Aberdeen says assets rise

By Laurence Fletcher

LONDON (Reuters) - Aberdeen Asset Management (ADN.L) said on Thursday its assets under management rose 8 percent to 102.9 billion pounds at end-December, helped by an acquisition and new business wins in tough market conditions.

The group, whose assets under management were 95.3 billion pounds at end-September, said it added net new business in the fourth quarter of 142 million pounds, as equities saw net outflows of 1.6 billion pounds but fixed income, property and multi-asset portfolios all saw net inflows.

The firm was awarded further mandates totalling 2.7 billion pounds that had not been funded by the end of December, it said.

Assets were also boosted by last year's acquisition of the active U.S. equity asset management business of Nationwide Financial Services.

"I think it's still a very good performance in the context of the markets we're operating in at the moment," Chief Executive Martin Gilbert said on a call to journalists.

"Fixed income and property have been the two major recipients for us. Where we're seeing the most nervousness is in equities."

He said he still hoped equity flows for the financial year would be flat, while fixed income and property would be up.

In early trade Aberdeen's shares were up 3.2 percent at 135.5 pence.