Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)

EQ/Balanced Strategy Portfolio - Class IB Shares

Summary Prospectus dated May 1, 2026

Before you invest, you may want to review the Portfolio's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Portfolio and its risks. The Portfolio's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"), each dated May 1, 2026, as may be amended or supplemented from time to time, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus. You can find the Portfolio's Prospectus, SAI, reports to shareholders and other information about the Portfolio online at https://equitable-funds.com/allportfolios.aspx. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-877-222-2144 or by sending an e-mail request to [email protected]. This Summary Prospectus is intended for use in connection with a variable contract as defined in Section 817(d) of the Internal Revenue Code and certain other eligible investors and is not intended for use by other investors.

Investment Objective: Seeks long-term capital appreciation and current income.

Fees and Expenses of the Portfolio

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Portfolio. The table below does not reflect any fees and expenses associated with variable life insurance contracts and variable annuity certificates and contracts ("Contracts"), which would increase overall fees and expenses. See the Contract prospectus for a description of those fees and expenses.

Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)  

Not applicable.

  

 

EQ/Balanced Strategy Portfolio	Class IB Shares
Management Fee	0.09%
Distribution and/or Service Fees (12b-1 fees)	0.25%
Other Expenses	0.15%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses	0.48%
Total Annual Portfolio Operating Expenses	0.97%

Example

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Portfolio with the cost of investing in other portfolios. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Portfolio for the periods indicated, that your investment has a 5% return each year, and that the Portfolio's operating expenses remain the same. This Example does not reflect any Contract-related fees and expenses including redemption fees (if any) at the Contract level. If such fees and expenses were reflected, the total expenses would be higher. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, whether you redeem or hold your shares, your costs would be: 

	1 Year	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years
Class IB Shares	$99	$309	$536	$1,190

Portfolio Turnover

The Portfolio will not incur transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells shares of the Underlying Portfolios (or "turns over" its portfolio), but it could incur transaction costs if it were to buy and sell other types of securities directly. If the Portfolio were to buy and sell other types of securities directly, a higher portfolio turnover rate could indicate higher transaction costs. Such costs, if incurred, would not be reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, and would affect the Portfolio's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Portfolio's portfolio turnover rate was 15% of the average value of its portfolio.

Investments, Risks, and Performance

Principal Investment Strategy

The Portfolio pursues its investment objective by investing in other mutual funds ("Underlying Portfolios") managed by Equitable Investment Management Group, LLC ("EIM" or "Adviser") and sub-advised by one or more investment sub-advisers. The Portfolio invests approximately 50% of its assets in equity investments and approximately 50% of its assets in fixed income investments through investments in Underlying Portfolios.

The equity asset class may include securities of small-, mid- and large-capitalization companies and exchange-traded funds. The fixed income asset class may include investment grade securities, below investment grade securities (also known as high yield or "junk" bonds), mortgage-backed securities and government securities. These securities may include securities with maturities that range from short to longer term. The asset classes may include securities of foreign issuers in addition to securities of domestic issuers. Actual allocations among asset classes can deviate from the amounts shown above by up to 15% of the Portfolio's assets.

For its equity asset class exposure, the Portfolio expects to invest in Underlying Portfolios that tactically manage equity exposure. When market volatility is increasing above specific thresholds, such Underlying Portfolios may reduce their equity exposure. During such times, the Portfolio's exposure to equity securities may be significantly less than if it invested in a traditional equity portfolio and the Portfolio may deviate significantly from its asset allocation targets. Although the Portfolio's investment in Underlying Portfolios that tactically manage equity exposure is intended to reduce the Portfolio's overall risk, it could result in periods of underperformance, even during periods when the market is rising. Volatility management techniques could reduce potential losses and/or mitigate financial risks to insurance companies that provide certain benefits and guarantees available under the Contracts and offer the Portfolio as an investment option in their products. Accordingly, volatility management techniques could also benefit the insurance companies by reducing the risk that the insurance companies will be required to pay amounts to meet the benefits and guarantees from their own resources. The Portfolio may invest in Underlying Portfolios that employ derivatives (including futures contracts) for a variety of purposes, including to reduce risk, to seek enhanced returns from certain asset classes and to leverage exposure to certain asset classes.

