Aberdeen’s 'dream team': a portfolio to compete on the global stage

This June and July sees the world’s finest footballers competing for the ultimate prize in the game. But what does that have to do with investing? More than you might think.

Like football, investment success isn’t just about picking winners – it’s about how the whole line-up works together.

A well-balanced portfolio – like a well-drilled side – blends resilience, control and attacking prowess. Get that mix right, and you have a better chance of results coming your way.

Here’s how Aberdeen’s 'dream team' of strategies lines up today.

Goalkeeper – protection at the back

Every great team starts with a reliable goalkeeper. Calm, consistent, and agile.

That’s the role played by our Short Dated Enhanced Income strategy. It’s designed to deliver a steady income stream with low volatility, aiming to outperform cash while seeking to preserve capital. It focuses on high-quality global bonds with short maturities, while selectively adding lower-rated investment grade and some high yield short-dated bonds. This combination aims to keep risk in check while looking to generate a competitive yield.

In a world where investors want liquidity and resilience without sacrificing the potential for returns, this is the steady presence between the sticks; quietly doing its job, in a variety of match conditions.

Defensive – built for diversification

Defence is about more than just sitting deep. The best backlines protect, but in the modern game they are also there to spark inspiration.

Enter emerging market debt (EMD).

It offers the defensive potential of fixed income, with the added benefit of higher yields. Today, improved fundamentals and stabilising credit conditions across many emerging markets are creating a more supportive backdrop, particularly in high yield and frontier segments.

Selectivity remains key. Not all issuers are equal. But with the right research and experience – we’ve been managing EMD for over 30 years – the opportunity is clear: income, diversification, and exposure to parts of the market that behave differently from developed market bonds.

On the same team sheet, our Enhanced Index strategies provide the fullbacks. Blending active insights with systematic discipline across value, quality and momentum – they aim to deliver consistent excess returns over time. 

Not flashy. But in volatile markets – like matches – solidity counts.

Midfield – driving specialist growth

The midfield is the heartbeat of a football team. Control the middle, and you control the game.

That’s where our Emerging Market Income strategy comes in.

Once overlooked, this part of the investment universe has become increasingly important. Dividend growth in emerging markets has outstripped developed markets since the early 2000s, supported by improving governance, capital discipline, and a broader opportunity set [1].

Our approach combines high-yielding companies with dividend growers, seeking to capture both income today and growth over time. With exposure across regions, sectors and market caps, it offers a diversified way to access emerging markets.

The result is a strategy that has become a core building block in many investors’ portfolios, with assets now exceeding US$1 billion.

Attack – unlocking return potential

But goals win matches. And games are decided at the top of the pitch.

That’s where creativity and conviction have the chance to shine.

Our Future Raw Materials and Future Supply Chains strategies represent that attacking edge, aiming to tap into powerful trends reshaping the global economy.

Future Raw Materials focuses on companies supplying the minerals critical to energy transition, industrial growth and technological change, from copper and lithium to rare earths and uranium.

Future Supply Chains targets businesses benefiting from the reorganisation of global trade, as companies and governments prioritise resilience, localisation and energy security.

The drivers behind both strategies are structural, not cyclical. Geopolitics, supply-chain retooling and infrastructure investment are forging a new economic landscape and creating compelling growth opportunities.

These are the players pushing forward, looking to convert chances when they come.

Final thoughts...

No single player wins a match. And no single strategy works in every market.

The real power lies in how the pieces fit together: strength at the back, control in the middle, and conviction in attack.

Different strategies step up at different times. But together, they can create balance, discipline and adaptability.

In today’s fast-moving world, that dynamic could prove decisive.

[1] Source: Factset, Jefferies Equity Research, 31 March 2026. EM dividends data draw on MSCI universe as it existed in the past. Based on local currency performance. Gross reinvested dividends without considering the impact of taxes. For illustrative purposes only.