraudulent, deceptive or manipulative. The Commission has adopted rules which state that it is unlawful for any access person of EARNEST in connection with the purchase or sale, directly or indirectly, of a security held or to be acquired by a client:

 

(i) to employ any device, scheme or artifice to defraud a client;

 

(ii) to make to a client any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state to a client a material fact necessary in order to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

 

(iii) to engage in any act, practice or course of business which operates or would operate as a fraud or deceit upon a client; or

 

(iv) to engage in any manipulative practice with respect to a client.

 

IV. Substantive Restrictions On Personal Trading Activities

 

A. Prohibited Activities

 

While the scope of actions which may violate the Statement of General Principles set forth above cannot be defined exactly, such actions would always include at least the following prohibited activities:

 

1. Except in a transaction exempted by Section IV.B. of this Code of Ethics, no access person shall, directly or indirectly, purchase or sell securities in any way that would compete in the market with actual or considered securities transactions for any client, or otherwise personally act to injure any client's securities transactions;

 

2. No access person shall use the knowledge of securities purchased or sold by any client or securities being considered for purchase or sale by any client to profit personally, directly or indirectly, by the market effect of such transactions;

 

3. No access person shall, directly or indirectly, communicate to any person who is not an access person any material non-public information relating to any client or any issuer of any security owned by any client, including, without limitation,

 

 

the purchase or sale or considered purchase or sale of a security on behalf of any client, except to the extent necessary to effectuate securities transactions on behalf of the client;

 

4. Except in a transaction exempted by Section IV.B. of this Code of Ethics, no access person shall purchase or sell, directly or indirectly, any security in which he or she has, or by reason of such transaction acquires, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership on a day during which EARNEST has a pending “buy” or “sell” order in the same security until that order is executed or withdrawn;

 

5. No access person shall accept any gift or other thing of more than de minimus value from any person or entity that does business with or on behalf of a client;

 

6. No access person shall serve on the board of directors of any publicly traded company, absent prior written authorization and determination by the Chief Executive Officer of EARNEST that the board service would be consistent with the interests of clients;

 

7. Access persons shall not, directly or indirectly, purchase any security sold in an initial public offering of an issuer without obtaining prior written approval from the Review Officer; and

 

8. Access persons shall not, directly or indirectly, purchase any security issued pursuant to a private placement without obtaining prior written approval from the Review Officer. Access persons who have been authorized to acquire securities in a private placement must disclose such investment when they are involved in a client's subsequent consideration of an investment in the issuer. In such circumstances, the client's decision to purchase securities of the issuer must be independently reviewed by access persons with no personal interest in the issuer.

 

 

B.

Exempt Transactions and Conduct

 

This Code of Ethics shall not be deemed to be violated by any of the following transactions:

 

1. Purchases or sales for an account over which the access person has no direct or indirect influence or control;

 

2. Purchases or sales which are non-volitional on the part of the access person;

 

3. Purchases which are part of an automatic investment plan;

 

4. Purchases which are part of an automatic dividend reinvestment plan;

 

 

 

 

5. Purchases made by exercising rights distributed by an issuer pro rata to all holders of a class of its securities, to the extent such rights were acquired by the access person from the issuer, and sales of such rights so acquired;

 

6. Tenders of securities pursuant to tender offers which are expressly conditioned on the tender offer's acquisition of all of the securities of the same class;

 

7. Purchases or sales for which the access person has received prior written approval from the Review Officer. As an additional requirement, shares of registered open-end investment companies that are advised or sub-advised by EARNEST or its affiliates must be held for a minimum of 30 days. Prior approval shall be granted only if a purchase or sale of securities is consistent with the purposes of this Code of Ethics and the federal securities laws; and

 

8. Purchases or sales of equity securities with prior written approval of the Head Trader and Review Officer that meet the following requirements and thus qualify as a de minimis transaction: 1) 5,000 or fewer shares traded and 2) security market capitalization of greater than $1 billion. As an additional requirement, no more than one de minimis exemption per security per individual can be claimed during a 30-day period.

 

V. Compliance Procedures

 

A. Records of Securities Transactions

 

Upon the written request of the Review Officer, access persons are required to direct their brokers to supply to EARNEST on a timely basis duplicate copies of broker trade confirmations of all securities transactions and/or account statements for all securities accounts in which the access person has a beneficial ownership interest.

 

B. Quarterly Reporting Requirements

 

1. Each access person shall submit to the Review Officer a report which shall set forth at least the information described in subparagraph 2 of this Section V.B. as to all securities transactions during each quarterly period, in which such access person has, or by reason of such transactions acquires or disposes of, any direct or indirect beneficial ownership of a security.

 

2. Every report shall be made not later than thirty (30) days after the end of each calendar quarter in which the transaction(s) to which the report relates was effected and shall contain the following information:

 

(1) the date of each transaction, the title, the interest rate and maturity date (if applicable), the number of shares, and the principal amount of each security involved;

 

 

 

 

(2) the nature of each transaction (i.e., purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or disposition);

 

(3) the price of the security at which each transaction was effected;

 

(4) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with or through whom each transaction was effected; and

 

(5) the date that the report is submitted by the access person.

 

If no transactions in any securities required to be reported were effected during a quarterly period by an access person, such access person shall submit to the Review Officer a report within the time-frame specified above stating that no reportable securities transaction were effected.