The Adviser may change the asset allocation targets and the particular Underlying Portfolios in which the Portfolio invests without notice or shareholder approval. The Adviser may sell the Portfolio's holdings for a variety of reasons, including to invest in an Underlying Portfolio that the Adviser believes offers superior investment opportunities.

Principal Risks

An investment in the Portfolio is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, and you could lose money by investing in the Portfolio. There can be no assurance that the Portfolio will achieve its investment objective.

The Portfolio is also subject to the risks associated with the investments of the Underlying Portfolios; please see the "Underlying Portfolios and Underlying ETFs" section of the Portfolio's Prospectus for additional information about these risks.

The following risks can negatively affect the Portfolio's performance. The most significant risks as of the date of this Prospectus are presented first, followed by additional principal risks in alphabetical order. In this section, the term "Portfolio" may include the Portfolio, an Underlying Portfolio, or both.

Market Risk  - The Portfolio is subject to the risk that the securities markets will move down, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, based on overall economic conditions and other factors, which may negatively affect Portfolio performance. Securities markets also may experience long periods of decline in value. The value of a security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the market as a whole. Any issuer of securities may perform poorly, causing the value of its securities to decline. Poor performance may be caused by a variety of factors, such as poor management decisions; reduced demand for the issuer's goods or services; competitive pressures; negative perception in the marketplace; loss of major customers; strategic initiatives such as mergers or acquisitions and the market response to any such initiatives; and the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer. The value of a security also may decline due to general market conditions, such as real or perceived adverse economic or political conditions, inflation rates and/or investor expectations concerning such rates, changes in interest rates, recessions, or adverse investor sentiment generally. During a general downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may decline in value simultaneously. Even when securities markets perform well, there can be no assurance that the investments held by the Portfolio will increase in value along with the broader market. Changes in the financial condition of (or other event affecting) a single issuer can impact an individual sector or industry, or the securities markets as a whole. To the extent that securities of issuers behave or

are perceived to behave similarly to each other, events affecting one issuer, industry or sector may have a larger impact. The value of a security also may decline due to factors that affect a particular sector or industry, such as tariffs, labor shortages, or increased production costs and competitive conditions within the sector or industry.

Geopolitical events, including acts of terrorism, tensions, war or other open conflicts between nations, or political or economic dysfunction within nations that are global economic powers or major oil or other commodities producers, have led, and may in the future lead, to overall instability in world economies and markets generally and have led, and may in the future lead, to increased market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects. For example, the armed conflict among the United States, Israel and Iran that commenced in February 2026 has contributed to increased volatility and uncertainty in financial markets as well as significant volatility in the oil and natural gas markets, which has created widespread economic disruption. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to economic, political or other developments. Events such as environmental and natural disasters or other catastrophes, public health crises (such as epidemics and pandemics), social unrest, and cybersecurity incidents, and governments' reactions (or failure to react) to such events, could cause uncertainty in the markets and may adversely affect the performance of the global economy. Impacts from climate change may include significant risks to global financial assets and economic growth. The extent and duration of such events and resulting market disruptions could be substantial and could magnify the impact of other risks to the Portfolio. The value and liquidity of the Portfolio's investments may be negatively affected by developments in other countries and regions, whether or not the Portfolio invests in securities of issuers located in or with significant exposure to the countries or regions directly affected.

Changes in government or central bank policies, changes in existing laws and regulations, and political, diplomatic and other events within the United States and abroad could cause uncertainty in the markets, may affect investor and consumer confidence, and may adversely impact financial markets and the broader economy, perhaps suddenly and to a significant degree. High public debt and deficits in the United States and other countries create ongoing systemic and market risks and policymaking uncertainty and may negatively affect economic conditions and the values of markets, sectors and companies in which the Portfolio invests.

