Semi-Annual Report by Investment Company (Form N-CSRS)

ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

Not applicable when filing a semi-annual report to shareholders.

ITEM 6. INVESTMENTS.

Please see Schedule of Investments contained in the Financial Statements included under Item 7 of this Form N-CSR.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR OPEN-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

May 31, 2026

SEMI-ANNUAL FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

AB EQUITY INCOME FUND

Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing. For copies of our prospectus or summary prospectus, which contain this and other information, visit us online at www.abfunds.com or contact your AB representative. Please read the prospectus and/or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

This shareholder report must be preceded or accompanied by the Fund's prospectus for individuals who are not current shareholders of the Fund.

You may obtain a description of the Fund's proxy voting policies and procedures, and information regarding how the Fund voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30, without charge. Simply visit AB's website at www.abfunds.com, or go to the Securities and Exchange Commission's (the "Commission") website at www.sec.gov, or call AB at (800) 227 4618.

The Fund files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT. The Fund's Form N-PORT reports are available on the Commission's website at www.sec.gov. AB publishes full portfolio holdings for the Fund monthly at www.abfunds.com.

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (ABI) is the distributor of the AB family of mutual funds. ABI is a member of FINRA and is an affiliate of AllianceBernstein L.P., the Adviser of the funds.

The [A/B] logo and AllianceBernstein^® are registered trademarks used by permission of the owner, AllianceBernstein L.P.

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS

May 31, 2026 (unaudited)

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS (continued)

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS (continued)

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS (continued)

PORTFOLIO OF INVESTMENTS (continued)

Glossary:

REIT - Real Estate Investment Trust

See notes to financial statements.

STATEMENT OF ASSETS & LIABILITIES

May 31, 2026 (unaudited)

Net Asset Value Per Share-27 billion shares of capital stock authorized, $.001 par value

See notes to financial statements.

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS

Six Months Ended May 31, 2026 (unaudited)

See notes to financial statements.

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS

See notes to financial statements.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

May 31, 2026 (unaudited)

NOTE A

Significant Accounting Policies

AB Equity Income Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") is organized as a Maryland corporation and is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") as a diversified, open-end management investment company. The Fund offers Class A, Class C, Advisor Class, Class I and Class Z shares. Class B, Class R, Class K and Class T shares have been authorized but currently are not offered. At meetings held on May 5-7, 2026, the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Board") of the Acquired Portfolio approved the reorganization of the Fund into a newly-created exchange-traded fund ("ETF") (the "Conversion"), which will be managed by AllianceBernstein L.P. (the "Adviser"). Pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Acquisition and Dissolution, the Fund will be converted into an ETF (the "Acquiring Portfolio"), a newly-created series of AB Active ETFs, Inc., with an identical investment objective, identical fundamental investment policies, identical portfolio management team and identical investment strategies as the Fund. The closing date of the Conversion is expected to occur on or about November 20, 2026. Class A shares are sold with a front-end sales charge of up to 4.25% for purchases not exceeding $1,000,000. With respect to purchases of $1,000,000 or more, Class A shares redeemed within one year of purchase may be subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1%. Class C shares are subject to a contingent deferred sales charge of 1% on redemptions made within the first year after purchase, and 0% after the first year of purchase. Class C shares automatically convert to Class A shares eight years after the end of the calendar month of purchase. Advisor Class, Class I and Class Z shares are sold without an initial or contingent deferred sales charge and are not subject to ongoing distribution expenses. All nine classes of shares have identical voting, dividend, liquidation and other rights, except that the classes bear different distribution and transfer agency expenses. Each class has exclusive voting rights with respect to its distribution plan. The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP"), which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities in the financial statements and amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The Fund is an investment company under U.S. GAAP and follows the accounting and reporting guidance applicable to investment companies. The following is a summary of significant accounting policies followed by the Fund.

1. Security Valuation

Portfolio securities are valued at market value determined on the basis of market quotations or, if market quotations are not readily available or are unreliable, at "fair value" as determined in accordance with procedures approved by and under the oversight of the Board. Pursuant to these procedures, the Adviser serves as the Fund's valuation designee pursuant to Rule 2a-5 of the 1940 Act. In this

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

capacity, the Adviser is responsible, among other things, for making all fair value determinations relating to the Fund's portfolio investments, subject to the Board's oversight.

