0001109448-20-000011 | 10-K | XBRL Viewer

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Cover Page	12 Months Ended
Cover Page	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) shares
Cover page.
Document Type	10-K
Document Annual Report	true
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2019
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	000-29961
Entity Registrant Name	ALLIANCEBERNSTEIN L.P.
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	13-4064930
Entity Address, Address Line One	1345 Avenue of the Americas
Entity Address, City or Town	New York
Entity Address, State or Province	NY
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	10105
City Area Code	212
Local Phone Number	969-1000
Title of 12(g) Security	Units of Limited Partnership Interest
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding \| shares	270,380,314
Documents Incorporated by Reference	This Form 10-K does not incorporate any document by reference.
Entity Central Index Key	0001109448
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Public Float \| $	$ 0

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 679,738	$ 640,206
Cash and securities segregated, at fair value (cost $1,090,443 and $1,169,461)	1,094,866	1,169,554
Receivables, net:
Brokers and dealers	97,966	197,048
Brokerage clients	1,536,674	1,718,629
AB funds fees	261,588	217,470
Other fees	148,744	127,462
Investments:
Long-term incentive compensation-related	50,902	52,429
Other	215,892	661,915
Other assets	330,943	297,940
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net	145,251	155,519
Goodwill	3,076,926	3,066,700
Intangible assets, net	55,366	79,424
Deferred sales commissions, net	36,296	17,148
Right-of-use assets	362,693	0
Total assets	8,706,092	8,789,098
Payables:
Brokers and dealers	201,778	290,960
Securities sold not yet purchased	30,157	8,623
Brokerage clients	2,531,946	3,095,458
AB mutual funds	71,142	74,599
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	192,110	412,313
Lease liabilities	468,451	0
Accrued compensation and benefits	276,829	273,250
Debt:
EQH facility	560,000	0
Other	0	546,267
Total liabilities	4,363,430	4,724,080
Commitments and contingencies (See Note 14)
Redeemable non-controlling interest	325,561	148,809
Capital:
General Partner	41,225	40,240
Limited partners: 270,380,314 and 268,850,276 units issued and outstanding	4,174,201	4,075,306
Receivables from affiliates	(9,011)	(11,430)
AB Holding Units held for long-term incentive compensation plans	(76,310)	(77,990)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(113,004)	(110,866)
Partners’ capital attributable to AB Unitholders	4,017,101	3,915,260
Non-redeemable non-controlling interests in consolidated entities	0	949
Total capital	4,017,101	3,916,209
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and capital	8,706,092	8,789,098
Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds
Investments:
Cash and cash equivalents	11,433	13,118
Investments	581,004	351,696
Other assets	19,810	22,840
Payables:
Liabilities of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$ 31,017	$ 22,610

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
ASSETS
Cash and securities segregated, at cost	$ 1,090,443	$ 1,169,461
Capital:
Limited partners units issued (in units)	270,380,314	268,850,276
Limited partners, units outstanding (in units)	270,380,314	268,850,276

Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Consolidated Statements of Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	$ 3,430,316	$ 3,315,390	$ 3,156,149
Dividend and interest income	104,421	98,226	71,162
Investment gains (losses)	38,659	2,653	92,102
Other revenues	97,559	98,676	97,135
Total revenues	3,575,637	3,419,760	3,323,686
Less: Interest expense	57,205	52,399	25,165
Net revenues	3,518,432	3,367,361	3,298,521
Expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits	1,442,783	1,378,811	1,313,469
Promotion and servicing:
Amortization of deferred sales commissions	15,029	21,343	31,886
Trade execution, marketing, T&E and other	219,860	222,630	213,275
General and administrative:
General and administrative	484,750	448,996	481,488
Real estate charges	3,324	7,160	36,669
Contingent payment arrangements	(510)	(2,219)	267
Interest on borrowings	13,035	10,359	8,194
Amortization of intangible assets	28,759	27,781	27,896
Total expenses	2,694,995	2,542,047	2,524,611
Operating income	823,437	825,314	773,910
Income tax	41,754	45,816	53,110
Net income	781,683	779,498	720,800
Net income of consolidated entities attributable to non-controlling interests	29,641	21,910	58,397
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$ 752,042	$ 757,588	$ 662,403
Net income per AB Unit:
Basic (in dollars per share)	$ 2.78	$ 2.79	$ 2.46
Diluted (in dollars per share)	$ 2.78	$ 2.78	$ 2.45
Investment advisory and services fees
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	$ 2,472,044	$ 2,362,211	$ 2,201,305
Bernstein research services
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	407,911	439,432	449,919
Distribution related
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	455,043	418,562	412,063
Promotion and servicing:
Distribution-related payments	$ 487,965	$ 427,186	$ 411,467

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 781,683	$ 779,498	$ 720,800
Other comprehensive (loss) income:
Foreign currency translation adjustments, before reclassification and tax:	5,986	(19,337)	28,123
Less: reclassification adjustment for losses included in net income upon liquidation	0	(100)	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments, before tax	5,986	(19,237)	28,123
Income tax expense	(383)	620	0
Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax	5,603	(18,617)	28,123
Unrealized gains on investments:
Unrealized gains arising during period	0	0	6
Income tax benefit	0	0	3
Unrealized gains on investments, net of tax	0	0	9
Changes in employee benefit related items:
Amortization of prior service cost	24	24	24
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	(7,891)	1,586	(3,190)
Changes in employee benefit related items	(7,867)	1,610	(3,166)
Income tax benefit (expense)	274	(139)	(27)
Employee benefit related items, net of tax	(7,593)	1,471	(3,193)
Other	0	374	0
Other comprehensive (loss) gain	(1,990)	(16,772)	24,939
Less: Comprehensive income in consolidated entities attributable to non-controlling interests	29,788	21,864	59,379
Comprehensive income attributable to AB Unitholders	$ 749,905	$ 740,862	$ 686,360

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Partners' Capital - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Receivables from Affiliates	AB Holding Units held for Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Total Partners' Capital attributable to AB Unitholders	Non-redeemable Non-controlling Interests in Consolidated Entities	General Partner’s Capital	Limited Partners' Capital
Balance, beginning of year at Dec. 31, 2016		$ (12,830)	$ (32,967)	$ (118,096)		$ 36,172	$ 41,100	$ 4,154,810
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	$ 720,800						6,624	655,779
Cash distributions							(6,449)	(637,690)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity		0					211	20,859
Retirement of AB Units, net			26,603				(266)	(27,339)
Other			0	0			1	2,422
Capital contributions from General Partner		344
Compensation plan accrual		156
Capital contributions from AB Holding		836
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(219,627)
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			185,234
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			(1,931)
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax	(3,193)			(3,193)
Unrealized gain on investments, net of tax				9
Net income	58,397					9,632
Foreign currency translation adjustment	28,123			27,140		983
Purchase of non-controlling interest						(2,006)
Distributions (to) non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						(43,217)
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2017	4,063,304	(11,494)	(42,688)	(94,140)	$ 4,061,740	1,564	41,221	4,168,841
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	779,498						7,576	750,012
Cash distributions							(8,608)	(849,585)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity		0					(39)	(3,880)
Retirement of AB Units, net			25,589				(256)	(25,486)
Other			0	374			(3)	803
Capital contributions from General Partner		19
Compensation plan accrual		352
Capital contributions from AB Holding		(307)
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(267,427)
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			187,514
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			19,022
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax	1,471			1,471
Unrealized gain on investments, net of tax				0
Net income	21,910					69
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(18,617)			(18,571)		(46)
Purchase of non-controlling interest						0
Distributions (to) non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						(638)
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2018	3,916,209	(11,430)	(77,990)	(110,866)	3,915,260	949	40,240	4,075,306
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net income	781,683						7,521	744,521
Cash distributions							(7,042)	(696,470)
Long-term incentive compensation plans activity		1,125					149	14,741
Issuance of AB Units, net			(35,736)
Retirement of AB Units, net							357	35,259
Other			6,692	0			0	844
Capital contributions from General Partner		0
Compensation plan accrual		0
Capital contributions from AB Holding		1,294
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term compensation plans, net			(171,930)
Long-term incentive compensation awards expense			207,057
Re-valuation of AB Holding Units held in rabbi trust			(4,403)
Changes in employee benefit related items, net of tax	(7,593)			(7,593)
Unrealized gain on investments, net of tax				0
Net income	29,641					91
Foreign currency translation adjustment	5,603			5,455		147
Purchase of non-controlling interest						(1,187)
Distributions (to) non-controlling interests of our consolidated venture capital fund activities						0
Balance, end of year at Dec. 31, 2019	$ 4,017,101	$ (9,011)	$ (76,310)	$ (113,004)	$ 4,017,101	$ 0	$ 41,225	$ 4,174,201

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 781,683	$ 779,498	$ 720,800
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Amortization of deferred sales commissions	15,029	21,343	31,886
Non-cash long-term incentive compensation expense	208,182	187,514	185,234
Depreciation and other amortization	166,542	70,000	66,999
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments	(13,431)	23,164	3,554
Other, net	10,281	(6,446)	13,189
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Decrease (increase) in securities, segregated	74,688	(353,204)	129,747
Decrease (increase) in receivables	223,137	(207,000)	67,539
Decrease (increase) in investments	460,347	(294,383)	293
(Increase) decrease in deferred sales commissions	(34,177)	(8,365)	1,878
(Increase) in right-of-use assets	(11,141)
(Increase) in other assets	(23,140)	(152,726)	(2,255)
(Decrease) increase in payables	(641,369)	1,024,317	(338,523)
(Decrease) in lease liabilities	(107,276)
(Decrease) increase in accounts payable and accrued expenses	(56,518)	(11,225)	10,657
(Decrease) increase in accrued compensation and benefits	(7,486)	4,341	12,187
Net cash provided by operating activities	827,480	1,308,481	645,452
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of investments	0	0	(12)
Proceeds from sales of investments	0	0	11
Purchases of furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements	(28,303)	(32,789)	(39,417)
Proceeds from sales of furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements	0	0	75
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	5,255	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(23,048)	(32,789)	(39,343)
Cash flows from financing activities:
(Repayment) issuance of commercial paper, net	(532,895)	24,546	(28,553)
Proceeds from EQH facility	560,000	0	0
Repayment from bank loans	(25,000)	(50,000)
Proceeds from bank loans			75,000
(Decrease) increase in overdrafts payable	(59,924)	3,273	63,393
Distributions to General Partner and Unitholders	(703,512)	(858,193)	(644,139)
Purchases (redemptions) of non-controlling interests of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds, net	0	(638)	(43,217)
Capital contributions from affiliates	269		366
Capital contributions to affiliates		(1,421)
Payments of contingent payment arrangements/purchase of shares	(1,991)	(1,093)	(7,592)
Additional investments by AB Holding with proceeds from exercise of compensatory options to buy AB Holding Units	11,511	16,589	20,110
Purchases of AB Holding Units to fund long-term incentive compensation plan awards, net	(171,930)	(267,427)	(219,627)
Other	(1,580)	(2,151)	(2,836)
Net cash used in financing activities	(774,961)	(1,608,658)	(623,931)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	8,376	(12,158)	21,760
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	37,847	(345,124)	3,938
Cash and cash equivalents as of beginning of the period	653,324	998,448	994,510
Cash and cash equivalents as of end of the period	691,171	653,324	998,448
Cash paid:
Interest paid	66,002	60,286	30,975
Income taxes paid	52,444	41,946	67,421
Non-cash investing activities:
Fair value of assets acquired (excluding cash acquired of $11.8 million)	28,966	0	0
Fair value of liabilities assumed	16,837	0	0
Non-cash financing activities:
Payables recorded under contingent payment arrangements	17,384	0	0
Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Unrealized (gains) losses on investments	(36,150)	(14,217)	(36,340)
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Decrease (increase) in investments	(193,158)	908,804	(639,067)
(Increase) in other assets	11,437	(662,934)	417,674
Cash flows from financing activities:
Purchases (redemptions) of non-controlling interests of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds, net	$ 150,091	$ (472,143)	$ 163,164

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Parenthetical) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Fair value of assets acquired	$ 11.8

Business Description and Organization

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Business Description and Organization

We provide research, diversified investment management and related services globally to a broad range of clients. Our principal services include:

•

Institutional Services—servicing our institutional clients, including private and public pension plans, foundations and endowments, insurance companies, central banks and governments worldwide, and affiliates such as Equitable Holdings, Inc. ("EQH") and its subsidiaries, by means of separately-managed accounts, sub-advisory relationships, structured products, collective investment trusts, mutual funds, hedge funds and other investment vehicles.


•	Retail Services—servicing our retail clients, primarily by means of retail mutual funds sponsored by AB or an affiliated company, sub-advisory relationships with mutual funds sponsored by third parties, separately-managed account programs sponsored by financial intermediaries worldwide and other investment vehicles.


•	Private Wealth Management Services—servicing our private clients, including high-net-worth individuals and families, trusts and estates, charitable foundations, partnerships, private and family corporations, and other entities, by means of separately-managed accounts, hedge funds, mutual funds and other investment vehicles.


•	Bernstein Research Services—servicing institutional investors, such as pension fund, hedge fund and mutual fund managers, seeking high-quality fundamental research, quantitative services and brokerage-related services in equities and listed options.

We also provide distribution, shareholder servicing, transfer agency services and administrative services to the mutual funds we sponsor.

Our high-quality, in-depth research is the foundation of our business. Our research disciplines include economic, fundamental equity, fixed income and quantitative research. In addition, we have experts focused on multi-asset strategies, wealth management and alternative investments.

We provide a broad range of investment services with expertise in:


•	Actively-managed equity strategies, with global and regional portfolios across capitalization ranges, concentration ranges and investment strategies, including value, growth and core equities;


•	Actively-managed traditional and unconstrained fixed income strategies, including taxable and tax-exempt strategies;


•	Passive management, including index and enhanced index strategies;


•	Alternative investments, including hedge funds, fund of funds, direct lending and private equity; and


•	Multi-asset solutions and services, including dynamic asset allocation, customized target-date funds and target-risk funds.

Our services span various investment disciplines, including market capitalization (e.g., large-, mid- and small-cap equities), term (e.g., long-, intermediate- and short-duration debt securities), and geographic location (e.g., U.S., international, global, emerging markets, regional and local), in major markets around the world.

During the second quarter of 2018, AXA S.A. ("AXA") completed the sale of a minority stake in EQH through an initial public offering ("IPO"). Since then, AXA has completed additional offerings and taken other steps, most recently during the fourth quarter of 2019. As a result, AXA owned less than 10% of the outstanding common stock of EQH as of December 31, 2019.

As of December 31, 2019, EQH owned approximately 4.1% of the issued and outstanding units representing assignments of beneficial ownership of limited partnership interests in AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (“AB Holding Units”). AllianceBernstein Corporation (an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of EQH, “General Partner”) is the general partner of both AllianceBernstein Holding L.P. (“AB Holding”) and AB. AllianceBernstein Corporation owns 100,000 general partnership units in AB Holding and a 1% general partnership interest in AB.

As of December 31, 2019, the ownership structure of AB, including limited partnership units outstanding as well as the general partner's 1% interest, was as follows:



EQH and its subsidiaries	63.3	%
AB Holding	36.0
Unaffiliated holders	0.7
	100.0	%

Including both the general partnership and limited partnership interests in AB Holding and AB, EQH and its subsidiaries had an approximate 64.8% economic interest in AB as of December 31, 2019.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("US GAAP"). The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include AB and its majority-owned and/or controlled subsidiaries, and the consolidated entities that are considered to be variable interest entities ("VIEs") and voting interest entities ("VOEs") in which AB has a controlling financial interest. Non-controlling interests on the consolidated statements of financial condition include the portion of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds in which we do not have direct equity ownership. All significant inter-company transactions and balances among the consolidated entities have been eliminated.

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-02, Leases. This pronouncement, along with subsequent ASUs issued to clarify certain provisions of ASU 2016-02 is now referred to as Accounting Standards Codification 842 ("ASC 842"). The standard requires a lessee to record most leases on its balance sheet while also disclosing key information about those lease arrangements. The classification criteria to distinguish between finance and operating leases are generally consistent with the classification criteria to distinguish between capital and operating leases under previous lease accounting guidance. We adopted this new standard on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method. Prior comparable periods will not be adjusted under this method.

We applied several practical expedients offered by ASC 842 upon adoption of this standard. These included continuing to account for existing leases based on judgments made under legacy US GAAP as it relates to determining classification of leases, unamortized initial direct costs and whether contracts are leases or contain leases. We also used a practical expedient to use hindsight in determining the lease terms (using knowledge and expectations as of the standard's adoption date instead of the previous assumptions under legacy US GAAP) and evaluating impairment of our right-of-use assets in the transition period (using our most up-to-date information).

Adoption of this standard resulted in the recording of operating right-of-use assets and lease liabilities of $438.7 million and $574.5 million, respectively, and financing right-of-use assets and lease liabilities of $2.4 million as of January 1, 2019. The operating right-of-use assets recognized as of January 1, 2019 are net of deferred rent of $50.0 million and liabilities associated with previously recognized impairments of $85.8 million. See Note 13, Leases, for additional disclosures.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, which permits a company to reclassify the disproportionate income tax effects of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act ("2017 Tax Act") on items within Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income ("AOCI") to retained earnings. The FASB refers to these amounts as "stranded tax effects." The ASU also requires certain new disclosures, some of which are applicable for all companies. We adopted this standard on January 1, 2019. The adoption of this standard had no impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted in 2019

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326). This new guidance relates to the accounting for credit losses on financial instruments. The new guidance introduces an approach based on expected losses to estimate credit losses on certain types of financial instruments. It also modifies the impairment model for available-for-sale debt securities and provides for a simplified accounting model for purchased financial assets with credit deterioration since their origination. The new guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The new guidance will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment. The guidance removes Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test, which requires a hypothetical purchase price allocation. As a result of the revised guidance, a goodwill impairment will be the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying amount of goodwill. The revised guidance will be applied prospectively and is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019. The revised guidance will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement. The amendment modifies the disclosure requirements for fair value measurements by removing, modifying or adding certain disclosures. The revised guidance is effective for all companies for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, and interim periods within those years. Companies are permitted to early adopt any eliminated or modified disclosure requirements and delay adoption of the additional disclosure requirements until their effective date. The removed and modified disclosures will be adopted on a retrospective basis and the new disclosures will be adopted on a prospective basis. The revised guidance will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Compensation - Retirement Benefits - Defined Benefit Plans - General (Topic 715-20). The amendment modifies the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement plans. The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. The revised guidance will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That is a Service Contract. The amendment aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements that currently exist in US GAAP for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. Implementation costs would either be capitalized or expensed as incurred depending on the project stage. All costs in the preliminary and post-implementation project stages are expensed as incurred, while certain costs within the application development stage are capitalized. The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted. The revised guidance will be adopted prospectively and will not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. The amendments simplify the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The amendments also improve consistent application of and simplify US GAAP for other areas of Topic 740 by clarifying and amending the existing guidance. The revised guidance is effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. Management currently is evaluating the impact that adoption of this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

Investment advisory and services fees

AB provides asset management services by managing customer assets and seeking to deliver investment returns to investors. Each investment management contract between AB and a customer creates a distinct, separately identifiable performance obligation for each day the customer’s assets are managed as the customer can benefit from each day of service. In accordance with ASC 606, a series of distinct goods and services that are substantially the same and have the same pattern of transfer to the customer are treated as a single performance obligation. Accordingly, we have determined that our investment and advisory services are performed over time and entitle us to variable consideration earned based on the value of the investors’ assets under management (“AUM”).

We calculate AUM using established market-based valuation methods and fair valuation (non-observable market) methods. Market-based valuation methods include: last sale/settle prices from an exchange for actively-traded listed equities, options and futures;

evaluated bid prices from recognized pricing vendors for fixed income, asset-backed or mortgage-backed issues; mid prices from recognized pricing vendors and brokers for credit default swaps; and quoted bids or spreads from pricing vendors and brokers for other derivative products. Fair valuation methods include: discounted cash flow models or any other methodology that is validated and approved by our Valuation Committee (see paragraph immediately below for additional information about our Valuation Committee). Fair valuation methods are used only where AUM cannot be valued using market-based valuation methods, such as in the case of private equity or illiquid securities.

The Valuation Committee, which consists of senior officers and employees, is responsible for overseeing the pricing and valuation of all investments held in client and AB portfolios. The Valuation Committee has adopted a Statement of Pricing Policies describing principles and policies that apply to pricing and valuing investments held in these portfolios. We also have a Pricing Group, which reports to the Valuation Committee and is responsible for overseeing the pricing process for all investments.

We record as revenue investment advisory and services base fees, which we generally calculate as a percentage of AUM. At month-end, all the components of the transaction price (i.e., the base fee calculation) are no longer variable and the value of the consideration is determined. These fees are not subject to claw back and there is minimal probability that a significant reversal of the revenue recorded will occur.

The transaction price for the asset management performance obligation for certain investment advisory contracts, including those associated with hedge funds or other alternative investments, provide for a performance-based fee (including carried interest), in addition to a base advisory fee, which is calculated as either a percentage of absolute investment results or a percentage of investment results in excess of a stated benchmark over a specified period of time. The performance-based fees are forms of variable consideration and are therefore excluded from the transaction price until it becomes probable that there will not be significant reversal of the cumulative revenue recognized. At each reporting date, we evaluate the constraining factors, discussed below, surrounding the variable consideration to determine the extent to which, if any, revenues associated with the performance-based fee can be recognized.

Constraining factors impacting the amount of variable consideration included in the transaction price include: the contractual claw-back provisions to which the variable consideration is subject, the length of time to which the uncertainty of the consideration is subject, the number and range of possible consideration amounts, the probability of significant fluctuations in the fund’s market value, the level at which the fund’s value exceeds the contractual threshold required to earn such a fee, and the materiality of the amount being evaluated.

Bernstein Research Services

Bernstein Research Services revenue consists principally of commissions received for trade execution services and providing equity research services to institutional clients. Brokerage commissions for trade execution services and related expenses are recorded on a trade-date basis when the performance obligations are satisfied. Generally, the transaction price is agreed upon at the point of each trade and based upon the number of shares traded or the value of the consideration traded. Research revenues are recognized when the transaction price is quantified, collectability is assured and significant reversal of such revenue is not probable.

Distribution Revenues

Two of our subsidiaries act as distributors and/or placement agents of company-sponsored mutual funds and receive distribution services fees from certain of those funds as partial reimbursement of the distribution expenses they incur. The variable consideration can be determined in different ways, as discussed below, as we satisfy the performance obligation depending on the contractual arrangements with the customer and the specific product sold.

Most open-end U.S. funds have adopted a plan under Rule 12b-1 of the Investment Company Act that allows the fund to pay, out of assets of the fund, distribution and service fees for the distribution and sale of its shares (“Rule 12b-1 Fees”). The open-end U.S. funds have such agreements with us, and we have selling and distribution agreements pursuant to which we pay sales commissions to the financial intermediaries that distribute our open-end U.S. funds. These agreements are terminable by either party upon notice (generally 30 days) and do not obligate the financial intermediary to sell any specific amount of fund shares.

We record 12b-1 fees monthly based upon a percentage of the net asset value (“NAV”) of the funds. At month-end, the variable consideration of the transaction price is no longer constrained as the NAV can be calculated and the value of consideration is determined. These services are separate and distinct from other asset management services as the customer can benefit from these services independently of other services. We accrue the corresponding 12b-1 fees paid to sub-distributors monthly as the expenses are incurred. We are acting in a principal capacity in these transactions; as such, these revenues and expenses are recorded on a gross basis.

We offer back-end load shares in limited instances and charge the investor a contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) if the investment is redeemed within a certain period. The variable consideration for these contracts is contingent on the timing of the redemption by the investor and the value of the sale proceeds. Due to these constraining factors, we exclude the CDSC fee from the transaction price until the investor redeems the investment. Upon redemption, the cash consideration received for these contractual arrangements are recorded as reductions of unamortized deferred sales commissions.

Our Luxembourg subsidiary, the management company for most of our non-U.S. funds, earns a management fee that is accrued daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate, based on the average daily net assets of the fund. With respect to certain share classes, the management fee may also contain a component that is paid to distributors and other financial intermediaries and service providers to cover shareholder servicing and other administrative expenses (also referred to as an All-in-Fee). As we have concluded that asset management is distinct from distribution, we allocate a portion of the investment and advisory fee to distribution revenues for the servicing component based on standalone selling prices.

Other Revenues

Revenues from contracts with customers include a portion of other revenues, which consists primarily of shareholder servicing fees, as well as mutual fund reimbursements and other brokerage income.

We provide shareholder services, which include transfer agency, administrative and recordkeeping services provided to company-sponsored mutual funds. The consideration for these services is based on a percentage of the NAV of the fund or a fixed-fee based on the number of shareholder accounts being serviced. The revenues are recorded at month-end when the constraining factors involved with determining NAV or the number of shareholders’ accounts are resolved.

Non-Contractual Revenues

Dividend and interest income is accrued as earned. Investment gains and losses on the consolidated statements of income include unrealized gains and losses of trading and private equity investments stated at fair value, equity in earnings of our limited partnership hedge fund investments, and realized gains and losses on investments sold.

Contract Assets and Liabilities

We use the practical expedient for contracts that have an original duration of one year or less. Accordingly, we do not consider the time value of money and, instead, accrue the incremental costs of obtaining the contract when incurred. As of December 31, 2019, the balances of contract assets and contract liabilities are not considered material and, accordingly, no further disclosures are necessary.

Consolidation of company-sponsored investment funds

For legal entities (company-sponsored investment funds) evaluated for consolidation, we first determine whether the fees we receive and the interests we hold qualify as a variable interest in the entity, including an evaluation of fees paid to us as a decision maker or service provider to the entity being evaluated. Fees received by us are not variable interests if (i) the fees are compensation for services provided and are commensurate with the level of effort required to provide those services, (ii) the service arrangement includes only terms, conditions or amounts that are customarily present in arrangements for similar services negotiated at arm’s length, and (iii) our other economic interests in the entity held directly and indirectly through our related parties, as well as economic interests held by related parties under common control, would not absorb more than an insignificant amount of the entity’s losses or receive more than an insignificant amount of the entity’s benefits.

