Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi Pat: Is there any hope for Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: Aberdeen Asia-Pacific Income Fund, $4.53, symbol FAP on Toronto (Units outstanding: 52.3 million; Market cap: $236.9 million; www.aberdeen-asset.ca), is a closed-end fund that invests in foreign currency bonds—mostly from Australia and Asian countries. The fund’s MER is 1.11%. Closed-end funds are a lot like conventional, open-end mutual funds. They hold a portfolio of stocks or bonds, chosen by a fund manager who gets a fee for his or her services. The key difference is that open-end funds stand ready to sell new fund units or to redeem existing fund units on demand. The units of closed-end funds, on the other hand, trade like stocks, and mostly on a stock exchange. Closed-end funds also work with a fixed asset base, invested in a portfolio of securities. The value of their assets rises and falls, depending on how a fund manager invests. The fund’s units may trade above the per-unit value of the investments it holds—called trading “at a premium” to net…