ABRDN AUSTRALIA EQUITY FUND INC PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE MKT: IAF), a closed-end equity fund, announced today performance data and portfolio composition information as of August 31, 2017.
The Fund's total returns for various periods through August 31, 2017 are provided below. (All figures are based on distributions reinvested at the dividend reinvestment price and are stated net-of-fees):
Cumulative as of
08/31/17 (%) Annualized as of 08/31/17 (%)
----------------- -----------------------------
1 Month 3 Month YTD 1 Year 3 Years 5 Years 10 Years Since
Inception
---------
NAV 0.8 7.7 14.3 14.5 1.0 3.0 2.6 7.5
--- --- --- ---- ---- --- --- --- ---
Market
Price -0.6 4.5 20.4 20.3 -0.6 1.4 2.0 7.3
------ ---- --- ---- ---- ---- --- --- ---
S&P/ASX 0.1 7.5 13.8 15.9 -0.5 4.9 3.4 n/a(1)
200
---
The Fund's returns, which are denominated in U.S. dollars, are affected by the performance of the U.S. dollar against the Australian dollar.
On August 31, 2017, the Fund's net assets amounted to US$149.1 million and the Fund's NAV per share was US$6.56.
As of August 31, 2017, the portfolio was invested as follows:
Portfolio Composition Percent of
Net Assets
--- ----------
Financials 34.8
---------- ----
Materials 18.7
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Health Care 15.1
----------- ----
Utilities 7.7
--------- ---
Energy 7.1
------ ---
Consumer Staples 4.3
---------------- ---
Industrials 3.6
----------- ---
Telecommunications 3.4
------------------ ---
Information Technology 0.7
---------------------- ---
Other Assets in Excess of Liabilities 4.6
------------------------------------- ---
The Fund's ten largest equity holdings as of August 31, 2017, representing 52.0% of total assets, were:
Stock Percent of
Total Assets
--- ------------
Commonwealth Bank of Australia 6.0
------------------------------ ---
ASX Ltd. 5.9
-------- ---
Westpac Banking Corporation 5.9
--------------------------- ---
Rio Tinto PLC 5.8
------------- ---
CSL Ltd. 5.6
-------- ---
BHP Billiton PLC 5.5
---------------- ---
Woodside Petroleum Ltd. 4.7
----------------------- ---
AGL Energy Ltd. 4.4
--------------- ---
Australia & New Zealand Banking Group 4.2
------------------------------------- ---
Amcor Ltd. 4.0
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Important Information
Aberdeen Asset Management Inc. (the "Administrator") has prepared this report based on information sources believed to be accurate and reliable. However, the figures are unaudited and neither the Fund, the Administrator, Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited (the "Investment Manager)", Aberdeen Asset Management Limited (the "Investment Adviser"), nor any other person guarantees their accuracy. Investors should seek their own professional advice and should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before acting on this information.
The Investment Manager, Investment Adviser and Administrator are each a subsidiary of Aberdeen Asset Management PLC ("Aberdeen PLC"). The merger of Standard Life plc and Aberdeen PLC, announced on March 6, 2017 ("Merger"), closed on August 14, 2017. Aberdeen PLC became a direct subsidiary of Standard Life plc as a result of the Merger and the combined company changed its name to Standard Life Aberdeen plc. Shareholders of the Fund are not required to take any action as a result of the Merger. Following the Merger, the Fund's Investment Manager, Investment Adviser and Administrator are each an indirect subsidiary of Standard Life Aberdeen plc, but otherwise did not change. The investment management, advisory and administration agreements for the Fund, the services provided under the agreements, and the fees charged for services did not change as a result of the Merger. The portfolio management team for the Fund did not change as a result of the Merger.
Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.
Total return figures with distributions reinvested at the dividend reinvestment price are stated net-of-fees and represents past performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results, current performance may be higher or lower. Holdings are subject to change and are provided for informational purposes only and should not be deemed as a recommendation to buy or sell the securities shown. Inception date December 12, 1985.
If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact: InvestorRelations@aberdeen-asset.com
(1) There is no since inception figure for the S&P/ASX 200 Index because the inception date of the Index is April 3, 2000.
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SOURCE Aberdeen Australia Equity Fund, Inc.
