Finance

UK's Aberdeen to acquire $2 billion of US closed-end assets

Published by Global Banking & Finance Review

Posted on December 12, 2025

1 min read

· Last updated: January 20, 2026

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Dec 12 (Reuters) - Britain's Aberdeen said on Friday that it will acquire the management of closed-end fund assets totalling 1.5 billion pounds ($2.01 billion) from MFS, cementing the wealth manager's

Aberdeen Expands with $2 Billion US Fund Acquisition

LONDON, ‌Dec 12 (Reuters) - British money manager Aberdeen said ‍on ‌Friday it would acquire the management of nine ⁠U.S.-based closed-end funds ‌with assets totalling 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion), part of an ongoing drive to expand in the U.S. ⁠market.

Aberdeen will buy the funds from Boston-based investment manager ​MFS and merge them into two ‌larger funds together with ⁠one existing Aberdeen fund, which will then invest in areas including bonds and the ​hot private credit market.

The deal marks Aberdeen's tenth acquisition of U.S. closed-end funds since 2000, and the firm said it was well-placed ​to ‍further consolidate the ​sector to build bigger funds that deliver greater economies of scale.

The company's shares were up 0.7% after the announcement. Aberdeen CEO Jason Windsor said in a statement that the company ⁠would continue to invest in areas where it saw significant room ​for growth.

No staff will transfer as part of the deal and no acquisition value was stated.

($1 = 0.7467 pounds)

(Reporting by ‌Iain Withers in London and Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru. Editing by Rashmi Aich and Mark Potter)

Key Takeaways

  • Aberdeen acquires management of nine US closed-end funds.
  • The deal totals $2 billion in assets.
  • Funds will merge into larger ones for economies of scale.
  • Aberdeen's tenth US fund acquisition since 2000.
  • No staff will transfer and no acquisition value disclosed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an acquisition?
An acquisition is a corporate action in which one company purchases most or all of another company's shares to gain control of that company.
What are closed-end funds?
Closed-end funds are investment funds that raise a fixed amount of capital through an initial public offering and then trade on a stock exchange.
What is asset management?
Asset management is the systematic process of developing, operating, maintaining, and selling assets in a cost-effective manner.
What is private credit?
Private credit refers to non-bank lending to companies, typically involving private equity firms or other private investors.
What are economies of scale?
Economies of scale refer to the cost advantages that a business obtains due to the scale of operation, with cost per unit of output generally decreasing with increasing scale.

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