497K 1 d928280d497k.htm AB SHORT DURATION HIGH YIELD ETF AB Short Duration High Yield ETF
LOGO    SUMMARY PROSPECTUS March 31, 2025

AB Short Duration High Yield ETF

(successor to AB Short Duration High Yield Portfolio)

Ticker: SYFI

Exchange: NYSE Arca

 

Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund’s Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. The Fund’s Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated March 31, 2025, as may be amended or supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. For free paper or electronic copies of the Fund’s Prospectus, reports to shareholders and other information about the Fund, go to www.abfunds.com/go/prospectus, email a request to prorequest@alliancebernstein.com, call (800) 243-5994, or ask any financial advisor, bank, or broker-dealer who offers shares of the Fund.

PRO-ETF01-SDHY-0325

 

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

The Fund’s investment objective is to seek the highest level of income that is available without assuming what the Adviser considers to be undue risk to principal.

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. You may be required to pay commissions and/or other forms of compensation to a broker for transactions in shares, which are not reflected in the tables or the examples below.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

None

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

   

Management Fees

    .40% (a) 

Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees

    None  

Other Expenses

    .00%  
 

 

 

 

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

    .40%  
 

 

 

 
   

 

(a)

The Fund’s investment advisory agreement provides that AllianceBernstein L.P. (the “Adviser”) will pay substantially all expenses of the Fund (including expenses of AB Active ETFs, Inc. relating to the Fund), except for the advisory fees, payments under the Fund’s 12b-1 plan (if any), interest expenses, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses (other than fees and expenses for funds advised by the Adviser and/or its affiliates), and litigation and extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business. Additionally, the Fund is responsible for its non-operating expenses, including brokerage commissions.

Examples

The Examples are intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Examples assume that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Examples also assume that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses stay the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

   

After 1 Year

  $ 41  

After 3 Years

  $ 128  

After 5 Years

  $ 224  
After 10 Years   $ 505  

Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys or sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable

 

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account. These transaction costs, which are not reflected in the Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Examples, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal period ended November 30, 2024, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 4% of the average value of its portfolio.

PRINCIPAL STRATEGIES

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund (“ETF”). Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, including any borrowings for investment purposes, in debt securities that are rated below investment grade (commonly known as “junk bonds”), unrated securities considered by the Adviser to be of comparable quality, and related derivatives. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will maintain a dollar-weighted average duration of less than four years, although it may invest in individual fixed-income securities with durations in excess of four years and of any maturity.

The Fund may also invest in investment grade fixed-income securities, high-yield securities of governments and government-related issuers, loan participations and assignments and, to a lesser extent, equity securities, and derivatives related to these instruments. The Fund will not invest more than 10% of its net assets in securities rated at or below Caa1 by Moody’s Ratings, CCC+ by S&P Global Ratings or CCC by Fitch Ratings, or the equivalent by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization, at the time of purchase. (For the purpose of this 10% limit, the Fund will rely on the highest rating from any NRSRO, and the notional amount of derivatives related to these instruments will be counted.)

The Fund invests on a global basis, including securities of issuers in both developed and emerging market countries. The Fund may invest in securities denominated in foreign currencies, although it expects to use hedging instruments frequently to attempt to limit the currency exposure resulting from such investments.

In selecting securities for purchase or sale by the Fund, the Adviser attempts to take advantage of inefficiencies that it believes exist in the global fixed-income markets. These inefficiencies arise from investor behavior, market complexity, and the investment limitations to which investors are subject. The Adviser combines its quantitative forecasts with fundamental economic and credit research in seeking to exploit these inefficiencies.

The Adviser employs strategies to manage the Fund’s volatility relative to the global high-yield market. Such strategies may include shortening the duration of the Fund, adding higher rated investments, investing in various fixed-income sectors with relatively low correlation among them, and using hedging strategies that seek to provide protection from substantial market downturns. The Adviser utilizes different combinations of the above strategies at different points in time, taking into consideration, among other factors, the shape of the credit curve, the relative effect on yield associated with changes in credit quality, and the cost of hedging strategies.

The Fund expects to use derivatives, such as options, futures contracts, forwards and swaps, to a significant extent, subject to the limits of applicable law. Derivatives may provide more efficient and economical exposure to market segments than direct investments, and may also be a quicker and more efficient way to alter the Fund’s exposure. For example, the Fund may use credit default and interest rate swaps to gain exposure to the fixed-income markets. In determining when and to what extent to enter into derivative transactions, the Adviser considers factors such as the risks and returns of these investments relative to direct investments and the costs of such transactions. Derivatives such as options and forwards may also be used for hedging purposes, including to hedge against interest rate, credit market and currency fluctuations.

