Aberdeen Investments to acquire $2bn CEF assets from MFS

Core Insights - Aberdeen Investments has signed an agreement to acquire MFS' management of closed-end fund assets totaling £1.5bn ($2bn) [1] - The transaction will consolidate nine MFS funds and one Aberdeen CEF into two active CEFs, enhancing scale [1][2] - A new municipal bond fund with approximately $1bn in AUM will be created by merging four MFS municipal bond CEFs and one Aberdeen municipal bond CEF [1] - Five MFS taxable fixed income funds will combine to form a multi-sector fixed income closed-end fund, including private credit, with around $1.4bn in AUM [2] - Jonathan Mondillo, Aberdeen's fixed income global head, will manage both newly formed funds [2] - No employees or corporate entities will be transferred as part of the acquisition [2] - Aberdeen Group CEO Jason Windsor expressed satisfaction with the acquisition, highlighting its synergistic nature [2] - The firm aims to become the UK's leading Wealth and Investment group, focusing on areas of strength with significant growth potential [3] - As of September 30, 2025, Aberdeen Investments managed approximately £382bn on behalf of clients [3] - The acquisition reflects Aberdeen's strategy to enhance its US closed-end fund platform [2][3] - MFS has a historical significance in the mutual fund industry, having pioneered US mutual funds in 1924 [4] - Earlier in August, Aberdeen Group agreed to divest its financial planning unit to Ascot Lloyd [4]