In addition, markets and market participants are increasingly reliant on information data systems. Inaccurate data, software or other technology malfunctions, programming inaccuracies, unauthorized use or access, and similar circumstances may impair the performance of these systems and may have an adverse impact upon a single issuer, a group of issuers, or the market at large. Furthermore, impacts from the rapid development and increasingly widespread use of artificial intelligence ("AI") technologies, including by market participants, may include significant risks to global financial markets. Significant downturns in the information technology sector, which includes companies that are investing heavily in AI research, development and infrastructure, could rapidly lead to widespread market weakness.

Asset Allocation Risk  - The Portfolio's investment performance depends upon how its assets are allocated across various asset classes and how its assets are invested within those asset classes. Some asset classes and investments may perform below expectations, or below the securities markets generally, over short and extended periods. The allocation strategies used and the allocation and investment decisions made could cause the Portfolio to lose value and may not produce the desired results.

Equity Risk  - In general, the values of stocks and other equity securities fluctuate, and sometimes widely fluctuate, in response to changes in a company's financial condition as well as general market, economic and political conditions and other factors. Stock markets tend to run in cycles, with periods when stock prices generally go up and periods when stock prices generally go down. However, stock markets also can move up and down rapidly and unpredictably. The Portfolio may experience a significant or complete loss on its investment in an equity security.

Interest Rate Risk  - Changes in interest rates may affect the yield, liquidity and value of investments in debt securities or other income-producing securities. Changes in interest rates also may affect the value of other securities. In general, the value of the Portfolio's debt securities declines when interest rates rise and rises when interest rates decline. Typically, the longer the maturity (i.e., the term of a debt security) or duration (i.e., a measure of the sensitivity of a debt security to changes in market interest rates, based on the entire cash flow associated with the security) of a debt security, the greater the effect a change in interest rates could have on the security's price. Thus, the sensitivity of the Portfolio's debt securities to interest rate risk will increase the greater the duration of those securities. Changes in government or central bank monetary policy may have a substantial and immediate impact on interest rates, which could result in losses to the Portfolio.

Credit Risk  - The Portfolio is subject to the risk that the issuer or guarantor of a fixed income security, or the counterparty to a transaction, is unable or unwilling, or is perceived as unable or unwilling, to make timely interest or principal payments or otherwise honor its obligations, or defaults completely, which may cause the Portfolio's holdings to lose value. The downgrade of a security's credit rating may decrease its value. Lower credit quality also may lead to greater volatility in the price of a security and may negatively

affect a security's liquidity. The credit quality of a security can deteriorate suddenly and rapidly. The Portfolio may experience a significant or complete loss on a fixed income security or a transaction.

Volatility Management Risk  - The Portfolio expects to invest from time to time in Underlying Portfolios managed by the Adviser that may employ various volatility management techniques or make strategic adjustments to their asset mix (such as by using futures and options to manage equity exposure). Although these actions are intended to reduce the overall risk of investing in an Underlying Portfolio, they may not work as intended and may result in losses by an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, or periods of underperformance, particularly during periods when market values are increasing but market volatility is high or when an Underlying Portfolio has reduced its equity exposure but market changes do not impact equity returns adversely to the extent predicted by the Adviser.

The result of any volatility management strategy will be subject to the Adviser's ability to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the relevant market index and the metrics used by the Adviser to measure market volatility. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the result of any volatility management strategy also will be subject to the Adviser's ability to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute volatility management techniques in an efficient manner. In addition, market conditions change, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably, and the Adviser may be unable to execute the volatility management strategy in a timely manner or at all.

