With a history of investing in emerging markets dating back to the 1990s, abrdn has built a highly specialised team of over 40 experts, analysing more than 80 countries, including under-researched frontier markets, to uncover unique, mispriced investment opportunities.

The firm's bottom-up, research-driven approach allows it to manage volatility, mitigate downside risk, and preserve income for insurance clients. By actively assessing both a country's willingness and ability to pay its debts, abrdn ensures a high-conviction investment process that delivers sustainable, long-term returns. Its policy round, which occurs every six weeks, provides forward-looking insights into emerging market economies, guiding investment decisions with real-time macroeconomic analysis.

Also notable is abrdn's ability to navigate currency risks through flexible hedging strategies and its proprietary risk system - which analyses sensitivity to oil prices, interest rate changes, and market movements. The firm's focus on frontier credit opportunities, combined with extensive engagement involving over 1,200 meetings annually with policymakers and company executives, enables the manager to generate strong, risk-adjusted returns for insurance clients.

By combining deep research, active risk management, and high-conviction investing, abrdn has solidified its position as a leading EMD manager, making it a deserving winner of this award.