For those entities in which we have a variable interest, we perform an analysis to determine whether the entity is a VIE by considering whether the entity’s equity investment at risk is insufficient, whether the investors lack decision making rights proportional to their ownership percentage of the entity, and whether the investors lack the obligation to absorb an entity’s expected losses or the right to receive an entity’s expected income.

A VIE must be consolidated by its primary beneficiary, which generally is defined as the party that has a controlling financial interest in the VIE. We are deemed to have a controlling financial interest in a VIE if we have (i) the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly affect the VIE's economic performance and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE or the right to receive income from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE. For purposes of evaluating (ii) above, fees paid to us as a decision maker or service provider are excluded if the amount of fees is commensurate with the level of effort required to be performed and the arrangement includes only customary terms, conditions or amounts present in arrangements for similar services negotiated at arm’s length. The primary beneficiary evaluation generally is performed qualitatively based on all facts and circumstances, as well as quantitatively, as appropriate.

If we have a variable interest in an entity that is determined not to be a VIE, the entity is then evaluated for consolidation under the VOE model. For limited partnerships and similar entities, we are deemed to have a controlling financial interest in a VOE,

and would be required to consolidate the entity, if we own a majority of the entity’s kick-out rights through voting limited partnership interests and limited partners do not hold substantive participating rights (or other rights that would indicate that we do not control the entity). For entities other than limited partnerships, we are deemed to have a controlling financial interest in a VOE if we own a majority voting interest in the entity.

The analysis performed regarding the determination of variable interests held, whether entities are VIEs or VOEs, and whether we have a controlling financial interest in such entities, requires the exercise of judgment. The analysis is updated continuously as circumstances change or new entities are formed.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, demand deposits, money market accounts, overnight commercial paper and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Due to the short-term nature of these instruments, the recorded value has been determined to approximate fair value (and considered Level 1 securities in the fair value hierarchy).

Fees Receivable, Net

Fees receivable are shown net of allowances. An allowance for doubtful accounts related to investment advisory and services fees is determined through an analysis of the aging of receivables, assessments of collectability based on historical trends and other qualitative and quantitative factors, including our relationship with the client, the financial health (or ability to pay) of the client, current economic conditions and whether the account is active or closed. The allowance for doubtful accounts is not material to fees receivable.

Brokerage Transactions

Customers’ securities transactions are recorded on a settlement date basis, with related commission income and expenses reported on a trade date basis. Receivables from and payables to clients include amounts due on cash and margin transactions. Securities owned by customers are held as collateral for receivables; such collateral is not reflected in the consolidated financial statements. We have the ability by contract or custom to sell or re-pledge this collateral, and have done so at various times. As of December 31, 2019, there were no re-pledged securities. Principal securities transactions and related expenses are recorded on a trade date basis.

Securities borrowed and securities loaned by our broker-dealer subsidiaries are recorded at the amount of cash collateral advanced or received in connection with the transaction and are included in receivables from and payables to brokers and dealers in the consolidated statements of financial condition. Securities borrowed transactions require us to deposit cash collateral with the lender. With respect to securities loaned, we receive cash collateral from the borrower. See Note 8 for securities borrowed and loaned amounts recorded in our consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 and 2018. The initial collateral advanced or received approximates or is greater than the fair value of securities borrowed or loaned. We monitor the fair value of the securities borrowed and loaned on a daily basis and request additional collateral or return excess collateral, as appropriate. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, there is no allowance provision required for the collateral advanced. Income or expense is recognized over the life of the transaction.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had $204.0 million and $196.9 million, respectively, of cash on deposit with clearing organizations for trade facilitation purposes, which are reported in other assets in our consolidated statements of financial condition. As of December 31, 2019, we held no U.S. Treasury bills pledged as collateral. As of December 31, 2018, we held U.S. Treasury Bills with value totaling $392.4 million, which are reported in other investments in our consolidated statements of financial condition. These clearing organizations have the ability by contract or custom to sell or re-pledge this collateral.

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net

Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of eight years for furniture and three to six years for equipment and software. Leasehold improvements are amortized on a straight-line basis over the lesser of their estimated useful lives or the terms of the related leases.

Goodwill

In 2000, AB acquired SCB Inc., an investment research and management company formerly known as Sanford C. Bernstein Inc. (“Bernstein”). The Bernstein acquisition was accounted for under the purchase method, and the cost of the acquisition was allocated on the basis of the estimated fair value of the assets acquired and the liabilities assumed. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable assets acquired, net of liabilities assumed, resulted in the recognition of goodwill of approximately $3.0 billion.

As of December 31, 2019, goodwill of $3.1 billion on the consolidated statement of financial condition included $2.8 billion as a result of the Bernstein acquisition and $276 million in regard to various smaller acquisitions. We have determined that AB has only one reporting segment and reporting unit.

We test our goodwill annually, as of September 30, for impairment. As of September 30, 2019, the impairment test indicated that goodwill was not impaired. We also review the carrying value of goodwill if facts and circumstances occur that suggest possible impairment, such as significant declines in AUM, revenues, earnings or the price of an AB Holding Unit. There were no facts or circumstances occurring in the fourth quarter of 2019 suggesting possible impairment.

Intangible Assets, Net

Intangible assets consist primarily of costs assigned to acquired investment management contracts of Bernstein based on their estimated fair value at the time of acquisition, less accumulated amortization. Intangible assets are recognized at fair value and generally are amortized on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful life ranging from six years to 20 years.

As of December 31, 2019, intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization, of $55.4 million on the consolidated statement of financial condition consists of $41.9 million of finite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization, of which $15.5 million relates to the Bernstein acquisition, and $13.5 million of indefinite-lived intangible assets not subject to amortization in regard to other acquisitions. As of December 31, 2018, intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization, of $79.4 million on the consolidated statement of financial condition consisted of $65.9 million of finite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization, of which $36.2 million related to the Bernstein acquisition, and $13.5 million of indefinite-lived intangible assets not subject to amortization in regard to other acquisitions. The gross carrying amount of finite-lived intangible assets totaled $468.9 million as of December 31, 2019 and $475.1 million as of December 31, 2018, and accumulated amortization was $427.0 million as of December 31, 2019 and $409.2 million as of December 31, 2018. Amortization expense was $28.8 million for 2019, $27.8 million for 2018 and $27.9 million for 2017. Estimated annual amortization expense for 2020 is approximately $21 million, $5 million in year two, then approximately $4 million in years three through five.

We periodically review indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment as events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. If the carrying value exceeds fair value, we perform additional impairment tests to measure the amount of the impairment loss, if any. During the fourth quarter of 2019, we recorded an impairment charge of $3.1 million relating to our 2016 acquisition of Ramius Alternative Solutions LLC. Due to the loss of acquired investment management contracts during 2019, the carrying value of the finite-lived intangible assets exceeded the fair value of the contracts. We determined the fair value of the contracts using a discounted cashflow model. The impairment charge was recorded in general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of income.

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net

We pay commissions to financial intermediaries in connection with the sale of shares of open-end company-sponsored mutual funds sold without a front-end sales charge (“back-end load shares”). These commissions are capitalized as deferred sales commissions and amortized over periods not exceeding five and one-half years for U.S. fund shares and four years for Non-U.S. Fund shares, the periods of time during which deferred sales commissions generally are recovered. We recover these commissions from distribution services fees received from those funds and from CDSC received from shareholders of those funds upon the redemption of their shares. CDSC cash recoveries are recorded as reductions of unamortized deferred sales commissions when received. Since January 31, 2009, our U.S. mutual funds have not offered back-end load shares to new investors.

We periodically review the deferred sales commission asset for impairment as events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. If these factors indicate impairment in value, we compare the carrying value to the undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset over its remaining life. If we determine the deferred sales commission asset is not fully recoverable, the asset will be deemed impaired and a loss will be recorded in the amount by which the recorded amount of the asset exceeds its estimated fair value. There were no impairment charges recorded during 2019 or 2018.

Leases

We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Both operating and finance leases are included in the right-of-use (“ROU”) assets and lease liabilities in our consolidated statement of financial condition.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. ROU assets and lease liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. We use our incremental borrowing rate based on the information available as of the lease commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments. Our lease terms may include options to extend or

terminate the lease. These options to extend or terminate are assessed on a lease-by-lease basis, and the ROU assets and lease liabilities are adjusted when it is reasonably certain that an option will be exercised.

When calculating the measurement of ROU assets and lease liabilities, we utilize the fixed payments associated with the lease and do not include other variable contractual obligations, such as operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking. These costs are accounted for as period costs and expensed as incurred.

Additionally, we exclude any intangible assets such as software licensing agreements as stated in ASC 842-10-15-1. These arrangements will continue to follow the guidance of ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other.

Loss Contingencies

With respect to all significant litigation matters, we consider the likelihood of a negative outcome. If we determine the likelihood of a negative outcome is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, we record an estimated loss for the expected outcome of the litigation. If the likelihood of a negative outcome is reasonably possible and we are able to determine an estimate of the possible loss or range of loss in excess of amounts already accrued, if any, we disclose that fact together with the estimate of the possible loss or range of loss. However, it is often difficult to predict the outcome or estimate a possible loss or range of loss because litigation is subject to inherent uncertainties, particularly when plaintiffs allege substantial or indeterminate damages. Such is also the case when the litigation is in its early stages or when the litigation is highly complex or broad in scope. In these cases, we disclose that we are unable to predict the outcome or estimate a possible loss or range of loss.

Contingent Payment Arrangements

We periodically enter into contingent payment arrangements in connection with our business combinations. In these arrangements, we agree to pay additional consideration to the sellers to the extent that certain performance targets are achieved. We estimate the fair value of these potential future obligations at the time a business combination is consummated and record a liability on our consolidated statements of financial condition. We then accrete the obligation to its expected payment amount over the measurement period. If our expected payment amount subsequently changes, the obligation is modified in the current period resulting in a gain or loss. Both gains and losses resulting from changes to expected payments and the accretion of these obligations to their expected payment amounts are reflected within contingent payment arrangements in our consolidated statements of income.

Mutual Fund Underwriting Activities

Purchases and sales of shares of company-sponsored mutual funds in connection with the underwriting activities of our subsidiaries, including related commission income, are recorded on the trade date. Receivables from brokers and dealers for sale of shares of company-sponsored mutual funds generally are realized within three business days from the trade date, in conjunction with the settlement of the related payables to company-sponsored mutual funds for share purchases. Distribution plan and other promotion and servicing payments are recognized as expense when incurred.

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans

We maintain several unfunded, non-qualified long-term incentive compensation plans, under which we grant annual awards to employees, generally in the fourth quarter, and to members of the Board of Directors of the General Partner, who are not employed by our company or by any of our affiliates ("Eligible Directors").

Awards granted in December 2019, 2018 and 2017 allowed employee participants to allocate their awards between restricted AB Holding Units and deferred cash. Participants (except certain members of senior management) generally could allocate up to 50% of their awards to deferred cash, not to exceed a total of $250,000 per award. Each of our employees based outside of the United States (other than expatriates), who received an award of $100,000 or less, could have allocated up to 100% of his or her award to deferred cash. Participants allocated their awards prior to the date on which the Compensation Committee granted awards in December 2019, 2018 and 2017. For these awards, the number of AB Holding Units awarded was based on the closing price of an AB Holding Unit on the grant date. For awards granted in 2019, 2018 and 2017:


•	We engage in open-market purchases of AB Holding Units or purchase newly-issued AB Holding Units from AB Holding that are awarded to participants and keep them in a consolidated rabbi trust.


•	Quarterly distributions on vested and unvested AB Holding Units are paid currently to participants, regardless of whether or not a long-term deferral election has been made.


•	Interest on deferred cash is accrued monthly based on our monthly weighted average cost of funds.

We recognize compensation expense related to equity compensation grants in the financial statements using the fair value method. Fair value of restricted AB Holding Unit awards is the closing price of an AB Holding Unit on the grant date; fair value of options is determined using the Black-Scholes option valuation model. Under the fair value method, compensatory expense is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the award and is recognized over the required service period. For year-end long-term incentive compensation awards, employees who resign or are terminated without cause may retain their awards, subject to compliance with certain agreements and restrictive covenants set forth in the applicable award agreement, including restrictions on competition and employee and client solicitation, and a claw-back for failing to follow existing risk management policies. Because there is no service requirement, we fully expense these awards on the grant date. Most equity replacement, sign-on or similar deferred compensation awards included in separate employment agreements or arrangements include a required service period. Regardless of whether or not the award agreement includes employee service requirements, AB Holding Units typically are delivered to employees ratably over four years, unless the employee has made a long-term deferral election.

Grants of restricted AB Holding Units can be awarded to Eligible Directors. Generally, these restricted AB Holding Units vest ratably over four years. These restricted AB Holding Units are not forfeitable (except if the Eligible Director is terminated for “Cause,” as that term is defined in the applicable award agreement). We fully expense these awards on grant date, as there is no service requirement.

We fund our restricted AB Holding Unit awards either by purchasing AB Holding Units on the open market or purchasing newly-issued AB Holding Units from AB Holding, and then keeping these AB Holding Units in a consolidated rabbi trust until delivering them or retiring them. In accordance with the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of AB (“AB Partnership Agreement”), when AB purchases newly-issued AB Holding Units from AB Holding, AB Holding is required to use the proceeds it receives from AB to purchase the equivalent number of newly-issued AB Units, thus increasing its percentage ownership interest in AB. AB Holding Units held in the consolidated rabbi trust are corporate assets in the name of the trust and are available to the general creditors of AB.

During 2019 and 2018, we purchased 6.0 million and 9.3 million AB Holding Units for $172.6 million and $268.0 million, respectively (on a trade date basis). These amounts reflect open-market purchases of 2.9 million and 6.5 million AB Holding Units for $82.7 million and $183.2 million, respectively, with the remainder relating to purchases of AB Holding Units from employees to allow them to fulfill statutory tax withholding requirements at the time of delivery of long-term incentive compensation awards. Purchases of AB Holding Units reflected on the consolidated statements of cash flows are net of AB Holding Units purchased by employees as part of a distribution reinvestment election.

Each quarter, we consider whether to implement a plan to repurchase AB Holding Units pursuant to Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (“Exchange Act”). A plan of this type allows a company to repurchase its shares at times when it otherwise might be prevented from doing so because of self-imposed trading blackout periods or because it possesses material non-public information. Each broker we select has the authority to repurchase AB Holding Units on our behalf in accordance with the terms and limitations specified in the plan. Repurchases are subject to regulations promulgated by the SEC as well as certain price, market volume and timing constraints specified in the plan. The plan adopted during the fourth quarter of 2019 expired at the close of business on February 11, 2020. We may adopt additional plans in the future to engage in open-market purchases of AB Holding Units to help fund anticipated obligations under our incentive compensation award program and for other corporate purposes.

During 2019, we granted to employees and Eligible Directors 7.7 million restricted AB Holding Units (including 5.4 million granted in December for 2019 year-end awards to employees). During 2018, we granted to employees and Eligible Directors 8.7 million restricted AB Holding Units (including 6.2 million granted in December for 2018 year-end awards to employees). We used AB Holding Units repurchased during the periods and newly-issued AB Holding Units to fund these awards.

During 2019 and 2018, AB Holding issued 0.5 million and 0.9 million AB Holding Units, respectively, upon exercise of options to buy AB Holding Units. AB Holding used the proceeds of $11.5 million and $16.6 million, respectively, received from award recipients as payment in cash for the exercise price to purchase the equivalent number of newly-issued AB Units.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated from functional currencies into United States dollars (“US$”) at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet dates, and related revenues and expenses are translated into US$ at average exchange rates in effect during each period. Net foreign currency gains and losses resulting from the translation of assets and liabilities of foreign operations into US$ are reported as a separate component of other comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Net foreign currency transaction losses were $2.0 million, $0.1 million and $2.9 million for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and are reported in general and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of income.

Cash Distributions

AB is required to distribute all of its Available Cash Flow, as defined in the AB Partnership Agreement, to its Unitholders and to the General Partner. Available Cash Flow can be summarized as the cash flow received by AB from operations minus such amounts as the General Partner determines, in its sole discretion, should be retained by AB for use in its business, or plus such amounts as the General Partner determines, in its sole discretion, should be released from previously retained cash flow.

Typically, Available Cash Flow has been the adjusted diluted net income per unit for the quarter multiplied by the number of general and limited partnership interests at the end of the quarter. In future periods, management anticipates that Available Cash Flow will be based on adjusted diluted net income per unit, unless management determines, with the concurrence of the Board of Directors, that one or more adjustments that are made for adjusted net income should not be made with respect to the Available Cash Flow calculation.

On February 12, 2020, the General Partner declared a distribution of $0.93 per AB Unit, representing a distribution of Available Cash Flow for the three months ended December 31, 2019. The General Partner, as a result of its 1% general partnership interest, is entitled to receive 1% of each distribution. The distribution is payable on March 5, 2020 to holders of record on February 24, 2020.

Total cash distributions per Unit paid to the General Partner and Unitholders during 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $2.60, $3.16 and $2.39, respectively.

Comprehensive Income

We report all changes in comprehensive income in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income. Comprehensive income includes net income, as well as unrealized gains and losses on investments classified as available-for-sale (for 2017), foreign currency translation adjustments, actuarial gains (losses) and prior service cost. Deferred taxes were not recognized on foreign currency translation adjustments for foreign subsidiaries which had earnings that were considered permanently invested outside the United States.

Revenue Recognition

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of the following:



		Year Ended December 31,
		2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Subject to contracts with customers:
Investment advisory and services fees
Base fees		$	2,372,429	$	2,244,068	$	2,106,525
Performance-based fees		99,615		118,143		94,780
Bernstein research services		407,911		439,432		449,919
Distribution revenues
All-in-management fees		291,999		254,477		245,367
12b-1 fees		80,268		87,166		94,972
Other		82,776		76,919		71,724
Other revenues
Shareholder servicing fees		77,394		75,974		75,024
Other		17,924		19,211		17,838
		3,430,316		3,315,390		3,156,149
Not subject to contracts with customers:
Dividend and interest income, net of interest expense		47,216		45,827		45,997
Investment gains (losses)		38,659		2,653		92,102
Other revenues		2,241		3,491		4,273
		88,116		51,971		142,372
Total net revenues		$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521

Net Income Per Unit

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Net Income Per Unit

Basic net income per unit is derived by reducing net income for the 1% general partnership interest and dividing the remaining 99% by the basic weighted average number of limited partnership units outstanding for each year. Diluted net income per unit is derived by reducing net income for the 1% general partnership interest and dividing the remaining 99% by the total of the diluted weighted average number of limited partnership units outstanding for each year.



	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	752,042	$	757,588	$	662,403

Weighted average units outstanding—basic	268,075		269,236		266,955
Dilutive effect of compensatory options to buy AB Holding Units	44		251		430
Weighted average units outstanding—diluted	268,119		269,487		267,385

Basic net income per AB Unit	$	2.78	$	2.79	$	2.46
Diluted net income per AB Unit	$	2.78	$	2.78	$	2.45

We excluded 29,056 options in 2019, 49,784 options in 2018 and 1,970,741 options in 2017, from the diluted net income per unit computation due to their anti-dilutive effect.

Cash and Securities Segregated Under Federal Regulations and Other Requirements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019
Brokers and Dealers [Abstract]
Cash and Securities Segregated Under Federal Regulations and Other Requirements	Cash and Securities Segregated Under Federal Regulations and Other Requirements As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, $1.1 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively, of U.S. Treasury Bills were segregated in a special reserve bank custody account for the exclusive benefit of our brokerage customers under Rule 15c3-3 of the Exchange Act.

Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Investments

Investments consist of:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

U.S. Treasury Bills	$	—	$	392,424
Equity securities:
Long-term incentive compensation-related	36,665		38,883
Seed capital	70,464		105,951
Other	73,202		73,409
Exchange-traded options	6,931		2,568
Investments in limited partnership hedge funds:
Long-term incentive compensation-related	14,237		13,546
Seed capital	33,124		67,153
Time deposits	18,281		8,783
Other	13,890		11,627
Total investments	$	266,794	$	714,344

Total investments related to long-term incentive compensation obligations of $50.9 million and $52.4 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, consist of company-sponsored mutual funds and hedge funds. For long-term incentive compensation awards granted before 2009, we typically made investments in company-sponsored mutual funds and hedge funds that were notionally elected by plan participants and maintained them (and continue to maintain them) in a consolidated rabbi trust or separate custodial account. The rabbi trust and custodial account enable us to hold such investments separate from our other assets for the purpose of settling our obligations to participants. The investments held in the rabbi trust and custodial account remain available to the general creditors of AB.

The underlying investments of hedge funds in which we invest include long and short positions in equity securities, fixed income securities (including various agency and non-agency asset-based securities), currencies, commodities and derivatives (including various swaps and forward contracts). These investments are valued at quoted market prices or, where quoted market prices are not available, are fair valued based on the pricing policies and procedures of the underlying funds.

We allocate seed capital to our investment teams to help develop new products and services for our clients. A portion of our seed capital trading investments are equity and fixed income products, primarily in the form of separately-managed account portfolios, U.S. mutual funds, Luxembourg funds, Japanese investment trust management funds or Delaware business trusts. We also may allocate seed capital to investments in private equity funds. In regard to our seed capital investments, the amounts above reflect those funds in which we are not the primary beneficiary of a VIE or hold a controlling financial interest in a VOE. See Note 15, Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds, for a description of the seed capital investments that we consolidated. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, our total seed capital investments were $358.1 million and $391.6 million, respectively. Seed capital investments in unconsolidated company-sponsored investment funds are valued using published net asset values or non-published net asset values if they are not listed on an active exchange but have net asset values that are comparable to funds with published net asset values and have no redemption restrictions.

In addition, we also have long positions in corporate equities and long exchange-traded options traded through our options desk.

The portion of unrealized gains (losses) related to equity securities, as defined by ASC 321-10, held as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
	(in thousands)
Net gain (losses) recognized during the period	$	31,890	$	(21,797	)
Less: net gains recognized during the period on equity securities sold during the period	18,138		1,515
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized during the period on equity securities held	$	13,752	$	(23,312	)

Derivative Instruments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Derivative Instruments

See Note 15, Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds, for disclosure of derivative instruments held by our consolidated company-sponsored investment funds.

We enter into various futures, forwards, options and swaps to economically hedge certain seed capital investments. Also, we have currency forwards that help us to economically hedge certain balance sheet exposures. In addition, our options desk trades long and short exchange-traded equity options. We do not hold any derivatives designated in a formal hedge relationship under ASC 815-10, Derivatives and Hedging.

The notional value, fair value and gains and losses recognized in investment gains (losses) as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 for derivative instruments (excluding derivative instruments relating to our options desk trading activities discussed below) not designated as hedging instruments were as follows:



	Notional Value		Derivative Assets		Derivative Liabilities		Gains (Losses)
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Exchange-traded futures	$	171,112	$	939	$	871	$	(10,840	)
Currency forwards	60,809		8,545		8,633		738
Interest rate swaps	92,756		1,746		2,254		(616		)
Credit default swaps	168,303		2,151		5,611		(6,413		)
Total return swaps	91,201		110		1,764		(21,164		)
Option swaps	354		—		126		(126		)
Total derivatives	$	584,535	$	13,491	$	19,259	$	(38,421	)
December 31, 2018
Exchange-traded futures	$	218,657	$	1,594	$	2,534	$	3,515
Currency forwards	87,019		7,647		7,582		379
Interest rate swaps	112,658		1,649		1,959		(125		)
Credit default swaps	94,657		2,888		2,685		335
Total return swaps	99,038		3,301		62		8,246
Total derivatives	$	612,029	$	17,079	$	14,822	$	12,350

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the derivative assets and liabilities are included in both receivables and payables to brokers and dealers on our consolidated statements of financial condition. Gains and losses on derivative instruments are reported in investment gains (losses) on the consolidated statements of income.

We may be exposed to credit-related losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to derivative financial instruments. We minimize our counterparty exposure through a credit review and approval process. In addition, we have executed various collateral arrangements with counterparties to the over-the-counter derivative transactions that require both pledging and accepting collateral in the form of cash. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we held $0.3 million and $4.8 million, respectively, of cash collateral payable to trade counterparties. This obligation to return cash is reported in payables to brokers and dealers in our consolidated statements of financial condition.

Although notional amount is the most commonly used measure of volume in the derivatives market, it is not used as a measure of credit risk. Generally, the current credit exposure of our derivative contracts is limited to the net positive estimated fair value of derivative contracts at the reporting date after taking into consideration the existence of netting agreements and any collateral received. A derivative with positive value (a derivative asset) indicates existence of credit risk because the counterparty would owe us if the contract were closed. Alternatively, a derivative contract with negative value (a derivative liability) indicates we would owe money to the counterparty if the contract were closed. Generally, if there is more than one derivative transaction with a single counterparty, a master netting arrangement exists with respect to derivative transactions with that counterparty to provide for aggregate net settlement.

Certain of our standardized contracts for over-the-counter derivative transactions (“ISDA Master Agreements”) contain credit risk related contingent provisions pertaining to each counterparty's credit rating. In some ISDA Master Agreements, if the counterparty’s credit rating, or in some agreements, our AUM, falls below a specified threshold, either a default or a termination event permitting the counterparty to terminate the ISDA Master Agreement would be triggered. In all agreements that provide for collateralization, various levels of collateralization of net liability positions are applicable, depending on the credit rating of the counterparty. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we delivered $4.3 million and $4.5 million, respectively, of cash collateral into brokerage accounts. We report this cash collateral in cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated statements of financial condition.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we held $6.9 million and $2.6 million, respectively, of long exchange-traded equity options, which are included in other investments on our consolidated statements of financial condition. In addition, as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we held $12.3 million and $3.8 million, respectively, of short exchange-traded equity options, which are included in securities sold not yet purchased on our consolidated statements of financial condition. Our options desk provides our clients with equity derivative strategies and execution for exchange-traded options on single stocks, exchange-traded funds and indices. While predominately agency-based, the options desk may commit capital to facilitate a client's transaction. Our options desk hedges the risk associated with this activity by taking offsetting positions in equities. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 we recognized $22.2 million and $7.9 million, respectively, of losses on equity options activity. These losses are recognized in investment gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of income.

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Offsetting [Abstract]

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

See Note 15, Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds, for disclosure of offsetting assets and liabilities of our consolidated company-sponsored investment funds.