The Adviser to the Underlying Portfolios uses proprietary modeling tools to implement the volatility management strategy. If the proprietary modeling tools prove to be flawed or for other reasons do not produce the desired results, any decisions based on the modeling tools may expose an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to additional risks and losses. The use of modeling tools has inherent risks, and the success of using a modeling tool depends, among other things, on the accuracy and completeness of the tool's development, implementation and maintenance; on the tool's assumptions and methodologies; and on the accuracy and reliability of the inputs and output of the tool. The Adviser from time to time may make changes to its proprietary modeling tools that do not require shareholder notice.

Moreover, volatility management strategies may expose an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to costs, such as increased portfolio transaction costs, which could cause or increase losses or reduce gains. In addition, it is not possible to manage volatility fully or perfectly. Futures contracts and other instruments used in connection with the volatility management strategy are not necessarily held by an Underlying Portfolio to hedge the value of the Underlying Portfolio's other investments and, as a result, these futures contracts and other instruments may decline in value at the same time as the Underlying Portfolio's other investments.

Any one or more of these factors could prevent an Underlying Portfolio from achieving the intended volatility management or could cause an Underlying Portfolio, and in turn, the Portfolio, to underperform or experience losses (some of which may be sudden or substantial) or volatility for any particular period that may be higher or lower. In addition, the use of volatility management techniques may not protect against market declines and may limit an Underlying Portfolio's, and thus the Portfolio's, participation in market gains, even during periods when the market is rising. Volatility management techniques, when implemented effectively to reduce the overall risk of investing in an Underlying Portfolio, may result in underperformance by an Underlying Portfolio. For example, if an Underlying Portfolio has reduced its overall exposure to equities to avoid losses in certain market environments, the Underlying Portfolio may forgo some of the returns that can be associated with periods of rising equity values. An Underlying Portfolio's performance, and therefore the Portfolio's performance, may be lower than similar funds where volatility management techniques are not used.

Risks Related to Investments in Underlying Portfolios  - When the Portfolio invests in an Underlying Portfolio, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses incurred by the Underlying Portfolio. These fees and expenses are in addition to the advisory fees and other expenses that the Portfolio and its shareholders bear directly in connection with the Portfolio's own operations. As a result, the Portfolio's shareholders will be subject to two layers of fees and expenses with respect to investments in the Portfolio. The cost of investing in the Portfolio, therefore, may be higher than the cost of investing in a mutual fund that invests directly in individual stocks and bonds. The Portfolio's performance depends upon a favorable allocation by the Adviser among the Underlying Portfolios, as well as the ability of the Underlying Portfolios to generate favorable performance. The Underlying Portfolios' investment programs may not be complementary, which could adversely affect the Portfolio's performance.

The Portfolio's net asset value is subject to fluctuations in the net asset values of the Underlying Portfolios in which it invests. The Portfolio is also subject to the risks associated with the securities or other investments in which the Underlying Portfolios invest, and the ability of the Portfolio to meet its investment objective will directly depend on the ability of the Underlying Portfolios to meet their respective investment objectives. The Portfolio and the Underlying Portfolios are subject to certain general investment risks, including market risk, asset class risk, issuer-specific risk, investment style risk, portfolio management risk, and regulatory risk. In addition, to the extent the Portfolio invests in Underlying Portfolios that invest in equity securities, fixed income securities, and/or

foreign securities, the Portfolio is subject to the risks associated with investing in such securities. The extent to which the investment performance and risks associated with the Portfolio correlate to those of a particular Underlying Portfolio will depend upon the extent to which the Portfolio's assets are allocated from time to time for investment in the Underlying Portfolio, which will vary.

Affiliated Portfolio Risk  - The Adviser is subject to conflicts of interest in selecting, and allocating the Portfolio's assets among, the various Underlying Portfolios because the revenue and/or profits the Adviser and its affiliates receive from some of the Underlying Portfolios is higher than the revenue and/or profits received from other Underlying Portfolios for the services the Adviser and its affiliates provide. The Portfolio invests in affiliated Underlying Portfolios; unaffiliated Underlying Portfolios generally are not considered for investment.

