Aberdeen heading to Standard Life merger in better shape, shares up

Edinburgh

ABERDEEN Asset Management Plc is heading to its marriage with Standard Life Plc with slowing outflows and improving profitability as investors return to its emerging-market strategies. The shares jumped to the highest level in almost two months.

"Obviously being overweight in emerging markets and emerging-market debt in our global portfolios has helped performance," chief executive officer Martin Gilbert said on Bloomberg TV on Tuesday.