Offsetting of assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities borrowed	$	38,993	$	—	$	38,993	$	(38,993	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	13,491	$	—	$	13,491	$	—		$	(251	)	$	13,240
Long exchange-traded options	$	6,931	$	—	$	6,931	$	—		$	—		$	6,931
December 31, 2018
Securities borrowed	$	64,856	$	—	$	64,856	$	(64,217	)	$	—		$	639
Derivatives	$	17,079	$	—	$	17,079	$	—		$	(4,831	)	$	12,248
Long exchange-traded options	$	2,568	$	—	$	2,568	$	—		$	—		$	2,568

Offsetting of liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities loaned	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—		$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	19,259	$	—	$	19,259	$	—		$	(4,276	)	$	14,983
Short exchange-traded options	$	12,348	$	—	$	12,348	$	—		$	—		$	12,348
December 31, 2018
Securities loaned	$	59,526	$	—	$	59,526	$	(59,526	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	14,822	$	—	$	14,822	$	—		$	(4,458	)	$	10,364
Short exchange-traded options	$	3,782	$	—	$	3,782	$	—		$	—		$	3,782

Cash collateral, whether pledged or received on derivative instruments, is not considered material and, accordingly, is not disclosed by counterparty.

Fair Value

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value

See Note 15, Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds, for disclosure of fair value of our consolidated company-sponsored investment funds.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability (i.e., the “exit price”) in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The three broad levels of fair value hierarchy are as follows:


•	Level 1—Quoted prices in active markets are available for identical assets or liabilities as of the reported date.


•	Level 2—Quoted prices in markets that are not active or other pricing inputs that are either directly or indirectly observable as of the reported date.


•	Level 3—Prices or valuation techniques that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable as of the reported date. These financial instruments do not have two-way markets and are measured using management’s best estimate of fair value, where the inputs into the determination of fair value require significant management judgment or estimation.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

Valuation of our financial instruments by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2019:
Money markets	$	126,401	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	126,401
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,094,866		—		—		—		1,094,866
Derivatives	939		12,552		—		—		—		13,491
Investments
Equity securities	170,946		8,952		119		314		—		180,331
Long exchange-traded options	6,931		—		—		—		—		6,931
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		47,361		47,361
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		18,281		18,281
Other investments	5,883		—		—		—		8,007		13,890
Total investments	183,760		8,952		119		314		73,649		266,794
Total assets measured at fair value	$	311,100	$	1,116,370	$	119	$	314	$	73,649	$	1,501,552

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	17,809	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	17,809
Short exchange-traded options	12,348		—		—		—		—		12,348
Derivatives	871		18,388		—		—		—		19,259
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		22,911		—		—		22,911
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	31,028	$	18,388	$	22,911	$	—	$	—	$	72,327



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2018:
Money markets	$	102,888	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	102,888
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,169,554		—		—		—		1,169,554
Derivatives	1,594		15,485		—		—		—		17,079
Investments
U.S. Treasury Bills	—		392,424		—		—		—		392,424
Equity securities	209,414		8,372		142		315		—		218,243
Long exchange-traded options	2,568		—		—		—		—		2,568
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		80,699		80,699
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		8,783		8,783
Other investments	4,269		—		—		—		7,358		11,627
Total investments	216,251		400,796		142		315		96,840		714,344
Total assets measured at fair value	$	320,733	$	1,585,835	$	142	$	315	$	96,840	$	2,003,865

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	4,841	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,841
Short exchange-traded options	3,782		—		—		—		—		3,782
Derivatives	2,534		12,288		—		—		—		14,822
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		7,336		—		—		7,336
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	11,157	$	12,288	$	7,336	$	—	$	—	$	30,781

⁽¹⁾Investments measured at fair value using NAV (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient.

⁽²⁾ Investments in equity method investees that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

⁽³⁾ Investments carried at amortized cost that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

Other investments include (i) an investment in a software publishing company that does not have a readily available fair value ($1.0 million as of December 31, 2019), (ii) an investment in a start-up company that does not have a readily available fair value ($0.9 million as of both December 31, 2019 and 2018), (iii) an investment in an equity method investee that is not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP ($2.9 million and $3.4 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively), and (iv) broker dealer exchange memberships that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP ($3.2 million and $3.1 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively).

We provide below a description of the fair value methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy:


•	Money markets: We invest excess cash in various money market funds that are valued based on quoted prices in active markets; these are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.


•	Treasury Bills: We hold U.S. Treasury Bills, which are primarily segregated in a special reserve bank custody account as required by Rule 15c3-3 of the Exchange Act. These securities are valued based on quoted yields in secondary markets and are included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy.

•

Equity securities: Our equity securities consist principally of company-sponsored mutual funds with NAVs and various separately-managed portfolios consisting primarily of equity and fixed income mutual funds with quoted prices in active markets, which are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. In addition, some securities are valued based on observable inputs from recognized pricing vendors, which are included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy.


•	Derivatives: We hold exchange-traded futures with counterparties that are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy. In addition, we also hold currency forward contracts, interest rate swaps, credit default swaps, option swaps and total

return swaps with counterparties that are valued based on observable inputs from recognized pricing vendors, which are included in Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy.


•	Options: We hold exchange-traded options that are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.


•	Securities sold not yet purchased: Securities sold not yet purchased, primarily reflecting short positions in equities and exchange-traded options, are included in Level 1 of the valuation hierarchy.


•	Contingent payment arrangements: Contingent payment arrangements relate to contingent payment liabilities associated with various acquisitions. At each reporting date, we estimate the fair values of the contingent consideration expected to be paid upon probability-weighted AUM and revenue projections, using unobservable market data inputs, which are included in Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy.

During the year ended December 31, 2019 we had transfers of $3.2 million from Level 2 to Level 1 securities. During the year ended December 31, 2018, we had no transfers from Level 2 to Level 1 securities. During the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, there were no transfers between Level 2 and Level 3 securities.

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value, classified as equity securities, is as follows:



	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	142		$	1,071
Purchases	—			—
Sales	—			—
Realized gains (losses), net	—			—
Unrealized (losses) gains, net	(23		)	(929		)
Balance as of end of period	$	119		$	142

Transfers into and out of all levels of the fair value hierarchy are reflected at end-of-period fair values. Realized and unrealized gains and losses on Level 3 financial instruments are recorded in investment gains and losses in the consolidated statements of income.

As of January 1, 2018 we had an investment in a private equity fund focused exclusively on the energy sector (fair value of $1.0 million) that was classified as Level 3 and written down during the second quarter of 2018. This investment’s valuation was based on a market approach, considering recent transactions in the fund and the industry.

We acquired Autonomous Research LLP ("Autonomous") in 2019 and Ramius Alternative Solutions LLC in 2016, both of which included contingent consideration arrangements as part of the purchase price. The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value, classified as contingent payment arrangements, is as follows:



	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	7,336		$	10,855
Addition	17,384			—
Accretion	2,542			210
Changes in estimates	(3,051		)	(2,429		)
Payments	(1,300		)	(1,300		)
Balance as of end of period	$	22,911		$	7,336

During 2019, we recorded a $17.4 million contingent consideration payable for our 2019 acquisition based on projected fee revenues over a five-year measurement period. The liability was valued using expected revenue growth rates ranging from 0.7% to 2.5% and a discount rate of 10.4%, reflecting a 3.5% risk-free rate, based on our cost of debt, and a 6.9% market price of risk adjustment rate. Additionally, we recorded a $3.1 million change in estimate for the contingent consideration payable relating to

our 2016 acquisition. The liability relating to our 2016 acquisition was valued using a revised revenue growth rate of 50% over the remaining measurement periods and a 3.0% discount rate.

During 2018, we amended the contingent payment relating to our 2016 acquisition by modifying the earnout structure and extending it one year. As part of this amendment, we recorded a change in estimate of $2.4 million related to the contingent consideration.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, acquisition-related contingent consideration liabilities were $22.9 million and $7.3 million, respectively.

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

We did not have any material assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value for impairment on a nonrecurring basis during the years ended December 31, 2019 or 2018.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net

Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net consist of:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Furniture and equipment	$	575,378		$	561,816
Leasehold improvements	266,365			253,439
	841,743			815,255
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(696,492		)	(659,736		)
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net	$	145,251		$	155,519

Depreciation and amortization expense on furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements were $38.1 million, $34.2 million and $32.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net

The components of deferred sales commissions, net for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (excluding amounts related to fully amortized deferred sales commissions):



	December 31,
	2019			2018 ⁽¹⁾
	(in thousands)
Carrying amount of deferred sales commissions	$	68,371		$	78,971
Less: Accumulated amortization	(19,348		)	(40,506		)
Cumulative CDSC received	(12,727		)	(21,317		)
Deferred sales commissions, net	$	36,296		$	17,148

⁽¹⁾Prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to our 2019 presentation.

Amortization expense was $15.0 million, $21.3 million and $31.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. Estimated future amortization expense related to the December 31, 2019 net asset balance, assuming no additional CDSC is received in future periods, is as follows (in thousands):



2020	$	17,049
2021	11,666
2022	7,127
2023	454
	$	36,296

Debt	12 Months Ended
Debt	Dec. 31, 2019
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt AB has an $800.0 million committed, unsecured senior revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with a group of commercial banks and other lenders, which matures on September 27, 2023. The Credit Facility provides for possible increases in the principal amount by up to an aggregate incremental amount of $200.0 million; any such increase is subject to the consent of the affected lenders. The Credit Facility is available for AB and Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., LLC ("SCB LLC") business purposes, including the support of AB’s commercial paper program. Both AB and SCB LLC can draw directly under the Credit Facility and management may draw on the Credit Facility from time to time. AB has agreed to guarantee the obligations of SCB LLC under the Credit Facility. The Credit Facility contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants, which are customary for facilities of this type, including restrictions on dispositions of assets, restrictions on liens, a minimum interest coverage ratio and a maximum leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2019, we were in compliance with these covenants. The Credit Facility also includes customary events of default (with customary grace periods, as applicable), including provisions under which, upon the occurrence of an event of default, all outstanding loans may be accelerated and/or lender’s commitments may be terminated. Also, under such provisions, upon the occurrence of certain insolvency- or bankruptcy-related events of default, all amounts payable under the Credit Facility would automatically become immediately due and payable, and the lender’s commitments automatically would terminate. Amounts under the Credit Facility may be borrowed, repaid and re-borrowed by us from time to time until the maturity of the facility. Voluntary prepayments and commitment reductions requested by us are permitted at any time without a fee (other than customary breakage costs relating to the prepayment of any drawn loans) upon proper notice and subject to a minimum dollar requirement. Borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum, which will be, at our option, a rate equal to an applicable margin, which is subject to adjustment based on the credit ratings of AB, plus one of the following indices: London Interbank Offered Rate; a floating base rate; or the Federal Funds rate. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, we had no amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility. During 2019 and 2018, we did not draw upon the Credit Facility. In addition to the Credit Facility, on November 4, 2019, AB established a $900.0 million committed, unsecured senior credit facility (“EQH Facility”) with EQH. The EQH Facility matures on November 4, 2024 and is available for AB's general business purposes. Borrowings under the EQH Facility generally bear interest at a rate per annum based on prevailing overnight commercial paper rates. The EQH Facility contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants which are substantially similar to those in AB’s committed bank facilities. The EQH Facility also includes customary events of default substantially similar to those in AB’s committed bank facilities, including provisions under which, upon the occurrence of an event of default, all outstanding loans may be accelerated and/or the lender’s commitment may be terminated. Amounts under the EQH Facility may be borrowed, repaid and re-borrowed by us from time to time until the maturity of the facility. AB or EQH may reduce or terminate the commitment at any time without penalty upon proper notice. EQH also may terminate the facility immediately upon a change of control of our general partner. As of December 31, 2019, AB had $560.0 million outstanding under the EQH Facility with an interest rate of approximately 1.6%. Average daily borrowings on the EQH Facility during 2019 for the 57 days it was available were $358.6 million with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 1.6%. As of December 31, 2019, we had no commercial paper outstanding. As of December 31, 2018, AB had $523.2 million in commercial paper outstanding with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 2.7%. The commercial paper is short term in nature, and as such, recorded value is estimated to approximate fair value (and considered a Level 2 security in the fair value hierarchy). Average daily borrowings of commercial paper for the 317 days commercial paper was outstanding in 2019 was $438.6 million with a weighted average interest rate of 2.6%. Average daily borrowings for 2018 were $350.3 million with a weighted average interest rate of approximately 2.0%. AB also has a $200.0 million committed, unsecured senior revolving credit facility (the "Revolver") with a leading international bank, which matures on November 16, 2021. The Revolver is available for AB's and SCB LLC's business purposes, including the provision of additional liquidity to meet funding requirements primarily related to SCB LLC's operations. Both AB and SCB LLC can draw directly under the Revolver and management expects to draw on the Revolver from time to time. AB has agreed to guarantee the obligations of SCB LLC under the Revolver. The Revolver contains affirmative, negative and financial covenants that are identical to those of the Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2019 we had no amounts outstanding under the Revolver. As of December 31, 2018, we had $25.0 million outstanding under the Revolver with an interest rate of 3.4%. Average daily borrowings for 2019 and 2018 were $23.5 million and $19.4 million, respectively, with weighted average interest rates of 3.2% and 2.8%, respectively. In addition, SCB LLC currently has three uncommitted lines of credit with three financial institutions. Two of these lines of credit permit us to borrow up to an aggregate of approximately $175.0 million, with AB named as an additional borrower, while the other line has no stated limit. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, SCB LLC had no outstanding balance on these lines of credit. Average daily borrowings on the lines of credit during 2019 and 2018 were $1.9 million and $2.7 million, respectively, with weighted average interest rates of approximately 1.9% and 1.6%, respectively.

Leases

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Leases [Abstract]

Leases

We lease office space, office equipment and technology under various operating and financing leases. Our current leases have remaining lease terms of one year to 11 years, some of which include options to extend the leases for up to five years, and some of which include options to terminate the leases within one year.

Since 2010, we have sub-leased over one million square feet of office space. The liability relating to our global space consolidation initiatives was $85.8 million as of December 31, 2018. Upon adoption of ASC 842 on January 1, 2019, we recorded this liability as a reduction to our operating right-of-use assets.

Leases included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



	Classification	December 31, 2019
		(in thousands)
Operating Leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	$	360,185
Operating lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	465,907

Finance Leases
Property and equipment, gross	Right-of-use assets	3,825
Amortization of right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	(1,317		)
Property and equipment, net		2,508
Finance lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	2,544

The components of lease expense included in the consolidated statements of income as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



		Year Ended December 31,
	Classification	2019
		(in thousands)
Operating lease cost	General and administrative	$	106,085

Financing lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	General and administrative	1,317
Interest on lease liabilities	Interest expense	71
Total finance lease cost		1,388
Variable lease cost ⁽¹⁾	General and administrative	40,786
Sublease income	General and administrative	(55,522		)
Net lease cost		$	92,737

⁽¹⁾ Variable lease expense includes operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking.

The sublease income represents all revenues received from sub-tenants. It is primarily fixed base rental payments combined with variable reimbursements such as operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking. The vast majority of sub-tenant

income is derived from our New York metro sub-tenant agreements. Sub-tenant income related to base rent is recorded on a straight-line basis.

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544

During October 2018, we signed a lease, which commences in mid-2020, relating to 218,976 square feet of space at our new Nashville headquarters. Our estimated total base rent obligation (excluding taxes, operating expenses and utilities) over the 15 year initial lease term is $134 million. During April 2019, we signed a lease, which commences in 2024, relating to approximately 190,000 square feet of space in New York City. Our estimated total base rent obligation (excluding taxes, operating expenses and utilities) over the 20 year lease term is approximately $448 million.



Lease term and discount rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (years):
Operating leases	5.23
Finance leases	2.37
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating leases	3.51	%
Finance leases	3.02

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	132,669
Operating cash flows from financing leases	71
Financing cash flows from finance leases	1,281
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations⁽¹⁾:
Operating leases	11,108
Finance leases	1,469

⁽¹⁾Represents non-cash activity and, accordingly, is not reflected in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Leases

Leases included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



	Classification	December 31, 2019
		(in thousands)
Operating Leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	$	360,185
Operating lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	465,907

Finance Leases
Property and equipment, gross	Right-of-use assets	3,825
Amortization of right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	(1,317		)
Property and equipment, net		2,508
Finance lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	2,544

The components of lease expense included in the consolidated statements of income as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



		Year Ended December 31,
	Classification	2019
		(in thousands)
Operating lease cost	General and administrative	$	106,085

Financing lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	General and administrative	1,317
Interest on lease liabilities	Interest expense	71
Total finance lease cost		1,388
Variable lease cost ⁽¹⁾	General and administrative	40,786
Sublease income	General and administrative	(55,522		)
Net lease cost		$	92,737

⁽¹⁾ Variable lease expense includes operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking.

income is derived from our New York metro sub-tenant agreements. Sub-tenant income related to base rent is recorded on a straight-line basis.

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544



Lease term and discount rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (years):
Operating leases	5.23
Finance leases	2.37
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating leases	3.51	%
Finance leases	3.02

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	132,669
Operating cash flows from financing leases	71
Financing cash flows from finance leases	1,281
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations⁽¹⁾:
Operating leases	11,108
Finance leases	1,469

⁽¹⁾Represents non-cash activity and, accordingly, is not reflected in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Leases

Leases included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



	Classification	December 31, 2019
		(in thousands)
Operating Leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	$	360,185
Operating lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	465,907

Finance Leases
Property and equipment, gross	Right-of-use assets	3,825
Amortization of right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	(1,317		)
Property and equipment, net		2,508
Finance lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	2,544

The components of lease expense included in the consolidated statements of income as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



		Year Ended December 31,
	Classification	2019
		(in thousands)
Operating lease cost	General and administrative	$	106,085

Financing lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	General and administrative	1,317
Interest on lease liabilities	Interest expense	71
Total finance lease cost		1,388
Variable lease cost ⁽¹⁾	General and administrative	40,786
Sublease income	General and administrative	(55,522		)
Net lease cost		$	92,737

⁽¹⁾ Variable lease expense includes operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking.

income is derived from our New York metro sub-tenant agreements. Sub-tenant income related to base rent is recorded on a straight-line basis.

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544



Lease term and discount rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (years):
Operating leases	5.23
Finance leases	2.37
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating leases	3.51	%
Finance leases	3.02

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	132,669
Operating cash flows from financing leases	71
Financing cash flows from finance leases	1,281
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations⁽¹⁾:
Operating leases	11,108
Finance leases	1,469

⁽¹⁾Represents non-cash activity and, accordingly, is not reflected in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Commitments and Contingencies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Commitments and Contingencies

Leases

We lease office space, office equipment and technology under various leasing arrangements. The future minimum payments under non-cancelable leases, sublease commitments and related payments we are obligated to make, net of sublease commitments of third party lessees to make payments to us, as of December 31, 2019, are as follows:



	Payments		Sublease Receipts		Net Payments
	(in millions)
2020	$	117.1	$	33.8	$	83.3
2021	115.1		34.4		80.7
2022	102.0		31.5		70.5
2023	94.5		31.0		63.5
2024	91.2		30.4		60.8
2025 and thereafter	619.2		—		619.2
Total future minimum payments	$	1,139.1	$	161.1	$	978.0

Legal Proceedings

AB may be involved in various matters, including regulatory inquires, administrative proceedings and litigation, some of which may allege significant damages. It is reasonably possible that we could incur losses pertaining to these matters, but we cannot currently estimate any such losses.

Management, after consultation with legal counsel, currently believes that the outcome of any individual matter that is pending or threatened, or all of them combined, will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, financial condition or liquidity. However, any inquiry, proceeding or litigation has an element of uncertainty; management cannot determine whether further developments relating to any individual matter that is pending or threatened, or all of them combined, will have a material adverse effect on our results of operation, financial condition or liquidity in any future reporting period.

Other

As general partner of AllianceBernstein U.S. Real Estate L.P. (“Real Estate Fund”), we committed to invest $25.0 million in the Real Estate Fund. As of December 31, 2019, we had funded $22.4 million of this commitment. As general partner of AllianceBernstein U.S. Real Estate II L.P. (“Real Estate Fund II”), we committed to invest $28.0 million in the Real Estate Fund II. As of December 31, 2019, we had funded $19.9 million of this commitment.

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds [Abstract]

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds

We regularly provide seed capital to new company-sponsored investment funds. As such, we may consolidate or de-consolidate a variety of company-sponsored investment funds each quarter. Due to the similarity of risks related to our involvement with each company-sponsored investment fund, disclosures required under the VIE model are aggregated, such as disclosures regarding the carrying amount and classification of assets.

We are not required to provide financial support to company-sponsored investment funds and only the assets of such funds are available to settle each fund's own liabilities. Our exposure to loss in regard to consolidated company-sponsored investment funds is limited to our investment in, and our management fee earned from, such funds. Equity and debt holders of such funds have no recourse to AB’s assets or to the general credit of AB.

The balances of consolidated VIEs and VOEs included in our consolidated statements of financial condition were as follows:



	December 31, 2019						December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
	VIEs		VOEs		Total		VIEs		VOEs		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	9,623	$	1,810	$	11,433	$	11,880	$	1,238	$	13,118
Investments	404,624		176,380		581,004		217,840		133,856		351,696
Other assets	9,618		10,192		19,810		6,024		16,816		22,840
Total assets	$	423,865	$	188,382	$	612,247	$	235,744	$	151,910	$	387,654

Liabilities	$	12,147	$	18,870	$	31,017	$	5,215	$	17,395	$	22,610
Redeemable non-controlling interest	273,219		52,342		325,561		117,523		28,398		145,921
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	138,499		117,170		255,669		113,006		106,117		219,123
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and partners' capital	$	423,865	$	188,382	$	612,247	$	235,744	$	151,910	$	387,654

Fair Value

Cash and cash equivalents include cash on hand, demand deposits, overnight commercial paper and highly liquid investments with original maturities of three months or less. Due to the short-term nature of these instruments, the recorded value has been determined to approximate fair value.

Valuation of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds' financial instruments by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2019:
Investments - VIEs	$	28,270	$	375,559	$	795	$	404,624
Investments - VOEs	104,069		72,252		59		176,380
Derivatives - VIEs	139		4,694		—		4,833
Derivatives - VOEs	76		4,263		—		4,339
Total assets measured at fair value	$	132,554	$	456,768	$	854	$	590,176

Derivatives - VIEs	$	835	$	3,724	$	—	$	4,559
Derivatives - VOEs	101		4,982		—		5,083
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	936	$	8,706	$	—	$	9,642

December 31, 2018:
Investments - VIEs	$	22,149	$	187,626	$	8,065	$	217,840
Investments - VOEs	68,063		65,485		308		133,856
Derivatives - VIEs	1,486		1,924		—		3,410
Derivatives - VOEs	124		3,692		—		3,816
Total assets measured at fair value	$	91,822	$	258,727	$	8,373	$	358,922

Derivatives - VIEs	$	72	$	3,819	$	—	$	3,891
Derivatives - VOEs	197		3,633		—		3,830
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	269	$	7,452	$	—	$	7,721

See Note 9 for a description of the fair value methodologies used for instruments measured at fair value, as well as the general classification of such instruments pursuant to the valuation hierarchy.

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value within consolidated company-sponsored investment funds was as follows:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)

Balance as of beginning of period	$	8,373		$	2,264
Transfers (out) in	(9,445		)	259
Purchases	9,213			9,354
Sales	(7,467		)	(3,086		)
Realized gains (losses), net	14			(100		)
Unrealized gains (losses), net	143			(331		)
Accrued discounts	23			13
Balance as of end of period	$	854		$	8,373

The Level 3 securities primarily consist of corporate bonds that are vendor priced with no ratings available, bank loans, non-agency collateralized mortgage obligations and asset-backed securities.

Derivative Instruments

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VIEs held $0.3 million and $0.5 million (net), respectively, of futures, forwards, options and swaps within their portfolios. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we recognized $3.3 million and $1.5 million of gains, respectively, on these derivatives. These gains and losses are recognized in investment gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VIEs held $1.6 million and $0.9 million, respectively, of cash collateral payable to trade counterparties. This obligation to return cash is reported in the liabilities of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds in our consolidated statements of financial condition. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VIEs delivered $3.2 million and $0.8 million, respectively, of cash collateral into brokerage accounts. The VIEs report this cash collateral in the consolidated company-sponsored investment funds cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated statements of financial condition.

As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VOEs held $0.7 million and $0.1 million (net), respectively, of futures, forwards, options and swaps within their portfolios. For the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018, we recognized $0.5 million and $1.9 million of gains, respectively, on these derivatives. These gains and losses are recognized in the investment gains (losses) in the consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VOEs held $0.5 million and $0.2 million of cash collateral payable to trade counterparties. This obligation to return cash is reported in the liabilities of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds in our consolidated statements of financial condition. As of December 31, 2019 and 2018, the VOEs delivered $1.2 million and $0.5 million, respectively, of cash collateral into brokerage accounts. The VOEs report this cash collateral in the consolidated company-sponsored investment funds cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated statements of financial condition.

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities

Offsetting of derivative assets of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Received			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	4,833	$	—	$	4,833	$	—	$	(1,631	)	$	3,202
Derivatives - VOEs	$	4,339	$	—	$	4,339	$	—	$	(534	)	$	3,805
December 31, 2018:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	3,410	$	—	$	3,410	$	—	$	(856	)	$	2,554
Derivatives - VOEs	$	3,816	$	—	$	3,816	$	—	$	(225	)	$	3,591

Offsetting of derivative liabilities of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Pledged			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	4,559	$	—	$	4,559	$	—	$	(3,155	)	$	1,404
Derivatives - VOEs	$	5,083	$	—	$	5,083	$	—	$	(1,201	)	$	3,882
December 31, 2018:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	3,891	$	—	$	3,891	$	—	$	(829	)	$	3,062
Derivatives - VOEs	$	3,830	$	—	$	3,830	$	—	$	(547	)	$	3,283

Cash collateral, whether pledged or received on derivative instruments, is not considered material and, accordingly, is not disclosed by counterparty.

Non-Consolidated VIEs

As of December 31, 2019, the net assets of company-sponsored investment products that are non-consolidated VIEs are approximately $79.3 billion, and our maximum risk of loss is our investment of $8.4 million in these VIEs and advisory fee receivables from these VIEs, which are not material.