Derivatives Risk  - The Portfolio's investments in derivatives may rise or fall in value more rapidly than other investments and may reduce the Portfolio's returns and increase the volatility of the Portfolio's net asset value. Investing in derivatives involves investment techniques and risk analyses different from, and risks in some respects greater than, those associated with investing in more traditional investments, such as stocks and bonds. Derivatives may be leveraged such that a small investment can have a significant impact on the Portfolio's exposure to stock market values, interest rates, or other investments. As a result, a relatively small price movement in a derivatives contract may cause an immediate and substantial loss, and the Portfolio could lose more than the amount it invested. Some derivatives can have the potential for unlimited losses. In addition, it may be difficult or impossible for the Portfolio to purchase or sell certain derivatives in sufficient amounts to achieve the desired level of exposure, or to terminate or offset existing arrangements, which may result in a loss or may be costly to the Portfolio. Some derivatives are more sensitive to market price fluctuations and to interest rate changes than other investments. Derivatives may not behave as anticipated by the Portfolio, and derivatives strategies that are successful under certain market conditions may be less successful or unsuccessful under other market conditions. The Portfolio also may be exposed to losses if the counterparty in the transaction is unable or unwilling to fulfill its contractual obligation. In certain cases, the Portfolio may be hindered or delayed in exercising remedies against or closing out derivatives with a counterparty, resulting in additional losses. Derivatives also may be subject to the risk of mispricing or improper valuation, and valuation may be more difficult in times of market turmoil. Changes to the regulation of derivatives markets and mutual funds' use of derivatives may impact the Portfolio's ability to maintain its investments in derivatives, make derivatives more costly, limit their availability, adversely affect their value or performance, or otherwise disrupt markets.

ETFs Risk  - When the Portfolio invests in an ETF, it will indirectly bear its proportionate share of the fees and expenses incurred by the ETF. These fees and expenses are in addition to the advisory fees and other expenses that the Portfolio and its shareholders bear directly in connection with the Portfolio's own operations. As a result, the Portfolio's shareholders will be subject to two layers of fees and expenses with respect to investments in the Portfolio. The cost of investing in the Portfolio, therefore, may be higher than the cost of investing in a mutual fund that invests directly in individual stocks and bonds. In addition, the Portfolio's net asset value will be subject to fluctuations in the market values of the ETFs in which it invests. The Portfolio is also subject to the risks associated with the securities or other investments in which the ETFs invest, and the ability of the Portfolio to meet its investment objective will directly depend on the ability of the ETFs to meet their investment objectives. A passively managed (or index-based) ETF's performance may not match that of the index it seeks to track. An actively managed ETF's performance will reflect its manager's ability to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the ETF's investment objective. Furthermore, it is possible that an active trading market for an ETF may not develop or be maintained, in which case the liquidity and value of the Portfolio's investment in the ETF could be substantially and adversely affected. The extent to which the investment performance and risks associated with the Portfolio correlate to those of a particular ETF will depend upon the extent to which the Portfolio's assets are allocated from time to time for investment in the ETF, which will vary.

Foreign Securities Risk  - Investments in foreign securities involve risks in addition to those associated with investments in U.S. securities. Foreign markets may be less liquid, more volatile and subject to less government supervision and regulation than U.S. markets, and it may take more time to clear and settle trades involving foreign securities, which could negatively impact the Portfolio's investments and cause it to lose money. Security values also may be negatively affected by changes in the exchange rates between the U.S. dollar and foreign currencies. Differences between U.S. and foreign legal, political and economic systems, regulatory regimes and market practices, as well as changes in international trading patterns, trade barriers and other protectionist trade policies (including those of the United States), tariffs, governmental instability, acts of terrorism, war or other open conflicts, or other political, diplomatic or economic actions, also may adversely impact security values. Foreign securities are also subject to the risks associated with the potential imposition of economic or other sanctions against a particular foreign country, its nationals, businesses or industries. World markets, or those in a particular region, may all react in similar fashion to economic, political or other developments. Events and evolving conditions in certain economies or markets may alter the risks associated with investments tied to countries or regions that historically were perceived as comparatively stable and make such investments riskier and more volatile. Regardless of where a company is organized or its stock is traded, its performance may be significantly affected by events in regions from which it derives its profits or in which it conducts significant operations.