PRINCIPAL RISKS

 

Market Risk: The value of the Fund’s assets will fluctuate as the market or markets in which the Fund invests fluctuate. The value of the Fund’s investments may decline, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, simply because of economic changes or other events, including public health crises (including the occurrence of a contagious disease or illness), terrorism, war, interest rate levels, tariffs and regional and global conflicts, that affect large portions of the market.

 

 

Interest Rate Risk: Changes in interest rates will affect the value of investments in fixed-income securities. When interest rates rise, the value of existing investments in fixed-income securities tends to fall and this decrease in value may not be offset by higher income from new investments. Interest rate risk is generally greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities or durations. Changing interest rates may have unpredictable effects on the markets, may result in heightened market volatility and may detract from Fund performance. In addition, changes in monetary policy may exacerbate the risks associated with changing interest rates.

 

 

Credit Risk: An issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, or the counterparty to a derivatives or other contract, may be unable or unwilling to make timely payments of interest or principal, or to otherwise honor its obligations. The issuer or guarantor may default, causing a loss of the full principal amount of a security and accrued interest. The degree of risk for a particular security may be reflected in its credit rating. There is the possibility that the credit rating of a fixed-income security may be downgraded after purchase, which may adversely affect the value of the security.

 

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Below Investment Grade Securities Risk: Investments in fixed-income securities with lower ratings (commonly known as “junk bonds”) are subject to a higher probability that an issuer will default or fail to meet its payment obligations. These securities may be subject to greater price volatility due to such factors as specific corporate developments and negative perceptions of the junk bond market generally and may be more difficult to trade than other types of securities.

 

 

Duration Risk: Duration is a measure that relates the expected price volatility of a fixed-income security to changes in interest rates. The duration of a fixed-income security may be shorter than or equal to full maturity of a fixed-income security. Fixed-income securities with longer durations have more risk and will decrease in price as interest rates rise. For example, a fixed-income security with a duration of three years will likely decrease in value by approximately 3% if interest rates increase by 1%.

 

 

Inflation Risk: This is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the value of the Fund’s assets can decline as can the value of the Fund’s distributions. This risk is significantly greater for fixed-income securities with longer maturities.

 

 

Derivatives Risk: Derivatives may be difficult to price or unwind and may be leveraged so that small changes may produce disproportionate losses for the Fund. A short position in a derivative instrument involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying asset, reference rate or index, which could cause the Fund to suffer a potentially unlimited loss. Derivatives, especially over-the-counter derivatives, are also subject to counterparty risk, which is the risk that the counterparty (the party on the other side of the transaction) on a derivative transaction will be unable or unwilling to honor its contractual obligations to the Fund.

 

 

Foreign (Non-U.S.) Investments Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers may involve more risk than those of U.S. issuers. These securities may fluctuate more widely in price and may be more difficult to trade than domestic securities due to adverse market, economic, political, regulatory or other factors.

 

 

Emerging Market Risk: Investments in emerging market countries may have more risk because the markets are less developed, less liquid and are subject to increased potential for market manipulation, and increased economic, political, regulatory or other uncertainties.

 

 

Currency Risk: Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may negatively affect the value of the Fund’s investments or reduce its returns.

 

 

Loan Participations and Assignments Risk: When the Fund purchases loan participations and assignments, it is subject to the credit risk associated with the underlying corporate borrower. In addition, the lack of a liquid secondary market for loan participations and assignments may have an adverse impact on the value of such investments and the Fund’s ability to dispose of particular assignments or participations when necessary to meet the Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event such as a deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower.

 

 

Illiquid Investments Risk: Illiquid investments risk exists when certain investments are or become difficult to purchase or sell. Difficulty in selling such investments may result in sales at disadvantageous prices affecting the value of your investment in the Fund. Causes of illiquid investments risk may include low trading volumes and large positions. Foreign fixed-income securities may have more illiquid investments risk because secondary trading markets for these securities may be smaller and less well-developed and the securities may trade less frequently than domestic securities. Illiquid investments risk may be higher in a rising interest rate environment, when the value and liquidity of fixed-income securities generally go down.