Net Capital	12 Months Ended
Net Capital	Dec. 31, 2019
Brokers and Dealers [Abstract]
Net Capital	Net Capital SCB LLC is registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and is subject to the minimum net capital requirements imposed by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). SCB LLC computes its net capital under the alternative method permitted by the applicable rule, which requires that minimum net capital, as defined, equals the greater of $1 million or two percent of aggregate debit items arising from customer transactions, as defined. As of December 31, 2019, SCB LLC had net capital of $250.8 million, which was $219.6 million in excess of the minimum net capital requirement of $31.2 million. Advances, dividend payments and other equity withdrawals by SCB LLC are restricted by regulations imposed by the SEC, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., and other securities agencies. Our U.K.-based broker-dealer is a member of the London Stock Exchange. As of December 31, 2019, it was subject to financial resources requirements of $14.9 million imposed by the Financial Conduct Authority of the United Kingdom and had aggregate regulatory financial resources of $30.2 million, an excess of $15.3 million. AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc., another one of our subsidiaries and the distributor and/or underwriter for certain company-sponsored mutual funds, is registered as a broker-dealer under the Exchange Act and is subject to the minimum net capital requirements imposed by the SEC. As of December 31, 2019, it had net capital of $22.1 million, which was $21.8 million in excess of its required net capital of $0.3 million. Many of our subsidiaries around the world are subject to minimum net capital requirements by the local laws and regulations to which they are subject. As of December 31, 2019, each of our subsidiaries subject to a minimum net capital requirement satisfied the applicable requirement.

Counterparty Risk	12 Months Ended
Counterparty Risk	Dec. 31, 2019
Risks and Uncertainties [Abstract]
Counterparty Risk	Counterparty Risk Customer Activities In the normal course of business, brokerage activities involve the execution, settlement and financing of various customer securities trades, which may expose our broker-dealer operations to off-balance sheet risk by requiring us to purchase or sell securities at prevailing market prices in the event the customer is unable to fulfill its contractual obligations. Our customer securities activities are transacted on either a cash or margin basis. In margin transactions, we extend credit to the customer, subject to various regulatory and internal margin requirements. These transactions are collateralized by cash or securities in the customer’s account. In connection with these activities, we may execute and clear customer transactions involving the sale of securities not yet purchased. We seek to control the risks associated with margin transactions by requiring customers to maintain collateral in compliance with the aforementioned regulatory and internal guidelines. We monitor required margin levels daily and, pursuant to such guidelines, require customers to deposit additional collateral, or reduce positions, when necessary. A majority of our customer margin accounts are managed on a discretionary basis whereby we maintain control over the investment activity in the accounts. For these discretionary accounts, our margin deficiency exposure is minimized by our maintaining a diversified portfolio of securities in the accounts, our discretionary authority and our U.S-based broker-dealer's role as custodian. In accordance with industry practice, we record customer transactions on a settlement date basis, which generally is two business days after trade date for our U.K. and U.S. operations. We are exposed to risk of loss on these transactions in the event of the customer’s or broker’s inability to meet the terms of their contracts, in which case we may have to purchase or sell financial instruments at prevailing market prices. The risks we assume in connection with these transactions are not expected to have a material adverse effect on our financial condition or results of operations. Other Counterparties We are engaged in various brokerage activities on behalf of clients, in which counterparties primarily include broker-dealers, banks and other financial institutions. In the event these counterparties do not fulfill their obligations, we may be exposed to loss. The risk of default depends on the creditworthiness of the counterparty or issuer of the instrument. It is our policy to review, as necessary, each counterparty’s creditworthiness. In connection with security borrowing and lending arrangements, we enter into collateralized agreements, which may result in potential loss in the event the counterparty to a transaction is unable to fulfill its contractual obligations. Security borrowing arrangements require us to deposit cash collateral with the lender. With respect to security lending arrangements, we receive collateral in the form of cash in amounts generally in excess of the market value of the securities loaned. We attempt to mitigate credit risk associated with these activities by establishing credit limits for each broker and monitoring these limits on a daily basis. Additionally, security borrowing and lending collateral is marked to market on a daily basis, and additional collateral is deposited by or returned to us as necessary. We enter into various futures, forwards, options and swaps primarily to economically hedge certain of our seed money investments. We may be exposed to credit losses in the event of nonperformance by counterparties to these derivative financial instruments. See Note 7, Derivative Instruments for further discussion.

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans

We maintain a qualified profit sharing plan covering U.S. employees and certain foreign employees. Employer contributions are discretionary and generally limited to the maximum amount deductible for federal income tax purposes. Aggregate contributions for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $14.4 million, $15.0 million and $14.4 million, respectively.

We maintain several defined contribution plans for foreign employees working for our subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan and other locations outside the United States. Employer contributions generally are consistent with regulatory requirements and tax limits. Defined contribution expense for foreign entities was $7.7 million, $7.1 million and $6.8 million in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

We maintain a qualified, noncontributory, defined benefit retirement plan (“Retirement Plan”) covering current and former employees who were employed by AB in the United States prior to October 2, 2000. Benefits are based on years of credited service, average final base salary (as defined in the Retirement Plan) and primary Social Security benefits. Service and compensation after December 31, 2008 are not taken into account in determining participants’ retirement benefits.

Our policy is to satisfy our funding obligation for each year in an amount not less than the minimum required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, and not greater than the maximum amount we can deduct for federal income tax purposes. We contributed $4.0 million to the Retirement Plan during 2019. We do not currently anticipate that we will contribute to the Retirement Plan during 2020. Contribution estimates, which are subject to change, are based on regulatory requirements, future market conditions and assumptions used for actuarial computations of the Retirement Plan’s obligations and assets. Management, at the present time, has not determined the amount, if any, of additional future contributions that may be required.

The Retirement Plan’s projected benefit obligation, fair value of plan assets and funded status (amounts recognized in the consolidated statements of financial condition) were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	116,233		$	125,200
Interest cost	4,944			4,771
Actuarial loss (gain)	20,411			(9,918		)
Benefits paid	(5,475		)	(3,820		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	136,113			116,233
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at fair value at beginning of year	98,584			100,706
Actual return on plan assets	16,971			(3,302		)
Employer contribution	4,000			5,000
Benefits paid	(5,475		)	(3,820		)
Plan assets at fair value at end of year	114,080			98,584
Funded status	$	(22,033	)	$	(17,649	)

Effective December 31, 2015, the Retirement Plan was amended to change the actuarial basis used for converting a life annuity benefit to optional forms of payment and converting benefits payable at age 65 to earlier commencement dates. This prior service cost will be amortized over future years.

The amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) for the Retirement Plan for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:



	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Unrecognized net (loss) gain from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	$	(7,934	)	$	1,870		$	(3,043	)
Prior service cost	24			24			24
	(7,910		)	1,894			(3,019		)
Income tax benefit (expense)	312			(207		)	(49		)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	$	(7,598	)	$	1,687		$	(3,068	)

The loss of $7.6 million recognized in 2019 primarily was due to changes in the discount rate and lump sum interest rates ($21.7 million), offset by actual earnings exceeding expected earnings on plan assets ($11.3 million), changes in the mortality assumption ($1.2 million), the recognized actuarial loss ($1.1 million) and changes in the census data ($0.1 million). The gain of $1.7 million recognized in 2018 primarily was due to changes in the discount rate and lump sum interest rates ($9.7 million), the recognized actuarial loss ($1.1 million) and changes in the mortality assumption ($0.4 million), offset by actual earnings exceeding expected earnings on plan assets ($9.2 million) and changes in the census data ($0.2 million). The loss of $3.1 million recognized in 2017 primarily was due to changes in the discount rate and lump sum interest rates ($11.9 million) and changes in the census data ($1.4 million), offset by actual earnings exceeding expected earnings on plan assets ($8.5 million), the recognized actuarial loss ($1.1 million) and changes in the mortality assumption ($0.7 million).

Foreign retirement plans and an individual's retirement plan maintained by AB are not material to AB's consolidated financial statements. As such, disclosure for these plans is not necessary. The reconciliation of the 2019 amounts recognized in other comprehensive income for the Retirement Plan as compared to the consolidated statement of comprehensive income ("OCI Statement") is as follows:



	Retirement Plan			Retired Individual Plan			Foreign Retirement Plans			OCI Statement
	(in thousands)
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	$	(7,934	)	$	(69	)	$	112		$	(7,891	)
Amortization of prior service cost	24			—			—			24
Changes in employee benefit related items	(7,910		)	(69		)	112			(7,867		)
Income tax benefit (expense)	312			3			(41		)	274
Employee benefit related items, net of tax	$	(7,598	)	$	(66	)	$	71		$	(7,593	)

The amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the Retirement Plan as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Unrecognized net loss from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	$	(55,537	)	$	(47,603	)
Prior service cost	(731		)	(755		)
	(56,268		)	(48,358		)
Income tax benefit	513			201
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(55,755	)	$	(48,157	)

The amortization period over which we are amortizing the loss for the Retirement Plan from accumulated other comprehensive income is 30.9 years. The estimated prior service cost and amortization of loss for the Retirement Plan that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income over the next year are $24 thousand and $1.4 million, respectively.

The accumulated benefit obligation for the plan was $136.1 million and $116.2 million as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The discount rates used to determine benefit obligations as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 (measurement dates) were 3.35% and 4.40%, respectively.

Benefit payments are expected to be paid as follows (in thousands):



2020	$	5,868
2021	7,113
2022	9,202
2023	7,451
2024	7,538
2025-2029	45,048

Net expense under the Retirement Plan consisted of:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	$	4,944		$	4,771		$	4,999
Expected return on plan assets	(5,639		)	(5,893		)	(5,261		)
Amortization of prior service cost	24			24			24
Recognized actuarial loss	1,146			1,146			1,097
Net pension expense	$	475		$	48		$	859

Actuarial computations used to determine net periodic costs were made utilizing the following weighted-average assumptions:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Discount rate on benefit obligations	4.40	%	3.90	%	4.55	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	5.75	%	5.75	%	6.00	%

In developing the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets of 5.75%, management considered the historical returns and future expectations for returns for each asset category, as well as the target asset allocation of the portfolio. The expected long-term rate of return on assets is based on weighted average expected returns for each asset class.

As of December 31, 2019, the mortality projection assumption has been updated to use the generational MP-2019 improvement scale. Previously, mortality was projected generationally using the MP-2018 improvements scale. The base mortality assumption was updated to the Society of Actuaries Pri-2012 base mortality table for private sector plans, with a white-collar adjustment, using the contingent annuitant table for beneficiaries of deceased participants. Previously, the mortality assumption was the RP-2014 white-collar mortality table for males and females adjusted back to 2006 using the MP-2014 improvement scale.

The Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) recently updated the mortality tables used to determine lump sums. For fiscal year-end 2019, we reflected the most recently published IRS table for lump sums assumed to be paid in 2020. We projected future mortality for lump sums assumed to be paid after 2020 using the current base mortality tables (RP-2014 backed off to 2006) and projection scale of MP-2019.

The Retirement Plan’s asset allocation percentages consisted of:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
Equity	47	%	43	%
Debt securities	41		41
Other	12		16
	100	%	100	%

The guidelines regarding allocation of assets are formalized in the Investment Policy Statement adopted by the Investment Committee for the Retirement Plan. The objective of the investment program is to enhance the portfolio of the Retirement Plan through total return (capital appreciation and income), thereby promoting the ongoing ability of the plan to meet future liabilities and obligations, while minimizing the need for additional contributions. The guidelines specify an allocation weighting of 10% to 35% for liability hedging investments (target of 20%), 15% to 40% for return seeking investments (target of 27%), 5% to 35% for risk mitigating investments (target of 14%), 10% to 35% for diversifying investments (target of 21%) and 5% to 35% for dynamic asset allocation (target of 18%). Investments in mutual funds, hedge funds (and other alternative investments), and other commingled investment vehicles are permitted under the guidelines. Investments are permitted in overlay portfolios (regulated mutual funds), which are designed to manage short-term portfolio risk and mitigate the effect of extreme outcomes by varying the asset allocation of a portfolio.

See Note 9, Fair Value for a description of how we measure the fair value of our plan assets.

The valuation of our Retirement Plan assets by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2019
Cash	$	230	$	—	$	—	$	230
U.S. Treasury Strips	—		27,318		—		27,318
Fixed income mutual funds	19,518		—		—		19,518
Equity mutual fund	33,875		—		—		33,875
Equity securities	11,182		—		—		11,182
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	64,805		27,318		—		92,123
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		21,957
Investments at fair value	$	64,805	$	27,318	$	—	$	114,080



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2018
Cash	$	238	$	—	$	—	$	238
U.S. Treasury Strips	—		22,355		—		22,355
Fixed income mutual funds	18,362		—		—		18,362
Equity mutual fund	26,508		—		—		26,508
Equity securities	8,970		—		—		8,970
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	54,078		22,355		—		76,433
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		22,151
Investments at fair value	$	54,078	$	22,355	$	—	$	98,584

During 2019 and 2018, the Retirement Plan's investments include the following:


•	U.S. Treasury strips, (zero-coupon bonds);


•	two fixed income mutual funds, which seek to generate income consistent with preservation of capital. One fund invests in a portfolio of investment-grade securities primarily in the U.S. with additional non-U.S. securities. The second fund invests in inflation-indexed fixed-income securities and similar bonds issued by non-U.S. governments and various commodities;

•

seven equity mutual funds, four of which focus on U.S.-based equity securities of various capitalization sizes ranging from small to large capitalizations and diversified portfolios within those capitalization ranges; and three funds that focus on non-U.S. based equity securities of various capitalization sizes ranging from small to large capitalizations and diversified portfolios therein across non-U.S. regions;


•	separate equity and fixed income mutual funds, which seek to moderate the volatility of equity and fixed income oriented asset allocation over the long term, as part of the overall asset allocation managed by AB;


•	a multi-style, multi-cap integrated portfolio adding U.S. equity diversification to its value and growth equity selections, designed to deliver a long-term premium to the S&P 500 with greater consistency across a range of market environments; and

•

investments measured at net asset value, including three hedge funds that seek to provide attractive risk-adjusted returns over full market cycles with less volatility than the broad equity markets by allocating all or substantially all of their assets among portfolio managers through portfolio funds that employ a broad range of investment strategies; one private investment trust that invests primarily in equity securities of non-U.S. companies located in emerging market countries; and one collective investment trust that invests in U.S. and non-U.S. equities of various capitalization sizes.

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans

We maintain an unfunded, non-qualified incentive compensation program known as the AllianceBernstein Incentive Compensation Award Program (“Incentive Compensation Program”), under which annual awards may be granted to eligible employees. See Note 2, "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans" for a discussion of the award provisions.

Under the Incentive Compensation Program, we made awards in 2019, 2018 and 2017 aggregating $175.5 million, $183.3 million and $168.2 million, respectively. The amounts charged to employee compensation and benefits for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were $177.2 million, $161.0 million and $172.8 million, respectively.

Effective as of September 30, 2017, we established the AB 2017 Long Term Incentive Plan (“2017 Plan”), which was adopted at a special meeting of AB Holding Unitholders held on September 29, 2017. The following forms of awards may be granted to employees and Eligible Directors under the 2017 Plan: (i) restricted AB Holding Units or phantom restricted AB Holding Units (a “phantom” award is a contractual right to receive AB Holding Units at a later date or upon a specified event); (ii) options to buy AB Holding Units; and (iii) other AB Holding Unit-based awards (including, without limitation, AB Holding Unit appreciation rights and performance awards). The purpose of the 2017 Plan is to promote the interest of AB by: (i) attracting and retaining talented officers, employees and directors, (ii) motivating such officers, employees and directors by means of performance-related incentives to achieve longer-range business and operational goals, (iii) enabling such officers, employees and directors to participate in the long-term growth and financial success of AB, and (iv) aligning the interests of such officers, employees and directors with those of AB Holding Unitholders. The 2017 Plan will expire on September 30, 2027, and no awards under the 2017 Plan will be made after that date. Under the 2017 Plan, the aggregate number of AB Holding Units with respect to which awards may be granted is 60 million, including no more than 30 million newly-issued AB Holding Units.

As of December 31, 2019, no options to buy AB Holding Units had been granted and 20,602,674 AB Holding Units, net of withholding tax requirements, were subject to other AB Holding Unit awards made under the 2017 Plan or the AllianceBernstein 2010 Long Term Incentive Plan, as amended, an equity compensation plan with similar terms that was canceled on September 30, 2017. AB Holding Unit-based awards (including options) in respect of 39,397,326 AB Holding Units were available for grant under the 2017 Plan as of December 31, 2019.

Option Awards

We did not grant any options to buy AB Holding Units during 2019, 2018 or 2017. Historically, options granted to employees generally were exercisable at a rate of 20% of the AB Holding Units subject to such options on each of the first five anniversary dates of the date of grant; options granted to Eligible Directors generally were exercisable at a rate of 33.3% of the AB Holding Units subject to such options on each of the first three anniversary dates of the date of grant.

The option-related activity in our equity compensation plans during 2019 is as follows:



	Options to Buy AB Holding Units		Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018	671,243		$	22.83	1.6
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(511,894	)	22.49
Forfeited	—		—
Expired	—		—
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019	159,349		23.93		2.1	$	1.0
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019	141,163		24.09		2.1	0.9
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019	159,349		23.93		2.1	1.0

The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $3.7 million, $8.9 million and $8.3 million, respectively.

Under the fair value method, compensation expense is measured at the grant date based on the estimated fair value of the options awarded (determined using the Black-Scholes option valuation model) and is recognized over the required service period. We recorded no compensation expense related to option grants in 2019, 2018 or 2017 as no options were granted. As of December 31, 2019, there was no compensation expense related to unvested option grants not yet recognized in the consolidated statement of income.

Restricted AB Holding Unit Awards

In 2019, 2018 and 2017, the Board granted restricted AB Holding Unit awards to Eligible Directors. These AB Holding Units give the Eligible Directors, in most instances, all the rights of other AB Holding Unitholders, subject to such restrictions on transfer as the Board may impose. We awarded 45,420, 53,720 and 50,252 restricted AB Holding Units, respectively, in 2019, 2018 and 2017 with grant date fair values per restricted AB Holding Unit of $29.26 and $29.90 in 2019, $26.90 in 2018, and $21.25 and $24.80 in 2017. All of the restricted AB Holding Units vest ratably over three or four years. We fully expensed these awards on each grant date, as there is no service requirement. We recorded compensation expense relating to these awards of $1.3 million, $1.4 million and $1.1 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.

On April 28, 2017, the Board removed Peter S. Kraus from his position as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer ("CEO"). As a result of his removal, we accelerated the vesting on the remaining two tranches under his June 2012 employment agreement and delivered the AB Holding Units to him in June 2017. During 2017, we recorded $10.2 million of compensation expense relating to Mr. Kraus's restricted AB Holding Unit grant.

On April 28, 2017, Seth P. Bernstein was appointed President and CEO pursuant to an employment agreement, effective May 1, 2017. In connection with the commencement of his employment, Mr. Bernstein was granted restricted AB Holding Units with a grant date fair value of $3.5 million (164,706 AB Holding Units based on the $21.25 grant date AB Holding Unit price on May 16, 2017) and a four-year service requirement. Mr. Bernstein's restricted AB Holding Units vest ratably on each of the first four anniversaries of his commencement date and will be delivered to Mr. Bernstein as soon as administratively feasible after May 1, 2021, subject to accelerated vesting clauses in his employment agreement. We recorded compensation expense relating to Mr. Bernstein's restricted AB Holding Unit grants of $0.9 million, $0.9 million and $0.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Under the Incentive Compensation Program, we awarded 5.8 million restricted AB Holding Units in 2019 (which included 5.4 million restricted AB Holding Units in December for the 2019 year-end awards as well as 0.4 million additional restricted AB Holding Units granted earlier during the year relating to the 2018 year-end awards), 6.5 million restricted AB Holding Units in 2018 (which included 6.2 million restricted AB Holding Units in December for the 2018 year-end awards as well as 0.3 million additional restricted AB Holding Units granted earlier during the year relating to the 2017 year-end awards), and 6.3 million restricted AB Holding Units in 2017 (which included 6.1 million restricted AB Holding Units in December for the 2017 year-end awards as well as 0.2 million additional restricted AB Holding Units granted earlier during the year related to the 2016 year-end awards). The grant date fair values per restricted AB Holding Unit ranged between $26.69 and $30.01 in 2019, $24.95 and $26.69 in 2018, and $23.00 and $24.95 in 2017. Restricted AB Holding Units awarded under the Incentive Compensation Program

generally vest in 25% increments on December 1st of each of the four years immediately following the year in which the award is granted.

We also award restricted AB Holding Units in connection with certain employment and separation agreements, as well as relocation-related performance awards, with vesting schedules ranging between two and five years. The fair value of the restricted AB Holding Units is amortized over the required service period as employee compensation expense. We awarded 1.9 million, 2.6 million and 1.8 million restricted AB Holding Units in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively, with grant date fair values per restricted AB Holding Unit ranging between $27.32 and $30.85 in 2019, $25.05 and $30.25 in 2018, and $21.25 and $25.65 in 2017. We recorded compensation expense relating to restricted AB Holding Unit grants in connection with certain employment and separation agreements of $36.7 million, $32.2 million and $21.6 million, respectively, for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Changes in unvested restricted AB Holding Units during 2019 are as follows:



	AB Holding Units		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit
Unvested as of December 31, 2018	20,214,389		$	25.12
Granted	7,739,318		28.75
Vested	(8,260,466	)	24.38
Forfeited	(406,161	)	25.86
Unvested as of December 31, 2019	19,287,080		26.88

The total grant date fair value of restricted AB Holding Units that vested during 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $201.4 million, $169.1 million and $177.0 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2019, the 19,287,080 unvested restricted AB Holding Units consist of 14,752,831 restricted AB Holding Units that do not have a service requirement and have been fully expensed on the grant date and 4,534,249 restricted AB Holding Units that have a service requirement and will be expensed over the required service period. As of December 31, 2019, there was $101.5 million of compensation expense related to unvested restricted AB Holding Unit awards granted and not yet recognized in the consolidated statement of income. We expect to recognize the expense over a weighted average period of 3.6 years.

Units Outstanding

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Equity [Abstract]

Units Outstanding

Changes in AB Units outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	2019		2018
Outstanding as of January 1,	268,850,276		268,659,333
Options exercised	511,894		889,119
Units issued	4,833,715		6,153,320
Units retired⁽¹⁾	(3,815,571	)	(6,851,496	)
Outstanding as of December 31,	270,380,314		268,850,276

⁽¹⁾ During 2019 and 2018, we purchased 3,782 and 5,346 AB Units, respectively, in private transactions and retired them.

Income Taxes

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Income Taxes

AB is a private partnership for federal income tax purposes and, accordingly, is not subject to federal or state corporate income taxes. However, AB is subject to a 4.0% New York City unincorporated business tax (“UBT”). Domestic corporate subsidiaries of AB, which are subject to federal, state and local income taxes, generally are included in the filing of a consolidated federal income tax return with separate state and local income tax returns being filed. Foreign corporate subsidiaries are generally subject to taxes in the foreign jurisdictions where they are located.

In order to preserve AB’s status as a private partnership for federal income tax purposes, AB Units must not be considered publicly traded. The AB Partnership Agreement provides that all transfers of AB Units must be approved by EQH and the General Partner; EQH and the General Partner approve only those transfers permitted pursuant to one or more of the safe harbors contained in the relevant Treasury regulations. If AB Units were considered readily tradable, AB’s net income would be subject to federal and state corporate income tax, significantly reducing its quarterly distributions to AB Holding. Furthermore, should AB enter into a

substantial new line of business, AB Holding, by virtue of its ownership of AB, would lose its status as a “grandfathered” publicly-traded partnership and would become subject to corporate income tax, which would reduce materially AB Holding’s net income and its quarterly distributions to AB Holding Unitholders.

Earnings before income taxes and income tax expense consist of:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Earnings before income taxes:
United States	$	697,501		$	672,221		$	634,515
Foreign	125,936			153,093			139,395
Total	$	823,437		$	825,314		$	773,910
Income tax expense:
Partnership UBT	$	9,196		$	5,251		$	2,986
Corporate subsidiaries:
Federal	(943		)	(4,030		)	18,079
State and local	975			2,888			803
Foreign	32,290			36,529			29,365
Current tax expense	41,518			40,638			51,233
Deferred tax	236			5,178			1,877
Income tax expense	$	41,754		$	45,816		$	53,110

The principal reasons for the difference between the effective tax rates and the UBT statutory tax rate of 4.0% are as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019					2018					2017
	(in thousands)
UBT statutory rate	$	32,937		4.0	%	$	33,012		4.0	%	$	30,956		4.0	%
Corporate subsidiaries' federal, state, and local	4,000			0.5		1,522			0.2		2,558			0.3
Foreign subsidiaries taxed at different rates	26,719			3.3		30,689			3.7		25,406			3.3
2017 Tax Act	—			—		1,155			0.1		25,846			3.3
FIN 48 reserve (release)	2,765			0.3		(5,177		)	(0.6	)	(3,318		)	(0.4	)
UBT business allocation percentage rate change	(79		)	—		2,657			0.3		—			—
Deferred tax and payable write-offs	314			—		2,932			0.4		(9,542		)	(1.2	)
Foreign outside basis difference	155			—		2,273			0.3		—			—
Amended 2017 return	(3,853		)	(0.5	)	—			—		—			—
Effect of ASC 740 adjustments, miscellaneous taxes, and other	2,305			0.3		(2,521		)	(0.3	)	1,903			0.2
Income not taxable resulting from use of UBT business apportionment factors and effect of compensation charge	(23,509		)	(2.8	)	(20,726		)	(2.5	)	(20,699		)	(2.6	)
Income tax expense and effective tax rate	$	41,754		5.1		$	45,816		5.6		$	53,110		6.9

We recognize the effects of a tax position in the financial statements only if, as of the reporting date, it is “more likely than not” to be sustained based on its technical merits and their applicability to the facts and circumstances of the tax position. In making this assessment, we assume that the taxing authority will examine the tax position and have full knowledge of all relevant information.

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	3,893	$	8,478		$	12,596
Additions for prior year tax positions	1,813		—			—
Reductions for prior year tax positions	—		—			(1,849		)
Additions for current year tax positions	—		—			—
Reductions for current year tax positions	—		—			—
Reductions related to closed years/settlements with tax authorities	—		(4,585		)	(2,269		)
Balance as of end of period	$	5,706	$	3,893		$	8,478

The amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017, when recognized, is recorded as a reduction to income tax expense and reduces the company’s effective tax rate.

