IAF abrdn Australia Equity Fund Inc

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Exhibit 99.CODEETH

 

CODE OF ETHICS (SOX)

 

(Principal Executive Officer/President and Principal Financial Officer/Treasurer)

 

I.	Purpose of the Code/Covered Officers

 

Pursuant to Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) has adopted rules requiring annual disclosure of an investment company’s code of ethics applicable to its principal executive, principal financial and principal accounting officers. The Funds have adopted this Code of Ethics (the “Code”) pursuant to these rules. The Code applies to the series (each a “Fund”). The Code specifically applies to each Fund’s President/Principal Executive Officer and Treasurer/Principal Financial Officer (“Covered Officers”) for the purpose of promoting:

 

·

honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

 

·

full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents that are filed with, or submits to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds;

 

·

compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;

 

·

an environment that encourages disclosure of ethical and compliance related concerns;

 

·

the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to an appropriate person or persons identified in the Code without fear of reprisal; and

 

·

accountability for adherence to the Code.

 

The Covered Officers are integral to the Funds’ goal of creating a culture of high ethical standards and commitment to compliance. In their roles, the Covered Officers will refrain from engaging in any activity that may compromise their professional ethics or otherwise prejudice their ability to carry out their duties to the Funds.’ They will act in good faith, with due care, competence and diligence, without misrepresenting material facts or allowing their independent judgment to be subordinated.

 

II.	Actual and Apparent Conflicts of Interest

 

Overview: A “conflict of interest” occurs when a Covered Officer’s private interest interferes with the interests of, or service to, the Funds. For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a Covered Officer, or a member of his or her family, receives improper benefits as a result of his or her position with the Funds.

 

Certain conflicts of interest arise out of the relationship between Covered Officers and each Fund and already are subject to conflict of interest provisions in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the “1940 Act”) and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act”). For example, Covered Officers may not individually engage in certain transactions (such as the purchase or sale of securities or other property) with the Funds because of their status as “affiliated persons” of the Funds. Each Fund’s Adviser and Sub-adviser (the “adviser(s)”) have adopted and implemented respective compliance programs and procedures that are designed to prevent, or identify and correct, violations of these provisions. This Code does not, and is not intended to repeat or replace these programs and procedures, and such conflicts fall outside of the parameters of this Code. Each Covered Officer should be sensitive to situations that may give rise to actual as well as apparent conflicts of interest and should encourage his or her colleagues who provide service to the Funds, whether directly or indirectly, to do the same.

 

 

Although typically not presenting an opportunity for improper personal benefit, conflicts arise from, or as a result of, the contractual relationship between each Fund and the investment adviser (and distributor to the Aberdeen open-end funds) of which the Covered Officers are also officers or employees. As a result, this Code recognizes that the Covered Officers will, in the normal course of their duties (whether formally for the Fund or the investment adviser or for both), be involved in establishing policies and implementing decisions that will have different effects on the investment adviser, distributor and the Funds. The participation of the Covered Officers in such activities is inherent in the contractual relationship between the Funds and the Adviser and is consistent with the performance by the Covered Officers of their duties as officers of each Fund. Thus, if performed in conformity with the provisions of the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act, such activities will be deemed to have been handled ethically. In addition, it is recognized by the Funds’ Board that the Covered Officers may also be officers or employees of the Funds.

 

Other conflicts of interest are covered by this Code, even if such conflicts of interest are not subject to provisions in the 1940 Act and the Advisers Act. The overarching principle is that the personal interest of a Covered Officer should not be placed improperly before the interest of the Funds. A defining question is, “What is the long term interest of current shareholders?” The following list provides examples of conflicts of interest under this Code, but Covered Officers should keep in mind that these examples are not exhaustive.

 

Each Covered Officer must:

 

·

not use his or her personal influence or personal relationships improperly to influence investment decisions or financial reporting by the Funds whereby the Covered Officer would directly or indirectly benefit personally to the detriment of the Funds;

 

·

not cause the Funds to take action, or fail to take action, for the individual personal benefit of the Covered Officer rather than the benefit of the Funds;

 

·

not use material non-public knowledge of Fund transactions made or contemplated for the Funds to trade personally or cause others to trade personally in contemplation of the market effect of such transactions;

 

·

report at least annually affiliations or other relationships related to conflicts of interest covered by the Funds’ Directors and Officers Questionnaire.

 

Any activity or relationship that would present a conflict for a Covered Officer would likely also present a conflict for the Covered Officer if a member of the Covered Officer’s family engages in such activity or has such a relationship. There are some conflict of interest situations that should always be discussed with the Compliance Officer prior to their occurrence, or if foreseen, as soon as reasonably possible after discovery. Examples of these include:

 

·

service on the board of any public company;

 

·

any outside business activity that detracts from the ability of a Covered Officer to devote appropriate time and attention to his or her responsibilities as a Covered Officer of the Funds;

 

·

the receipt of any non-nominal gifts in excess of $100.00;

 

·

the receipt of any entertainment from any company with which the Funds has current or prospective business dealings unless such entertainment is business-related, reasonable in cost, appropriate as to time and place, and not so frequent as to raise any question of impropriety;

 

 

·

any ownership interest in, or any consulting or employment relationship with any of the Funds’ service providers, other than its investment adviser, investment sub-adviser, principal underwriter, administrator or any affiliated person thereof;

 

·

a direct or indirect financial interest in commissions, transaction charges or spreads paid by the Funds for effecting Fund transactions or for selling or redeeming shares other than an interest arising from the Covered Officer’s employment, such as compensation or equity ownership.

 

III.	Definitions

 

(A)            “Covered Officer” with respect to a Fund means the principal executive officer of the Fund and senior financial officers of the Fund, including the principal financial officer, controller or principal accounting officer, or persons performing similar functions, regardless of whether these persons are employed by the Fund or a third party.

 

(B)             “Executive Officer” of a Fund has the same meaning as set forth in Rule 3b-7 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Subject to any changes in that rule, the term “executive officer,” when used in the Code, means the president, any vice president, any officer who performs a policy making function, or any other person who performs similar policy making functions for a Fund.

 

(C)             “Waiver” means the approval by a Fund’s CCO of a material departure from a provision of the Code. “Waiver” includes an “Implicit Waiver,” which is a Fund’s failure to take action within a reasonable period of time regarding a material departure from a provision of this Code that has been made known to an Executive Officer of the Fund.

 

IV.	Disclosure and Compliance

 

Each Covered Officer:

 

·

should familiarize himself with the disclosure requirements generally applicable to the Funds;

 

·

should not knowingly misrepresent, or cause others to misrepresent, facts about the Funds to others, whether within or outside the Funds, including the Funds’ Board and auditors, and to governmental regulators and self-regulatory organizations;

 

·

should, to the extent appropriate within his or her area of responsibility, consult with other officers and employees of the Funds and the Advisers with the goal of promoting comprehensive, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in reports and documents the Funds file with, or submit to, the SEC and in other public communications made by the Funds;

 

·

should cooperate with the each Fund’s independent accountants, regulatory agencies, and internal auditors in their review of the Funds and its operations;

 

·

should ensure the establishment of appropriate policies and procedures for the protection and retention of accounting records and information as required by applicable law, regulation, or regulatory guidelines and establish and administer financial controls that are appropriate to ensure the integrity of the financial reporting process and the availability of timely, relevant information for the Funds’ safe and sound operation; and

 

·

has the responsibility to promote compliance with the standards and restrictions imposed by applicable laws, rules and regulations.

 

 

V.	Reporting and Accountability

 

Each Covered Officer must:

 

·

upon adoption of this Code (or thereafter as applicable, upon becoming a Covered Officer), affirm in writing that he has received, read, and understands this Code;

 

·

annually thereafter affirm that he has complied with the requirements of this Code;

 

·

not retaliate against any other Covered Officer or any employee of the Adviser, or their affiliated persons, or any other employee of a private contractor that provides service to the Funds, for reports of potential violations that are made in good faith; and

 

·

notify the Funds’ CCO promptly if he or she knows or suspects that a violation of applicable laws, regulations, or of this Code has occurred, is occurring, or is about to occur. Failure to do so is itself a violation of this Code.

 

See Exhibit A for the form of PEO/PFO certification.

 

The Funds’ CCO is responsible for applying this Code to specific situations in which questions are presented under it and has the authority to interpret this Code in any particular situation. However, any approvals or Waivers sought by the President will be considered by the Funds’ Audit Committee.

 

The Funds will follow these procedures in investigating and enforcing this Code.

 

·

The Funds’ Compliance Officer will take all appropriate action to investigate any potential violations reported to him/her.

 

·

If, after such investigation, the Compliance Officer believes that no violation has occurred, he or she is not required to take any further action. The Compliance Officer is authorized to consult, as appropriate, with the chair of the Audit Committee and Counsel to the Independent Board, and is encouraged to do so after consultation with each Fund’s President when, in the Compliance Officer’s opinion such consultation will not increase the risk to shareholders.

 

·

Any matter that the Compliance Officer believes is a violation will be reported to the Audit Committee (the “Committee”).

 

·

If the Committee concurs that a violation has occurred, it will inform and make a recommendation to the full Board, which will consider appropriate action, which may include review of and appropriate modifications to, applicable policies and procedures; notification to appropriate personnel of the Adviser or its Board; or a recommendation to dismiss the Covered Officer.