 

3. Each access person shall submit to the Review Officer a report which shall set forth new brokerage accounts established during each quarterly period. Every report shall be made not later than ten (10) days after the end of each calendar quarter in which the account(s) was established and shall contain the following information:

(1) the name of the broker, dealer or bank with whom the access person established the account;

 

(2) the date the account was established; and

 

(3) the date that the report is submitted by the access person.

 

4. Every report concerning a securities transaction prohibited under the Statement of General Principles or Prohibited Activities set forth in Sections I or IV.A., respectively, with respect to which the reporting person relies upon the exceptions provided in Section IV.B shall contain a brief statement of the exemption relied upon and the circumstances of the transactions.

 

C. Disclosure of Personal Holdings

 

1. Each access person shall submit to EARNEST an initial holdings report no later than 10 days after the person becomes an access person, current as of a date not more than 45 days prior to the person becoming an access person, which contains the following information:

(i) The title, number of shares and principal amount of each security in which the access person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership when the person became an access person;

 

(ii) The name of any broker, dealer of bank with whom the access person maintained an account in which any securities (including the securities which are excepted from the definition of securities in Section II.12.) were

 

 

held for the direct or indirect benefit of the access person as of the date the person became an access person; and

 

(iii) the date the report is submitted by the access person.

 

2. Each access person shall submit to EARNEST an annual holdings report, no later that January 31, which contains the following information (with such information current as of a date no more than 45 days before the report is submitted):

(i) The title, number of shares and principal amount of each security in which the access person had any direct or indirect beneficial ownership;

 

(ii) The name of any broker, dealer of bank with whom the access person maintained an account in which any securities (including the securities which are excepted from the definition of securities in Section II.12.) were held for the direct or indirect benefit of the access person; and

 

(iii) The date the report is submitted by the access person.

 

D. Review of Reports

 

1. At the end of each calendar quarter, the Review Officer shall prepare a summary of all transactions by access persons during the prior quarter.

 

2. The Review Officer or the Alternate Review Officer shall compare all reported personal securities transaction with completed and contemplated portfolio transactions of the client to determine whether a violation of this Code of Ethics may have occurred. Before making any determination that a violation has been committed by any person, the Review Officer shall give such person an opportunity to supply additional explanatory material.

 

3. If the Review Officer determines that a violation of this Code of Ethics has or may have occurred, he shall submit a written determination, together with the related report by the access person and any additional explanatory material provided by the access person, to EARNEST’s Chief Executive Officer.

 

E. Reporting Violations

 

Supervised persons must promptly report violations of this Code of Ethics to the Review Officer. Retaliation against anyone that reports a violation will not be tolerated.

 

F. Certification of Compliance

 

All access persons shall certify initially, and annually (or upon any amendment) thereafter, that they (i) have received a copy of this Code of Ethics (i) have read and understand this Code of Ethics and recognize that they are subject hereto, (ii) have

 

 

complied with the requirements of this Code of Ethics and (iii) have disclosed or reported all personal securities transactions, holdings and accounts which are required to be disclosed or reported pursuant to the requirements of this Code of Ethics.

 

G. Joint Participation

 

Access persons should be aware that a specific provision of the 1940 Act prohibits such persons, in the absence of an order of the Commission, from effecting a transaction in which an Investment Company is a "joint or a joint and several participant" with such person. Any transaction which suggests the possibility of a question in this area should be presented to legal counsel for review.

 

H. Annual Review by Chief Executive Officer and/or Board

 

Each year the Review Officer shall prepare an annual report to the Chief Executive Officer and/or Board that: (1) summarizes existing procedures concerning personal investing and any changes in the procedures made during the past year; (2) identifies any violations requiring significant remedial action during the past year; and (3) identifies any recommended changes in existing restrictions or procedures based upon EARNEST’s experience under the Code of Ethics, evolving industry practices, or developments in applicable laws or regulations.

 

VI. SANCTIONS

 

Upon discovering a violation of this Code of Ethics, EARNEST shall impose any sanctions that it may deem appropriate under the circumstances, which may include, but is not limited to, removal, suspension or demotion from office, imposition of a fine, a letter of censure and/or restitution to the affected client of an amount equal to the advantage the offending person shall have gained by reason of such violation.

 

VII. RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS

 

EARNEST shall maintain and preserve in an easily accessible place:

 

a. A copy of the Code of Ethics (and any prior code of ethics that was in effect at any time during the past five years) for a period of five years;

 

b. A record of any violation of this Code of Ethics and of any action taken as a result of such violation for a period of five years following the end of the fiscal year in which the violation occurs;

 

c. A copy of each report made by an access person, including any information submitted pursuant to Rule 17j-1(d)(2)(v) of the 1940 Act, for a period of five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report is made or the other information provided (only those reports and information submitted during the

 

 

previous two years must be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place);

 

d. A list of all persons who are, or within the past five years were, required to make reports pursuant to this Code of Ethics;

 

e. The names of each person who is serving or who has served as Review Officer or Alternate Review Officer within the past five years; and

 

f. A copy of each report submitted to the Chief Executive Officer and/or Board of EARNEST for a period of five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the report was made (only those reports submitted during the previous two years must be maintained and preserved in an easily accessible place).

 

EARNEST shall maintain a record of any decision, and the reasons supporting the decision, to approve the acquisition by access persons of securities in an initial public offering and/or private placement for a period of five years after the end of the fiscal year in which the approval was granted.

 

VIII. MISCELLANEOUS

 

EARNEST shall identify all persons who are considered to be "access persons," inform such persons of their respective duties and provide such persons with copies of this Code of Ethics.