Interest and penalties, if any, relating to tax positions are recorded in income tax expense on the consolidated statements of income. The total amount of interest expense recorded in income tax expense during 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $0.7 million, $0.1 million and $0.3 million, respectively. The total amount of accrued interest recorded on the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 was $1.1 million, $0.3 million and $0.7 million, respectively. There were $0.2 million of penalties accrued as of December 31, 2019. There were no accrued penalties as of December 31, 2018 or 2017.

Generally, the company is no longer subject to U.S. federal, state or local income tax examinations by tax authorities for any year prior to 2015, except as set forth below.

During the third quarter of 2018, the City of New York notified us of an examination of AB's UBT returns for the years 2013 through 2016. The examination is ongoing.

Currently, there are no income tax examinations at our significant non-U.S. subsidiaries. Years that remain open and may be subject to examination vary under local law and range from one to seven years.

At December 31, 2019, it is reasonably possible that $4.2 million of our unrecognized tax benefits will change within the next twelve months due to completion of tax authority exams.

Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effect of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The tax effect of significant items comprising the net deferred tax asset (liability) is as follows:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax asset:
Differences between book and tax basis:
Benefits from net operating loss carryforwards	$	5,551		$	2,518
Long-term incentive compensation plans	20,907			22,342
Investment basis differences	4,376			3,606
Depreciation and amortization	1,554			1,248
Lease liability	6,409			—
Other, primarily accrued expenses deductible when paid	3,106			3,903
	41,903			33,617
Less: valuation allowance	(2,026		)	(490		)
Deferred tax asset	39,877			33,127
Deferred tax liability:
Differences between book and tax basis:
Intangible assets	8,013			6,852
Investment in foreign subsidiaries	2,191			1,653
Right-of-use asset	5,191			—
Other	1,672			1,758
Deferred tax liability	17,067			10,263
Net deferred tax asset	$	22,810		$	22,864

Valuation allowances of $2.0 million and $0.5 million were established as of December 31, 2019 and 2018, respectively, primarily due to significant negative evidence that net operating loss ("NOL") carryforwards will not be utilized, given the future losses expected to be incurred by the applicable subsidiaries. We had NOL carryforwards at December 31, 2019 and 2018 of approximately $46.2 million and $32.4 million, respectively. The majority of our foreign NOL carryforwards have an indefinite expiration period.

The deferred tax asset is included in other assets in our consolidated statement of financial condition. Management believes there will be sufficient future taxable income to realize the tax benefits related to the remaining net deferred tax assets recognized that are not subject to valuation allowances.

The company provides income taxes on the unremitted earnings of non-U.S. corporate subsidiaries except to the extent that such earnings are indefinitely reinvested outside the United States. As of December 31, 2019, $29.6 million of undistributed earnings of non-U.S. corporate subsidiaries were indefinitely invested outside the U.S. At existing applicable income tax rates, additional taxes of approximately $6.2 million would need to be paid if such earnings are remitted.

Business Segment Information

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Business Segment Information

Management has assessed the requirements of ASC 280, Segment Reporting, and determined that, because we utilize a consolidated approach to assess performance and allocate resources, we have only one operating segment. Enterprise-wide disclosures as of and for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:

Services

Net revenues derived from our investment management, research and related services were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Institutions	$	480,144	$	479,068	$	477,140
Retail	1,619,832		1,494,445		1,423,890
Private Wealth Management	904,505		883,234		787,362
Bernstein Research Services	407,911		439,432		449,919
Other	163,245		123,581		185,375
Total revenues	3,575,637		3,419,760		3,323,686
Less: Interest expense	57,205		52,399		25,165
Net revenues	$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521

Our AllianceBernstein Global High Yield Portfolio, an open-end fund incorporated in Luxembourg (ACATEUH: LX), generated approximately 9%, 10% and 11% of our investment advisory and service fees and 9%, 10% and 12% of our net revenues during 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Geographic Information

Net revenues and long-lived assets, related to our U.S. and international operations, as of and for the years ended December 31, were as follows:



	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Net revenues:
United States	$	1,975,105	$	1,940,267	$	1,958,844
International	1,543,327		1,427,094		1,339,677
Total	$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521
Long-lived assets:
United States	$	3,259,490	$	3,262,722
International	54,349		56,069
Total	$	3,313,839	$	3,318,791

Major Customers

Company-sponsored mutual funds are distributed to individual investors through broker-dealers, insurance sales representatives, banks, registered investment advisers, financial planners and other financial intermediaries. HSBC (not affiliated with AB) was responsible for approximately 14%, 7% and 9% of our open-end mutual fund sales in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively. HSBC is not under any obligation to sell a specific amount of AB Fund shares.

EQH and the general and separate accounts of Equitable Life (including investments by the separate accounts of Equitable Life in the funding vehicle EQ Advisors Trust) accounted for approximately 3% of our total revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. AXA and its subsidiaries accounted for approximately 2% of our total revenues for each of the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017. No single institutional client other than EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries accounted for more than 1% of our total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Related Party Transactions

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Related Party Transactions

Mutual Funds

We provide investment management, distribution, shareholder, administrative and brokerage services to individual investors by means of retail mutual funds sponsored by our company, our subsidiaries and our affiliated joint venture companies. We provide substantially all of these services under contracts that specify the services to be provided and the fees to be charged. The contracts are subject to annual review and approval by each mutual fund’s board of directors or trustees and, in certain circumstances, by the mutual fund’s shareholders. Revenues for services provided or related to the mutual funds are as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Investment advisory and services fees	$	1,275,677	$	1,207,086	$	1,148,467
Distribution revenues	441,437		403,965		397,674
Shareholder servicing fees	75,122		74,019		73,310
Other revenues	7,303		7,262		6,942
Bernstein Research Services	2		33		13

EQH, AXA and their respective Subsidiaries

We provide investment management and certain administration services to EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries. In addition, EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries distribute company-sponsored mutual funds, for which they receive commissions and distribution payments. Also, we are covered by various insurance policies maintained by EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries and we pay fees for technology and other services provided by EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries. Additionally, see Note 12, Debt, for disclosures related to our credit facility with EQH.

Aggregate amounts included in the consolidated financial statements for transactions with EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries, as of and for the years ended December 31, are as follows:



	EQH								AXA
	2019			2018			2017		2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Revenues:
Investment advisory and services fees	$	109,316		$	104,810		$	98,450	$	65,086		$	64,347		$	58,980
Bernstein Research Services	—			—			—		45			134			403
Distribution revenues	—			—			—		12,968			13,897			13,387
Other revenues	1,013			1,104			864		482			625			266
	$	110,329		$	105,914		$	99,314	$	78,581		$	79,003		$	73,036
Expenses:
Commissions and distribution payments to financial intermediaries	$	3,956		$	3,964		$	3,828	$	16,693		$	17,603		$	15,374
General and administrative	2,466			2,615			2,610		11,501			12,391			9,818
Other	2,759			1,485			1,696		—			—			—
	$	9,181		$	8,064		$	8,134	$	28,194		$	29,994		$	25,192
Balance Sheet:
Institutional investment advisory and services fees receivable	$	8,716		$	9,751				$	10,842		$	7,861
Prepaid expenses	238			364					—			—
Other due to EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries	(2,111		)	(1,842		)			(5,234		)	(5,417		)
EQH Facility	(560,000		)	—					—			—
	$	(553,157	)	$	8,273				$	5,608		$	2,444

Other Related Parties

The consolidated statements of financial condition include a net receivable from AB Holding as a result of cash transactions for fees and expense reimbursements. The net receivable balance included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was $10.1 million and $11.4 million, respectively.

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2019
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions Acquisitions are accounted for under ASC 805, Business Combinations. On April 1, 2019, we acquired a 100% interest in Autonomous, an institutional research firm. On the acquisition date, we made a cash payment of $6.5 million and recorded a contingent consideration payable of $17.4 million based on projected fee revenues over a five-year measurement period. The excess of the purchase price over the current fair value of identifiable net assets acquired of $5.6 million resulted in the recognition of $10.2 million of goodwill and $8.1 million of intangible assets relating to customer relationships and trademarks. Also, in accordance with US GAAP, additional cash payments and contingent consideration payable to the owners of Autonomous on the acquisition date are considered compensation expense to be amortized over two-year and five-year periods, respectively, not purchase price consideration, due to service conditions at the time of acquisition. The Autonomous acquisition did not have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. As a result, we have not provided supplemental pro forma information.

Non-controlling Interests

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]

Non-controlling Interests

Non-controlling interest in net income for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018			2017
	(in thousands)

Non-redeemable non-controlling interests:
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	—	$	(119	)	$	9,353
Other	92		188			279
Total non-redeemable non-controlling interest	92		69			9,632
Redeemable non-controlling interests:
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	29,549		21,841			48,765
Total non-controlling interest in net income (loss)	$	29,641	$	21,910		$	58,397

On June 20, 2014, we acquired an 81.7% ownership interest in CPH Capital Fondsmaeglerselskab A/S (“CPH”), a Danish asset management firm that manages global core equity assets for institutional investors. As a result of additional share purchases made in each year since 2015, we have a 100% ownership interest in CPH as of December 31, 2019.

Non-redeemable non-controlling interest as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	—	$	—
CPH	—		949
Total non-redeemable non-controlling interest	$	—	$	949

Redeemable non-controlling interest as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	325,561	$	145,921
CPH	—		2,888
Total redeemable non-controlling interest	$	325,561	$	148,809

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)



	Quarters Ended 2019
	December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net revenues	$	987,304	$	877,867	$	857,799	$	795,462
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	248,865	$	187,811	$	166,252	$	149,114
Basic net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.92	$	0.69	$	0.61	$	0.55
Diluted net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.92	$	0.69	$	0.61	$	0.55
Cash distributions per AB Unit⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	$	0.93	$	0.70	$	0.63	$	0.56



	Quarters Ended 2018
	December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net revenues	$	804,660	$	850,176	$	844,738	$	867,787
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	188,053	$	203,674	$	181,665	$	184,196
Basic net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.70	$	0.75	$	0.66	$	0.68
Diluted net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.70	$	0.75	$	0.66	$	0.68
Cash distributions per AB Unit⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	$	0.71	$	0.76	$	0.69	$	0.80


⁽¹⁾	Basic and diluted net income per unit are computed independently for each of the periods presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly net income per unit amounts may not agree to the total for the year.


⁽²⁾	Declared and paid during the following quarter.

⁽³⁾

Cash distributions reflect the impact of our non-GAAP adjustments.

Valuation and Qualifying Account - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

SEC Schedule, 12-09, Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

AllianceBernstein L.P.

Valuation and Qualifying Account - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts

For the Three Years Ending December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017



Description	Balance at Beginning of Period		Credited to Costs and Expenses		Deductions			Balance at End of Period
	(in thousands)
For the year ended December 31, 2017	$	513	$	150	$	252	^(a)	$	411

For the year ended December 31, 2018	$	411	$	—	$	16	^(b)	$	395

For the year ended December 31, 2019	$	395	$	132	$	218	^(c)	$	309


^(a)	Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $252.


^(b)	Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $16.

^(c)

Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $218.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

Principles of Consolidation

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements/Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted in 2019

Revenue Recognition

Investment advisory and services fees

Bernstein Research Services

Distribution Revenues

Other Revenues

Revenues from contracts with customers include a portion of other revenues, which consists primarily of shareholder servicing fees, as well as mutual fund reimbursements and other brokerage income.

Contract Assets and Liabilities

Non-Contractual Revenues

Consolidation of Company-Sponsored Investment Funds

Consolidation of company-sponsored investment funds

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Fees Receivable, Net

Brokerage Transactions

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net

Goodwill

Intangible Assets, Net

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net

Leases

Loss Contingencies

Contingent Payment Arrangements

Mutual Fund Underwriting Activities

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans


•	We engage in open-market purchases of AB Holding Units or purchase newly-issued AB Holding Units from AB Holding that are awarded to participants and keep them in a consolidated rabbi trust.


•	Quarterly distributions on vested and unvested AB Holding Units are paid currently to participants, regardless of whether or not a long-term deferral election has been made.


•	Interest on deferred cash is accrued monthly based on our monthly weighted average cost of funds.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions

Cash Distributions

Comprehensive Income

Business Description and Organization (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Ownership Interest By Limited Partners

As of December 31, 2019, the ownership structure of AB, including limited partnership units outstanding as well as the general partner's 1% interest, was as follows:



EQH and its subsidiaries	63.3	%
AB Holding	36.0
Unaffiliated holders	0.7
	100.0	%

Revenue Recognition (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenues

Revenues for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of the following:



		Year Ended December 31,
		2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Subject to contracts with customers:
Investment advisory and services fees
Base fees		$	2,372,429	$	2,244,068	$	2,106,525
Performance-based fees		99,615		118,143		94,780
Bernstein research services		407,911		439,432		449,919
Distribution revenues
All-in-management fees		291,999		254,477		245,367
12b-1 fees		80,268		87,166		94,972
Other		82,776		76,919		71,724
Other revenues
Shareholder servicing fees		77,394		75,974		75,024
Other		17,924		19,211		17,838
		3,430,316		3,315,390		3,156,149
Not subject to contracts with customers:
Dividend and interest income, net of interest expense		47,216		45,827		45,997
Investment gains (losses)		38,659		2,653		92,102
Other revenues		2,241		3,491		4,273
		88,116		51,971		142,372
Total net revenues		$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521

Net Income Per Unit (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Earnings Per Unit, Basic and Diluted



	Year Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	752,042	$	757,588	$	662,403

Weighted average units outstanding—basic	268,075		269,236		266,955
Dilutive effect of compensatory options to buy AB Holding Units	44		251		430
Weighted average units outstanding—diluted	268,119		269,487		267,385

Basic net income per AB Unit	$	2.78	$	2.79	$	2.46
Diluted net income per AB Unit	$	2.78	$	2.78	$	2.45

Investments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Summary of Investments

Investments consist of:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

U.S. Treasury Bills	$	—	$	392,424
Equity securities:
Long-term incentive compensation-related	36,665		38,883
Seed capital	70,464		105,951
Other	73,202		73,409
Exchange-traded options	6,931		2,568
Investments in limited partnership hedge funds:
Long-term incentive compensation-related	14,237		13,546
Seed capital	33,124		67,153
Time deposits	18,281		8,783
Other	13,890		11,627
Total investments	$	266,794	$	714,344

Summary of the Cost and Fair Value of Available-For-Sale and Trading Investments

The portion of unrealized gains (losses) related to equity securities, as defined by ASC 321-10, held as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
	(in thousands)
Net gain (losses) recognized during the period	$	31,890	$	(21,797	)
Less: net gains recognized during the period on equity securities sold during the period	18,138		1,515
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized during the period on equity securities held	$	13,752	$	(23,312	)

Derivative Instruments (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]

Summary of Derivative Instruments



	Notional Value		Derivative Assets		Derivative Liabilities		Gains (Losses)
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Exchange-traded futures	$	171,112	$	939	$	871	$	(10,840	)
Currency forwards	60,809		8,545		8,633		738
Interest rate swaps	92,756		1,746		2,254		(616		)
Credit default swaps	168,303		2,151		5,611		(6,413		)
Total return swaps	91,201		110		1,764		(21,164		)
Option swaps	354		—		126		(126		)
Total derivatives	$	584,535	$	13,491	$	19,259	$	(38,421	)
December 31, 2018
Exchange-traded futures	$	218,657	$	1,594	$	2,534	$	3,515
Currency forwards	87,019		7,647		7,582		379
Interest rate swaps	112,658		1,649		1,959		(125		)
Credit default swaps	94,657		2,888		2,685		335
Total return swaps	99,038		3,301		62		8,246
Total derivatives	$	612,029	$	17,079	$	14,822	$	12,350

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of pertinent information about a derivative or group of derivatives on a disaggregated basis, such as for individual instruments, or small groups of similar instruments. May include a combination of the type of instrument, risks being hedged, notional amount, hedge designation, related hedged item, inception date, maturity date, or other relevant item.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-Section 50
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Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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Reference 6: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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Reference 7: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
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Reference 8: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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Reference 9: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(n)(2))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 10: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
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-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109980867&loc=SL5579240-113959

+ Details

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Offsetting [Abstract]

Offsetting of Financial Assets

Offsetting of assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities borrowed	$	38,993	$	—	$	38,993	$	(38,993	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	13,491	$	—	$	13,491	$	—		$	(251	)	$	13,240
Long exchange-traded options	$	6,931	$	—	$	6,931	$	—		$	—		$	6,931
December 31, 2018
Securities borrowed	$	64,856	$	—	$	64,856	$	(64,217	)	$	—		$	639
Derivatives	$	17,079	$	—	$	17,079	$	—		$	(4,831	)	$	12,248
Long exchange-traded options	$	2,568	$	—	$	2,568	$	—		$	—		$	2,568

Offsetting of Financial Liabilities

Offsetting of liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities loaned	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—		$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	19,259	$	—	$	19,259	$	—		$	(4,276	)	$	14,983
Short exchange-traded options	$	12,348	$	—	$	12,348	$	—		$	—		$	12,348
December 31, 2018
Securities loaned	$	59,526	$	—	$	59,526	$	(59,526	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	14,822	$	—	$	14,822	$	—		$	(4,458	)	$	10,364
Short exchange-traded options	$	3,782	$	—	$	3,782	$	—		$	—		$	3,782

Fair Value (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis

Valuation of our financial instruments by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2019:
Money markets	$	126,401	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	126,401
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,094,866		—		—		—		1,094,866
Derivatives	939		12,552		—		—		—		13,491
Investments
Equity securities	170,946		8,952		119		314		—		180,331
Long exchange-traded options	6,931		—		—		—		—		6,931
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		47,361		47,361
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		18,281		18,281
Other investments	5,883		—		—		—		8,007		13,890
Total investments	183,760		8,952		119		314		73,649		266,794
Total assets measured at fair value	$	311,100	$	1,116,370	$	119	$	314	$	73,649	$	1,501,552

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	17,809	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	17,809
Short exchange-traded options	12,348		—		—		—		—		12,348
Derivatives	871		18,388		—		—		—		19,259
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		22,911		—		—		22,911
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	31,028	$	18,388	$	22,911	$	—	$	—	$	72,327



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2018:
Money markets	$	102,888	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	102,888
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,169,554		—		—		—		1,169,554
Derivatives	1,594		15,485		—		—		—		17,079
Investments
U.S. Treasury Bills	—		392,424		—		—		—		392,424
Equity securities	209,414		8,372		142		315		—		218,243
Long exchange-traded options	2,568		—		—		—		—		2,568
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		80,699		80,699
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		8,783		8,783
Other investments	4,269		—		—		—		7,358		11,627
Total investments	216,251		400,796		142		315		96,840		714,344
Total assets measured at fair value	$	320,733	$	1,585,835	$	142	$	315	$	96,840	$	2,003,865

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	4,841	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,841
Short exchange-traded options	3,782		—		—		—		—		3,782
Derivatives	2,534		12,288		—		—		—		14,822
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		7,336		—		—		7,336
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	11,157	$	12,288	$	7,336	$	—	$	—	$	30,781

⁽¹⁾Investments measured at fair value using NAV (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient.

⁽²⁾ Investments in equity method investees that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

⁽³⁾ Investments carried at amortized cost that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

Fair Value Measurement Level 3 Reconciliation

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value, classified as equity securities, is as follows:



	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	142		$	1,071
Purchases	—			—
Sales	—			—
Realized gains (losses), net	—			—
Unrealized (losses) gains, net	(23		)	(929		)
Balance as of end of period	$	119		$	142

Schedule of Contingent Payment Arrangements Level 3 Financial Instruments

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value, classified as contingent payment arrangements, is as follows:



	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	7,336		$	10,855
Addition	17,384			—
Accretion	2,542			210
Changes in estimates	(3,051		)	(2,429		)
Payments	(1,300		)	(1,300		)
Balance as of end of period	$	22,911		$	7,336

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvement, Net

Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net consist of:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Furniture and equipment	$	575,378		$	561,816
Leasehold improvements	266,365			253,439
	841,743			815,255
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(696,492		)	(659,736		)
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net	$	145,251		$	155,519

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Components of Deferred Sales Commissions

The components of deferred sales commissions, net for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (excluding amounts related to fully amortized deferred sales commissions):



	December 31,
	2019			2018 ⁽¹⁾
	(in thousands)
Carrying amount of deferred sales commissions	$	68,371		$	78,971
Less: Accumulated amortization	(19,348		)	(40,506		)
Cumulative CDSC received	(12,727		)	(21,317		)
Deferred sales commissions, net	$	36,296		$	17,148

⁽¹⁾Prior year amounts have been reclassified to conform to our 2019 presentation.

Expected Amortization of Deferred Sales Commissions

Estimated future amortization expense related to the December 31, 2019 net asset balance, assuming no additional CDSC is received in future periods, is as follows (in thousands):



2020	$	17,049
2021	11,666
2022	7,127
2023	454
	$	36,296

Leases (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Leases [Abstract]

Schedule of Leases

Leases included in the consolidated statements of financial condition as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



	Classification	December 31, 2019
		(in thousands)
Operating Leases
Operating lease right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	$	360,185
Operating lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	465,907

Finance Leases
Property and equipment, gross	Right-of-use assets	3,825
Amortization of right-of-use assets	Right-of-use assets	(1,317		)
Property and equipment, net		2,508
Finance lease liabilities	Lease liabilities	2,544

Components of Lease Expense and Supplemental Cash Flow Information

The components of lease expense included in the consolidated statements of income as of December 31, 2019 were as follows:



		Year Ended December 31,
	Classification	2019
		(in thousands)
Operating lease cost	General and administrative	$	106,085

Financing lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	General and administrative	1,317
Interest on lease liabilities	Interest expense	71
Total finance lease cost		1,388
Variable lease cost ⁽¹⁾	General and administrative	40,786
Sublease income	General and administrative	(55,522		)
Net lease cost		$	92,737

⁽¹⁾ Variable lease expense includes operating expenses, real estate taxes and employee parking.



Lease term and discount rate
Weighted average remaining lease term (years):
Operating leases	5.23
Finance leases	2.37
Weighted average discount rate:
Operating leases	3.51	%
Finance leases	3.02

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases are as follows:



	Year Ended December 31, 2019
	(in thousands)
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	132,669
Operating cash flows from financing leases	71
Financing cash flows from finance leases	1,281
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations⁽¹⁾:
Operating leases	11,108
Finance leases	1,469

⁽¹⁾Represents non-cash activity and, accordingly, is not reflected in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Schedule of Maturities of Finance Lease Liabilities

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544

Schedule of Maturities of Operating Lease Liabilities

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544

The future minimum payments under non-cancelable leases, sublease commitments and related payments we are obligated to make, net of sublease commitments of third party lessees to make payments to us, as of December 31, 2019, are as follows:



	Payments		Sublease Receipts		Net Payments
	(in millions)
2020	$	117.1	$	33.8	$	83.3
2021	115.1		34.4		80.7
2022	102.0		31.5		70.5
2023	94.5		31.0		63.5
2024	91.2		30.4		60.8
2025 and thereafter	619.2		—		619.2
Total future minimum payments	$	1,139.1	$	161.1	$	978.0

Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Maturities of Operating Lease Liabilities

Maturities of lease liabilities are as follows:



	Operating Leases			Financing Leases			Total
Year ending December 31,	(in thousands)
2020	$	110,178		$	1,385		$	111,563
2021	104,644			741			105,385
2022	90,363			356			90,719
2023	82,806			126			82,932
2024	79,625			23			79,648
Thereafter	43,162			—			43,162
Total lease payments	510,778			2,631			$	513,409
Less interest	(44,871		)	(87		)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	465,907		$	2,544



	Payments		Sublease Receipts		Net Payments
	(in millions)
2020	$	117.1	$	33.8	$	83.3
2021	115.1		34.4		80.7
2022	102.0		31.5		70.5
2023	94.5		31.0		63.5
2024	91.2		30.4		60.8
2025 and thereafter	619.2		—		619.2
Total future minimum payments	$	1,139.1	$	161.1	$	978.0

Sub Lease, Lease Income



	Payments		Sublease Receipts		Net Payments
	(in millions)
2020	$	117.1	$	33.8	$	83.3
2021	115.1		34.4		80.7
2022	102.0		31.5		70.5
2023	94.5		31.0		63.5
2024	91.2		30.4		60.8
2025 and thereafter	619.2		—		619.2
Total future minimum payments	$	1,139.1	$	161.1	$	978.0

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis

Valuation of our financial instruments by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2019:
Money markets	$	126,401	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	126,401
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,094,866		—		—		—		1,094,866
Derivatives	939		12,552		—		—		—		13,491
Investments
Equity securities	170,946		8,952		119		314		—		180,331
Long exchange-traded options	6,931		—		—		—		—		6,931
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		47,361		47,361
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		18,281		18,281
Other investments	5,883		—		—		—		8,007		13,890
Total investments	183,760		8,952		119		314		73,649		266,794
Total assets measured at fair value	$	311,100	$	1,116,370	$	119	$	314	$	73,649	$	1,501,552

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	17,809	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	17,809
Short exchange-traded options	12,348		—		—		—		—		12,348
Derivatives	871		18,388		—		—		—		19,259
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		22,911		—		—		22,911
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	31,028	$	18,388	$	22,911	$	—	$	—	$	72,327



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		NAV Expedient⁽¹⁾		Other		Total
December 31, 2018:
Money markets	$	102,888	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	102,888
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	—		1,169,554		—		—		—		1,169,554
Derivatives	1,594		15,485		—		—		—		17,079
Investments
U.S. Treasury Bills	—		392,424		—		—		—		392,424
Equity securities	209,414		8,372		142		315		—		218,243
Long exchange-traded options	2,568		—		—		—		—		2,568
Limited partnership hedge funds⁽²⁾	—		—		—		—		80,699		80,699
Time deposits⁽³⁾	—		—		—		—		8,783		8,783
Other investments	4,269		—		—		—		7,358		11,627
Total investments	216,251		400,796		142		315		96,840		714,344
Total assets measured at fair value	$	320,733	$	1,585,835	$	142	$	315	$	96,840	$	2,003,865

Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	$	4,841	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	4,841
Short exchange-traded options	3,782		—		—		—		—		3,782
Derivatives	2,534		12,288		—		—		—		14,822
Contingent payment arrangements	—		—		7,336		—		—		7,336
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	11,157	$	12,288	$	7,336	$	—	$	—	$	30,781

⁽¹⁾Investments measured at fair value using NAV (or its equivalent) as a practical expedient.

