Scottish asset manager Abrdn saw a higher inflow of investments in its last quarter and said it was exceeding its cost transformation targets.

Full-year results this week are an opportunity for chief executive Jason Windsor to confirm further progress in stabilising the Edinburgh-based company which has gone through umpteen changes in recent years.

It emerged from the £11bn merger in 2017 of Standard Life and Aberdeen Asset Management and the subsequent sale of the Standard Life brand and assets to Phoenix. It re-branded and re-focused and has changed its CEO twice.

Its shares have performed poorly, forcing it to yo-yo in and out of the FTSE100, but have picked up recently. The company is currently valued at £2.8bn.

Analysts have been encouraged that the current management has overseen an improvement in performance at Interactive Investor and in the wider asset management business. They will be looking for evidence that Mr Windsor is tackling continuing outflow issues in adviser.

Results so far have been in line with forecasts, so any upside could give the shares a welcome lift.

Reach

The owner of the Daily Record, Mirror, Express and Sunday Mail titles Media group told the market in January that it expected to deliver full-year results ahead of expectations.

Reach has completed a refinancing of its banking facilities and has set aside £5 million to resolve a ‘historical error’ in preparing for a buy-out of a pension scheme.

The mistake was uncovered during due diligence for the West Ferry Printers Pension Scheme buy-out, a legacy scheme inherited in the 2018 acquisition of Express Newspapers.

AssetCo

Shareholders will vote this week on a restructuring and rebranding of AssetCo, the asset and wealth management business chaired by Martin Gilbert.

Shares in its two main business interests, River Global and Parmenion will be traded on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM).

The proposal involves the reorganisation of the company’s share capital into new A and B shares.

A general meeting is being held on Wednesday at Shoosmiths in London.

Diary

Monday 3 March

• Full-year results from Bunzl and Senior
• Purchasing managers’ indices (PMIs) for manufacturing
• UK mortgage approvals

Tuesday 4 March

• Full-year results from Abrdn, Greggs, IWG, Reach, Inchcape

Wednesday 5 March

• General meeting of AssetCo
• Purchasing managers’ indices (PMIs) for services from Asia, the EU, UK and USA

Thursday 6 March

• Full-year results from Rentokil Initial, Admiral, ITV
• UK purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for the construction industry

Friday 7 March

• Full-year results from Just Group
• US non-farm payrolls, unemployment rate and wage growth