 

·

Each Fund’s Board will be responsible for granting Waivers, as appropriate.

 

·

Any changes to or Waivers of this Code will, to the extent required, be disclosed as provided by the SEC rules.

 

VI.

Sanctions

 

The matters covered in the Code are of the utmost importance to the Funds and their stockholders and are essential to each Fund’s ability to conduct its business in accordance with its stated values. Each Covered Officer and each Executive Officer is expected to adhere to these rules (to the extent applicable) in carrying out his or her duties for the Funds. The conduct of each Covered Officer and each Executive Officer can reinforce an ethical atmosphere and positively influence the conduct of all officers, employees and agents of the Funds. A Fund will, if appropriate, take action against any Covered Officer whose actions are found to violate the Code. Appropriate sanctions for violations of the Code will depend on the materiality of the violation to the Fund.

 

 

Sanctions may include, among other things, a requirement that the violator undergo training related to the violation, a letter or sanction or written censure by the Board, the imposition of a monetary penalty, suspension of the violator as an officer of a Fund or termination of the employment of the violator. If a Fund has suffered a loss because of violations of the Code, the Fund may pursue remedies against the individuals or entities responsible.

 

VII.	Other Policies and Procedures

 

This Code shall be the sole code of ethics adopted by the Funds for the purposes of Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and forms applicable to registered investment companies thereunder. Insofar as other policies or procedures of the Funds, the Adviser, principal underwriter, or other service providers govern or purport to govern the behavior or activities if the Covered Officers who are subject to this Code, they are superseded by this Code to the extent that they overlap or conflict with the provisions of this Code. The Funds’ and Adviser’s code of ethics under Rule 17j-1 under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are not part of this Code.

 

VIII.

Amendments

 

Any amendments to this Code must be approved or ratified by a majority vote of the each Fund’s Board, including a majority of Independent Board members.

 

IX.	Confidentiality

 

All reports and records prepared or maintained pursuant to this Code will be considered confidential and shall be maintained and protected accordingly. Except as otherwise required by law or this Code, such matters shall not be disclosed to anyone other than the appropriate Board and its Counsel.

 

X.	Internal Use

 

This Code is intended solely for internal use by the Funds and does not constitute an admission, by or on behalf of the Funds, as to any fact, circumstance, or legal conclusion. This Code is a statement of certain fundamental principles, policies, and procedures that govern the Covered Officers in the conduct of each Fund’s business. It is not intended and does not create any rights in any employee, investor, supplier, creditor, shareholder or any other person.

 

 

Exhibit A

 

CODE OF ETHICS

 

PURSUANT TO THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

 

Initial and Annual Certification of Compliance

 

________________________________

Name (please print)

 

This is to certify that I have received a copy of the Code of Ethics Pursuant to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Code”) for the following Funds:

 

List of Funds

 

I have read and understand the Code. Moreover, I agree to promptly report to the Chief Compliance Officer any violation or possible violation of this Code of which I become aware. I understand that violation of the Code will be grounds for disciplinary action or dismissal.

 

Check one:

 

Initial

 

¨	I further certify that I am subject to the Code and will comply with each of the Code’s provisions to which I am subject.

 

Annual

 

¨	I further certify that I have complied with and will continue to comply with each of the provisions of the Code to which I am subject.

 

Signature		Date
Received by (name and title):		Date

 

 

Exhibit 99.CERT

 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

I, Sharon Ferrari, certify that:

 

1.

I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (the “Registrant”);

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.

The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the Registrant and have:

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.

The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date:     January 10, 2025

 

/s/ Sharon Ferrari
Sharon Ferrari
Principal Financial Officer

 

 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the 1940 Act and Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

I, Alan Goodson, certify that:

 

1.

I have reviewed this report on Form N-CSR of abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (the “Registrant”);

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations, changes in net assets, and cash flows (if the financial statements are required to include a statement of cash flows) of the Registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.

The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) for the Registrant and have:

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the Registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the Registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of a date within 90 days prior to the filing date of this report based on such evaluation; and

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the period covered by this report that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

5.

The Registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed to the Registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the Registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the Registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize, and report financial information; and

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the Registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Date:      January 10, 2025

 

/s/ Alan Goodson
Alan Goodson
Principal Executive Officer

 

 

Exhibit 99.906CERT

 

Certification Pursuant to Rule 30a-2(b) under the 1940 Act and Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

 

Alan Goodson, Principal Executive Officer, and Sharon Ferrari, Principal Financial Officer, of abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (the “Registrant”), each certify that:

 

1.	The Registrant’s periodic report on Form N-CSR for the period ended October 31, 2024 (the “Form N-CSR”) fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, as applicable; and

 

2.	The information contained in the Form N-CSR fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Registrant.

 

PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER

abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc.

 

/s/ Alan Goodson
Alan Goodson
Date: January 10, 2025
PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL OFFICER
abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc.
/s/ Sharon Ferrari
Sharon Ferrari
Date: January 10, 2025

 

This certification is being furnished solely pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and is not being filed as part of Form N-CSR or as a separate disclosure document. A signed original of this written statement, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to the Registrant and will be retained by the Registrant and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 

 

Exhibit 99.(c)

 

PROXY VOTING POLICY

 

I.             Generally

 

Rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) require the Funds to disclose publicly its proxy voting policies and procedures, as well as its actual proxy votes. The SEC rules also permit the Funds to delegate its proxy voting responsibilities to the Funds’ Investment Manager, Investment Adviser, and Sub-advisers (collectively “the Advisers”). In connection with this ability to delegate proxy voting responsibilities, the SEC has adopted rules under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, that require the Advisers to adopt and implement written proxy voting policies and procedures that are reasonably designed to ensure that it votes proxies on behalf of its clients, when given such authority, in the best interests of those clients.

 

Consistent with the SEC’s requirements, the Funds have delegated responsibility for voting its proxy to the Funds’ Investment Manager, Investment Adviser and Sub-advisers. The Advisers have adopted proxy voting policies and procedures to ensure the proper, and timely, voting of the proxies on behalf of the Funds. Moreover, the Advisers will assist the Funds in the preparation of each Fund’s complete proxy voting record on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ended June 30, by no later than August 31 of each year.

 

II.            Procedures

 

Each Fund shall ensure that its investment manager, investment adviser and sub-advisers are compliant with applicable rules and regulations. These rules and regulations require, in part, that each Fund disclose how it votes each proxy. The rules and regulations also require that the Advisers disclose that they have (1) adopted and implemented proxy voting policies; and (2) adopted procedures regarding how each portfolio security is voted in relation to each Fund. The Adviser must disclose that the procedures are the following:

 

1.

are written;

 

2.

are reasonably designed to ensure that the adviser votes proxies in the best interest of the adviser’s clients;

 

3.

describe the adviser’s proxy voting procedures to the adviser’s clients and provides copies of the adviser’s proxy voting procedures on request;

 

4.

set forth the process by which the adviser evaluates the issues presented by a proxy and records the adviser’s decision about how the proxy will be voted;

 

5.

establish procedures for the identification and handling of proxies that involve material conflicts of interest with the adviser’s clients; and

 

6.

disclose to the adviser’s clients how the clients may obtain information on how the adviser voted the clients’ proxies.

 

The Funds also shall disclose to shareholders the policies and procedures that are used to determine how to vote proxies. The Funds include in the Funds’ statement of additional information appropriate summary disclosure regarding the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Funds’ adviser and sub-advisers, and any third party retained by the Funds’ investment adviser or sub-adviser to determine how to vote proxies. In addition, as required by the financial statements’ requirements of Form N-1A and N-2, the Funds’ financial statements must include a statement that a description of the policies and procedures that the Funds use to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities is available, without charge: (i) upon request, by calling a specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number; or (ii) on the Funds’ website; and (iii) on the SEC website at www.sec.gov.

 

 

The Funds also shall file with the SEC, on an annual basis, the complete proxy voting record of each Fund on Form N-PX for the twelve-month period ending June 30^th, by no later than August 31^st of each year, which Report on Form N-PX shall be executed by the principal executive officer of the each Fund. Each Fund’s proxy voting record on the Form N-PX Report shall be made available by each Fund, without charge, upon request, by calling specified toll-free (or collect) telephone number (but is not available on the Funds’ website). If a Fund receives a telephonic request for a proxy voting record, the Fund shall send the requested information disclosed in the Fund’s most-recently filed Report on Form N-PX within three (3) business days of the receipt of the request for this information, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery.

 

Sub-advisers to the Funds must have procedures and internal controls to ensure compliance with proxy voting regulations. Specifically, the sub-advisers must have procedures for the reporting of proxy voting, and communicating changes in proxy voting policies to the Funds. Prior to Board approval of new advisers, the Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) reviews the proxy voting policies and procedures of the sub-adviser. The CCO ensures that any inadequate procedures or controls of a sub-adviser are reported to the Board and must be corrected in a timely manner.

 

 

Exhibit 99.(d)

 

U.S. Registered Advisers

Summary of Proxy Voting Guidelines

as of October 26, 2022

 

Where clients appoint abrdn Inc. to vote proxies on their behalf, policies have been established to vote these proxies in the best interests of our clients.

