AllianceBernstein stock could jump next year: Barron's

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. asset manager AllianceBernstein Holding's (AB.N) stock could jump at least 50 percent in the next year if equities markets recover, after being hammered this year due to the financial crisis, according to an article in the December 1 edition of Barron's.

AllianceBernstein has been one of the worst performers in the investment-management sector in 2008, with a 75 percent decline in its stock, Barron's said, dragged down by sizable stakes in troubled insurer American International Group (AIG.N), brokerage Merrill Lynch MER.N, and bank Morgan Stanley (MS.N).

But Barron's said the asset manager had a strong balance sheet and was trading at a relatively low level compared to peers such as Franklin Resources (BEN.N) and T. Rowe Price (TROW.O), suggesting its stock could soar at least 50 percent in the next year if equities jumped.

(Reporting by Juan Lagorio; editing by Jan Paschal)