The Lemon Fool

Dividends

The Board has recommended a final dividend for 2023 of 7.3p (2022: 7.3p) per share. This is subject to shareholder approval and will be paid on 30 April 2024 to shareholders on the register at close of business on 15 March 2024. The dividend payment is expected to be £130m.

External dividends are funded from the cumulative dividend income that abrdn plc receives from its subsidiaries and associates (see below for details of cash and distributable reserves). The need to hold appropriate regulatory capital is the primary restriction on the Group's ability to pay dividends. Further information on the principal risks and uncertainties that may affect the business and therefore dividends is provided in the Risk management section.

An executive at a centuries-old investment firm has accused the media of "corporate bullying" after it changed its name to Abrdn.

The asset manager rebranded from Standard Life Aberdeen three years ago, shortening its name and dropping the vowels.

Chief investment officer Peter Branner complained the press was making "childish" jokes about the change.

He said it would be unethical to treat an individual in the same way.

In an interview with the trade publication Financial News, he said: "I understand that corporate bullying to some extent is part of the game with the press, even though it's a little childish to keep hammering the missing vowels in our name."

The Financial Times responded by publishing a post that read "Lv Abrdn aln" (Leave Abrdn alone), while City AM ran with a front page on Tuesday that read "Abrdn: an apology - sry we kp tkng th pss ot of yr mssng vwls".

Key highlights
- AUMA growth of 3% to £507.7bn reflecting stronger markets and positive net flows

- Continued organic growth in interactive investor, with customer numbers up to 414k

- Actions underway to address outflows in Adviser and equities

- Implementation of cost transformation on track

abrdn plc ("abrdn" or "the Group") today announces that it is beginning the process of moving to fresh leadership, having completed the critical first stage of its transformation into a modern and digitally-focused specialist asset and wealth management company. Following the significant strategic repositioning of the company, the Board and Group CEO, Stephen Bird, have together agreed that it is the right time for Stephen to hand over the reins to the team he has assembled over the last four years to drive the business forward.