In general, the market values of securities which are readily available and deemed reliable are determined as follows: securities listed on a national securities exchange (other than securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market, Inc. ("NASDAQ")) or on a foreign securities exchange are valued at the last sale price at the close of the exchange or foreign securities exchange. If there has been no sale on such day, the securities are valued at the last traded price from the previous day. Securities listed on more than one exchange are valued by reference to the principal exchange on which the securities are traded; securities listed only on NASDAQ are valued in accordance with the NASDAQ Official Closing Price; listed options are generally valued using market-based inputs, such as last traded prices, closing bid and ask prices, or settlement prices, as applicable; over-the-counter ("OTC") options, including flexible exchange-traded options ("Flex Options"), are typically valued at transaction price on the trade date and thereafter valued using models that consider the terms of the option and/or relevant market inputs, as applicable; open futures are valued using the closing settlement price or, in the absence of such a price, the most recent quoted bid price. If there are no quotations available for the day of valuation, the last available closing settlement price is used; U.S. Government securities and any other debt instruments having 60 days or less remaining until maturity are generally valued at market by an independent pricing vendor, if a market price is available. If a market price is not available, the securities are valued at amortized cost. This methodology is commonly used for short-term securities that have an original maturity of 60 days or less, as well as short-term securities that had an original term to maturity that exceeded 60 days. In instances when amortized cost is utilized, the Valuation Committee (the "Committee") must reasonably conclude that the utilization of amortized cost is approximately the same as the fair value of the security. Factors the Committee will consider include, but are not limited to, an impairment of the creditworthiness of the issuer or material changes in interest rates. Fixed-income securities, including mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities, may be valued on the basis of prices provided by a pricing service or at a price obtained from one or more of the major broker-dealers. In cases where broker-dealer quotes are obtained, the Adviser may establish procedures whereby changes in market yields or spreads are used to adjust, on a daily basis, a recently obtained quoted price on a security. Swaps and other derivatives are valued daily, primarily using independent pricing services, independent pricing models using market inputs, as well as third party broker-dealers or counterparties. Open-end mutual funds are valued at the closing net asset value per share, while exchange-traded funds are valued at the closing market price per share.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (including restricted securities) or are deemed unreliable are valued at fair value as deemed appropriate by the Adviser. Factors considered in making this determination may include, but are not limited to, information obtained by contacting the issuer, analysts, analysis of the issuer's financial statements or other available documents. In addition, the Fund may use fair value pricing for securities primarily traded in non-U.S. markets because most foreign markets close well before the Fund values its securities at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim and may materially affect the value of those securities. To account for this, the Fund generally values many of its foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

2. Fair Value Measurements

In accordance with U.S. GAAP regarding fair value measurements, fair value is defined as the price that the Fund would receive to sell an asset or pay to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. U.S. GAAP establishes a framework for measuring fair value, and a three-level hierarchy for fair value measurements based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability (including those valued based on their market values as described in Note A.1 above). Inputs may be observable or unobservable and refer broadly to the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. Observable inputs reflect the assumptions market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on market data obtained from sources independent of the Fund. Unobservable inputs reflect the Fund's own assumptions about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability based on the best information available in the circumstances. Each investment is assigned a level based upon the observability of the inputs which are significant to the overall valuation. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized below.

Where readily available market prices or relevant bid prices are not available for certain equity investments, such investments may be valued based on similar publicly traded investments, movements in relevant indices since last available prices or based upon underlying company fundamentals and comparable company data (such as multiples to earnings or other multiples to equity). Where an investment is valued using an observable input, such as another publicly traded security, the investment will be classified as Level 2. If management

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

determines that an adjustment is appropriate based on restrictions on resale, illiquidity or uncertainty, and such adjustment is a significant component of the valuation, the investment will be classified as Level 3. An investment will also be classified as Level 3 where management uses company fundamentals and other significant inputs to determine the valuation.

The following table summarizes the valuation of the Fund's investments by the above fair value hierarchy levels as of May 31, 2026:

3. Currency Translation

Assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies and commitments under forward currency exchange contracts are translated into U.S. dollars at the mean of the quoted bid and ask prices of such currencies against the U.S. dollar. Purchases and sales of portfolio securities are translated into U.S. dollars at the rates of exchange prevailing when such securities were acquired or sold. Income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at rates of exchange prevailing when accrued.

