Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust

Spelling out the portfolio blocks

20 August 2021

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust (ADIG), a diversified multi-asset fund, has undergone a considerable change during Q420, as the board addressed the disappointing performance since 2017. We believe the change in strategy and the new team provide a turnaround opportunity. After a strategic review in October-November 2020, the manager, Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI), simplified the strategy, segmented the investible asset classes into four asset buckets (listed equities, fixed income & credit, listed alternatives, private markets) and emphasised the sustainability of the dividend. The manager's plan to maintain or increase currently covered (1.0x) dividends should be supported by the lower interest expense after the partial bond repurchase in early November 2020 and the use of revenue reserves. MORE »

Increasing exposure to private assets accelerates

18 December 2020

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust (ADIG) has a diversified multi-asset approach, aiming to generate attractive long-term income and capital returns. After a strategic review in October 2020, the manager intends to increase the share of private assets in the portfolio to 45% by Q221 and to 55% over the long term (vs the previous c 43% target). ADIG’s investment committee will now be led by Nalaka de Silva, head of private market solutions at Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI). While ADIG’s NAV TR performance has lagged the benchmark in recent years, the shares continue to offer an attractive FY21 yield of 5.8% (based on ADIG’s dividend guidance). The manager's plan to maintain or increase dividends should be supported by the lower interest expense post the partial bond repurchase in early November 2020 and the use of revenue reserves. MORE »

Portfolio repositioning continues

17 March 2020

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust (ADIG) aims to generate attractive long-term income and capital returns from its diversified multi-asset portfolio. In line with the March 2017 strategy change, the process of recycling capital from listed to longer-term, unlisted holdings is continuing. These should represent c 43% of NAV (vs 26% at end-September 2019) on full deployment of existing commitments. ADIG’s underperformance since the strategy change reflects, among other things, ongoing portfolio repositioning, issues with its insurance-linked and litigation finance holdings and the value bias of its listed equity exposure. Since end-May 2019, the discount to NAV has been above the targeted 5%. That said, ADIG outperformed its benchmark over the last 12 months and it continues to offer an attractive prospective dividend yield of c 5.6%. MORE »

Progress towards full implementation of strategy

27 September 2019

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust (ADIG) continues to progress towards full implementation of its strategy, aiming to achieve attractive capital and income returns (five-year target of Libor +5.5% pa, net of fees) from a widely diversified multi-asset portfolio, including a significant allocation to less liquid, longer-term investments that individual investors would be unlikely or unable to access. Portfolio managers Mike Brooks and Tony Foster at Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) say half the funds committed to these long-term strategies have now been drawn, with the pace of investment from underlying managers stepping up over the summer. As the portfolio develops towards its intended shape, there is scope for the current wider-than-average discount to narrow materially. ADIG’s shares have an FY19 prospective yield of 5.0%. MORE »

Widely diversified, flexible multi-asset investment

1 May 2019

Aberdeen Diversified Income and Growth Trust (ADIG) follows a diversified multi-asset approach, aiming to generate attractive long-term income and capital returns. The managers aim to hold a genuinely diversified, global, multi-asset portfolio of investments with differing return drivers and risk characteristics, that should produce uncorrelated returns. Performance has been mixed since the appointment of Aberdeen Standard Investments (ASI) as manager in February 2017, but positions in longer-term, less liquid investments, typically only accessible to large, sophisticated investors, are steadily being built up, and the experienced investment team is confident that the Libor +5.5% pa target return can be achieved over the investment cycle. The FY18 total dividend was 1.17x covered and the board intends to increase the FY19 dividend by 2.3% to 5.36p, representing a 4.7% yield. MORE »