LONDON — The last five years have been tough for those in retirement. Portfolio valuations have been hammered and annuity rates have plunged. There’s no sign of things improving anytime soon, either, as the eurozone and the U.K. economy look set to muddle through at best for some years to come.
A great way of protecting yourself from the downturn, however, is by building your retirement fund with shares of large, well-run companies that should grow their earnings steadily over the coming decades. Over time, such investments ought to result in rising dividends and inflation-beating capital growth.
Today, I’m going to take a look at Aberdeen Asset Management plc (LON:ADN), the global investment management group that has client funds worth 193 billion pounds under management.
Aberdeen Asset Management vs. FTSE 100
Let’s start with a look at how Aberdeen Asset Management has performed against the FTSE 100 over the last 10 years:
| Total Returns | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 10-Yr. Trailing Avg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Asset Management | -24.4% | 17.2% | 56.6% | 8.9% | 78.6% | 26% |
| FTSE 100 | -28.3% | 27.3% | 12.6% | -2.2% | 10% | 9.4% |
Source: Morningstar. (Total return includes both changes to the share price and reinvested dividends. These two ingredients combined are what make it possible for equity portfolios to regularly outperform cash and bonds over the long term.)
You wouldn’t normally expect a FTSE 100 company to deliver a total return of 78.6% in one year, but that’s what Aberdeen Asset Management did in 2012, the year in which it joined the FTSE 100. Last year’s outperformance has given a big lift to the firm’s 10 year average total return, which standards at 26%, compared to 9.4% for the FTSE 100.
However, flash-in-the-pan performances are no use in a retirement share — what we need is consistent returns, year after year. Can Aberdeen Asset Management deliver?
What’s the score?
To help me pinpoint suitable investments, I like to score companies on key financial metrics that highlight the characteristics I look for in a retirement share. Let’s see how Aberdeen Asset Management shapes up:
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Year founded | 1983 |
| Market cap | 5.1 billion pounds |
| Net debt (cash) | (2.6 billion pounds) |
| Dividend Yield | 2.7% |
| 5-Year Average Financials | |
| Operating margin | 23.1% |
| Interest cover | 23.6x |
| EPS growth | 38% |
| Dividend growth | 15.9% |
| Dividend cover | 1.6x |
Here’s how I’ve scored Aberdeen Asset Management on each of these criteria:
| Criteria | Comment | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity | It’s still a very young business. | 2/5 |
| Performance vs. FTSE | A 10-year record of outperformance. | 5/5 |
| Financial strength | Robust and cash rich. | 5/5 |
| EPS growth | Strong growth in recent years. | 5/5 |
| Dividend growth | Attractive growth and good cash flow coverage levels. | 5/5 |
| Total: 22/25 | ||