⁽²⁾ Investments in equity method investees that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

⁽³⁾ Investments carried at amortized cost that are not measured at fair value in accordance with GAAP.

Change in Carrying Value Associated with Level 3 Financial Instruments Carried at Fair Value

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value, classified as equity securities, is as follows:



	December 31, 2019			December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	142		$	1,071
Purchases	—			—
Sales	—			—
Realized gains (losses), net	—			—
Unrealized (losses) gains, net	(23		)	(929		)
Balance as of end of period	$	119		$	142

Offsetting of Derivative Assets

Offsetting of assets as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Received			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities borrowed	$	38,993	$	—	$	38,993	$	(38,993	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	13,491	$	—	$	13,491	$	—		$	(251	)	$	13,240
Long exchange-traded options	$	6,931	$	—	$	6,931	$	—		$	—		$	6,931
December 31, 2018
Securities borrowed	$	64,856	$	—	$	64,856	$	(64,217	)	$	—		$	639
Derivatives	$	17,079	$	—	$	17,079	$	—		$	(4,831	)	$	12,248
Long exchange-traded options	$	2,568	$	—	$	2,568	$	—		$	—		$	2,568

Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities

Offsetting of liabilities as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments			Cash Collateral Pledged			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019
Securities loaned	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—		$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	19,259	$	—	$	19,259	$	—		$	(4,276	)	$	14,983
Short exchange-traded options	$	12,348	$	—	$	12,348	$	—		$	—		$	12,348
December 31, 2018
Securities loaned	$	59,526	$	—	$	59,526	$	(59,526	)	$	—		$	—
Derivatives	$	14,822	$	—	$	14,822	$	—		$	(4,458	)	$	10,364
Short exchange-traded options	$	3,782	$	—	$	3,782	$	—		$	—		$	3,782

Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds

Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]

Balances of Consolidated VIEs and VOEs Included In Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition

The balances of consolidated VIEs and VOEs included in our consolidated statements of financial condition were as follows:



	December 31, 2019						December 31, 2018
	(in thousands)
	VIEs		VOEs		Total		VIEs		VOEs		Total
Cash and cash equivalents	$	9,623	$	1,810	$	11,433	$	11,880	$	1,238	$	13,118
Investments	404,624		176,380		581,004		217,840		133,856		351,696
Other assets	9,618		10,192		19,810		6,024		16,816		22,840
Total assets	$	423,865	$	188,382	$	612,247	$	235,744	$	151,910	$	387,654

Liabilities	$	12,147	$	18,870	$	31,017	$	5,215	$	17,395	$	22,610
Redeemable non-controlling interest	273,219		52,342		325,561		117,523		28,398		145,921
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	138,499		117,170		255,669		113,006		106,117		219,123
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and partners' capital	$	423,865	$	188,382	$	612,247	$	235,744	$	151,910	$	387,654

Fair Value of Assets and Liabilities Measured on a Recurring Basis

Valuation of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds' financial instruments by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2019:
Investments - VIEs	$	28,270	$	375,559	$	795	$	404,624
Investments - VOEs	104,069		72,252		59		176,380
Derivatives - VIEs	139		4,694		—		4,833
Derivatives - VOEs	76		4,263		—		4,339
Total assets measured at fair value	$	132,554	$	456,768	$	854	$	590,176

Derivatives - VIEs	$	835	$	3,724	$	—	$	4,559
Derivatives - VOEs	101		4,982		—		5,083
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	936	$	8,706	$	—	$	9,642

December 31, 2018:
Investments - VIEs	$	22,149	$	187,626	$	8,065	$	217,840
Investments - VOEs	68,063		65,485		308		133,856
Derivatives - VIEs	1,486		1,924		—		3,410
Derivatives - VOEs	124		3,692		—		3,816
Total assets measured at fair value	$	91,822	$	258,727	$	8,373	$	358,922

Derivatives - VIEs	$	72	$	3,819	$	—	$	3,891
Derivatives - VOEs	197		3,633		—		3,830
Total liabilities measured at fair value	$	269	$	7,452	$	—	$	7,721

Change in Carrying Value Associated with Level 3 Financial Instruments Carried at Fair Value

The change in carrying value associated with Level 3 financial instruments carried at fair value within consolidated company-sponsored investment funds was as follows:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)

Balance as of beginning of period	$	8,373		$	2,264
Transfers (out) in	(9,445		)	259
Purchases	9,213			9,354
Sales	(7,467		)	(3,086		)
Realized gains (losses), net	14			(100		)
Unrealized gains (losses), net	143			(331		)
Accrued discounts	23			13
Balance as of end of period	$	854		$	8,373

Offsetting of Derivative Assets

Offsetting of derivative assets of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Received			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	4,833	$	—	$	4,833	$	—	$	(1,631	)	$	3,202
Derivatives - VOEs	$	4,339	$	—	$	4,339	$	—	$	(534	)	$	3,805
December 31, 2018:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	3,410	$	—	$	3,410	$	—	$	(856	)	$	2,554
Derivatives - VOEs	$	3,816	$	—	$	3,816	$	—	$	(225	)	$	3,591

Offsetting of Derivative Liabilities

Offsetting of derivative liabilities of consolidated company-sponsored investment funds as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:



	Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities		Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition		Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition		Financial Instruments		Cash Collateral Pledged			Net Amount
	(in thousands)
December 31, 2019:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	4,559	$	—	$	4,559	$	—	$	(3,155	)	$	1,404
Derivatives - VOEs	$	5,083	$	—	$	5,083	$	—	$	(1,201	)	$	3,882
December 31, 2018:
Derivatives - VIEs	$	3,891	$	—	$	3,891	$	—	$	(829	)	$	3,062
Derivatives - VOEs	$	3,830	$	—	$	3,830	$	—	$	(547	)	$	3,283

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Change in Projected Benefit Obligation, Fair Value of Plan Assets and Funded Status of Plan

The Retirement Plan’s projected benefit obligation, fair value of plan assets and funded status (amounts recognized in the consolidated statements of financial condition) were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	116,233		$	125,200
Interest cost	4,944			4,771
Actuarial loss (gain)	20,411			(9,918		)
Benefits paid	(5,475		)	(3,820		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	136,113			116,233
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at fair value at beginning of year	98,584			100,706
Actual return on plan assets	16,971			(3,302		)
Employer contribution	4,000			5,000
Benefits paid	(5,475		)	(3,820		)
Plan assets at fair value at end of year	114,080			98,584
Funded status	$	(22,033	)	$	(17,649	)

Reconciliation of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income for the Retirement Plan

The amounts recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) for the Retirement Plan for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows:



	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Unrecognized net (loss) gain from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	$	(7,934	)	$	1,870		$	(3,043	)
Prior service cost	24			24			24
	(7,910		)	1,894			(3,019		)
Income tax benefit (expense)	312			(207		)	(49		)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	$	(7,598	)	$	1,687		$	(3,068	)

The reconciliation of the 2019 amounts recognized in other comprehensive income for the Retirement Plan as compared to the consolidated statement of comprehensive income ("OCI Statement") is as follows:



	Retirement Plan			Retired Individual Plan			Foreign Retirement Plans			OCI Statement
	(in thousands)
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	$	(7,934	)	$	(69	)	$	112		$	(7,891	)
Amortization of prior service cost	24			—			—			24
Changes in employee benefit related items	(7,910		)	(69		)	112			(7,867		)
Income tax benefit (expense)	312			3			(41		)	274
Employee benefit related items, net of tax	$	(7,598	)	$	(66	)	$	71		$	(7,593	)

Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Retirement Plan

The amounts included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) for the Retirement Plan as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Unrecognized net loss from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	$	(55,537	)	$	(47,603	)
Prior service cost	(731		)	(755		)
	(56,268		)	(48,358		)
Income tax benefit	513			201
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$	(55,755	)	$	(48,157	)

Expected Future Benefit Payments

Benefit payments are expected to be paid as follows (in thousands):



2020	$	5,868
2021	7,113
2022	9,202
2023	7,451
2024	7,538
2025-2029	45,048

Net (Benefit) Expense Under the Retirement Plan

Net expense under the Retirement Plan consisted of:



	Year Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	$	4,944		$	4,771		$	4,999
Expected return on plan assets	(5,639		)	(5,893		)	(5,261		)
Amortization of prior service cost	24			24			24
Recognized actuarial loss	1,146			1,146			1,097
Net pension expense	$	475		$	48		$	859

Actuarial Computations Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Costs

Actuarial computations used to determine net periodic costs were made utilizing the following weighted-average assumptions:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
Discount rate on benefit obligations	4.40	%	3.90	%	4.55	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	5.75	%	5.75	%	6.00	%

Retirement Plan Asset Allocation

The Retirement Plan’s asset allocation percentages consisted of:



	December 31,
	2019		2018
Equity	47	%	43	%
Debt securities	41		41
Other	12		16
	100	%	100	%

Valuation of Retirement Plan Assets by Pricing Observability Levels

The valuation of our Retirement Plan assets by pricing observability levels as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (in thousands):



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2019
Cash	$	230	$	—	$	—	$	230
U.S. Treasury Strips	—		27,318		—		27,318
Fixed income mutual funds	19,518		—		—		19,518
Equity mutual fund	33,875		—		—		33,875
Equity securities	11,182		—		—		11,182
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	64,805		27,318		—		92,123
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		21,957
Investments at fair value	$	64,805	$	27,318	$	—	$	114,080



	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
December 31, 2018
Cash	$	238	$	—	$	—	$	238
U.S. Treasury Strips	—		22,355		—		22,355
Fixed income mutual funds	18,362		—		—		18,362
Equity mutual fund	26,508		—		—		26,508
Equity securities	8,970		—		—		8,970
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	54,078		22,355		—		76,433
Investments measured at net assets value	—		—		—		22,151
Investments at fair value	$	54,078	$	22,355	$	—	$	98,584

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Summary of Option Awards Activity

The option-related activity in our equity compensation plans during 2019 is as follows:



	Options to Buy AB Holding Units		Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018	671,243		$	22.83	1.6
Granted	—		—
Exercised	(511,894	)	22.49
Forfeited	—		—
Expired	—		—
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019	159,349		23.93		2.1	$	1.0
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019	141,163		24.09		2.1	0.9
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019	159,349		23.93		2.1	1.0

Summary of Activity of Unvested Restricted Holding Units

Changes in unvested restricted AB Holding Units during 2019 are as follows:



	AB Holding Units		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit
Unvested as of December 31, 2018	20,214,389		$	25.12
Granted	7,739,318		28.75
Vested	(8,260,466	)	24.38
Forfeited	(406,161	)	25.86
Unvested as of December 31, 2019	19,287,080		26.88

Units Outstanding (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Equity [Abstract]

Changes in Units Outstanding

Changes in AB Units outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2019 and 2018 were as follows:



	2019		2018
Outstanding as of January 1,	268,850,276		268,659,333
Options exercised	511,894		889,119
Units issued	4,833,715		6,153,320
Units retired⁽¹⁾	(3,815,571	)	(6,851,496	)
Outstanding as of December 31,	270,380,314		268,850,276

⁽¹⁾ During 2019 and 2018, we purchased 3,782 and 5,346 AB Units, respectively, in private transactions and retired them.

Income Taxes (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Earnings Before Income Taxes and Income Tax Expense

Earnings before income taxes and income tax expense consist of:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Earnings before income taxes:
United States	$	697,501		$	672,221		$	634,515
Foreign	125,936			153,093			139,395
Total	$	823,437		$	825,314		$	773,910
Income tax expense:
Partnership UBT	$	9,196		$	5,251		$	2,986
Corporate subsidiaries:
Federal	(943		)	(4,030		)	18,079
State and local	975			2,888			803
Foreign	32,290			36,529			29,365
Current tax expense	41,518			40,638			51,233
Deferred tax	236			5,178			1,877
Income tax expense	$	41,754		$	45,816		$	53,110

Difference Between the Effective Tax Rates and UBT Statutory Tax Rate

The principal reasons for the difference between the effective tax rates and the UBT statutory tax rate of 4.0% are as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019					2018					2017
	(in thousands)
UBT statutory rate	$	32,937		4.0	%	$	33,012		4.0	%	$	30,956		4.0	%
Corporate subsidiaries' federal, state, and local	4,000			0.5		1,522			0.2		2,558			0.3
Foreign subsidiaries taxed at different rates	26,719			3.3		30,689			3.7		25,406			3.3
2017 Tax Act	—			—		1,155			0.1		25,846			3.3
FIN 48 reserve (release)	2,765			0.3		(5,177		)	(0.6	)	(3,318		)	(0.4	)
UBT business allocation percentage rate change	(79		)	—		2,657			0.3		—			—
Deferred tax and payable write-offs	314			—		2,932			0.4		(9,542		)	(1.2	)
Foreign outside basis difference	155			—		2,273			0.3		—			—
Amended 2017 return	(3,853		)	(0.5	)	—			—		—			—
Effect of ASC 740 adjustments, miscellaneous taxes, and other	2,305			0.3		(2,521		)	(0.3	)	1,903			0.2
Income not taxable resulting from use of UBT business apportionment factors and effect of compensation charge	(23,509		)	(2.8	)	(20,726		)	(2.5	)	(20,699		)	(2.6	)
Income tax expense and effective tax rate	$	41,754		5.1		$	45,816		5.6		$	53,110		6.9

Reconciliation of the Beginning and Ending Amount of Unrecognized Tax Benefits

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Balance as of beginning of period	$	3,893	$	8,478		$	12,596
Additions for prior year tax positions	1,813		—			—
Reductions for prior year tax positions	—		—			(1,849		)
Additions for current year tax positions	—		—			—
Reductions for current year tax positions	—		—			—
Reductions related to closed years/settlements with tax authorities	—		(4,585		)	(2,269		)
Balance as of end of period	$	5,706	$	3,893		$	8,478

Tax Effect of Significant Items Comprising the Net Deferred Tax Asset (Liability)

The tax effect of significant items comprising the net deferred tax asset (liability) is as follows:



	December 31,
	2019			2018
	(in thousands)
Deferred tax asset:
Differences between book and tax basis:
Benefits from net operating loss carryforwards	$	5,551		$	2,518
Long-term incentive compensation plans	20,907			22,342
Investment basis differences	4,376			3,606
Depreciation and amortization	1,554			1,248
Lease liability	6,409			—
Other, primarily accrued expenses deductible when paid	3,106			3,903
	41,903			33,617
Less: valuation allowance	(2,026		)	(490		)
Deferred tax asset	39,877			33,127
Deferred tax liability:
Differences between book and tax basis:
Intangible assets	8,013			6,852
Investment in foreign subsidiaries	2,191			1,653
Right-of-use asset	5,191			—
Other	1,672			1,758
Deferred tax liability	17,067			10,263
Net deferred tax asset	$	22,810		$	22,864

Business Segment Information (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Net Revenues From Investment Management, Research and Related Services

Net revenues derived from our investment management, research and related services were as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Institutions	$	480,144	$	479,068	$	477,140
Retail	1,619,832		1,494,445		1,423,890
Private Wealth Management	904,505		883,234		787,362
Bernstein Research Services	407,911		439,432		449,919
Other	163,245		123,581		185,375
Total revenues	3,575,637		3,419,760		3,323,686
Less: Interest expense	57,205		52,399		25,165
Net revenues	$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521

Net Revenues and Long-Lived Assets, Related to Geographic Areas

Net revenues and long-lived assets, related to our U.S. and international operations, as of and for the years ended December 31, were as follows:



	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Net revenues:
United States	$	1,975,105	$	1,940,267	$	1,958,844
International	1,543,327		1,427,094		1,339,677
Total	$	3,518,432	$	3,367,361	$	3,298,521
Long-lived assets:
United States	$	3,259,490	$	3,262,722
International	54,349		56,069
Total	$	3,313,839	$	3,318,791

Related Party Transactions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Revenues for Services Provided or Related to the Mutual Funds

Revenues for services provided or related to the mutual funds are as follows:



	Years Ended December 31,
	2019		2018		2017
	(in thousands)
Investment advisory and services fees	$	1,275,677	$	1,207,086	$	1,148,467
Distribution revenues	441,437		403,965		397,674
Shareholder servicing fees	75,122		74,019		73,310
Other revenues	7,303		7,262		6,942
Bernstein Research Services	2		33		13

Consolidated Financial Statements for Transactions with Related Parties

Aggregate amounts included in the consolidated financial statements for transactions with EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries, as of and for the years ended December 31, are as follows:



	EQH								AXA
	2019			2018			2017		2019			2018			2017
	(in thousands)
Revenues:
Investment advisory and services fees	$	109,316		$	104,810		$	98,450	$	65,086		$	64,347		$	58,980
Bernstein Research Services	—			—			—		45			134			403
Distribution revenues	—			—			—		12,968			13,897			13,387
Other revenues	1,013			1,104			864		482			625			266
	$	110,329		$	105,914		$	99,314	$	78,581		$	79,003		$	73,036
Expenses:
Commissions and distribution payments to financial intermediaries	$	3,956		$	3,964		$	3,828	$	16,693		$	17,603		$	15,374
General and administrative	2,466			2,615			2,610		11,501			12,391			9,818
Other	2,759			1,485			1,696		—			—			—
	$	9,181		$	8,064		$	8,134	$	28,194		$	29,994		$	25,192
Balance Sheet:
Institutional investment advisory and services fees receivable	$	8,716		$	9,751				$	10,842		$	7,861
Prepaid expenses	238			364					—			—
Other due to EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries	(2,111		)	(1,842		)			(5,234		)	(5,417		)
EQH Facility	(560,000		)	—					—			—
	$	(553,157	)	$	8,273				$	5,608		$	2,444

Non-controlling Interests (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]

Non-controlling Interest in Net Income

Non-controlling interest in net income for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018			2017
	(in thousands)

Non-redeemable non-controlling interests:
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	—	$	(119	)	$	9,353
Other	92		188			279
Total non-redeemable non-controlling interest	92		69			9,632
Redeemable non-controlling interests:
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	29,549		21,841			48,765
Total non-controlling interest in net income (loss)	$	29,641	$	21,910		$	58,397

Non-redeemable Non-controlling Interest

Non-redeemable non-controlling interest as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	—	$	—
CPH	—		949
Total non-redeemable non-controlling interest	$	—	$	949

Redeemable Non-controlling Interest

Redeemable non-controlling interest as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 consisted of the following:



	2019		2018
	(in thousands)

Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds	$	325,561	$	145,921
CPH	—		2,888
Total redeemable non-controlling interest	$	325,561	$	148,809

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Quarterly Financial Data



	Quarters Ended 2019
	December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net revenues	$	987,304	$	877,867	$	857,799	$	795,462
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	248,865	$	187,811	$	166,252	$	149,114
Basic net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.92	$	0.69	$	0.61	$	0.55
Diluted net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.92	$	0.69	$	0.61	$	0.55
Cash distributions per AB Unit⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	$	0.93	$	0.70	$	0.63	$	0.56



	Quarters Ended 2018
	December 31		September 30		June 30		March 31
	(in thousands, except per unit amounts)
Net revenues	$	804,660	$	850,176	$	844,738	$	867,787
Net income attributable to AB Unitholders	$	188,053	$	203,674	$	181,665	$	184,196
Basic net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.70	$	0.75	$	0.66	$	0.68
Diluted net income per AB Unit⁽¹⁾	$	0.70	$	0.75	$	0.66	$	0.68
Cash distributions per AB Unit⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	$	0.71	$	0.76	$	0.69	$	0.80


⁽¹⁾	Basic and diluted net income per unit are computed independently for each of the periods presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly net income per unit amounts may not agree to the total for the year.


⁽²⁾	Declared and paid during the following quarter.


⁽³⁾	Cash distributions reflect the impact of our non-GAAP adjustments.

Business Description and Organization - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 shares
Ownership structure of AB expressed as percentage of general and limited partnership interests
Percentage of General Partnership interest in company	1.00%
General Partnership number of general partnership units owned in Holding Company (in units)	100,000
AXA and its subsidiaries economic interest in Company	64.80%
AXA \| EQH
Ownership structure of AB expressed as percentage of general and limited partnership interests
Percentage of General Partnership interest in company	10.00%
EQH \| AB Holding
Ownership structure of AB expressed as percentage of general and limited partnership interests
Percentage of General Partnership interest in company	4.10%

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Accounting Pronouncements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jan. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Operating lease, right-of-use asset		$ 360,185
Operating lease, liability		465,907
Finance lease, right-of-use asset		2,508
Finance lease liabilities		$ 2,544
ASU 2016-02
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Operating lease, right-of-use asset	$ 438,700
Operating lease, liability	574,500
Finance lease, right-of-use asset	2,400
Finance lease liabilities	2,400
Deferred rent	50,000
Impairment loss	$ 85,800

Business Description and Organization (Details)	12 Months Ended
Business Description and Organization (Details)	Dec. 31, 2019
EQH and its subsidiaries
Ownership structure of AB Holding
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	63.30%
AB Holding
Ownership structure of AB Holding
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	36.00%
Unaffiliated holders
Ownership structure of AB Holding
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	0.70%
AllianceBernstein Corporation
Ownership structure of AB Holding
Limited partners or members ownership interest in Company (percent)	100.00%

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)

1 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Feb. 12, 2020

Dec. 31, 2019

Sep. 30, 2019

Jun. 30, 2019

Mar. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Sep. 30, 2018

Jun. 30, 2018

Mar. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2017

Collateralized Securities Transactions [Abstract]

Cash on deposit with clearing organizations for trade facilitation purposes

$ 204,000,000.0

$ 196,900,000

$ 204,000,000.0

$ 196,900,000

SCB LLC held U.S. Treasury Bills

$ 0

$ 392,400,000

$ 0

$ 392,400,000

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net [Abstract]

Period of time the deferred sales commissions are amortized over for U.S. fund shares

5 years 6 months

Period of time the deferred sales commissions are amortized over for non-U.S. fund shares

4 years

Mutual Fund Underwriting Activities [Abstract]

Period over which receivables from brokers and dealers for sale of shares of company-sponsored mutual funds generally are realized

3 days

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans [Abstract]

Employee allocation percentage maximum, percent

50.00%

Long-term incentive cash maximum per employee

$ 250,000

Long-term incentive awards vesting periods

4 years

AB Holding Units purchased in periods (in units)

6,000,000.0

9,300,000

Dollar amount paid for AB Holding Units acquired

$ 172,600,000

$ 268,000,000.0

Open-market purchases of AB Holding Units (in units)

2,900,000

6,500,000

Dollar amount paid for open-market purchases of AB Holding Units

$ 82,700,000

$ 183,200,000

Restricted AB Holding Units awarded to employees (in units)

5,400,000

7,700,000

8,700,000

6,200,000

Units issued upon exercise of options (in units)

511,894

889,119

Proceeds from stock options exercised

$ 11,511,000

$ 16,589,000

$ 20,110,000

Foreign Currency Translations [Abstract]

Net foreign currency transaction gains (losses)

$ (2,000,000.0)

$ (100,000)

$ (2,900,000)

Cash Distribution [Line Items]

Cash distribution, distribution declared (in dollars per unit)

^[1],[2]

$ 0.93

$ 0.70

$ 0.63

$ 0.56

$ 0.71

$ 0.76

$ 0.69

$ 0.80

Percentage of General Partnership interest in company

1.00%

Cash distributions per unit paid to the General Partner and Unitholders (in dollars per unit)

$ 2.60

$ 3.16

$ 2.39

Cash Distribution

Cash Distribution [Line Items]

Cash distribution, declaration date

Feb. 12, 2020

Percentage of General Partnership interest in company

1.00%

Cash distribution, distribution date

Mar. 05, 2020

Cash distribution, date of record

Feb. 24, 2020

Employees based outside of the United States

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans [Abstract]

Employee allocation percentage maximum, percent

100.00%

Long-term incentive cash maximum per employee

$ 100,000

Subsequent Event | Cash Distribution

Cash Distribution [Line Items]

Cash distribution, distribution declared (in dollars per unit)

$ 0.93

Furniture

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements [Abstract]

Useful Life

8 years

Equipment | Minimum

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements [Abstract]

Useful Life

3 years

Equipment | Maximum

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements [Abstract]

Useful Life

6 years

[1]	Cash distributions reflect the impact of our non-GAAP adjustments.
[2]	Declared and paid during the following quarter.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Goodwill and Intangible Assets, Net (Details)	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) segment reporting_unit	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2000 USD ($)
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill	$ 3,076,926,000	$ 3,076,926,000	$ 3,066,700,000
Number of reportable segments \| segment		1
Number of reporting units \| reporting_unit		1
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization	55,366,000	$ 55,366,000	79,424,000
Finite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization, net	41,900,000	41,900,000	65,900,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets not subject to amortization	13,500,000	13,500,000	13,500,000
Gross carrying amount of intangible assets	468,900,000	468,900,000	475,100,000
Accumulated amortization of intangible assets	427,000,000.0	427,000,000.0	409,200,000
Amortization expense on intangible assets		28,759,000	27,781,000	$ 27,896,000
Impairment of intangible assets	3,100,000
Impairment of finite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Future estimated annual amortization expense [Abstract]
2019	21,000,000	21,000,000
2020	5,000,000	5,000,000
2021	4,000,000	4,000,000
2022	4,000,000	4,000,000
2023	4,000,000	$ 4,000,000
Minimum
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets acquired, estimated useful life		6 years
Maximum
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Intangible assets acquired, estimated useful life		20 years
Sanford C Bernstein Inc Acquisition
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill acquired during period					$ 3,000,000,000.0
Goodwill	2,800,000,000	$ 2,800,000,000
Intangible Assets, Net [Abstract]
Finite-lived intangible assets subject to amortization, net	15,500,000	15,500,000	$ 36,200,000
Various smaller acquisitions
Goodwill [Abstract]
Goodwill	$ 276,000,000	$ 276,000,000

Revenue Recognition (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
Revenue Recognition (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									$ 3,430,316	$ 3,315,390	$ 3,156,149
Dividend and interest income, net of interest expense									47,216	45,827	45,997
Investment gains (losses)									38,659	2,653	92,102
Other revenues									2,241	3,491	4,273
Revenue Not Subject To Contract With Customer									88,116	51,971	142,372
Net revenues	$ 987,304	$ 877,867	$ 857,799	$ 795,462	$ 804,660	$ 850,176	$ 844,738	$ 867,787	3,518,432	3,367,361	3,298,521
Base fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									2,372,429	2,244,068	2,106,525
Performance-based fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									99,615	118,143	94,780
Bernstein research services
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									407,911	439,432	449,919
All-in-management fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									291,999	254,477	245,367
12b-1 fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									80,268	87,166	94,972
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									82,776	76,919	71,724
Shareholder servicing fees
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									77,394	75,974	75,024
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers									$ 17,924	$ 19,211	$ 17,838

Net Income Per Unit (Details) - USD ($)
$ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Sep. 30, 2019

Jun. 30, 2019

Mar. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Sep. 30, 2018

Jun. 30, 2018

Mar. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2017

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

Percentage of General Partnership interest in company

1.00%

Percentage of Limited Partners interest in Company

99.00%

Net income per unit, basic and diluted [Abstract]

Net income attributable to AB Unitholders

$ 248,865

$ 187,811

$ 166,252

$ 149,114

$ 188,053

$ 203,674

$ 181,665

$ 184,196

$ 752,042

$ 757,588

$ 662,403

Weighted average units outstanding—basic (in units)

268,075,000

269,236,000

266,955,000

Dilutive effect of compensatory options to buy AB Holding Units (in units)

44,000

251,000

430,000

Weighted average units outstanding - diluted (in units)

268,119,000

269,487,000

267,385,000

Basic net income per AB Unit (in dollars per unit)

$ 0.92

^[1]

$ 0.69

^[1]

$ 0.61

^[1]

$ 0.55

^[1]

$ 0.70

^[1]

$ 0.75

^[1]

$ 0.66

^[1]

$ 0.68

^[1]

$ 2.78

$ 2.79

$ 2.46

Diluted net income per AB Unit (in dollars per unit)

$ 0.92

^[1]

$ 0.69

^[1]

$ 0.61

^[1]

$ 0.55

^[1]

$ 0.70

^[1]

$ 0.75

^[1]

$ 0.66

^[1]

$ 0.68

^[1]

$ 2.78

$ 2.45

Options excluded from diluted net income per unit computation due to their anti-dilutive effect (in units)

29,056

49,784

1,970,741

[1]	Basic and diluted net income per unit are computed independently for each of the periods presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly net income per unit amounts may not agree to the total for the year.