Futures Contract Risk  - The primary risks associated with the use of futures contracts are (a) the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Portfolio and the price of the futures contract; (b) liquidity risks, including the possible absence of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; (c) losses (potentially unlimited) caused by unanticipated market movements; (d) an investment manager's inability to predict correctly the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates and other economic factors; (e) the possibility that a counterparty, clearing member or clearinghouse will default in the performance of its obligations; (f) if the Portfolio has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, and the Portfolio may have to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so; and (g) transaction costs associated with investments in futures contracts may be significant, which could cause or increase losses or reduce gains. Futures contracts are also subject to the same risks as the underlying investments to which they provide exposure. In addition, futures contracts may subject the Portfolio to leveraging risk.

Investment Grade Securities Risk  - Securities rated in the lower investment grade rating categories (e.g., BBB or Baa) are considered investment grade securities, but may have more risk than higher rated obligations because they are regarded as having only an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest, are considered to lack outstanding investment characteristics, and may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Large-Cap Company Risk  - Larger more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes, which may lead to a decline in their market price. Many larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rate of successful smaller companies, especially during extended periods of economic expansion.

Liquidity Risk  - From time to time, there may be little or no active trading market for a particular investment in which the Portfolio may invest or is invested. In such a market, the value of such an investment and the Portfolio's share price may fall dramatically. Illiquid investments may be difficult or impossible to sell or purchase at an advantageous time or price or in sufficient amounts to achieve the Portfolio's desired level of exposure. To meet redemption requests during periods of illiquidity, the Portfolio may be forced to dispose of investments at unfavorable times or prices and/or under unfavorable conditions, which may result in losses or may be costly to the Portfolio. Investments that are illiquid or that trade in lower volumes may be more difficult to value. The Portfolio also may not receive its proceeds from the sale of certain investments for an extended period of time. Certain investments that were liquid when purchased may later become illiquid, sometimes abruptly, particularly in times of overall economic distress or adverse investor perception. An inability to sell a portfolio position can adversely affect the Portfolio's value or prevent the Portfolio from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. During periods of market stress, an investment or even an entire market segment may become illiquid, sometimes abruptly, which can adversely affect the Portfolio's ability to limit losses. In addition, a reduction in the ability or willingness of dealers and other institutional investors to make a market in certain securities may result in decreased liquidity in certain markets.

Mid-Cap and Small-Cap Company Risk  - Mid-cap and small-cap companies carry additional risks because the operating histories of these companies tend to be more limited, their earnings and revenues less predictable (and some companies may be experiencing significant losses), and their share prices more volatile than those of larger, more established companies, all of which can negatively affect their value. In general, these risks are greater for small-cap companies than for mid-cap companies.

Mortgage-Related and Other Asset-Backed Securities Risk  - Declines in the credit quality of and defaults by the issuers of mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities or instability in the markets for such securities may decrease the value of such securities, which could result in losses to the Portfolio, and may reduce the liquidity of such securities and make such securities more difficult to purchase or sell at an advantageous time and price. In addition, borrowers may default on the obligations that underlie mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities. The risk of defaults by borrowers generally is greater during times of rising interest rates and/or unemployment rates. The impairment (or loss) of the value of collateral or other assets underlying mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities will result in a reduction in the value of the securities. Certain collateral may be difficult to locate in the event of default, or may be lost, and recoveries of depreciated or damaged collateral may not fully cover payments due on such collateral. Asset-backed securities may not have the benefit of a security interest in collateral comparable to that of mortgage assets, resulting in additional credit risk.