Net realized gain or loss on foreign currency transactions represents foreign exchange gains and losses from sales and maturities of foreign fixed income investments, holding of foreign currencies, currency gains or losses realized between the trade and settlement dates on foreign investment transactions, and the difference between the amounts of dividends, interest and foreign withholding taxes recorded on the Fund's books and the U.S. dollar equivalent amounts actually received or paid. Net unrealized currency gains and losses from valuing foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities at period end exchange rates are reflected as a component of net unrealized appreciation or depreciation of foreign currency denominated assets and liabilities.

4. Taxes

It is the Fund's policy to meet the requirements of the Internal Revenue Code applicable to regulated investment companies and to distribute all of its

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

investment company taxable income and net realized gains, if any, to shareholders. Therefore, no provisions for federal income or excise taxes are required. The Fund may be subject to taxes imposed by countries in which it invests. Such taxes are generally based on income and/or capital gains earned or repatriated. Taxes are accrued and applied to net investment income, net realized gains and net unrealized appreciation/depreciation as such income and/or gains are earned.

In accordance with U.S. GAAP requirements regarding accounting for uncertainties in income taxes, management has analyzed the Fund's tax positions taken or expected to be taken on federal and state income tax returns for all open tax years (the current and the prior three tax years) and has concluded that no provision for income tax is required in the Fund's financial statements.

5. Investment Income and Investment Transactions

Dividend income is recorded on the ex-dividend date or as soon as the Fund is informed of the dividend. Interest income is accrued daily. Investment transactions are accounted for on the date the securities are purchased or sold. Investment gains or losses are determined on the identified cost basis. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date at the fair value of the securities received. The Fund amortizes premiums and accretes discounts as adjustments to interest income. The Fund accounts for distributions received from real estate investment trust ("REIT") investments or from regulated investment companies as dividend income, realized gain, or return of capital based on information provided by the REIT or the investment company.

6. Class Allocations

All income earned and expenses incurred by the Fund are borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding class of shares, based on the proportionate interest in the Fund represented by the net assets of such class, except for class specific expenses which are allocated to the respective class. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are allocated among the various share classes based on respective net assets.

7. Dividends and Distributions

Dividends and distributions to shareholders, if any, are recorded on the ex-dividend date. Income dividends and capital gains distributions are determined in accordance with federal tax regulations and may differ from those determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. To the extent these differences are permanent, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax basis treatment; temporary differences do not require such reclassification.

8. Cash and Short-Term Investments

Cash and short-term investments include cash on hand and short-term investments with maturities of less than one year when purchased.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

9. Segment Information

The Fund represents a single operating segment. An operating segment is defined in U.S. GAAP as a component of a public entity that engages in business activities from which it may recognize revenues and incur expenses, has operating results that are regularly reviewed by the public entity's chief operating decision maker ("CODM") to make decisions about resources to be allocated to the segment and assess its performance, and has discrete financial information available. The Fund's President is the CODM. The CODM monitors the operating results of the Fund as a whole and the pre-determined Fund's long term investment strategy, which is executed by the portfolio management group. The qualitative and quantitative information contained within the financial statements is used by the CODM to assess the segment's performance versus the Fund's comparative benchmark and to make resource allocation decisions. Segment assets are reflected on the statement of assets and liabilities and segment expenses are listed on the statement of operations.

NOTE B

Advisory Fee and Other Transactions with Affiliates

Under the terms of the investment advisory agreement, the Fund pays the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .50% of the first $2.5 billion, .45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Fund's average daily net assets. Prior to August 1, 2024, the Fund paid the Adviser an advisory fee at an annual rate of .55% of the first $2.5 billion, .45% of the next $2.5 billion and .40% in excess of $5 billion, of the Fund's average daily net assets. The fee is accrued daily and paid monthly. Effective August 1, 2024, the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive the advisory fee by an amount equal to 0.025% of the Fund's daily average net assets. The advisory fee waiver cannot be terminated until February 28, 2027. The Adviser has agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to .90%, 1.65%, .65%, .65% and .65% of the daily average net assets for the Class A, Class C, Advisor Class, Class I and Class Z shares, respectively (the "Expense Caps"). The Expense Caps will extend through February 28, 2027 and then may be extended by the Adviser for additional one year terms. Prior to August 1, 2024, the Adviser had agreed to waive its fees and bear certain expenses to the extent necessary to limit total operating expenses on an annual basis to 1.20%, 1.95%, .95%, .95% and .95% of the daily average net assets for the Class A, Class C, Advisor Class, Class I and Class Z shares, respectively. For the six months ended May 31, 2026, such reimbursements/waivers amounted to $89,600.