Cash and Securities Segregated Under Federal Regulations and Other Requirements (Details) - USD ($) $ in Billions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Brokers and Dealers [Abstract]
United States Treasury Bills in special reserve bank custody account for exclusive benefit of brokerage customers of SCB LLC	$ 1.1	$ 1.2

Investments - Summary of Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	$ 266,794	$ 714,344
Seed capital
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	358,100	391,600
U.S. Treasury Bills
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	0	392,424
Equity securities: \| Long-term incentive compensation-related
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	36,665	38,883
Equity securities: \| Seed capital
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	70,464	105,951
Equity securities: \| Other
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	73,202	73,409
Exchange-traded options
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	6,931	2,568
Investments in limited partnership hedge funds: \| Long-term incentive compensation-related
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	14,237	13,546
Investments in limited partnership hedge funds: \| Seed capital
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	33,124	67,153
Time deposits
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	18,281	8,783
Other
Summary of Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	$ 13,890	$ 11,627

Investments - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation-related	$ 50,902	$ 52,429
Investments owned	266,794	714,344
Seed capital
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Investments owned	$ 358,100	$ 391,600

Investments - Unrealized Gains (Losses) Related to Equity Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Net gain (losses) recognized during the period	$ 31,890	$ (21,797)
Less: net gains recognized during the period on equity securities sold during the period	18,138	1,515
Unrealized gains (losses) recognized during the period on equity securities held	$ 13,752	$ (23,312)

Derivative Instruments - Notional Value, Fair Value and Gains and Losses Recognized in Investment Gains (Losses) (Details) - Not Designated as Hedging Instrument - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	$ 584,535	$ 612,029
Derivative Assets	13,491	17,079
Derivative Liabilities	19,259	14,822
Gains (Losses)	(38,421)	12,350
Exchange-traded futures
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	171,112	218,657
Derivative Assets	939	1,594
Derivative Liabilities	871	2,534
Gains (Losses)	(10,840)	3,515
Currency forwards
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	60,809	87,019
Derivative Assets	8,545	7,647
Derivative Liabilities	8,633	7,582
Gains (Losses)	738	379
Interest rate swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	92,756	112,658
Derivative Assets	1,746	1,649
Derivative Liabilities	2,254	1,959
Gains (Losses)	(616)	(125)
Credit default swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	168,303	94,657
Derivative Assets	2,151	2,888
Derivative Liabilities	5,611	2,685
Gains (Losses)	(6,413)	335
Total return swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	91,201	99,038
Derivative Assets	110	3,301
Derivative Liabilities	1,764	62
Gains (Losses)	(21,164)	$ 8,246
Option swaps
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Value	354
Derivative Assets	0
Derivative Liabilities	126
Gains (Losses)	$ (126)

Derivative Instruments - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative [Line Items]
Cash collateral received	$ 300	$ 4,800
Return of cash collateral into brokerage accounts	4,300	4,500
Losses on equity options activity	22,200	7,900
Exchange-traded options \| Long exchange-traded options
Derivative [Line Items]
Cash collateral received	0	0
Long exchange-trade equity options at fair value	6,900	2,600
Exchange-traded options \| Short exchange-traded options
Derivative [Line Items]
Return of cash collateral into brokerage accounts	0	0
Short exchange-traded equity options at fair value	$ 12,300	$ 3,800

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities - Offsetting Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Securities Borrowed [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	$ 38,993	$ 64,856
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	38,993	64,856
Financial Instruments	(38,993)	(64,217)
Cash Collateral Received	0	0
Net Amount	0	639
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Cash Collateral Received	(300)	(4,800)
Derivatives
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	13,491	17,079
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	13,491	17,079
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Received	(251)	(4,831)
Net Amount	13,240	12,248
Exchange-traded options \| Long exchange-traded options
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	6,931	2,568
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	6,931	2,568
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Received	0	0
Net Amount	$ 6,931	$ 2,568

Offsetting Assets and Liabilities - Offsetting Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Securities Loaned [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	$ 0	$ 59,526
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	59,526
Financial Instruments	0	(59,526)
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	0	0
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Cash Collateral Pledged	(4,300)	(4,500)
Derivatives
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	19,259	14,822
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	19,259	14,822
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Pledged	(4,276)	(4,458)
Net Amount	14,983	10,364
Exchange-traded options \| Short exchange-traded options
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	12,348	3,782
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	12,348	3,782
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Pledged	0	0
Net Amount	$ 12,348	$ 3,782

Fair Value - Valuation of Financial Instruments by Pricing Observability Levels (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Investments
Investments, other measurements	$ 73,649	$ 96,840
Securities sold not yet purchased
Contingent payment arrangements	17,384	0	$ 0
Other investments
Investments
Investments, other measurements	8,007	7,358
Hedge funds
Investments
Investments, other measurements	47,361	80,699
Time deposits
Investments
Investments, other measurements	18,281	8,783
Recurring
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money markets	126,401	102,888
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	1,094,866	1,169,554
Derivatives	13,491	17,079
Investments
Total investments measured at fair value and other measurements	266,794	714,344
Total assets measured at fair value and other measurements	1,501,552	2,003,865
Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	17,809	4,841
Short exchange-traded options	12,348	3,782
Derivatives	19,259	14,822
Contingent payment arrangements	22,911	7,336
Total liabilities measured at fair value	72,327	30,781
Recurring \| Level 1
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money markets	126,401	102,888
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	0	0
Derivatives	939	1,594
Investments
Total investments	183,760	216,251
Total assets measured at fair value	311,100	320,733
Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	17,809	4,841
Short exchange-traded options	12,348	3,782
Derivatives	871	2,534
Contingent payment arrangements	0	0
Total liabilities measured at fair value	31,028	11,157
Recurring \| Level 2
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money markets	0	0
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	1,094,866	1,169,554
Derivatives	12,552	15,485
Investments
Total investments	8,952	400,796
Total assets measured at fair value	1,116,370	1,585,835
Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	0	0
Short exchange-traded options	0	0
Derivatives	18,388	12,288
Contingent payment arrangements	0	0
Total liabilities measured at fair value	18,388	12,288
Recurring \| Level 3
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure [Abstract]
Money markets	0	0
Securities segregated (U.S. Treasury Bills)	0	0
Derivatives	0	0
Investments
Total investments	119	142
Total assets measured at fair value	119	142
Securities sold not yet purchased
Short equities – corporate	0	0
Short exchange-traded options	0	0
Derivatives	0	0
Contingent payment arrangements	22,911	7,336
Total liabilities measured at fair value	22,911	7,336
Recurring \| NAV Expedient
Investments
Fair value of private equity investment	314	315
Recurring \| U.S. Treasury Bills
Investments
Investments		392,424
Recurring \| U.S. Treasury Bills \| Level 1
Investments
Investments		0
Recurring \| U.S. Treasury Bills \| Level 2
Investments
Investments		392,424
Recurring \| U.S. Treasury Bills \| Level 3
Investments
Investments		0
Recurring \| Equity securities
Investments
Investments	180,331	218,243
Recurring \| Equity securities \| Level 1
Investments
Investments	170,946	209,414
Recurring \| Equity securities \| Level 2
Investments
Investments	8,952	8,372
Recurring \| Equity securities \| Level 3
Investments
Investments	119	142
Recurring \| Equity securities \| NAV Expedient
Investments
Fair value of private equity investment	314	315
Recurring \| Other investments
Investments
Investments, other measurements		11,627
Total investments measured at fair value and other measurements	13,890
Recurring \| Other investments \| Level 1
Investments
Investments, other measurements		4,269
Total investments	5,883
Recurring \| Long exchange-traded options \| Exchange-traded options
Investments
Investments	6,931	2,568
Recurring \| Long exchange-traded options \| Exchange-traded options \| Level 1
Investments
Investments	6,931	2,568
Recurring \| Long exchange-traded options \| Exchange-traded options \| Level 2
Investments
Investments	0	0
Recurring \| Long exchange-traded options \| Exchange-traded options \| Level 3
Investments
Investments	0	0
Recurring \| Hedge funds
Investments
Investments, other measurements	47,361	80,699
Recurring \| Time deposits
Investments
Investments, other measurements	$ 18,281	$ 8,783

Fair Value - Change in Carrying Value of Level 3 Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair value measurement Level 3 reconciliation [Abstract]
Balance as of beginning of period	$ 142	$ 1,071
Purchases	0	0
Sales	0	0
Realized gains (losses), net	0	0
Unrealized (losses) gains, net	(23)	(929)
Balance as of end of period	$ 119	$ 142

Fair Value - Change in Carrying Value Associated with Contingent Payment Arrangements Level 3 Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair Value, Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis, Unobservable Input Reconciliation, Calculation [Roll Forward]
Balance as of beginning of period	$ 7,336	$ 10,855
Addition	17,384	0
Accretion	2,542	210
Changes in estimates	(3,051)	(2,429)
Payments	(1,300)	(1,300)
Balance as of end of period	$ 22,911	$ 7,336

Fair Value - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
Fair Value - Additional Information (Details)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, measurements other than fair value	$ 73,649,000	$ 96,840,000
Fair value, assets, level 2 to level 1 transfers, amount	3,200,000	0
Fair value, assets, level 2 to level 3 transfers, amount	0	0
Contingent payment arrangements	17,384,000	0		$ 0
Changes in estimates	(3,051,000)	(2,429,000)
Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent payment arrangements	22,911,000	7,336,000
Private equity investment venture capital fund
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Fair value of investment			$ 1,000,000.0
Contingent payment arrangements \| Recurring
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent payment arrangements	22,900,000	7,300,000
Software publishing company
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, measurements other than fair value	1,000,000.0
Start-up company
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, measurements other than fair value	900,000	900,000
Equity method investee
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, measurements other than fair value	2,900,000	3,400,000
Broker dealer exchange memberships
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, measurements other than fair value	$ 3,200,000	$ 3,100,000
Revenue growth rate
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.50
Revenue growth rate \| Minimum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.007
Revenue growth rate \| Maximum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.025
Discount rate
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input		0.030
Discount rate \| Minimum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.104
Discount rate \| Maximum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.035
Market price of risk adjustment rate
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Contingent consideration liability, measurement input	0.069
2016 Acquisition
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Changes in estimates	$ 3,100,000	$ 2,400,000

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements [Abstract]
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, gross	$ 841,743	$ 815,255
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization	(696,492)	(659,736)
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, net	145,251	155,519
Furniture and equipment
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements [Abstract]
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, gross	575,378	561,816
Leasehold improvements
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements [Abstract]
Furniture, equipment and leasehold improvements, gross	$ 266,365	$ 253,439

Furniture, Equipment and Leasehold Improvements, Net - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Depreciation and amortization expense	$ 38.1	$ 34.2	$ 32.8

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Gross to net deferred sales commissions [Abstract]
Carrying amount of deferred sales commissions	$ 68,371	$ 78,971
Less: Accumulated amortization	(19,348)	(40,506)
Cumulative CDSC received	(12,727)	(21,317)
Deferred sales commissions, net	36,296	17,148
Amortization expense	$ 15,029	$ 21,343	$ 31,886

Deferred Sales Commissions, Net - Schedule of Future Amortization Expense (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2020	$ 17,049
2021	11,666
2022	7,127
2023	454
Total	$ 36,296

Debt (Details)	12 Months Ended
Debt (Details)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) financial_institution line_of_credit	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Nov. 04, 2019 USD ($)
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Proceeds from EQH facility	$ 560,000,000	$ 0	$ 0
Commercial Paper
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Weighted average interest rates on average daily borrowings	2.60%	2.00%
Short-term debt outstanding	$ 0	$ 523,200,000
Weighted average interest rate		2.70%
Short term debt, days available	317 days
Average daily borrowings	$ 438,600,000	$ 350,300,000
Credit Facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	800,000,000.0
Credit facility, possible aggregate incremental limit increase	200,000,000.0
Amounts outstanding under credit facility	0	0
Proceeds from EQH facility	0	$ 0
Credit Facility \| SCB LLC
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$ 175,000,000.0
Number of uncommitted lines of credit \| line_of_credit	3
Number of financial institutions offering lines of credit \| financial_institution	3
Number of financial institutions with stated limits \| line_of_credit	2
Uncommitted Lines of Credit
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Line of credit facility interest rate	1.90%	1.60%
Short-term debt outstanding	$ 0	$ 0
Average daily borrowings	1,900,000	2,700,000
Revolving Credit Facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	200,000,000.0
EQH Facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Amounts outstanding under credit facility	$ 560,000,000.0
Weighted average interest rates on average daily borrowings	1.60%
Long term debt, days available	57 days
Average daily borrowings	$ 358,600,000
Line of credit facility interest rate	1.60%
EQH Facility \| Revolving Credit Facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity				$ 900,000,000.0
Credit Facility \| Revolving Credit Facility
Short-term Debt [Line Items]
Amounts outstanding under credit facility	$ 0	25,000,000.0
Average daily borrowings	$ 23,500,000	$ 19,400,000
Line of credit facility interest rate	3.20%	2.80%
Interest rate		3.40%

Leases - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Leases - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) ft²	Apr. 30, 2019 USD ($) ft²	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($) ft²
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating and finance lease, maximum term of extension option	5 years
Operating and finance lease, term of termination option	1 year
Area of space leased (in square feet) \| ft²	1,000,000,000,000			218,976
Restructuring reserve			$ 85,800
Total base rent obligation	$ 510,778
Nashville
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating lease, lease not yet commenced, term of contract				15 years
Total base rent obligation				$ 134,000
New York City
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Area of space leased (in square feet) \| ft²		190,000
Operating lease, lease not yet commenced, term of contract		20 years
Total base rent obligation		$ 448,000
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating and finance lease, remaining contract term	1 year
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Operating and finance lease, remaining contract term	11 years

Leases - Leases included in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease right-of-use assets	$ 360,185
Operating lease liabilities	465,907
Property and equipment, gross	3,825
Amortization of right-of-use assets	(1,317)
Property and equipment, net	2,508
Finance lease liabilities	$ 2,544

Leases - Components of Lease Expense (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Operating lease cost	$ 106,085
Financing lease cost:
Amortization of right-of-use assets	1,317
Interest on lease liabilities	71
Total finance lease cost	1,388
Variable lease cost	40,786
Sublease income	(55,522)
Net lease cost	$ 92,737

Leases - Maturities of Lease Liabilities (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Operating Leases
2020	$ 110,178
2021	104,644
2022	90,363
2023	82,806
2024	79,625
Thereafter	43,162
Total future minimum payments	510,778
Less interest	(44,871)
Operating lease liabilities	465,907
Financing Leases
2020	1,385
2021	741
2022	356
2023	126
2024	23
Thereafter	0
Total lease payments	2,631
Less interest	(87)
Present value of lease liabilities	2,544
Total
2020	111,563
2021	105,385
2022	90,719
2023	82,932
2024	79,648
Thereafter	43,162
Total lease payments	$ 513,409

Leases - Lease Term and Discount Rate (Details)	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Weighted average remaining lease term, operating leases	5 years 2 months 23 days
Weighted average remaining lease term, finance leases	2 years 4 months 13 days
Weighted average discount rate, operating leases	3.51%
Weighted average discount rate, finance leases	3.02%

Leases - Supplemental Cash Flow (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Leases - Supplemental Cash Flow (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$ 132,669
Operating cash flows from financing leases	71
Financing cash flows from finance leases	1,281
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations, operating leases	11,108
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations, finance leases	$ 1,469

Commitments and Contingencies - Future Minimum Payments Under Non-Cancelable Leases, Sublease Commitments and Related Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Payments
2020	$ 110,178
2021	104,644
2022	90,363
2023	82,806
2024	79,625
2025 and thereafter	43,162
Total future minimum payments	510,778
Real Estate
Payments
2020	117,100
2021	115,100
2022	102,000
2023	94,500
2024	91,200
2025 and thereafter	619,200
Total future minimum payments	1,139,100
Sublease Receipts
2020	33,800
2021	34,400
2022	31,500
2023	31,000
2024	30,400
2025 and thereafter	0
Total future minimum payments receivable	161,100
Net Payments
2020	83,300
2021	80,700
2022	70,500
2023	63,500
2024	60,800
2025 and thereafter	619,200
Total future net minimum payments	$ 978,000

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Real Estate Fund
Other [Abstract]
Committed total required invest funding	$ 25,000,000.0
Commitment agreement fundings	22,400,000
Real Estate Fund II
Other [Abstract]
Committed total required invest funding	28,000,000.0
Commitment agreement fundings	$ 19,900,000

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds - Summary of Balance Sheet Amounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Other assets	$ 330,943	$ 297,940
Total assets	8,706,092	8,789,098
Liabilities	4,363,430	4,724,080
Redeemable non-controlling interest	325,561	148,809
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	4,017,101	3,915,260
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and capital	8,706,092	8,789,098
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Redeemable non-controlling interest	325,561	145,921
Reportable Legal Entities \| Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	11,433	13,118
Investments	581,004	351,696
Other assets	19,810	22,840
Total assets	612,247	387,654
Liabilities	31,017	22,610
Redeemable non-controlling interest	325,561	145,921
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	255,669	219,123
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and capital	612,247	387,654
Reportable Legal Entities \| VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	9,623	11,880
Investments	404,624	217,840
Other assets	9,618	6,024
Total assets	423,865	235,744
Liabilities	12,147	5,215
Redeemable non-controlling interest	273,219	117,523
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	138,499	113,006
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and capital	423,865	235,744
Reportable Legal Entities \| VOEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,810	1,238
Investments	176,380	133,856
Other assets	10,192	16,816
Total assets	188,382	151,910
Liabilities	18,870	17,395
Redeemable non-controlling interest	52,342	28,398
Partners' capital attributable to AB Unitholders	117,170	106,117
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interest and capital	$ 188,382	$ 151,910

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds - Fair Value (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Derivatives	$ 13,491	$ 17,079
Derivatives	19,259	14,822
Total liabilities measured at fair value	72,327	30,781
Level 1 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	183,760	216,251
Derivatives	939	1,594
Total assets measured at fair value	311,100	320,733
Derivatives	871	2,534
Total liabilities measured at fair value	31,028	11,157
Level 2 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	8,952	400,796
Derivatives	12,552	15,485
Total assets measured at fair value	1,116,370	1,585,835
Derivatives	18,388	12,288
Total liabilities measured at fair value	18,388	12,288
Level 3 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	119	142
Derivatives	0	0
Total assets measured at fair value	119	142
Derivatives	0	0
Total liabilities measured at fair value	22,911	7,336
NAV Expedient \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments, NAV Expedient	314	315
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total assets measured at fair value	590,176	358,922
Total liabilities measured at fair value	9,642	7,721
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds \| Level 1 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total assets measured at fair value	132,554	91,822
Total liabilities measured at fair value	936	269
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds \| Level 2 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total assets measured at fair value	456,768	258,727
Total liabilities measured at fair value	8,706	7,452
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds \| Level 3 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Total assets measured at fair value	854	8,373
Total liabilities measured at fair value	0	0
VIEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Derivatives	4,833	3,410
Derivatives	4,559	3,891
VIEs \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	404,624	217,840
Derivatives	4,833	3,410
Derivatives	4,559	3,891
VIEs \| Level 1 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	28,270	22,149
Derivatives	139	1,486
Derivatives	835	72
VIEs \| Level 2 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	375,559	187,626
Derivatives	4,694	1,924
Derivatives	3,724	3,819
VIEs \| Level 3 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	795	8,065
Derivatives	0	0
Derivatives	0	0
VOEs
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Derivatives	4,339	3,816
Derivatives	5,083	3,830
VOEs \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	176,380	133,856
Derivatives	4,339	3,816
Derivatives	5,083	3,830
VOEs \| Level 1 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	104,069	68,063
Derivatives	76	124
Derivatives	101	197
VOEs \| Level 2 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	72,252	65,485
Derivatives	4,263	3,692
Derivatives	4,982	3,633
VOEs \| Level 3 \| Recurring
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Investments	59	308
Derivatives	0	0
Derivatives	$ 0	$ 0

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds - Change in Carrying Value Associated with Level 3 Financial Instruments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Fair value measurement Level 3 reconciliation [Abstract]
Balance as of beginning of period	$ 142	$ 1,071
Purchases	0	0
Sales	0	0
Realized gains (losses), net	0	0
Unrealized gains (losses), net	(23)	(929)
Balance as of end of period	119	142
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds
Fair value measurement Level 3 reconciliation [Abstract]
Balance as of beginning of period	8,373	2,264
Transfers (out) in	(9,445)	259
Purchases	9,213	9,354
Sales	(7,467)	(3,086)
Realized gains (losses), net	14	(100)
Unrealized gains (losses), net	143	(331)
Accrued discounts	23	13
Balance as of end of period	$ 854	$ 8,373

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative [Line Items]
Cash collateral payable to trade counterparties	$ 300	$ 4,800
Cash collateral received	4,300	4,500
Net assets of investment products that are non-consolidated VIEs	79,300,000
Maximum risk of loss in investment in VIEs	8,400
VIEs
Derivative [Line Items]
Futures, forwards and swaps held	300	500
Gains (losses) on derivatives	3,300	1,500
Cash collateral payable to trade counterparties	1,631	856
Cash collateral received	3,200	800
VOEs
Derivative [Line Items]
Futures, forwards and swaps held	(700)	100
Gains (losses) on derivatives	500	1,900
Cash collateral payable to trade counterparties	534	225
Cash collateral received	$ 1,200	$ 500

Consolidated Company-Sponsored Investment Funds - Offsetting of Derivative Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Cash Collateral Received	$ (300)	$ (4,800)
VIEs
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	4,833	3,410
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	4,833	3,410
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Received	(1,631)	(856)
Net Amount	3,202	2,554
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	4,559	3,891
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	4,559	3,891
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Pledged	(3,155)	(829)
Net Amount	1,404	3,062
VOEs
Derivative Asset [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Assets	4,339	3,816
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Assets Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	4,339	3,816
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Received	(534)	(225)
Net Amount	3,805	3,591
Derivative Liability [Abstract]
Gross Amounts of Recognized Liabilities	5,083	3,830
Gross Amounts Offset in the Statement of Financial Condition	0	0
Net Amounts of Liabilities Presented in the Statement of Financial Condition	5,083	3,830
Financial Instruments	0	0
Cash Collateral Pledged	(1,201)	(547)
Net Amount	$ 3,882	$ 3,283

Net Capital (Details) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Stanford C. Bernstein & Co.,LLC
Schedule Of Regulatory Capital Agencies And Requirements [Line Items]
Minimum net capital required per stock exchange and SEC rules	$ 1.0
Alternative method of calculating aggregate debit items arising from customer transactions permitted by rule, percent	2.00%
Alternative excess net capital	$ 219.6
Alternative net capital requirement	31.2
Stanford C. Bernstein & Co.,LLC \| US SEC
Schedule Of Regulatory Capital Agencies And Requirements [Line Items]
Net capital	250.8
Stanford C. Bernstein Limited
Schedule Of Regulatory Capital Agencies And Requirements [Line Items]
Net capital	30.2
Minimum financial resources/net capital required	14.9
Actual net capital in excess of the minimum net capital required	15.3
AB Investments \| US SEC
Schedule Of Regulatory Capital Agencies And Requirements [Line Items]
Net capital	22.1
Minimum financial resources/net capital required	0.3
Actual net capital in excess of the minimum net capital required	$ 21.8