 

We employ ISS as a service provider to facilitate electronic voting. We require ISS to provide recommendations based on our own set of parameters tailored to abrdn’s assessment and approach, but remain conscious that all voting decisions are our own on behalf of our clients. We consider ISS’s recommendations and those based on our custom parameters as input to our voting decisions. We make use of the ISS standard research and recommendations and those based on our own custom policy as input to our voting decisions. Where our analysts make a voting decision that is different from the recommendations based on our custom policy they will provide a rationale for such a decisions which will be made publicly available in our voting disclosures.

 

In order to make proxy voting decisions, an abrdn analyst assesses the resolutions at general meetings in our active investment portfolios. This analysis will be based on our knowledge of the company, but will also make use of the custom and standard recommendations provided by ISS as described above. The product of this analysis will be a final voting decision instructed through ISS and applied to all funds for which abrdn have been appointed to vote. For funds managed by a sub-adviser, we may delegate to the sub-adviser the authority to vote proxies; however, the sub-adviser will be required to either follow our policies and procedures or to demonstrate that their policies and procedures are consistent with ours, or otherwise implemented in the best interest of clients.

 

There may be certain circumstances where abrdn Inc. may take a more limited role in voting proxies. We will not vote proxies for client accounts in which the client contract specifies that abrdn Inc. will not vote. We may abstain from voting a client proxy if the voting is uneconomic or otherwise not in clients’ best interests. For companies held only in passively managed portfolios, abrdn Inc. custom recommendations provided by ISS will be used to automatically apply our voting approach; we have scope to intervene to test that this delivers appropriate results, and will on occasions intrude to apply a vote more fully in clients’ best interests. If voting securities are part of a securities lending program, we may be unable to vote while the securities are on loan. However, we have the ability to recall shares on loan or to restrict lending when required, in order to ensure all shares have voted. In addition, certain jurisdictions may impose share-blocking restrictions at various times which may prevent abrdn Inc. from exercising our voting authority.

 

We recognize that there may be situations in which we vote at a company meeting where we encounter a conflict of interest. Such situations include:

 

·

Where a portfolio manager owns the holding in a personal account.

 

·

An investee company that is also a segregated client.

 

·

An investee company where an Executive Director or Officer of our company or that of abrdn plc or another affiliate is also a Director of that company.

 

·

An investee company where an employee of abrdn plc or an affiliate or subsidiary is a Director of that company.

 

·

A significant distributor of our products.

 

·

Any other companies which may be relevant from time to time.

 

We have adopted procedures within our proxy voting process to identify where a conflict exists. These procedures are designed to ensure that our voting decisions are based on our client’s best interests and are not impacted by any conflict.

 

The implementation of this policy, along with conflicts of interest, will be reviewed periodically by the Active Ownership team. abrdn’s Global ESG Principles & Voting Policies are published on our website.

 

Clients may obtain a free copy of abrdn Inc.’s proxy voting policies and procedures and/or proxy voting records for their account by contacting us at (215) 405-5700. abrdn publishes ESG Principles & Voting Policies, which describe our approach to investment analysis, shareholder engagement and proxy voting across companies worldwide. There are published on our website.

 

Clients that have not granted abrdn Inc. voting authority over securities held in their accounts will receive their proxies in accordance with the arrangements they have made with their service providers.

 

Listed Company ESG Principles & Voting Policies

 

February 2023

 

Introduction

 

Active Ownership and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) considerations are a driver of our investment process, our investment activity, our client journey and our corporate influence.

 

 

Through engagement with the companies in which we invest, and by exercising votes on behalf of our clients, we seek to improve the financial resilience and performance of our clients’ investments. Where we believe change is needed, we endeavour to catalyse this through our stewardship capabilities.

 

Our expectations

 

As global investors, we are particularly aware that ESG structures and frameworks vary across regions. Furthermore, what we expect of the companies in which we invest varies between different stages of business development and the underlying history and nature of the company in question. We seek to understand each company’s individual circumstances and so evaluate how it can best be governed and overseen. As such, we strive to apply the principles and policies set out on these pages in response to the needs of that individual company at that particular time. Our heritage as a predominantly active fund manager helps drive this bespoke approach to understanding good governance and risk management.

 

We have a clear perception of what we consider to be best practice globally – as set out in this document. However we will reflect the nature of the business, our close understanding of individual companies and regional considerations, where appropriate, in our approach to applying these policies, which are not exhaustive.

 

This document has received approval from the Head of Public Markets and the Investment Vector’s Chief Sustainability Officer following consultation with various internal stakeholders.

 

Our approach to stewardship

 

We seek to integrate and appraise environmental, social and governance factors in our investment process. Our aim is to generate the best long-term outcomes for our clients and we will actively take steps as stewards and owners to protect and enhance the value of our clients’ assets.

 

Stewardship is a reflection of this bespoke approach to good governance and risk management. We seek to understand each company’s specific approach to governance, how value is created through business success and how investors’ interests are protected through the management of risks that materially impact business success. This requires us to play our part in the governance process by being active stewards of companies, involved in dialogue with management and non-executive directors where appropriate, understanding the material risks and opportunities – including those relating to environmental and social factors and helping to shape the future success of the business.

 

We will:

 

·

Take into consideration, in our investment process, the policies and practices on environmental, social and governance matters of the companies in which we invest.

 

·

Seek to enhance long-term shareholder value through constructive engagement with the companies in which we invest.

 

·

Actively engage with the companies and assets in which we invest where we believe we can influence or gain insight.

 

·

Seek to exercise voting rights, where held, in a manner consistent with our clients’ long-term best interests.

 

·

Seek to influence the development of high standards of corporate governance and corporate responsibility in relation to environmental and social factors for the benefit of our clients.

 

·

Communicate our Listed Company ESG Principles and Voting Policies to clients, companies and other interested parties.

 

·

Be accountable to clients within the constraints of professional confidentiality and legislative and regulatory requirements.

 

·

Be transparent in reporting our engagement and voting activities.

 

abrdn is committed to exercising responsible ownership with a conviction that companies adopting improving practices in corporate governance and risk management will be more successful in their core activities and deliver enhanced returns to shareholders. As owners of companies, the process of stewardship is a natural part of our investment approach as we seek to benefit from their long-term success on our clients’ behalf.

 

Engagement

 

It is a central tenet of our active investment approach that we strive to meet with the management and directors of our investee companies on a regular basis. The discussions we have cover a wide range of topics, including: strategic, operational, and ESG issues and consider the long-term drivers of value. Engagement with companies on ESG risks and opportunities is a fundamental part of our investment process. It is a process by which we can discuss how a company identifies, prioritises and mitigates its key risks and optimises its most significant opportunities. As such, we regard engagement as:

 

·

Important to understanding investee companies as a whole.

 

·

Helpful when conducting proper ESG analysis.

 

·

Useful to maintaining open dialogue and solid relationships with companies.

 

 

·

An opportunity to inflect positive change on a company’s holistic risk management programme – be active with our holdings rather than activist.

 

Proxy Voting

 

Proxy voting is an integral part of our active stewardship approach and we seek to exercise voting rights in a manner in line with our clients’ best interests. We seek to ensure that voting reflects our understanding of the companies in which we invest on behalf of our clients. We believe that voting is a vital mechanism for holding boards and management teams to account, and is an important tool for escalation and shareholder action.

 

This document includes our process and overarching policy guidelines which we apply when voting at general meetings. These policies are not exhaustive and we evaluate our voting on a case by case basis. As a global investment firm we recognise the importance of adopting a regional approach, taking into account differing and developing market practices. Where a policy is specific to one region this is denoted.

 

We endeavour to engage with companies regarding our voting decisions to maintain a dialogue on matters of concern.

 

Voting Process

 

In line with our active ownership approach, we review the majority of general meeting agendas convened by companies which are held in our active equity portfolios. Analysis is undertaken by a member of our regional investment teams or our Active Ownership team and votes instructed following consideration of our policies, our views of the company and our investment insights. To enhance our analysis we may engage with a company prior to voting to understand additional context and explanations, particularly where there is deviation from what we believe to be best practice.

 

To supplement our own analysis we make use of the benchmark research and recommendations provided by ISS, a provider of proxy voting services. In the UK we also make use of the Investment Association’s (IA) Institutional Voting Information Service. We have implemented regional voting policy guidelines with ISS which ISS applies to all meetings in order to produce customised vote recommendations. These custom recommendations help identify resolutions which deviate from our expectations. They are also used to determine votes where a company is held only in passive funds. Within our custom policies, however, we do specify numerous resolutions which should be referred to us for active review. For example we will analyse all proposals marked by ISS as environmental or social proposals.

 

While it is most common for us to vote in line with a board’s voting recommendation we will vote our clients’ shares against resolutions which are not consistent with their best interests. We may also vote against resolutions which conflict with local governance guidelines, such as the IA in the UK. Although we seek to vote either in favour or against a resolution we do make use of an abstain vote where this is considered appropriate. For example we may use an abstention to acknowledge some improvement, but as a means to reserve our position in expectation that further improvement is needed before we can vote in favour. Where we vote against a resolution we endeavour to inform companies of our rationale.

 

In exceptional circumstances we may attend and speak at a shareholder meeting to reinforce our views to the company’s board.