Furthermore, mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities typically provide the issuer with the right to prepay the security prior to maturity. During periods of rising interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to decrease because borrowers are less likely to prepay debt (such as mortgage debt or automobile loans). Slower than expected payments can extend the average lives of mortgage-related and other asset-backed securities, and this may "lock in" a below market interest rate and increase the security's duration and interest rate sensitivity, which may increase the volatility of the security's value and may lead to losses. During periods of falling interest rates, the rate of prepayments tends to increase because borrowers are more likely to pay off debt and refinance at the lower interest rates then available. Unscheduled prepayments shorten the average lives of mortgage-related and other

asset-backed securities and may result in the Portfolio's having to reinvest the proceeds of the prepayments at lower interest rates, thereby reducing the Portfolio's income.

Non-Investment Grade Securities Risk  - Bonds rated below BBB by Standard & Poor's Global Ratings or Fitch Ratings, Ltd. or below Baa by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (or, if unrated, determined by the investment manager to be of comparable quality) are speculative in nature and are subject to additional risk factors such as increased possibility of default, illiquidity of the security, and changes in value based on changes in interest rates. Non-investment grade bonds, sometimes referred to as "junk bonds," are usually issued by companies without long track records of sales and earnings, or by those companies with questionable credit strength. The creditworthiness of issuers of non-investment grade debt securities may be more complex to analyze than that of issuers of investment grade debt securities, and reliance on credit ratings may present additional risks.

Portfolio Management Risk  - The Portfolio is subject to the risk that strategies used by an investment manager and its securities selections fail to produce the intended results. An investment manager's judgments or decisions about the quality, relative yield or value of, or market trends affecting, a particular security or issuer, industry, sector, region or market segment, or about the economy or interest rates or other factors, may be incorrect or otherwise may not produce the intended results, which may result in losses to the Portfolio. In addition, many processes used in Portfolio management, including security selection, rely, in whole or in part, on the use of various technologies. The Portfolio may suffer losses if there are imperfections, errors or limitations in the quantitative, analytic or other tools, resources, information and data used, or the analyses employed or relied on, by an investment manager, or if such tools, resources, information or data are used incorrectly, fail to produce the desired results, or otherwise do not work as intended. There can be no assurance that the use of these technologies will result in effective investment decisions for the Portfolio. In addition, the Portfolio could experience losses if an investment manager's judgments about the risks associated with the Portfolio's investment program prove to be incorrect.

Prepayment Risk and Extension Risk  - Prepayment risk is the risk that the issuer of a security held by the Portfolio may pay off principal more quickly than originally anticipated. This may occur when interest rates fall. The Portfolio may have to reinvest the proceeds in an investment offering a lower yield, may not benefit from any increase in value that might otherwise result from declining interest rates and may lose any premium it paid to acquire the security. Extension risk is the risk that the issuer of a security held by the Portfolio may pay off principal more slowly than originally anticipated. This may occur when interest rates rise. The Portfolio may be prevented from reinvesting the proceeds it would have received at a given time in an investment offering a higher yield.

Redemption Risk  - The Portfolio may experience periods of heavy redemptions that could cause the Portfolio to sell assets at inopportune times or at a loss or depressed value. Redemption risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets. Heavy redemptions could hurt the Portfolio's performance.

Market developments and other factors, including a general rise in interest rates, have the potential to cause investors to move out of fixed income securities on a large scale, which may increase redemptions from mutual funds that hold large amounts of fixed income securities. The ability or willingness of dealers and other institutional investors to buy or hold fixed-income securities or otherwise to "make a market" in debt securities may also be reduced. These factors, along with an inability to find a ready buyer, may result in decreased liquidity and increased volatility in the fixed income markets.

