20 Dec 2021 15:09
Aberdeen Latin American Income Fund Limited (the "Company")
Legal Entity Identifier (LEI): 549300DN623WEGE2MY04
20 December 2021
First Interim Dividend
In accordance with the Company's stated aim to pay a minimum dividend of 3.5p pence per share for the year, the Board of Aberdeen Latin American Income Fund Limited (the "Company") has today declared a first interim dividend of 0.875p per Ordinary share (2021: 0.875p) in respect of the year ending 31 August 2022 payable on 28 January 2022 to Ordinary shareholders on the register at close of business on 7 January 2022 (ex-dividend date 6 January 2022).
The Board is aware of the importance of income to the Company's shareholders and has maintained the dividend at the same rate as last year.
The Board continually assesses the impact on earnings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Latin American governments continue to try to manage the effect of Covid-19 on their economies and our investee companies are seeking to manage volatile trading conditions as inflationary pressures mount. The Directors have previously noted the revenue reserve that has been built up and one of the benefits of the investment company structure is the ability to use accumulated reserves to maintain distributions to shareholders where there is a shortfall in earnings.
The Board's intention is that interim dividends will continue to be paid quarterly, subject to cash levels and reserves being sufficient to allow the Company to do so. The Directors place great emphasis on exercising prudence, particularly in these uncertain times, and on ensuring that the robustness of the Company's balance sheet is maintained. The Board continues to monitor closely the ongoing impact of Covid-19 and its variants and the success of the vaccine roll-out, together with its ramifications for the region, valuations and recurring earnings, while taking into account the income requirements of its shareholders, and will keep future dividend policy under review.
abrdn Capital International Limited
Manager and Company Secretary
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