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Additional Information (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($) investment	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contributions to qualified profit sharing plan	$ 14,400	$ 15,000	$ 14,400
Defined contribution expense for foreign entities	7,700	7,100	6,800
Other comprehensive (loss) gain	(7,593)
Loss to be amortized over next fiscal year	$ 1,100	1,100	1,100
Liability Hedging Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	20.00%
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	3
Return Seeking Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	27.00%
Risk Mitigating Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	14.00%
Diversifying Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	21.00%
Dynamic Asset Allocation
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	18.00%
Fixed Income Mutual Funds
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	2
Equity mutual fund
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	7
U.S. Based Equity Securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	4
Non-U.S. Based Equity Securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	3
Equity Private Investment Trusts
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	1
Collective Investment Trust
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Retirement plan, number of investments \| investment	1
Minimum \| Liability Hedging Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	10.00%
Minimum \| Return Seeking Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	15.00%
Minimum \| Risk Mitigating Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	5.00%
Minimum \| Diversifying Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	10.00%
Minimum \| Dynamic Asset Allocation
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	5.00%
Maximum \| Liability Hedging Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	35.00%
Maximum \| Return Seeking Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	40.00%
Maximum \| Risk Mitigating Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	35.00%
Maximum \| Diversifying Investments
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	35.00%
Maximum \| Dynamic Asset Allocation
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Target plan asset allocations, percent	35.00%
Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contribution	$ 4,000	5,000
Other comprehensive (loss) gain	(7,598)	1,687	(3,068)
Discount rate and lump sum interest rates	21,700	9,700	11,900
Changes in census data	100	200	1,400
Earnings of plan assets exceeding expectations	11,300	9,200	8,500
Mortality assumption	$ 1,200	400	$ 700
Defined benefit plan, amortization period	30 years 10 months 24 days
Future amortization of prior service cost	$ 24
Loss to be amortized over next fiscal year	1,400
Accumulated benefit obligation	$ 136,100	$ 116,200
Assumptions used calculating benefit obligation, discount rate, percent	3.35%	4.40%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	5.75%	5.75%	6.00%

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - The Retirement Plan's Projected Benefit Obligation, Fair Value of Plan Assets and Funded Status (Details) - Retirement Plan - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Projected benefit obligation at beginning of year	$ 116,233	$ 125,200
Interest cost	4,944	4,771	$ 4,999
Actuarial loss (gain)	20,411	(9,918)
Benefits paid	(5,475)	(3,820)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	136,113	116,233	125,200
Change in plan assets:
Plan assets at fair value at beginning of year	98,584	100,706
Actual return on plan assets	16,971	(3,302)
Employer contribution	4,000	5,000
Benefits paid	(5,475)	(3,820)
Plan assets at fair value at end of year	114,080	98,584	$ 100,706
Funded status	$ (22,033)	$ (17,649)

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Prior service cost	$ 24	$ 24	$ 24
Changes in employee benefit related items	(7,867)	1,610	(3,166)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(7,593)
Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan, Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Abstract]
Unrecognized net (loss) gain from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	(7,934)	1,870	(3,043)
Prior service cost	24	24	24
Changes in employee benefit related items	(7,910)	1,894	(3,019)
Income tax benefit (expense)	312	(207)	(49)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	$ (7,598)	$ 1,687	$ (3,068)

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Reconciliation of Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income for the Retirement Plan (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	$ (7,891)	$ 1,586	$ (3,190)
Amortization of prior service cost	24	24	24
Changes in employee benefit related items	7,867	(1,610)	3,166
Income tax benefit (expense)	274	(139)	(27)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(7,593)
Retirement Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	(7,934)
Amortization of prior service cost	24	24	24
Changes in employee benefit related items	7,910	(1,894)	3,019
Income tax benefit (expense)	312
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(7,598)	$ 1,687	$ (3,068)
Retired Individual Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	(69)
Amortization of prior service cost	0
Changes in employee benefit related items	69
Income tax benefit (expense)	3
Other comprehensive (loss) income	(66)
Foreign Retirement Plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Recognized actuarial (loss) gain	112
Amortization of prior service cost	0
Changes in employee benefit related items	(112)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(41)
Other comprehensive (loss) income	$ 71

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Amounts Included in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - Retirement Plan - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Unrecognized net loss from experience different from that assumed and effects of changes and assumptions	$ (55,537)	$ (47,603)
Prior service cost	(731)	(755)
Pension and other postretirement benefit plans, accumulated other comprehensive loss, before tax	(56,268)	(48,358)
Income tax benefit	513	201
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	$ (55,755)	$ (48,157)

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Future Benefit Payments to be Paid (Details) - Retirement Plan $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Expected future benefit payments [Abstract]
2020	$ 5,868
2021	7,113
2022	9,202
2023	7,451
2024	7,538
2025-2029	$ 45,048

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Net (Benefit) Expense Under the Retirement Plan (Details) - Retirement Plan - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Interest cost on projected benefit obligations	$ 4,944	$ 4,771	$ 4,999
Expected return on plan assets	(5,639)	(5,893)	(5,261)
Amortization of prior service cost	24	24	24
Recognized actuarial loss	1,146	1,146	1,097
Net pension expense	$ 475	$ 48	$ 859

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Actuarial Computations Used to Determine Net Periodic Costs (Details) - Retirement Plan	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs [Abstract]
Discount rate on benefit obligations	4.40%	3.90%	4.55%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	5.75%	5.75%	6.00%

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - The Retirement Plan's Asset Allocation Percentages (Details) - Retirement Plan	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations, percent	100.00%	100.00%
Equity
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations, percent	47.00%	43.00%
Debt securities
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations, percent	41.00%	41.00%
Other
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, actual plan asset allocations, percent	12.00%	16.00%

Qualified Employee Benefit Plans - Valuation of our Retirement Plan Assets by Pricing Observability Levels (Details) - Retirement Plan - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets in the fair value hierarchy	$ 92,123	$ 76,433
Investments measured at net assets value	21,957	22,151
Total assets measured at fair value	114,080	98,584	$ 100,706
Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	64,805	54,078
Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	27,318	22,355
Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Cash
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	230	238
Cash \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	230	238
Cash \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Cash \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
U.S. Treasury Strips
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	27,318	22,355
U.S. Treasury Strips \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
U.S. Treasury Strips \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	27,318	22,355
U.S. Treasury Strips \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Fixed income mutual funds
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	19,518	18,362
Fixed income mutual funds \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	19,518	18,362
Fixed income mutual funds \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Fixed income mutual funds \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Equity mutual fund
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	33,875	26,508
Equity mutual fund \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	33,875	26,508
Equity mutual fund \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Equity mutual fund \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Equity securities
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	11,182	8,970
Equity securities \| Level 1
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	11,182	8,970
Equity securities \| Level 2
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	0	0
Equity securities \| Level 3
Defined Benefit Plan, Assets [Abstract]
Total assets measured at fair value	$ 0	$ 0

Long-term Incentive Compensation Plans - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)		1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	May 16, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in units)				0	0	0
Compensation costs not yet recognized				$ 0
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				4 years
President and CEO
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in units)	164,706
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)	$ 21.25
Grant date fair value of awards	$ 3,500,000
Service requirement	4 years
Stock Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation charge				$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Option Awards
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in units)				0
Total intrinsic value of options exercised				$ 3,700,000	8,900,000	8,300,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation charge				$ 10,200,000
Granted (in units)				7,739,318
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 28.75
Grant date fair value of vested shares				$ 201,400,000	$ 169,100,000	177,000,000.0
Number of unvested restricted AB Holding Units		20,214,389		19,287,080	20,214,389
Number of restricted AB Units without a service requirement				14,752,831
Number of restricted AB Units with a service requirement				4,534,249
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation charge				$ 1,300,000	$ 1,400,000	$ 1,100,000
Granted (in units)				45,420	53,720	50,252
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 29.26		$ 21.25
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 29.90		$ 24.80
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| President and CEO
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation charge				$ 900,000	$ 900,000	$ 600,000
Incentive Compensation Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Aggregate value awards under combined incentive plans				175,500,000	183,300,000	168,200,000
Long-term incentive compensation charge				177,200,000	$ 161,000,000.0	$ 172,800,000
Unrecognized compensation cost				$ 101,500,000
Period of recognition (in years)				3 years 7 months 6 days
Incentive Compensation Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted (in units)		5,400,000	6,200,000	5,800,000	6,500,000	6,300,000	6,100,000
Additional AB restricted units granted (in units)				400,000	300,000	200,000
Incentive Compensation Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 26.69	$ 24.95	$ 23.00
Incentive Compensation Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 30.01	$ 26.69	$ 24.95
2017 Long Term Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Maximum number of awards authorized for issuance (in units)				60,000,000
Number of newly-issued units (in units)				30,000,000
Granted (in units)				0
Granted AB holding unit net of forfeitures (in units)				20,602,674
AB Holding units available for future grant (in units)				39,397,326
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Employee Stock Option \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, First Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				20.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Employee Stock Option \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Second Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				20.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Employee Stock Option \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Third Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				20.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Employee Stock Option \| Employee \| 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Fourth Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				20.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Stock Compensation Plan \| Director \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, First Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				33.30%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Stock Compensation Plan \| Director \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Second Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				33.30%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Stock Compensation Plan \| Director \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Third Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				33.30%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, First Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				25.00%
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				4 years
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Second Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				25.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Employee \| 33.3% of Options and 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Third Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				25.00%
Long Term Incentive Plan \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Employee \| 25% of Restricted AB Holding Units, Fourth Anniversary Vesting Period
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Annual vesting percentage for the term of award				25.00%
Employment and Separation Agreements \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive compensation charge				$ 36,700,000	$ 32,200,000	$ 21,600,000
Granted (in units)				1,900,000	2,600,000	1,800,000
Employment and Separation Agreements \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 27.32	$ 25.05	$ 21.25
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				2 years
Employment and Separation Agreements \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)				$ 30.85	30.25	$ 25.65
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				5 years
2017 Grant 1 \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per unit)					$ 26.90
2017 Grant 1 \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				3 years
2017 Grant 1 \| Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Director \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Long-term incentive awards vesting periods				4 years

Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans - Option Plan Activity (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Options to Buy AB Holding Units
Granted (in units)	0	0	0
Exercised (in units)	(511,894)	(889,119)
Option Awards
Options to Buy AB Holding Units
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018 (in units)	671,243
Granted (in units)	0
Exercised (in units)	(511,894)
Forfeited (in units)	0
Expired (in units)	0
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019 (in units)	159,349	671,243
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019 (in units)	141,163
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019 (in units)	159,349
Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option
Outstanding as of December 31, 2018, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	$ 22.83
Granted, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	0
Exercised, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	22.49
Forfeited, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	0
Expired, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	0
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	23.93	$ 22.83
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	24.09
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Exercise Price Per Option (in dollars per unit)	$ 23.93
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term (Years)
Outstanding, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 1 month 6 days	1 year 7 months 6 days
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 1 month 6 days
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	2 years 1 month 6 days
Outstanding as of December 31, 2019, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$ 1.0
Exercisable as of December 31, 2019, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	0.9
Vested or expected to vest as of December 31, 2019, Aggregate Intrinsic Value	$ 1.0

Long-Term Incentive Compensation Plans - Summary of Changes in Unvested Restricted AB Holding Units (Details) - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019 $ / shares shares
AB Holding Units
Unvested as of December 31, 2018 (in units) \| shares	20,214,389
Granted (in units) \| shares	7,739,318
Vested (in units) \| shares	(8,260,466)
Forfeited (in units) \| shares	(406,161)
Unvested as of December 31, 2019 (in units) \| shares	19,287,080
Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit
Unvested as of December 31, 2018, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit (in dollars per unit) \| $ / shares	$ 25.12
Granted, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit (in dollars per unit) \| $ / shares	28.75
Vested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit (in dollars per unit) \| $ / shares	24.38
Forfeited, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit (in dollars per unit) \| $ / shares	25.86
Unvested as of December 31, 2019, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value per AB Holding Unit (in dollars per unit) \| $ / shares	$ 26.88

Units Outstanding (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
Units Outstanding (Details) - shares	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Changes in Limited Partnership Units Outstanding
Outstanding as of January 1, (in units)	268,850,276	268,659,333
Options exercised (in units)	511,894	889,119
Units issued (in units)	4,833,715	6,153,320
Units retired (in units)	(3,815,571)	(6,851,496)
Outstanding as of December 31, (in units)	270,380,314	268,850,276
AB Units
Changes in Limited Partnership Units Outstanding
Units retired (in units)	(3,782)	(5,346)

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
New York City unincorporated business tax rate	4.00%
UBT statutory rate	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Interest expense recorded in income tax expense	$ 700,000	$ 100,000	$ 300,000
Accrued interest payable recorded on the consolidated statements of financial condition	1,100,000	300,000	700,000
Accrued penalties recorded on the consolidated statements of financial condition	$ 200,000	$ 0	$ 0
Minimum years that remain open and may be subject to examination vary under local law	1 year
Maximum years that remain open and may be subject to examination vary under local law	7 years
Amount of unrecognized tax benefit for which it is reasonably possible that the amount thereof will change	$ 4,200,000
Undistributed earnings of non-U.S. corporate subsidiaries	29,600,000
Pro forma
Income Tax Examination [Line Items]
Repatriation of foreign earnings	$ 6,200,000

Income Taxes - Earnings Before Income Taxes and Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Earnings before income taxes:
United States	$ 697,501	$ 672,221	$ 634,515
Foreign	125,936	153,093	139,395
Total	823,437	825,314	773,910
Income tax expense:
Partnership UBT	9,196	5,251	2,986
Corporate subsidiaries:
Federal	(943)	(4,030)	18,079
State and local	975	2,888	803
Foreign	32,290	36,529	29,365
Current tax expense	41,518	40,638	51,233
Deferred tax	236	5,178	1,877
Income tax expense	$ 41,754	$ 45,816	$ 53,110

Income Taxes - Principal Reasons for the Difference Between the Effective Tax Rate and UBT Statutory Tax Rate (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Amount [Abstract]
UBT statutory rate	$ 32,937	$ 33,012	$ 30,956
Corporate subsidiaries' federal, state, and local	4,000	1,522	2,558
Foreign subsidiaries taxed at different rates	26,719	30,689	25,406
2017 Tax Act	0	1,155	25,846
FIN 48 reserve (release)	2,765	(5,177)	(3,318)
UBT business allocation percentage rate change	(79)	2,657	0
Deferred tax and payable write-offs	314	2,932	(9,542)
Foreign outside basis difference	155	2,273	0
Amended 2017 return	(3,853)	0	0
Effect of ASC 740 adjustments, miscellaneous taxes, and other	2,305	(2,521)	1,903
Income not taxable resulting from use of UBT business apportionment factors and effect of compensation charge	(23,509)	(20,726)	(20,699)
Income tax expense	$ 41,754	$ 45,816	$ 53,110
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Percent [Abstract]
UBT statutory rate, percent	4.00%	4.00%	4.00%
Corporate subsidiaries' federal, state, and local, percent	0.50%	0.20%	0.30%
Foreign subsidiaries taxed at different rates, percent	3.30%	3.70%	3.30%
2017 Tax Act, percent	0	0.001	0.033
FIN 48 release, percent	0.30%	(0.60%)	(0.40%)
UBT Bap Rate Change, percent	0.00%	0.30%	0.00%
Deferred tax and payable write-offs, percent	0.00%	0.40%	(1.20%)
Foreign outside basis difference, percent	0.00%	0.30%	0.00%
Amended 2017 return, percent	(0.50%)	0.00%	0.00%
Effect of ASC 740 adjustments, miscellaneous taxes, and other, percent	0.30%	(0.30%)	0.20%
Income not taxable resulting from use of UBT business apportionment factors and effect of compensation charge, percent	(2.80%)	(2.50%)	(2.60%)
Effective tax rate, percent	5.10%	5.60%	6.90%

Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Balance as of beginning of period	$ 3,893	$ 8,478	$ 12,596
Additions for prior year tax positions	1,813	0	0
Reductions for prior year tax positions	0	0	(1,849)
Additions for current year tax positions	0	0	0
Reductions for current year tax positions	0	0	0
Reductions related to closed years/settlements with tax authorities	0	(4,585)	(2,269)
Balance as of end of period	$ 5,706	$ 3,893	$ 8,478

Income Taxes - Tax Effect of Significant Items Comprising the Net Deferred Tax Asset (Liability) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Deferred tax asset:
Benefits from net operating loss carryforwards	$ 5,551	$ 2,518
Long-term incentive compensation plans	20,907	22,342
Investment basis differences	4,376	3,606
Depreciation and amortization	1,554	1,248
Lease liability	6,409	0
Other, primarily accrued expenses deductible when paid	3,106	3,903
Deferred tax assets, gross	41,903	33,617
Less: valuation allowance	(2,026)	(490)
Deferred tax asset	39,877	33,127
Deferred tax liability:
Intangible assets	8,013	6,852
Investment in foreign subsidiaries	2,191	1,653
Right-of-use asset	5,191	0
Other	1,672	1,758
Deferred tax liability	17,067	10,263
Net deferred tax asset	$ 22,810	$ 22,864

Income Taxes - Operating Loss Carryforwards (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Valuation allowance	$ 2,026	$ 490
Foreign Tax Authority
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Valuation allowance	2,000	500
NOL carryforwards	$ 46,200	$ 32,400

Business Segment Information - Additional Information (Details) - segment	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Number of operating segments	1
AllianceBernstein Global High Yield Portfolio
Concentration Risk [Line Items]
Percentage of investment advisory and service fees	9.00%	10.00%	11.00%
Percentage of net revenues	9.00%	10.00%	12.00%
Customer Concentration Risk \| HSBC
Major Customers [Abstract]
Percentage of open-end mutual fund sales	14.00%	7.00%	9.00%
Customer Concentration Risk \| EQH, Equitable Life And Subsidiaries
Major Customers [Abstract]
Percentage of total revenues from general and separate accounts of affiliates	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
Customer Concentration Risk \| AXA and subsidiaries
Major Customers [Abstract]
Percentage of total revenues from general and separate accounts of affiliates	2.00%	2.00%	2.00%
Percentage of total revenues from unaffiliated customer (more than)	1.00%	1.00%	1.00%

Business Segment Information - Net Revenues Derived From Investment Management, Research and Related Services (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues:
Total revenues									$ 3,575,637	$ 3,419,760	$ 3,323,686
Less: Interest expense									57,205	52,399	25,165
Net revenues	$ 987,304	$ 877,867	$ 857,799	$ 795,462	$ 804,660	$ 850,176	$ 844,738	$ 867,787	3,518,432	3,367,361	3,298,521
Institutions
Revenues:
Total revenues									480,144	479,068	477,140
Retail
Revenues:
Total revenues									1,619,832	1,494,445	1,423,890
Private Wealth Management
Revenues:
Total revenues									904,505	883,234	787,362
Bernstein Research Services
Revenues:
Total revenues									407,911	439,432	449,919
Other
Revenues:
Total revenues									$ 163,245	$ 123,581	$ 185,375

Business Segment Information - Net Revenues and Long-Lived Assets, Related To Geographic Areas (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Geographic Information [Abstract]
Net revenues	$ 987,304	$ 877,867	$ 857,799	$ 795,462	$ 804,660	$ 850,176	$ 844,738	$ 867,787	$ 3,518,432	$ 3,367,361	$ 3,298,521
Long-lived assets:	3,313,839				3,318,791				3,313,839	3,318,791
United States
Geographic Information [Abstract]
Net revenues									1,975,105	1,940,267	1,958,844
Long-lived assets:	3,259,490				3,262,722				3,259,490	3,262,722
International
Geographic Information [Abstract]
Net revenues									1,543,327	1,427,094	$ 1,339,677
Long-lived assets:	$ 54,349				$ 56,069				$ 54,349	$ 56,069

Related Party Transactions - Revenues for Services Provided (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	$ 3,430,316	$ 3,315,390	$ 3,156,149
Other revenues	97,559	98,676	97,135
Mutual Funds
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Other revenues	7,303	7,262	6,942
Investment advisory and services fees
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	2,472,044	2,362,211	2,201,305
Investment advisory and services fees \| Mutual Funds
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	1,275,677	1,207,086	1,148,467
Distribution revenues \| Mutual Funds
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	441,437	403,965	397,674
Shareholder servicing fees
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	77,394	75,974	75,024
Shareholder servicing fees \| Mutual Funds
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	75,122	74,019	73,310
Bernstein research services
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	407,911	439,432	449,919
Bernstein research services \| Mutual Funds
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	$ 2	$ 33	$ 13

Related Party Transactions - Summary of Revenues, Expenses and Balance Sheet Items for AXA and Subsidiaries (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	$ 3,430,316	$ 3,315,390	$ 3,156,149
Other revenues	97,559	98,676	97,135
Total revenues	3,575,637	3,419,760	3,323,686
Expenses:
General and administrative	484,750	448,996	481,488
Other	219,860	222,630	213,275
Total expenses	2,694,995	2,542,047	2,524,611
Balance Sheet:
Institutional investment advisory and services fees receivable	148,744	127,462
EQH
Revenues:
Other revenues	1,013	1,104	864
Total revenues	110,329	105,914	99,314
Expenses:
General and administrative	2,466	2,615	2,610
Other	2,759	1,485	1,696
Total expenses	9,181	8,064	8,134
Balance Sheet:
Institutional investment advisory and services fees receivable	8,716	9,751
Prepaid expenses	238	364
Other due to EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries	(2,111)	(1,842)
EQH Facility	(560,000)	0
Total	(553,157)	8,273
AXA
Revenues:
Other revenues	482	625	266
Total revenues	78,581	79,003	73,036
Expenses:
General and administrative	11,501	12,391	9,818
Other	0	0	0
Total expenses	28,194	29,994	25,192
Balance Sheet:
Institutional investment advisory and services fees receivable	10,842	7,861
Prepaid expenses	0	0
Other due to EQH, AXA and their respective subsidiaries	(5,234)	(5,417)
EQH Facility	0	0
Total	5,608	2,444
Investment advisory and services fees
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	2,472,044	2,362,211	2,201,305
Investment advisory and services fees \| EQH
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	109,316	104,810	98,450
Investment advisory and services fees \| AXA
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	65,086	64,347	58,980
Bernstein research services
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	407,911	439,432	449,919
Bernstein research services \| EQH
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	0	0	0
Bernstein research services \| AXA
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	45	134	403
Distribution related
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	455,043	418,562	412,063
Expenses:
Commissions and distribution payments to financial intermediaries	487,965	427,186	411,467
Distribution related \| EQH
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	0	0	0
Expenses:
Commissions and distribution payments to financial intermediaries	3,956	3,964	3,828
Distribution related \| AXA
Revenues:
Revenue subject to contracts with customers	12,968	13,897	13,387
Expenses:
Commissions and distribution payments to financial intermediaries	$ 16,693	$ 17,603	$ 15,374

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Net receivable balance	$ 10.1	$ 11.4

Acquisitions (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payables recorded under contingent payment arrangements		$ 17,384	$ 0	$ 0
Business combination, contingent consideration, liability, term	5 years
Goodwill		$ 3,076,926	$ 3,066,700
Autonomous
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	100.00%
Cash paid	$ 6,500
Payables recorded under contingent payment arrangements	17,400
Excess of purchase price over the current fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	5,600
Goodwill	$ 10,200
Compensation expense, additional cash payments, amortization term	2 years
Compensation expense, contingent consideration payable, amortization term	5 years
Autonomous \| Customer relationships and trademarks
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired	$ 8,100

Non-controlling Interests (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Non-redeemable non-controlling interests:	$ 92	$ 69	$ 9,632
Total non-controlling interest in net income (loss)	29,641	21,910	58,397
Non-redeemable non-controlling interest	0	949
Redeemable non-controlling interest	325,561	148,809
CPH
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Non-redeemable non-controlling interest	0	949
Redeemable non-controlling interest	0	2,888
Other
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Non-redeemable non-controlling interests:	92	188	279
Consolidated company-sponsored investment funds
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Non-redeemable non-controlling interests:	0	(119)	9,353
Redeemable non-controlling interests:	29,549	21,841	$ 48,765
Non-redeemable non-controlling interest	0	0
Redeemable non-controlling interest	$ 325,561	$ 145,921

Non-controlling Interests Narrative (Details)	Dec. 31, 2019	Jun. 20, 2014
CPH Capital Fondsmaeglerselskab A/S
Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Ownership percentage	100.00%	81.70%

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Details) - USD ($)
$ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Sep. 30, 2019

Jun. 30, 2019

Mar. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Sep. 30, 2018

Jun. 30, 2018

Mar. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2017

Quarterly Financial Data [Abstract]

Net revenues

$ 987,304

$ 877,867

$ 857,799

$ 795,462

$ 804,660

$ 850,176

$ 844,738

$ 867,787

$ 3,518,432

$ 3,367,361

$ 3,298,521

Net income attributable to AB Unitholders

$ 248,865

$ 187,811

$ 166,252

$ 149,114

$ 188,053

$ 203,674

$ 181,665

$ 184,196

$ 752,042

$ 757,588

$ 662,403

Basic net income per AB Unit (in dollars per unit)

$ 0.92

^[1]

$ 0.69

^[1]

$ 0.61

^[1]

$ 0.55

^[1]

$ 0.70

^[1]

$ 0.75

^[1]

$ 0.66

^[1]

$ 0.68

^[1]

$ 2.78

$ 2.79

$ 2.46

Diluted net income per AB Unit (in dollars per unit)

0.92

^[1]

0.69

^[1]

0.61

^[1]

0.55

^[1]

0.70

^[1]

0.75

^[1]

0.66

^[1]

0.68

^[1]

$ 2.78

$ 2.45

Cash distributions per AB Unit (in dollars per unit)

^[2],[3]

$ 0.93

$ 0.70

$ 0.63

$ 0.56

$ 0.71

$ 0.76

$ 0.69

$ 0.80

[1]	Basic and diluted net income per unit are computed independently for each of the periods presented. Accordingly, the sum of the quarterly net income per unit amounts may not agree to the total for the year.
[2]	Cash distributions reflect the impact of our non-GAAP adjustments.
[3]	Declared and paid during the following quarter.

- Definition

The portion of profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, which is attributable to the parent.

+ References + Details

Valuation and Qualifying Account - Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Details) - SEC Schedule, 12-09, Allowance, Credit Loss - USD ($)
$ in Thousands

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2017

Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves

Balance at Beginning of Period

$ 395

$ 411

$ 513

Credited to Costs and Expenses

132

150

Deductions

218

^[1]

^[2]

252

^[3]

Balance at End of Period

309

395

411

AllianceBernstein L.P.

Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves

Amounts written-off as uncollectible

$ 218

$ 16

$ 252

[1]	Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $218.
[2]	Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $16.
[3]	Includes accounts written-off as uncollectible of $252.

Label	Element	Value
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] \| Limited Partner [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 0
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	34,601,000
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	0
Accounting Standards Update 2014-09 [Member] \| General Partner [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	0
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	349,000
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 0