 

We endeavour to vote all shares for which we have voting authority. We may not vote when there are obstacles to do so, for example those impacting liquidity, such as share- blocking, or where there is a significant conflict of interest. We use the voting platform of ISS to instruct our votes. Where we lend stock on behalf of clients, and subject to the terms of client agreements, we hold the right to recall shares where it is in clients’ interests and we take the view that it will impact the final vote to maintain full voting weight on a particular meeting or resolution.

 

Our votes are disclosed publicly on our website one day after a general meeting has taken place.

 

Strategy

 

We invest in companies to create the best outcome for our clients. Companies must be clear about the drivers of their business success and their strategy for maintaining and enhancing it. Investment is a forward-looking process; we seek to understand the opportunity for a business and its scope for future value-creation over the long term. In order to do this, we need clarity on past business delivery and its drivers, and on the effective track record of management; we require honest and open reporting to build confidence in that track record. We seek confidence that companies and their management can maintain their competitive positioning and operational performance and subsequently enhance returns for investors. A clear strategy and clarity about the drivers of operational success provides the lens through which we will consider most corporate issues, not least assessing performance and risk management.

 

·

We will consider voting against executive or non-executive directors if we have serious concerns regarding the oversight or implementation of strategy.

 

 

Board of Directors

 

We believe effective board governance promotes the long-term success and value creation of the company. The board should be responsible for establishing the company’s purpose and strategy, overseeing management in their implementation of strategy and performance against objectives. The board should ensure a strong framework of control and risk oversight, including material ESG risks. The board should assess and monitor culture and be engaged with the workforce, shareholders and wider society.

 

Board Composition

 

Effective decision making requires a mix of skills around the table and constructive debate between diverse and different-minded individuals. A range of skills, experience and perspectives should be drawn together on the board. These include industry knowledge, experience from other sectors and relevant geographical knowledge. Independence of thought plays a crucial role in the ability of a board to generate the debate and discussion that will challenge management, help enhance business performance and improve decision-making. Board assessments will help the board ensure it has the necessary mix of skills, diversity and quality of individuals to address the current risks and opportunities the company faces. Unitary boards should comprise an appropriate combination of executive and non-executive directors such that no group of individuals dominates decision-making. We expect the size of the board to reflect the size, nature and complexity of the business. We also expect regular internal and external board evaluations which include an assessment of board composition and effectiveness.

 

Leadership

 

Running businesses effectively for the long term requires effective collaboration and cooperation, with no individual or small group having unfettered powers. Nor should they have dominant influence over the way a business is run or over major decisions about its operations or future. There should be a division of responsibility between board leadership and executive leadership of the business. We believe that there should be a division of roles at the top of the organisation, typically between a Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and an independent Chair.

 

·

We will consider supporting the re-election of an existing Chair & CEO role combination, recognising that this remains common in certain geographies. In reviewing on a case by case basis we will take account of the particular circumstances of the company and consider what checks and balances are in place, such as the presence of a strong Senior Independent Director with a clear scope of responsibility.

 

·

We will generally oppose any re-combination of the roles of CEO and Chair, unless the move is on a temporary basis due to exceptional circumstances or other mitigating factors.

 

·

We will generally oppose any move of a retiring CEO to the role of Chair.

 

Independence

 

Companies should be led and overseen by genuinely independent boards. When looking at board composition we generally expect to see a majority of independent directors, with boards identifying their independence classifications in the Annual Report. It is preferable to see an identified Senior Independent Director (SID) on the board, who will lead the appraisal of and succession planning for the Chair. We expect SIDs to meet with investors and be a point of contact for escalating concerns if required.

 

In assessing a director’s independence we will have due regard for whether a director:

 

(I)

Has been an employee of the company within the last five years.

 

(II)

Has had within the last three years a material business relationship with the company.

 

(III)

Has received remuneration in addition to director fees or participates in the company’s option or variable incentive schemes, or is a member of the company’s pension scheme.

 

(IV)

Has close family ties with any of the company’s advisers, directors or senior employees.

 

(V)

Holds cross-directorships or has significant links with other directors through involvement in other companies or bodies.

 

(VI)

Represents a significant shareholder.

 

(VII)

Has served on the board for more than 12 years (or 9 for UK companies).

 

·

We will consider voting against the re-election of non-independent directors if the board is not majority independent (excluding employee representatives). In doing so we will have regard for whether a company is controlled and the nature of the non-independence – for example, we are unlikely to vote against shareholder representatives unless their representation is disproportionate to their shareholding.

 

Succession Planning & Refreshment

 

Regular refreshment of the non-executive portion of a board helps draw in fresh perspectives, not least in the context of changes to business and emerging opportunities and risks. It also helps limit the danger of group-think. Thoughtful and proactive succession planning is therefore needed for board continuity, to ensure that a board is populated by individuals with an appropriate mix of skills, experience and perspective. We expect the board to implement a formal process for the recruitment and appointment of new directors, and to provide transparency of this in the Annual Report.

 

 

·

We will vote against non-executive directors where there are concerns regarding board refreshment or excessive tenure. Where there are directors who have served for over 12 years on a board which has seen no refreshment in 3 years (2 in UK), we will generally vote against their re-election. If a director has served for over 15 years we will generally vote against their re-election. We will, however, consider the impact on board continuity and the company’s succession planning efforts prior to doing so. We may not apply the tenure limit to directors who are founders or shareholder representatives.

 

Diversity

 

We believe that companies that make progress in diversity and inclusion (D&I) are better positioned for long-term sustainability and outperformance. Diversity of thought, paired with a culture of inclusion, can help companies to tackle increasingly complex challenges and markets. We expect boards to report on how they promote D&I throughout the business and believe that setting targets is important to addressing imbalances. We recognise the importance of adopting a regional approach to diversity and inclusion, allowing us to press for progress with appropriate consideration for the starting point. We have for several years, actively encouraged progress in gender diversity at all levels, and have expanded our scope in relation to diversity and inclusion across geographies. In respect of ethnic diversity, this is coming increasingly into focus as we encourage boards to progress in ensuring that their composition reflects their employee and customer bases.

 

Our regional specific policies are below. In determining our votes we will take account of mitigating factors, such as the sudden departure of a female board member. We will also consider any clear progress being made by the company on diversity and any assurance that diversity shortfalls will soon be addressed.

 

Gender Diversity

 

·

UK: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of FTSE 350 companies if the board is not comprised of at least one third female directors. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the board does not include at least one female director.

 

·

Europe: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of LargeCap companies if the supervisory board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors, or is not in line with the local standard if higher. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the supervisory board does not include at least one female director.

 

·

Australia: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of ASX300 companies if the board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors.

 

·

North America: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair of LargeCap companies if the board is not comprised of at least 30% female directors. For smaller companies, we will take this action if the board does not include at least one female director

 

Ethnic Diversity

 

·

UK: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair at the boards of FTSE 100 companies, if the board does not include at least one member from an ethnic minority background. This is in line with targets set up by the Parker Review.

 

·

US: We will generally vote against the Nomination Committee Chair at the boards of S&P 1500 & Russell 3000 companies if the board does not include at least one member from a racial or ethnic minority background.

 

Directors’ Time Commitment

 

Individual directors need sufficient time to carry out their role effectively and therefore we seek to ensure that all directors maintain an appropriate level of overall commitments such that allows them to be properly diligent.

 

·

We will consider opposing the election or re-election of any director where there is a concern regarding their ability to dedicate sufficient time to the role. In making this assessment we will have regard for the ISS classification of ‘overboarding’.

 

·

We will generally oppose the re-election of any director who has attended fewer than 75% of board meetings in two consecutive years.

 

Board Committees

 

Boards should establish committees, populated by independent and appropriately skilled non-executive directors, to oversee (as a minimum) the nomination, audit and remuneration processes. It may also be appropriate for additional committees to be established, such as a risk or sustainability committee. These committees should report openly on an annual basis about their activities and key decisions taken.

 

·

We will consider voting against committee members if we have concerns regarding the composition of a committee.

 

Nomination Committee

 

This committee has responsibility for leading the process for orderly non-executive and senior management succession planning and recruitment, and for overseeing the composition of the board including skillset, experience and diversity. We expect the committee to be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair.

 

 

·

We will consider voting against the re-election of the Nomination Committee Chair if we have concerns regarding the composition of the board or concerns regarding poor succession planning.

 

Audit Committee

 

This committee has responsibility for monitoring the integrity of the financial statements, reviewing the company’s internal financial controls and risk management systems, reviewing the effectiveness of the company’s internal audit function and appointing auditors. While we prefer the committee to be wholly independent, at minimum we expect the committee to be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair and at least one member having recent and relevant financial experience.

 

·

We will generally vote against the re-election of the Audit Committee Chair if at least one member of the Committee does not have recent and relevant financial experience.

 

Remuneration Committee

 

This committee is responsible for determining the policy and setting remuneration for executive and non-executive directors. The committee should ensure that remuneration is aligned with strategy and company performance and should clearly demonstrate regard for the company’s employees, for wider society and be cognisant of the company’s licence to operate when considering policy and the overall level of remuneration. We expect remuneration committees to be robust in their approach to developing and implementing remuneration policies, with formal and transparent procedures for developing policies and for determining remuneration packages. Remuneration committees should be comprised of a majority of independent directors with an independent Chair and we expect members to have appropriate experience and knowledge of the business. No executive should be involved in setting their own remuneration.