 

 

Cash Transactions Risk: The Fund intends to effectuate all or a portion of the issuance and redemption of Creation Units for cash, rather than in-kind securities. As a result, an investment in the Fund is expected to be less tax-efficient than an investment in an ETF that effectuates its transactions in Creation Units (as defined below) primarily on an in-kind basis. A fund that effects redemptions for cash may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. Any recognized gain on these sales by the Fund will generally cause the Fund to recognize a gain it might not otherwise have recognized, or to recognize such gain sooner than would otherwise be required as compared to an ETF that distributes portfolio securities in-kind in redemption of Creation Units. The Fund intends to distribute gains that arise by virtue of the issuance and redemption of Creation Units being effectuated in cash to shareholders to avoid being taxed on this gain at the fund level and otherwise comply with applicable tax requirements. This may cause shareholders to be subject to tax on gains to which they would not otherwise be subject, or at an earlier date than if they had made an investment in another ETF. Moreover, cash transactions may have to be carried out over several days if the securities market is relatively illiquid and may involve considerable brokerage fees and taxes. Brokerage fees, which will be higher than if the Fund sold and redeemed its shares principally in-kind, will be passed on to those purchasing and redeeming Creation Units in the form of creation and redemption transaction fees. In addition, these factors may result in wider spreads between the bid and ask prices of Fund shares than for ETFs that receive and distribute portfolio securities in-kind. The Fund’s use of cash for creations and redemptions could also result in dilution to the Fund and increased transaction costs, which could negatively impact the Fund’s ability to achieve its investment objective.

 

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ETF Share Price and Net Asset Value Risk: The Fund’s shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (“Exchange”). Shares are generally bought and sold in the secondary market at market prices. The net asset value (“NAV”) per share of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The Fund’s NAV is calculated once per day, at the end of the day. The market price of a share on an Exchange could be higher than the NAV (premium), or lower than the NAV (discount) and may fluctuate during the trading day. When all or a portion of the Fund’s underlying securities trade in a market that is closed when the market for the Fund’s shares is open, there may be differences between the current value of a security and the last quoted price for that security in the closed local market, which could lead to a deviation between the market value of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV. Disruptions in the creations and redemptions process or the existence of extreme market volatility could result in the Fund’s shares trading above or below NAV. As the Fund may invest in securities traded on foreign exchanges, Fund shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV per share than shares of other ETFs. In addition, in stressed market conditions, the market for Fund shares may become less liquid in response to deteriorating liquidity in the markets for the Fund’s underlying portfolio holdings.

 

 

Authorized Participant Risk: Only a limited number of financial institutions that enter into an authorized participant relationship with the Fund (“Authorized Participants”) may engage in creation or redemption transactions. If the Fund’s Authorized Participants decide not to create or redeem shares, Fund shares may trade at a larger premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV per share, or the Fund could face trading halts or de-listing.

 

 

Active Trading Market Risk: There is no guarantee that an active trading market for Fund shares will exist at all times. In times of market stress, markets can suffer erratic or unpredictable trading activity, extraordinary volatility or wide bid/ask spreads, which could cause some market makers and Authorized Participants to reduce their market activity or “step away” from making a market in ETF shares. Market makers and Authorized Participants are not obligated to place or execute purchase and redemption orders. This could cause the Fund’s market price to deviate, materially, from the NAV, and reduce the effectiveness of the ETF arbitrage process. Any absence of an active trading market for Fund shares could lead to a heightened risk that there will be a difference between the market price of a Fund share and the underlying value of the Fund share.

 

 

Management Risk: The Fund is subject to management risk because it is an actively-managed ETF. The Adviser will apply its investment techniques and risk analyses in making investment decisions, but there is no guarantee that its techniques will produce the intended results. Some of these techniques may incorporate, or rely upon, quantitative models, but there is no guarantee that these models will generate accurate forecasts, reduce risk or otherwise perform as expected.

As with all investments, you may lose money by investing in the Fund.

BAR CHART AND PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

Prior to commencing operations, the Fund acquired the assets and liabilities of AB Short Duration High Yield Portfolio (the “Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund”), a series of AB Bond Fund, Inc., and adopted the accounting and performance history of that fund (a “Reorganization”), as of the close of business on June 7, 2024. The information shown below for periods prior to the close of business on June 7, 2024 relates to the performance of Advisor Class shares of the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund. The Fund has the same investment objective, strategies, policies and portfolio management team as the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund.