Risk/Return Bar Chart and Table

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Portfolio by showing changes in the Portfolio's performance from year to year and by showing how the Portfolio's average annual total returns for the past one, five and ten years through December 31, 2025, compared to the returns of a broad-based securities market index. The additional securities market index and the composite index show how the Portfolio's performance compared with the returns of other asset classes in which the Portfolio may invest. Past performance is not an indication of future performance.

The performance results do not reflect any Contract-related fees and expenses, which would reduce the performance results.  

 Calendar Year Annual Total Returns - Class IB

  

Best quarter (% and time period)	8.95%	2023 4th Quarter
Worst quarter (% and time period)	-10.23%	2022 2nd Quarter

  

 

	One Year	Five Years	Ten Years
EQ/Balanced Strategy Portfolio - Class IB	10.05%	4.68%	6.08%
S&P 500® Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	17.88%	14.42%	14.82%
EQ/Balanced Strategy Index1 (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	11.95%	5.68%	6.96%
Bloomberg U.S. Intermediate Government Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	6.50%	0.64%	1.76%

Who Manages the PORTFOLIO

Investment Adviser: EIM

Portfolio Managers: The members of the team that are jointly and primarily responsible for selecting the Underlying Portfolios in which the Portfolio invests are: 

Name	Title	Since
Kenneth T. Kozlowski, CFP®, CLU, ChFC	Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of EIM	2009
Xavier Poutas, CFA®	Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager of EIM	2011
Miao Hu, CFA®	Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager of EIM	2016
Kevin McCarthy	Vice President and Assistant Portfolio Manager of EIM	2021

The Adviser has been granted relief by the Securities and Exchange Commission to hire, terminate and replace sub-advisers for the Portfolio and enter into and amend sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Portfolio subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees and without obtaining shareholder approval. If the Board of Trustees approves the hiring of sub-advisers, the Adviser is responsible for overseeing the sub-advisers and recommending their hiring, termination and replacement to the Board of Trustees. The Adviser may not enter into a sub-advisory agreement on behalf of the Portfolio with an "affiliated person" of the Adviser unless the sub-advisory agreement is approved by the Portfolio's shareholders. The relief does not extend to any increase in the advisory fee paid by the Portfolio to the Adviser; any such increase would be subject to shareholder approval.

PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF PORTFOLIO SHARES

The Portfolio's shares are currently sold only to insurance company separate accounts in connection with Contracts issued by Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company ("Equitable Financial") or other affiliated or unaffiliated insurance companies and to The Equitable 401(k) Plan. Shares also may be sold to other investors eligible under applicable federal income tax regulations.

The Portfolio does not have minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements. Shares of the Portfolio are redeemable on any business day (which typically is any day the New York Stock Exchange is open) upon receipt of a request. All redemption requests will be processed and payment with respect thereto will normally be made within seven days after tender. Please refer to your Contract prospectus for more information on purchasing and redeeming Portfolio shares.

TAX INFORMATION

The Portfolio's shareholders are (or may include) insurance company separate accounts and other investors eligible under applicable federal income tax regulations. Distributions made by the Portfolio to such an account, and exchanges and redemptions of Portfolio shares made by such an account, ordinarily do not cause the holders of underlying Contracts to recognize income or gain for federal income tax purposes at the time of the distributions, exchanges or redemptions; the holders generally are taxed only on amounts they withdraw from their Contract. See the prospectus for your Contract for further tax information.

Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries

The Portfolio is not sold directly to the general public but instead is offered as an underlying investment option for Contracts and to other eligible investors. The Portfolio and the Adviser and its affiliates may make payments to sponsoring insurance companies (and their affiliates) or other financial intermediaries for distribution and/or other services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing an insurance company or other financial intermediary and your financial adviser to recommend the Portfolio over another investment or by influencing an insurance company to include the Portfolio as an underlying investment option in the Contract. The prospectus (or other offering document) for your Contract may contain additional information about these payments. Ask your financial adviser or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.