Item 8.01 Other Events.

On April 17, 2009, AST Investment Services, Inc., formerly named American Skandia Investment Services, Inc. ("ASISI"), reached a resolution of the previously disclosed investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") and the New York Attorney General's Office ("NYAG") into market timing related misconduct involving certain variable annuities.

The settlements relate to conduct that generally occurred between January 1998 and September 2003. Prudential Financial, Inc. (the "Company") acquired ASISI from Skandia Insurance Company Ltd. (publ) ("Skandia") in May 2003. Subsequent to the acquisition, the Company implemented controls, procedures and measures designed to protect customers from the types of activities involved in these investigations.

These settlements resolve the investigations by the above named authorities into these matters, subject to the settlement terms. Under the terms of the settlements, ASISI is paying a total of $34 million in disgorgement and an additional $34 million as a civil money penalty. These amounts will be paid into a Fair Fund administered by the SEC to compensate those harmed by the market timing related activities. In the settlements, ASISI has agreed to retain, at its ongoing cost and expense, the services of an Independent Distribution Consultant acceptable to the Staff of the SEC to develop a proposed distribution plan for the distribution of Fair Fund amounts according to a methodology developed in consultation with and acceptable to the Staff. As part of these settlements, ASISI has undertaken that by the end of 2009 it will undergo a compliance review by an independent third party, who shall issue a report of its findings and recommendations to ASISI's Board of Directors, the Audit Committee of the Advanced Series Trust Board of Trustees and the Staff of the SEC. In addition, ASISI has agreed, among other things, to continue to cooperate with the SEC and NYAG in any litigation, ongoing investigations or other proceedings relating to or arising from their investigations into these matters.

Under the terms of the purchase agreement pursuant to which the Company acquired ASISI from Skandia in 2003, the Company is entitled to indemnification for the disgorgement, civil money penalties and associated costs required to be paid pursuant to the terms of the settlements. No addition to the Company's existing reserves for estimated settlement costs is required on account of the payments required by the terms of the settlements.

---