 

·

Where we have significant concerns regarding the company’s remuneration policy or reward outcomes we may escalate these concerns through a vote against the Chair or members of the Remuneration Committee.

 

Director Accountability

 

We expect to be able to hold boards to account through engagement and regular director re-elections and directors should feel that they are accountable to investors. We encourage individual, rather than bundled, director elections. While our preference is for directors to be subject to re-election annually, we expect re-elections to take place at least every three years. Lengthier board mandates, while not uncommon in some markets, risk divorcing directors from an appropriate sense of accountability. Directors and management should make themselves available for discussions with major shareholders as we expect to have open dialogue to share our perspectives and gain confidence that the individuals are carrying out their roles with appropriate vigour and diligence. A further important element of director accountability to shareholders is that investors should have the right, both formal and informal, to propose and promote individual directors to be considered for election to the board by all shareholders.

 

·

We will generally oppose the re-election of non- independent NEDs who are proposed for a term exceeding three years. We may not apply this to directors who are shareholder representatives.

 

·

Where we have significant concerns regarding a board member’s performance, actions or inaction to address issues raised we may vote against their re-election.

 

·

We may vote against directors who decline appropriate requests for meeting without a clear justification.

 

·

Where a director has held a position of responsibility at a company which has suffered a material governance failure, we will consider whether we are comfortable to support their re-election at other listed companies.

 

·

We will generally support resolutions to discharge the supervisory board or management board members unless we have serious concerns regarding actions taken during the year under review. Where there is insufficient information regarding allegations of misconduct, we may prefer to abstain. In exceptional circumstances we may vote against the discharge resolution to reflect serious ESG concerns if there is not another appropriate resolution.

 

·

We will not support the election of directors who are not personally identified but are proposed as corporations.

 

Reporting

 

A company’s board should present a fair, balanced and understandable assessment of the company’s position and prospects – financial and non-financial – and of how it has fulfilled its responsibilities. We support the principle of full disclosure of relevant and useful information, subject to issues of commercial confidentiality and prejudice. Boilerplate disclosure should be avoided. We encourage companies to consider using the appropriate globally developed standards and would particularly encourage the use of those created by the Taskforce for Climate related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Audited reporting and financial numbers should be published ahead of any relevant shareholder meetings. We continue to monitor the evolving reporting landscape and consider new reporting developments as they emerge, either voluntary or regulatory.

 

·

We may consider voting against a company’s Annual Report & Accounts if we have concerns regarding timely provision or disclosure.

 

 

Political Donations & Lobbying

 

Companies should be consistent in their public statements and not undermine these in private commentary to market participants or to politicians and regulators. We welcome transparency from companies about their lobbying activities and believe that good companies have nothing to hide in this respect. Similarly we encourage transparency of any political donations that companies deem appropriate – and we expect a clear explanation of why such donations are an appropriate use of corporate funds.

 

Risk & Audit

 

The board is responsible for determining the company’s risk appetite, establishing procedures to manage risk and for monitoring the company’s internal controls. We expect boards to conduct robust assessments of the company’s material risks and report to shareholders on risks, controls and effectiveness. The introduction of global accounting standards has led to much greater investor confidence in the accounts produced by companies around the world. It has also assisted in creating consistency of reporting across companies, enabling fairer comparisons between different operating businesses. We therefore encourage companies seeking international investment to report under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) or US GAAP. As a firm abrdn supports the continued development of high quality global accounting standards.

 

An independent audit, delivered by a respected audit firm, is a required element for investor confidence in reporting by companies. We strongly favour meaningful, transparent and informative auditor reports, giving us additional insights into the audit process and accounting outcomes. Audit fees must be sufficient to pay for an appropriately in-depth assurance process. We would be concerned if a company sought to make savings in this respect as the cost in terms of damage to audit effectiveness and confidence in the company’s accounts would be much more substantial.

 

The independence of the auditor and the standard of their work, particularly in challenging management, should be subject to regular assessment that is appropriately disclosed. Even when individuals carrying out the audit are refreshed, we believe that the independence of the audit firm erodes over time and we will encourage a tender process and change of audit firm where an engagement has lasted for an extended period. In order to demonstrate the level of independence, companies should not have the same audit firm in place for more than 20 years.

 

The relationship with the auditor should be mediated through the audit committee. Where we are significant shareholders, we expect to be consulted on plans to tender and replace auditors.

 

·

We will generally vote against the re-election of an auditor which has a tenure of 20 years or over, if there are no plans for rotation in the near term.

 

·

We will consider voting against the auditors if we have concerns regarding the accounts presented or the audit procedures used.

 

·

We will vote against the approval of auditor fees if we have concerns regarding the level of fees or the balance of non-audit and audit fees.

 

Remuneration

 

Remuneration policies and the overall levels of pay should be aligned with strategy, attracting and retaining talent and incentivising the decisions and behaviours needed to create long-term value. The component parts of remuneration should be structured so as to link rewards to corporate and individual performance and they should be considered in the context of the remuneration policies when taken as a whole. We recognise the benefits of simplicity in forming the policy, which should clearly link outcomes and expectations for those receiving the remuneration, as well as external stakeholders. The structure should be transparent and understandable.

 

A company’s annual report should contain an informative statement of remuneration policy which communicates clearly to stakeholders how it has developed and evolved. This should include details of any stress testing that may have been undertaken to understand the policy outcomes for different business scenarios. The remuneration committee should provide a clear description of the application of policy and the outcomes achieved.

 

Base salary should be set at a level appropriate for the role and responsibility of the executive. We discourage increases which are driven by peer benchmarking, and expect increases to be aligned with the wider workforce. Consideration should also be given to the knock on impact to variable remuneration potential. Pension arrangements and benefits should be clearly disclosed. We generally expect pension structures to be aligned with the wider workforce.

 

A company should structure variable, performance- related pay to incentivise and reward management in a manner that is aligned with the company’s sustainable performance and risk appetite over the long term. We expect all variable pay to be capped, preferably as a proportion of base salary. In the UK we expect variable pay to be capped as a proportion of salary. In other markets, if variable pay is capped at a number of shares, we expect the value of grants to be kept under review annually to ensure the value remains appropriate and is not excessive.

 

 

Performance metrics used to determine variable pay should be clearly disclosed and aligned with the company’s strategy. A significant portion of performance metrics should seek to measure significant improvements in the underlying financial performance of the company. We also encourage the inclusion of non-financial metrics linked to targets which are aligned with the company’s progress on its ESG strategy. Where possible we expect these targets to be quantifiable and disclosed.

 

Variable pay arrangements should incentivise participants to achieve above-average performance through the use of challenging targets. We encourage sliding-scale performance measures and expect performance target ranges to be disclosed to enable shareholders to assess the level of challenge and pay for performance alignment. We expect annual bonus targets to be disclosed retrospectively and encourage the disclosure of long term incentive (LTI) targets at the beginning of the performance period, but at minimum we expect retrospective disclosure. Where bonus or LTI targets are not disclosed due to commercial sensitivity we expect an explanation of why the targets continue to be considered sensitive retrospectively and expect some detail regarding the level of achievement vs target. Where a share price metric is being used, we expect this to be underpinned by a challenging measure of underlying performance.

 

We encourage settlement of a portion of the annual bonus in shares which are deferred for at least one year.

 

We expect settlement of long term incentives to be in shares, with rationale provided for any awards settled in cash. Long term incentives should have a performance period of no less than three years. In the UK we expect a further holding period of two years to be applied, and we encourage this in other markets.

 

We do not generally support restricted share schemes or value creation plans. We will consider supporting the use of restricted share plans which have been structured consistent with the guidelines of the Investment Association.

 

We expect appropriate malus and clawback provisions to be applied to variable remuneration plans.

 

We expect shareholding guidelines to be adopted for executive directors and encourage the adoption of post-departure shareholding guidelines.

 

We expect details of any use of discretion to be disclosed and its use should be justifiable, appropriate and clearly explained. We would expect policies to be sufficiently robust so that discretion is only necessary in exceptional circumstances. We do not generally support exceptional awards, and are particularly sensitive to such awards being granted to reward a corporate transaction.

 

We expect executive service contracts to provide for a maximum notice period of 12 months. We will consider local best practice provisions related to severance arrangements when voting.

 

Non-executive fees should reflect the role’s level of responsibility and time commitment. We do not support NED’s participation in option or performance-related arrangements. However we do support the payment of fees in shares, particularly where conservation of cash is an issue.

 

In the UK our expectations of companies are aligned with the Investment Association’s Principles of Remuneration.

 

Where significant changes to remuneration arrangements are being considered, we would expect remuneration committees to consult with their largest shareholders prior to finalising any changes. Where any increase to variable remuneration is proposed, we would expect this to be accompanied by a demonstrable increase in the stretch of the targets. Furthermore we expect any increases to remuneration to be subject to shareholder approval.

 

In response to the issues arising from the cost of living crisis being experienced by many people in the UK, we expect companies to focus any additional help towards those members of the workforce who need it most. We expect Remuneration Committees to take into account factors arising from the cost of living crisis when deliberating over executive pay outcomes. We would be concerned by reputational issues arising from decisions made in these unusual circumstances and may make this a factor in our voting decisions at relevant AGMs.

 

In line with the expectations set out above we will generally vote against the appropriate resolution(s) where:

 

·

We consider the overall reward potential or outcome to be excessive.

 

·

A significant increase to salary has been granted which is not aligned with the workforce or is not sufficiently justified.

 

·

A significant increase to performance-related pay has been granted which is not sufficiently justified, is not accompanied by an increase in the level of stretch required for achievement or results in the potential for excessive reward.

 

·

There is no appropriate cap on variable incentive schemes.

 

·

Performance targets for annual bonus awards are not disclosed retrospectively and the absence of disclosure is not explained.

 

·

Performance targets for long term incentive awards are not disclosed up front and there is no compelling explanation regarding the absence of disclosure or a commitment to disclose retrospectively.

 

·

Performance targets are not considered sufficiently challenging, either at threshold, target or maximum.

 

·

Relative performance targets allow vesting of awards for below median performance.

 

 

·

Retesting provisions apply.

 

·

Incentives that have been conditionally awarded have been repriced or performance conditions changed part way through a performance period.

 

·

We have concerns regarding the use of discretion or the grant of exceptional awards.

 

·

Pension arrangements are excessive.

 

·

Pension arrangements are not aligned with the wider workforce (UK).

 

Investor Rights

 

The interests of minority shareholders must be protected and any major, or majority, investor should not enjoy preferential treatment. The structure of ownership or control should minimise the potential for abuse of public shareholders.

 

Corporate Transactions

 

Companies should not make significant changes to their structure or nature without being fully transparent to their investors. Shareholders should have the opportunity to vote on significant corporate activity, such as mergers and acquisitions. Where a transaction is with a related party, only independent shareholders should have a vote. Even in markets where no vote is given to shareholders in these circumstances, investors need transparent disclosure of the reasons for any such major change. Companies should expect that shareholders may want to discuss and debate proposed developments

 

Diversification beyond the core skills of the business needs to be justified as it is more often than not a distraction from operational performance. All major deals need to be clearly explained and justified in the context of the pre- existing strategy and be subject to shareholder approval.

 

We will vote on corporate transactions on a case by case basis.

 

Dividends

 

We will generally support the payment of dividends but will scrutinise the proposed level where it appears excessive given the company’s financial position.

 

Share Capital

 

The board carries responsibility for prudent capital management and allocation.

 

Share Issuance

 

We will consider capital raises which are proposed for a specific purpose on a case by case basis but recognise that it can be beneficial for companies to have some general flexibility to issue shares to raise capital. However we expect issuances to be limited to the needs of the business and companies should not issue significant portions of shares unless offering these on a pro-rata basis to existing shareholders to protect against inappropriate dilution of investments.

 

·

Where a company seeks a general authority to issue shares we generally expect this to be limited to 25% of the company’s share capital for pre- emptive issuances. In the UK we are aligned with the guidance of the Investment Association Share Capital Management Guidelines.

 

·

Where a company seeks a general authority to issue shares we generally expect this to be limited to 10% of the company’s share capital for non-pre-emptive issuances. In the UK we are aligned with the guidance of the Investment Association Share Capital Management Guidelines and those of the Pre-Emption Group.

 

·

We will not generally support share issuances at investment trusts unless there is a commitment that shares would only be issued at a price at or above net asset value.

 

When considering our votes we will, however, take account of the company’s circumstances and any further detail regarding proposed capital issuance authorities prior to voting.

 

Following changes to the UK’s Pre-Emption Group Guidelines in November 2022, which reflect an increase on previous limits, we will hold the Chair of the company accountable for any perceived misuse of the increased flexibility through a vote against their re-election.

 

Buyback

 

We recognise that share buybacks can be a flexible means of returning cash to shareholders.

 

·

We will generally support buyback authorities of up to 10% of the issued share capital.

 

Related Party Transactions

 

The nature of relations – particularly any related party transactions (RPTs) – with parent or related companies, or other major investors, must be disclosed fully. Related party transactions must be agreed on arm’s length terms and be made fully transparent. Where they are material, they should be subject to the approval of independent shareholders.

 

·

We will vote against RPTs where there is insufficient transparency of the nature of the transaction, the rationale, the terms or the views and assessment of directors and advisors.

 

 

Article/Bylaw amendments

 

While it is standard to see proposals from companies to amend their articles of association or bylaws, we will review these on a case by case basis. When doing so we expect full transparency of the proposed changes to be disclosed.

 

·

We will vote against amendments which will reduce shareholder rights.

 

Anti-Takeover Defences

 

There should be no artificial structures put in place to entrench management and protect companies from takeover. The best defence from hostile takeover is strong operational delivery.

 

·

We will generally vote against anti-takeover/‘poison pill’ proposals.

 

Voting Rights

 

We are strong supporters of the principle of ‘one share, one vote’ and therefore favour equal voting rights for all

 

shareholders.

 

·

We will generally vote against proposals which seek to introduce or continue capital structures with multiple voting rights.

 

·

We will consider voting against proposals to raise new capital at companies with multiple share classes and voting rights.

 

General Meetings

 

Shareholder meetings provide an important opportunity to hold boards to account not only through voting on the proposed resolutions but also by enabling investors the opportunity to raise questions, express views and emphasise concerns to the entire board. We may make a statement at a company’s AGM as a means of escalation to reinforce our views to a company’s board.

 

We welcome the opportunity to attend meetings virtually, being of the view that this can increase participation given obstacles such as location or meeting concentration. However we are not supportive of companies adopting virtual-only meetings as we believe this format reduces accountability. Our preference is for a hybrid meeting format to balance the flexibility of remote attendance with the accountability of an in-person meeting.

 

·

We will generally support resolutions seeking approval to shorten the EGM notice period to minimum 14 days, unless we have concerns regarding previous inappropriate use of this flexibility.

 

·

We will generally support proposals to enable virtual meetings to take place as long as there is confirmation that the format will be hybrid, with physical meetings continuing to take place (unless prohibited by law). We expect virtual attendees to have the same rights to speak and raise questions as those attending in-person.

 

As part of strategic planning, boards need to have oversight of, and clearly articulate, the key opportunities and risks affecting the sustainability of the business model. This includes having a process for, and transparent disclosure of, potential and emerging opportunities and risks and the actions being taken to address them.

 

The effective management of risks extends to long-term issues that are hard to measure and whose timeframe is uncertain and will include the management of environmental and social issues. We use the UN Global Compact’s four areas of focus in assessing how companies are performing in this area.

 

Specifically we expect companies to be able to demonstrate how they manage their exposures under the following headings.

 

The Environment

 

It is generally accepted that companies are responsible for the effects of their operations and products on the environment. The steps they take to assess and reduce those impacts can lead to cost savings and reduce potential reputational damage. Companies are responsible for their impact on the climate and they face increased regulation from world governments on activities that contribute to climate change.

 

We expect that companies will

 

·

Identify, manage and reduce their environmental impacts.

 

·

Understand the impact of climate change along the company value chain.

 

·

Develop group-level climate policies and, where relevant, set targets to manage the impact, report on policies, practices and actions taken to reduce carbon and other environmental risks within their operations.

 

·

Comply with all environmental laws and regulations, or recognised international best practice as a minimum.

 

Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to the environment we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.

 

We will use the indicators within the Carbon Disclosure Project to identify companies which are not fulfilling their climate commitments. Where appropriate we will take voting action to encourage better practice among companies which we deem to be laggards.

 

 

Labour and employment

 

Companies that respect internationally recognised labour rights and provide safe and healthy working environments for employees are likely to reap the benefits. This approach is likely to foster a more committed and productive workforce, and help reduce damage to reputation and a company’s license to operate. We expect companies to comply with all employment laws and regulations and adopt practices in line with the International Labour Organization’s core labour standards. a minimum.

 

In particular, companies will:

 

·

Take affirmative steps to ensure that they uphold decent labour standards.

 

·

Adopt strong health and safety policies and programmes to implement such policies.

 

·

Adopt equal employment opportunity and diversity policies and a programme for ensuring compliance with such policies.

 

·

Adopt policies and programmes for investing in employee training and development.

 

·

Adopt initiatives to attract and retain talented employees, foster higher productivity and quality, and encourage in their workforce a commitment to achieving the company’s purpose.

 

·

Ensure policies are in place for a company’s suppliers that promote decent labour standards, and programmes are in place to ensure high standards of labour along supply chains.

 

·

Report regularly on its policy and implementation of managing human capital.

 

Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to labour and employment we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.

 

Human rights

 

We recognise the impact that human-rights issues can have on our investments and the role we can play in stimulating progress. We draw upon a number of international, legal and voluntary agreements for guidance on human-rights responsibilities and compliance. Our primary sources are the International Bill of Rights and the core conventions of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), which form the list of internationally agreed human rights, and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), which clarifies the roles of states and businesses. We encourage companies to use the UNGPs Reporting Framework and encourage disclosure in line with this guidance.

 

We expect companies to:

 

·

Continually work to understand their actual and potential impacts on human rights.

 

·

Establish systems that actively ensure respect for human rights.

 

·

Take appropriate action to remedy any infringements on human rights.

 

Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, in relation to human rights we will consider

 

taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.

 

Business ethics

 

As institutions of wealth and influence, companies have a significant impact on the prosperity of their local communities and the wider world. Having a robust code of ethics and ensuring professional conduct mean companies operate more effectively, particularly when it comes to ethical principles governing decision- making. A company’s failure to conform to internationally recognised standards of business ethics on matters such as bribery and corruption, can increase its risk of facing investigation, litigation and fines. This could undermine its license to operate, and affect its reputation and image.

 

We expect companies to have policies in place to support the following:

 

·

Ethics at the heart of the organisation’s governance.

 

·

A zero-tolerance policy on bribery and corruption.. How people are rewarded, as pay can influence behaviour.

 

·

Respect for human rights.

 

·

Tax transparency.

 

·

Ethical training for employees.

 

Where we have serious concerns regarding a board’s actions, or inaction, related to business ethics we will consider taking voting action on an appropriate resolution.

 

We will review any resolution at company meetings which ISS has identified as covering environmental and social factors.

 

The following will detail our overarching approach and expectations.

 

Our approach to vote analysis is consistent across active and quantitative investment strategies

 

Review the resolution, proponent and board statements, existing disclosures, and external research.

 

Engage with the company, proponents, and other stakeholders as required.

 

Involve thematic experts, regional specialists, and investment analysts in decision-making to harness a wide range of expertise and include all material factors in our analysis.

 

 

Ensure consistency by using our own in-house guidance to frame case-by-case analysis.

 

Monitor the outcomes of votes.

 

Follow-up with on-going engagement as required.

 

Given the nature of the topics covered by these resolutions we do not apply binary voting policies. We adopt a nuanced approach to our voting research and outcomes and will consider the specific circumstances of the company concerned. Our objective is not to vote in favour of all shareholder resolutions but to determine the best outcome for the company in the context of the best outcome for our clients. There are instances where we are supportive of the spirit of a resolution however there may be a reason which prevents our support for the proposal. For example, where the purpose of the resolution is unclear, where the wording is overly prescriptive, when suggested implementation is overly burdensome or where the proposal strays too closely to the board’s responsibility for setting the company’s strategy.

 

Management Proposals

 

We are supportive of the steps being taken by companies to provide transparent, detailed reporting of their ESG strategies and targets. While shareholder proposals on environmental and social topics have been common on AGM agenda for several years, an increasing number of companies are presenting management proposals, such as so called ‘say on climate’ votes, for shareholder approval. While we welcome the intention of accountability behind these votes, we have reservations about the potential for them to limit the scope for subsequent investor challenge and diminish the direct responsibility and accountability of the board and individual directors. We believe it is the role of the board and the executive to develop and apply strategy, including ESG strategies, and we will continue to use existing voting items to hold boards to account on the implementation of these strategies. As active investors we also regularly engage with investee companies on ESG topics and find this dialogue to be the best opportunity to provide feedback.

 

We will review the appropriateness of ‘say on climate’ votes and consider if other voting mechanisms should be applied to ensure both Boards and Executives apply the appropriate rigour to initiate and deliver strategies to support the climate transition.

 

Shareholder Proposals

 

The number of resolutions focused on environmental and social (E&S) issues filed by shareholders continues to grow rapidly. The following provides an overview of some of the factors we consider when assessing the most prevalent themes for shareholder proposals.

 

Climate Change

 

We are members of the Net Zero Asset Manager Initiatives and this is reflected in our Active Ownership approach. We encourage the companies in which we invest to demonstrate a robust methodology underpinning Paris aligned goals and targets and are supportive of resolutions that will help companies to achieve this. Once a credible climate strategy is in place, we prioritise evidence of implementation over requests to re-draft strategies and targets after only a year or two.

 

A growing number of resolutions call on companies to increase the transparency of their reporting on climate- related lobbying. These proposals typically encompass direct lobbying undertaken by the company and indirect lobbying undertaken by trade associations and other organisations of which it is a member or supporter. Lobbying contrary to the objectives of the Paris Agreement is effective in creating climate policy inertia and impeding the transition to net zero economies.

 

We do not evaluate resolutions in isolation. Our approach recognises the links between corporate governance, strategy and climate approach. Where a company’s operational response to climate change is inadequate, the effectiveness of board oversight and corporate governance may also be called into question.

 

We expect and encourage companies to:

 

·

Demonstrate that a robust methodology underpins Paris aligned, net zero goals and targets.

 

·

Set targets for absolute emission reduction, not just carbon intensity, to show a clear pathway to net zero.

 

·

Report in alignment with the TCFD framework.

 

·

Link targets to remuneration and ensure they are reflected in capital expenditure and R&D plans.

 

·

Carefully manage climate-related lobbying by ensuring appropriate oversight, transparent disclosure of activities, and alignment of activities with the company’s strategy and publicly stated positions.

 

Diversity & Inclusion

 

Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is an important and growing theme for shareholder resolutions. In recent years resolutions have focussed on racial equity audits, pay gap reporting, transparent disclosure of D&I metrics and assessments of the efficacy of D&I programmes.

 

A racial equity audit is an independent analysis of a company’s business practices designed to identify practices that may have a discriminatory effect. We are supportive of racial equity audits in relation to internal and external D&I programmes. It is appropriate that these programmes should have KPIs and audit mechanisms in place to measure and evaluate outcomes. Some proposals request racial equity audits of provision of services. We are aware that measuring provision of service is challenging and gathering racial data on customers can be difficult and inappropriate. There are also multiple different factors that can influence service provision and which could be misconstrued as being racially motivated. We will however, support resolutions which are not unduly prescriptive and allow companies to carry out audits within a reasonable timeframe, at a reasonable cost, and excluding confidential or proprietary information.

 

 

We consider standardised gender pay gap disclosure to be an important tool for assessing how companies are addressing gender inequality. Reporting on gender pay gaps across global operations can help companies to remain ahead of the regulatory curve. It also enables them to offer better opportunities and remuneration for women around the world. We are therefore supportive of resolutions which are likely to deliver these benefits. Proposals must be carefully drafted to achieve these outcomes. For instance, in the past we have been unable to support resolutions which called for global median gender and racial pay gap reporting as it was unclear how this would reveal potential pay disparities at a local level and how it could be implemented by companies with operations in jurisdictions where collection of racial identity data is illegal.

 

In the US market we support public disclosure of EEO-1 forms by companies. The EEO-1 form details a comprehensive breakdown of workforce by race and gender according to ten employment categories. The form is submitted privately to the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on an annual basis. When publicly disclosed, it offers investors and other stakeholders data in a standardised and comparable form. We have used our engagement programme to ask the companies in which we invest to disclose this form for their US operations while making it central to our D&I voting approach and supporting resolutions that request it.

 

Human rights

 

As a supporter of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), we expect companies to demonstrate how human rights due diligence is conducted across operations, services, product use and the supply chain. Companies can have a significant impact on human rights directly through operations and provision of services, and indirectly through product use and the supply chain. In recent years the sale and end-use of controversial technologies, such as facial recognition software, has emerged as a prominent theme.

 

We expect and encourage companies to:

 

·

Have robust due diligence processes to assess the actual and potential human rights impacts of their operations, services, product use and supply chain.

 

·

Conduct customer and supplier vetting processes commensurate with the risk of human rights abuse.

 

·

Publicly disclose information about the operation of these processes and utilise the UNGPs’ Reporting Framework. This will improve the standard and consistency of human rights reporting and enable more informed investment decision making.

 

Corporate Lobbying & Political Contributions

 

Corporate lobbying and political contributions are a recurrent theme of shareholder resolutions, particularly in the US.

 

These proposals typically encompass direct lobbying undertaken by the company and indirect lobbying undertaken by trade associations and other organisations of which it is a member or supporter. Proposals may also request the disclosure of more information regarding the process and rationale for political contributions. We expect companies to make transparent, consolidated disclosures of direct and indirect lobbying and political expenditure. This disclosure should be underpinned by a coherent policy that: explains public policy priorities and the rationale for associated expenditure, identifies the management positions responsible for public policy engagement, and provides appropriate mechanisms for board oversight. These measures should mitigate the risks associated with corporate lobbying and political contributions, protecting the interest of shareholders and other stakeholders.

 

Nuclear Energy

 

In the Japanese market nuclear energy is a recurrent theme of shareholder resolutions. The Japanese government is seeking to reduce the nation’s reliance on coal and its energy strategy presents safe nuclear power generation as an important source of base-load power. In this context, resolutions which seek to limit or cease the nuclear operations of an individual company do not appear to be in the best interests of shareholders and other stakeholders. The health & safety risks associated with nuclear energy are high, must be managed carefully across the industry, and are an important consideration in our voting.

 

Important Information

 

This document is strictly for information purposes only and should not be considered as an offer, investment recommendation, or solicitation, to deal in any of the investments or funds mentioned herein and does not constitute investment research. abrdn does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy or completeness of the information and materials contained in this document and expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions in such information and materials.

 

Any research or analysis used in the preparation of this document has been procured by abrdn for its own use and may have been acted on for its own purpose. The results thus obtained are made available only coincidentally and the information is not guaranteed as to its accuracy. Some of the information in this document may contain projections or other forward looking statements regarding future events or future financial performance of countries, markets or companies. These statements are only predictions and actual events or results may differ materially. The reader must make their own assessment of the relevance, accuracy and adequacy of the information contained in this document and make such independent investigations, as they may consider necessary or appropriate for the purpose of such assessment. This material serves to provide general information and is not meant to be investment, legal or tax advice for any particular investor. No warranty whatsoever is given and no liability whatsoever is accepted for any loss arising whether directly or indirectly as a result of the reader, any person or group of persons acting on any information, opinion or estimate contained in this document. abrdn reserves the right to make changes and corrections to any information in this document at any time, without notice. This material is not to be reproduced in whole or in part without the prior written consent of abrdn.

 

Applying ESG and sustainability criteria in the investment process may result in the exclusion of securities within the universe of potential investments. The interpretation of ESG and sustainability criteria is subjective meaning that products may invest in companies which similar products do not (and thus perform differently) and which do not align with the personal views of any individual investor. Furthermore, the lack of common or harmonized definitions and labels regarding ESG and sustainability criteria may result in different approaches by managers when integrating ESG and sustainability criteria into investment decisions. This means that it may be difficult to compare strategies within ostensibly similar objectives and that these strategies will employ different security selection and exclusion criteria. Consequently, the performance profile of otherwise similar vehicles may deviate more substantially than might otherwise be expected. Additionally, in the absence of common or harmonized definitions and labels, a degree of subjectivity is required and this will mean that a product may invest in a security that another manager or an investor would not. abrdn plc is registered in Scotland (SC286832) at 1 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2LL.

 

 

Exhibit 99.(e)

 

 

 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

For More Information Contact:

abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds

Investor Relations

1-800-522-5465

Investor.Relations@abrdn.com

 

ABRDN U.S. CLOSED-END FUNDS

ANNOUNCE DISTRIBUTION PAYMENT DETAILS

 

(Philadelphia, September 30, 2024) - The abrdn U.S. Closed-End Funds (NYSE: ASGI, HQH, HQL, IFN, JEQ, THQ) (NYSE American: IAF), (the “Funds” or individually the “Fund”), today announced that the Funds paid the distributions noted in the table below on September 30, 2024, on a per share basis to all shareholders of record as of September 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date September 23, 2024). These dates apply to the Funds listed below with the exception of abrdn Healthcare Investors (HQH), abrdn Life Sciences Investors (HQL), abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF), the India Fund Inc. (IFN) and abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ) which paid on September 30, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of August 23, 2024 (ex-dividend date August 23, 2024), and the abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund (ASGI) which paid on September 30, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of September 20, 2024 (ex-dividend date September 20, 2024).

 

Ticker		Exchange		Fund		Amount
ASGI		NYSE		abrdn Global Infrastructure Income Fund		$	0.2100
HQH		NYSE		abrdn Healthcare Investors		$	0.5900
HQL		NYSE		abrdn Life Sciences Investors		$	0.4900
IAF		NYSE American		abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc.		$	0.1200
IFN		NYSE		The India Fund, Inc.		$	0.4900
JEQ		NYSE		abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc.		$	0.1200
THQ		NYSE		abrdn Healthcare Opportunities Fund		$	0.1800

 

Each Fund has adopted a distribution policy to provide investors with a stable distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital.

 

For the abrdn Healthcare Investors (HQH), abrdn Life Sciences Investors (HQL), abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF), the India Fund Inc. (IFN) and abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ) the stock distributions were automatically paid in newly issued shares of the Fund unless otherwise instructed by the shareholder to be paid in cash. Shares of common stock were issued at the lower of the net asset value (“NAV”) per share or the market price per share with a floor for the NAV of not less than 95% of the market price on September 18, 2024. The reinvestment prices per share for these distributions were as follows: $18.88 for abrdn Healthcare Investors (HQH); $15.36 for abrdn Life Sciences Investors (HQL); $4.57 for abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF); $18.28 for the India Fund, Inc. (IFN) and $6.04 for abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ). Fractional shares were generally settled in cash, except for registered shareholders with book entry accounts at Computershare Investor Services who had whole and fractional shares added to their account.

 

To have received the abrdn Healthcare Investors (HQH), abrdn Life Sciences Investors (HQL), abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (IAF), the India Fund Inc. (IFN) and abrdn Japan Equity Fund, Inc. (JEQ) quarterly distributions payable in September 2024 in cash instead of shares of common stock, for shareholders who hold shares in “street name,” the bank, brokerage or nominee who holds the shares must have advised the Depository Trust Company as to the full and fractional shares for which they want the distribution paid in cash by September 17, 2024; and for shares that are held in registered form, written notification for the election of cash by registered shareholders must have been received by Computershare Investor Services prior to September 17, 2024.

 

 

Under applicable U.S. tax rules, the amount and character of distributable income for each Fund’s fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund’s fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and related rules, the Funds may be required to indicate to shareholders the estimated source of certain distributions to shareholders.

 

The following tables set forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distributions for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the rules adopted thereunder. The tables have been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The tables include estimated amounts and percentages for the current distributions paid this month as well as for the cumulative distributions paid relating to fiscal year to date, from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated compositions of the distributions may vary because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies.

 

The Funds’ estimated sources of the current distribution paid this month and for its current fiscal year to date are as follows:

 

Estimated Amounts of Current Distribution per Share

 

Fund		Distribution Amount				Net Investment Income								Net Realized Short-Term Gains**								Net Realized Long-Term Gains								Return of Capital
ASGI		$	0.2100			$	0.0294				14	%			-				-			$	0.1176				56	%		$	0.0630				30	%
HQH		$	0.5900				-				-			$	0.0767				13	%		$	0.2183				37	%		$	0.2950				50	%
HQL		$	0.4900				-				-			$	0.1362				28	%		$	0.2205				45	%		$	0.1333				27	%
IAF		$	0.1200			$	0.0180				15	%			-				-				-				-			$	0.1020				85	%
IFN		$	0.4900				-				-				-				-			$	0.4900				100	%			-				-
JEQ		$	0.1200			$	0.0168				14	%		$	0.0024				2	%			-				-			$	0.1008				84	%
THQ		$	0.1800				-				-			$	0.0342				19	%		$	0.0594				33	%		$	0.0864				48	%

 

Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year* to Date Cumulative Distributions per Share

 

Fund		Distribution Amount				Net Investment Income								Net Realized Short-Term Gains**								Net Realized Long-Term Gains								Return of Capital
ASGI		$	1.9900			$	0.2786				14	%			-				-			$	1.1144				56	%		$	0.5970				30	%
HQH		$	2.0400				-				-			$	0.2652				13	%		$	0.7548				37	%		$	1.0200				50	%
HQL		$	1.6600				-				-			$	0.4615				28	%		$	0.7470				45	%		$	0.4515				27	%
IAF		$	0.4700			$	0.0705				15	%			-				-				-				-			$	0.3995				85	%
IFN		$	1.3700				-				-				-				-			$	1.3700				100	%			-				-
JEQ		$	0.4500			$	0.0630				14	%		$	0.0090				2	%			-				-			$	0.3780				84	%
THQ		$	1.8900				-				-			$	0.3591				19	%		$	0.6237				33	%		$	0.9072				48	%

 

* ASGI, HQH, HQL and THQ have a 9/30 fiscal year end. IAF and JEQ have a 10/31 fiscal year end. IFN has a 12/31 fiscal year end. 

**includes currency gains

 

 

Where the estimated amounts above show a portion of the distribution to be a “Return of Capital,” it means that Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all the money that you invested in a Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund’s investment performance and should not be confused with “yield” or “income.”

 

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions for the current year will only be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. After the end of each calendar year, a Form 1099-DIV will be sent to shareholders for the prior calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

 

The following tables provide the Funds’ total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Funds’ annualized and cumulative distribution rates.

 

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information

 

Fund			Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 8/31/2024¹				Current Fiscal Period’s Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV				Cumulative Total Return on NAV¹				Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV²
ASGI³				9.26	%3			9.56	%			20.79	%			8.55	%
THQ				11.93	%			8.14	%			25.87	%			7.36	%

 

¹ Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

² Based on the Fund’s NAV as of August 31, 2024.

³ The Fund launched within the past 5 years; the performance and distribution rate information presented reflects data from inception (July 29, 2020) through August 31, 2024.

 

Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information

 

Fund			Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 07/31/2024¹				Current Fiscal Period’s Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV				Cumulative Total Return on NAV¹				Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV²
HQH				8.88	%			9.80	%			20.38	%			6.97	%
HQL				8.83	%			9.68	%			23.82	%			6.86	%
IAF				7.88	%			9.40	%			28.48	%			7.00	%
IFN				11.41	%			8.68	%			20.43	%			4.29	%
JEQ				5.63	%			6.06	%			29.90	%			4.44	%

 

¹ Return data is net of all Fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund’s dividend reinvestment plan.

² Based on the Fund’s NAV as of July 31, 2024.

 

 

Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about a Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the Fund’s current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the “Distribution Policy”).

 

While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund’s investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder’s investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund’s market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund’s shares in the open market.

 

Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Funds may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Funds during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Funds, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received.

 

The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund’s net assets. A decrease in the Fund’s net assets may cause an increase in the Fund’s annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund’s market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund’s net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund’s investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. Each Fund’s Board has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund’s market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state, and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances.

 

Circular 230 disclosure: To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein.

 

In the United States, abrdn is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: abrdn Inc., abrdn Investments Limited, and abrdn Asia Limited.

 

Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. A Fund’s investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor’s shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund’s portfolio. There is no assurance that a Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

 

abrdn.com/en-us/cefinvestorcenter

 

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