The north-bound direction of expense ratios at AllianceBernstein's growth funds triggered by the market decline has caught the attention of Morningstar fund analyst Ryan Leggio. In his latest Fund Times column, Leggio culled numbers from six funds' annual reports and compared them to the expense ratios listed in the funds' most recent prospectuses.

The six funds Leggio mentioned are AllianceBernstein Growth, whose expense ratio is rising from 136 basis points to 164 basis points; Large Cap Growth (148 bps to 163 bps), Small/Mid Cap Growth (122 bps to 145 bps), International Growth (122 bps to 138 bps), Global Thematic Growth (146 bps to 175 bps) and Small Cap Growth (158 bps to 175 bps).

"This isn't because Bernstein is raising fees," Leggio notes. "It's just math, and it's been fairly common among mutual funds in the wake of the recent bear market."

An AllianceBernstein spokesman declined to comment.

Expense ratios also increased at other fund firms, including: Vanguard, OppenheimerFunds and American Beacon. 

Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE