Page 7 - DIY Investor Magazine | Issue 37

‘VISIBILITY OF CASH FLOW AND INFLATION PROTECTION IS IMPORTANT’ STAY DIVERSIFIED Nalaka De Silva, manager of Aberdeen Diversified Income & Growth Trust, is similarly circumspect. He says core inflation is proving persistent and ‘soft landings’ are difficult to orchestrate: “The US Federal Reserve is effectively killing the cycle and we have yet to see where rates peak through this year. The extent of the recession is also unknown.” The trust is split into three main areas: equity, fixed income and credit, and reduced beta assets, which includes areas such as listed alternatives and infrastructure. De Silva says exposure to private markets brings a long term perspective to the portfolio. He admits there has been some concerns that valuations of private equity holdings do not yet reflect the weaker economic environment. He believes the high yields on offer more than compensate for any potential re-set on valuations. There are also significant discounts on many of the private equity trusts. The fund holds private equity managers rather than making individual private equity investments, which gives greater diversification. The trust is also looking for opportunities in equities and credit markets as the economic downturn unfolds and value re- emerges. He says visibility of cash flow and inflation protection is important. As such, he has trimmed back non-investment grade bonds and unrated credit, maintaining a weighting in investment grade where there is less chance of default. The fixed income portfolio tends to be shorter-duration, with less exposure to interest rates. De Silva believes yield is likely to be particularly important in the year ahead, as investors look for stability while capital values remain volatile and uncertain. The fund looks to have a broad mix of income sources, including listed infrastructure, real estate, private infrastructure and private credit. This helps create a stable portfolio of income-generative assets. There are green shoots in the year ahead, but until there is greater clarity on the turning point for inflation and interest rates, some caution is warranted on financial markets. At abrdn, the focus is on finding assets with reliable, inflation- adjusted cash flows and income. MURRAY INTERNATIONAL TRUST PLC UPDATE MARCH 2023-03-31 ELEVATOR PITCH FOR ABERDEEN DIVERSIFIED INCOME AND GROWTH TRUST 7 Apr 2023 DIY Investor Magazine ·