FTSE 250 investment manager Aberdeen (LSE: ABDN) has been one of the most consistent performers in my high-dividend-yield portfolio.
In the past five years alone, it has paid the same 14.6p dividend. These generated respective market-beating annual average yields of 6.1%, 7.7%, 8.2%, 10.3% and 7.1%. By contrast, the current FTSE 250 average dividend yield is 3.4%, and the FTSE 100’s is just 3.1%.
Even better — analysts forecast that it will keep paying the same dividend over the medium term, at minimum.
So, how much could I make in the coming years from my £20,000 holding in the firm?
Dividend payouts trajectory
Based on Aberdeen’s current dividend yield of 7.5%, these shares would make me £22,241 in dividends after 10 years.
This assumes the forecast yield of 7.5%, although dividend returns can change over time — down or up. It also reflects the payouts being reinvested into the stock to harness the supercharging effect of ‘dividend compounding’.
After 30 years on the same basis, the dividends could have increased to £168,431.
At the end of this 30-year investment cycle, the total value of the holding could be £188,431 (including the original £20,000 investment). And that could deliver a yearly income of £14,132 a year from dividends alone!
Potential for share price gains too?
Aberdeen shares have dropped 15% from their 16 January one-year traded high of £2.29. The fall has compounded the undervaluation that was already there, in my view, and leaves the stock looking cheap.
Compared to its competitors’ average of 26.6, its price-to-earnings ratio of 8.8 looks a bargain. These peers comprise RIT Capital Partners at 6.4, M&G at 22.2, Legal & General at 28.7, and Bridgepoint at 49.1.
The same is true of Aberdeen’s price-to-book ratio of 0.7 against the 2.7 average of its rivals. And it is also undervalued at a price-to-sales ratio of 2.5 compared to the peer average of 2.7.
How does its earnings growth look?
Rises in any firm’s dividends and share price are ultimately driven by increases in earnings (profits). A risk here for Aberdeen is the high degree of competition in its sector, which may squeeze margins. Another is any sustained further surge in the cost of living that may prompt customers to close accounts.
However, growth momentum looked strong in its full-year 2025 results, released on 3 March this year. IFRS profit before tax jumped 76% year on year to £442m, highlighting the operational leverage resulting from the firm’s reorganisation.
This involved removing layers of middle management, reducing costs, and sharpening the product offering to clients.
Net outflows improved materially, with the £1.7bn figure representing a sharp recovery from 2024. It underlined how a stronger investment performance — 84% of assets under management outperformed the relevant benchmarks — is helping rebuild client confidence and revenue momentum.
My investment view
With its market-beating dividend yield, clear undervaluation, and earnings momentum accelerating sharply, Aberdeen looks well placed to keep rewarding long-term investors.
For me, that combination of dependable income and improving fundamentals makes the compounding case especially compelling and I will be buying more of the stock soon.
Other high-yield shares that look cheap to me have also caught my eye in recent days.