The performance of the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund shown below has not been adjusted to reflect the lower fees and expenses that will be incurred by the Fund. The Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund was a mutual fund, and the average annual total returns as shown below are based on NAV per share, and are not based on market prices for an ETF share as traded on an exchange. Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund performance is based on the performance of Advisor Class shares. Prior to the Fund’s acquisition of the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund, the other share classes of the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund were converted into Advisor Class shares.

The bar chart and performance information provide an indication of the historical risk of an investment in the Fund by showing:

 

 

how the Fund’s performance changed from year to year over ten years; and

 

 

how the Fund’s average annual returns for one, five and ten years compare to those of a broad-based securities market index and an additional index that more closely reflects the types of securities in which the Fund invests.

You may obtain updated performance information on the website at www.abfunds.com (click on “Investments—ETFs”).

The Fund’s past performance before and after taxes, of course, does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future.

 

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Bar Chart

The annual returns in the bar chart are for the Fund’s shares. For periods prior to the close of business on June 7, 2024, the chart reflects returns of the Advisor Class shares of the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund, which were reorganized into shares of the Fund in the Reorganization.

 

LOGO

During the period shown in the bar chart, the Fund’s:

Best Quarter was up 12.33%, 2nd quarter, 2020; and Worst Quarter was down -14.87%, 1st quarter, 2020.

Performance Table

Average Annual Total Returns

(For the periods ended December 31, 2024)

 

           1 Year        5 Years        10 Years       
Advisor Class*   Return Before Taxes      7.56%          3.46%          3.98%    
 

 

  Return After Taxes on Distributions**      4.95%          1.16%          1.96%    
 

 

    Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares**      4.41%          1.61%          2.14%      

Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index***

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

     2.13%          0.30%          2.43%      

Bloomberg US High Yield 1-5 Year Cash Pay 2% Total Return Index***

(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)

     8.64%          4.92%          5.08%      

 

*

For periods prior to the Reorganization, the table shows returns for the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund’s Advisor Class shares. Effective March 18, 2024, the Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund converted its existing Class A and Class C shares to Advisor Class shares and terminated the Class A and Class C shares.

 

**

After-tax returns:

 

 

Are an estimate, which is based on the highest historical individual federal marginal income tax rates, and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes; actual after-tax returns depend on an individual investor’s tax situation and are likely to differ from those shown; and

 

 

Are not relevant to investors who hold Short Duration High Yield Predecessor Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts.

 

***

Effective July 24, 2024 the primary broad-based index used for comparison with the Fund’s performance changed from the Bloomberg US High Yield 1-5 Year Cash Pay 2% Total Return Index to the Bloomberg U.S. Corporate Bond Index to comply with new regulations that require the Fund’s primary benchmark to reflect the overall market in which the Fund may invest. The Fund’s previous primary benchmark, the Bloomberg US High Yield 1-5 Year Cash Pay 2% Total Return Index, which more closely reflects the types of securities in which the Fund invests, is the Fund’s secondary benchmark.

INVESTMENT ADVISER

AllianceBernstein L.P. is the investment adviser for the Fund.

PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

The following table lists the persons responsible for day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio:

 

Employee    Length of Service    Title
Gershon M. Distenfeld    Since June 2024    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
Robert Schwartz    Since June 2024    Senior Vice President of the Adviser
William Smith    Since June 2024    Senior Vice President of the Adviser

 

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PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

The Fund is an actively-managed ETF and does not seek to track the performance of an index. Individual shares of the Fund are listed on an Exchange. Most investors will buy and sell shares of the Fund through a broker-dealer. The price of Fund shares is based on market price, and because ETF shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (a premium) or less than NAV (a discount). The Fund will only issue or redeem shares that have been aggregated into blocks of 25,000 shares or multiples thereof (“Creation Units”) to a limited number of Authorized Participants who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor. The Fund generally will issue or redeem Creation Units in return for a designated basket of cash and/or portfolio securities that the Fund specifies each day. To the extent the Fund’s Creation Units are issued or redeemed for cash, the Fund may incur transaction and other costs, and/or capital gains, which may or may not be offset, in whole or in part, by a transaction fee paid by an Authorized Participant.

Information about the Fund’s NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads are available on the Fund’s website at www.abfunds.com.

TAX INFORMATION

The Fund may pay income dividends or make capital gains distributions, which may be subject to federal income taxes and taxable as ordinary income or capital gains, and may also be subject to state and local taxes.

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

The Adviser and its affiliates make payments to brokers, dealers and other financial intermediaries for the sale of Fund shares and other services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker, dealer or other financial intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

PRO-ETF01-SDHY-0325     LOGO  

 

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