On March 26, 2026, Equitable Holdings, Inc. ("Equitable"), the owner of the Adviser, entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger ("Merger Agreement"), by and among Equitable, Corebridge Financial, Inc. ("Corebridge") and various Corebridge subsidiaries. Equitable and Corebridge have agreed, subject to the terms and conditions of the Merger Agreement, to effect an all-stock merger

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

transaction to combine their respective businesses into a newly-formed company (the "Transaction"). The closing of the Transaction may be deemed an "assignment" of the investment advisory agreement between the Fund and the Adviser. In order to ensure that the existing investment advisory services could continue uninterrupted, at a meeting held on May 5-7, 2026, the Boards of Directors/Trustees (the "Boards") of the funds managed by the Adviser (the "AB Funds"), including the Fund, approved new investment advisory agreements with the Adviser, in connection with the Transaction. The Boards also agreed to call and hold a joint meeting of shareholders on August 3, 2026, for shareholders of each AB Fund to approve the new investment advisory agreement with the Adviser that would be effective after the closing of the Transaction.

Pursuant to the investment advisory agreement, the Fund may reimburse the Adviser for certain legal and accounting services provided to the Fund by the Adviser. For the six months ended May 31, 2026, the reimbursement for such services amounted to $46,235.

The Fund compensates AllianceBernstein Investor Services, Inc. ("ABIS"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, under a Transfer Agency Agreement for providing personnel and facilities to perform transfer agency services for the Fund. ABIS may make payments to intermediaries that provide omnibus account services, sub-accounting services and/or networking services. Such compensation retained by ABIS amounted to $59,908 for the six months ended May 31, 2026.

AllianceBernstein Investments, Inc. (the "Distributor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Adviser, serves as the distributor of the Fund's shares. The Distributor has advised the Fund that it has retained front-end sales charges of $12,767 from the sale of Class A shares and received $134 and $234 in contingent deferred sales charges imposed upon redemptions by shareholders of Class A and Class C shares, respectively, for the six months ended May 31, 2026.

The Fund may invest in AB Government Money Market Portfolio which has a contractual annual advisory fee rate of .20% of the portfolio's average daily net assets and bears its own expenses. Effective September 1, 2023, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive .05% of the advisory fee of AB Government Money Market Portfolio (resulting in a net advisory fee of .15%) until August 31, 2024. In connection with the investment by the Fund in AB Government Money Market Portfolio, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive its advisory fee from the Fund in an amount equal to the Fund's pro rata share of the effective advisory fee of AB Government Money Market Portfolio, as borne indirectly by the Fund as an acquired fund fee and expense. For the six months ended May 31, 2026, such waiver amounted to $3,135.

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

A summary of the Fund's transactions in AB mutual funds for the six months ended May 31, 2026 is as follows:

NOTE C

Distribution Services Agreement

The Fund has adopted a Distribution Services Agreement (the "Agreement") pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act. Under the Agreement, the Fund pays distribution and servicing fees to the Distributor at an annual rate of up to .30% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Class A shares, 1% of the Fund's average daily net assets attributable to Class C shares. There are no distribution and servicing fees on the Advisor Class, Class I and Class Z shares. Payments under the Agreement in respect of Class A shares are currently limited to an annual rate of .25% of Class A shares' average daily net assets. The fees are accrued daily and paid monthly. The Agreement provides that the Distributor will use such payments in their entirety for distribution assistance and promotional activities. Since the commencement of the Fund's operations, the Distributor has incurred expenses in excess of the distribution costs reimbursed by the Fund in the amount of $3,595,954 for Class C shares. While such costs may be recovered from the Fund in future periods so long as the Agreement is in effect, and the share class is active, the rate of the distribution and servicing fees payable under the Agreement may not be increased without a shareholder vote. In accordance with the Agreement, there is no provision for recovery of unreimbursed distribution costs incurred by the Distributor beyond the current fiscal year for Class A shares. The Agreement also provides that the Adviser may use its own resources to finance the distribution of the Fund's shares.

NOTE D

Investment Transactions

Purchases and sales of investment securities (excluding short-term investments) for the six months ended May 31, 2026 were as follows:

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was substantially the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes. Accordingly, gross unrealized appreciation and unrealized depreciation are as follows:

1. Derivative Financial Instruments

The Fund may use derivatives in an effort to earn income and enhance returns, to replace more traditional direct investments, to obtain exposure to otherwise inaccessible markets (collectively, "investment purposes"), or to hedge or adjust the risk profile of its portfolio.

The Fund did not engage in derivatives transactions for the six months ended May 31, 2026.

2. Currency Transactions

The Fund may invest in non-U.S. Dollar-denominated securities on a currency hedged or unhedged basis. The Fund may seek investment opportunities by taking long or short positions in currencies through the use of currency-related derivatives, including forward currency exchange contracts, futures and options on futures, swaps, and other options. The Fund may enter into transactions for investment opportunities when it anticipates that a foreign currency will appreciate or depreciate in value but securities denominated in that currency are not held by the Fund and do not present attractive investment opportunities. Such transactions may also be used when the Adviser believes that it may be more efficient than a direct investment in a foreign currency-denominated security. The Fund may also conduct currency exchange contracts on a spot basis (i.e., for cash at the spot rate prevailing in the currency exchange market for buying or selling currencies).

NOTE E

Securities Lending

The Fund may enter into securities lending transactions. Under the Fund's securities lending program, all loans of securities will be collateralized continually by cash collateral and/or non-cash collateral. Non-cash collateral will include only securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities. If the Fund cannot sell or repledge any non-cash collateral, such collateral will not be reflected in the portfolio of investments. If a loan is collateralized by cash, the Fund will be compensated for the loan from a portion of the net return from the income earned on cash collateral after a rebate is paid to the borrower (in some cases, this rebate may be a "negative rebate" or fee paid by the borrower to the Fund in connection with the loan), and payments are made for fees of the securities lending agent and for certain other administrative

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

expenses. If the Fund receives non-cash collateral, the Fund will receive a fee from the borrower generally equal to a negotiated percentage of the market value of the loaned securities. The Fund will have the right to call a loan and obtain the securities loaned at any time on notice to the borrower within the normal and customary settlement time for the securities. While the securities are on loan, the borrower is obligated to pay the Fund amounts equal to any dividend income or other distributions from the securities; however, these distributions will not be afforded the same preferential tax treatment as qualified dividends. The Fund will not be able to exercise voting rights with respect to any securities during the existence of a loan, but will have the right to regain ownership of loaned securities in order to exercise voting or other ownership rights. Collateral received and securities loaned are marked to market daily to ensure that the securities loaned are secured by collateral. The lending agent currently invests the cash collateral received in AB Government Money Market Portfolio, an eligible money market vehicle, in accordance with the investment restrictions of the Fund, and as approved by the Board. The collateral received on securities loaned is recorded as an asset as well as a corresponding liability in the statement of assets and liabilities. The collateral will be adjusted the next business day to maintain the required collateral amount. The amounts of securities lending income from the borrowers and AB Government Money Market Portfolio are reflected in the statement of operations. When the Fund earns net securities lending income from AB Government Money Market Portfolio, the income is inclusive of a rebate expense paid to the borrower. In connection with the cash collateral investment by the Fund in AB Government Money Market Portfolio, the Adviser has agreed to waive a portion of the Fund's share of the advisory fees of AB Government Money Market Portfolio, as borne indirectly by the Fund as an acquired fund fee and expense. When the Fund lends securities, its investment performance will continue to reflect changes in the value of the securities loaned. A principal risk of lending portfolio securities is that the borrower may fail to return the loaned securities upon termination of the loan and that the collateral will not be sufficient to replace the loaned securities. The lending agent has agreed to indemnify the Fund in the case of default of any securities borrower.

A summary of the Fund's transactions surrounding securities lending for the six months ended May 31, 2026 is as follows:

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (continued)

NOTE F

Capital Stock

Each class consists of 3,000,000,000 authorized shares. Transactions in capital shares for each class were as follows: