AEF (ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,) ROE %: 38.09% (As of Dec. 2025) — 260% Above Median

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
Reviewed by: Charlie Tian Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Charlie Tian
Founder & CEO of GuruFocus
Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

AEF ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC. AEF
35 GF Score
Price $9.23
! 4 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE %?

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, AEF -1.66% 35 ROE % is 38.09% as of Dec. 2025, which is 260% above its 10-year median of 10.57. GuruFocus rates AEF with a GF Score™ of 35/100. The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,608 Asset Management companies, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ranks better than 90.8% on this metric.

ROE % is calculated as Net Income divided by its average Total Stockholders Equity over a certain period of time. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s annualized net income for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was $110.23 Mil. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s average Total Stockholders Equity over the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was $289.41 Mil. Therefore, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s annualized ROE % for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 was 38.09%.

The historical rank and industry rank for ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % or its related term are showing as below:

AEF' s ROE % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -36.42   Med: 10.57   Max: 33.53
Current: 32.53

During the past 13 years, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s highest ROE % was 33.53%. The lowest was -36.42%. And the median was 10.57%.

AEF's ROE % is ranked better than
90.8% of 1608 companies
in the Asset Management industry
Industry Median: 6.9 vs AEF: 32.53

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,  (AMEX:AEF) ROE % Explanation

ROE % measures the rate of return on the ownership interest (shareholder's equity) of the common stock owners. It measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from every unit of shareholders' equity (also known as net assets or assets minus liabilities). ROE % shows how well a company uses investment funds to generate earnings growth. ROE %s between 15% and 20% are considered desirable.

The factors that affect a company's ROE % can be illustrated with the three-step DuPont Analysis:

ROE %(Q: Dec. 2025 )
=Net Income/Total Stockholders Equity
=110.228/289.406
=(Net Income / Revenue )*(Revenue / Total Assets)*(Total Assets / Total Stockholders Equity)
=(110.228 / 111.166)*(111.166 / 326.5275)*(326.5275 / 289.406)
=Net Margin %*Asset Turnover*Equity Multiplier
=99.16 %*0.3404*1.1283
=ROA %*Equity Multiplier
=33.75 %*1.1283
=38.09 %

With this breakdown, it is clear that if a company grows its Net Profit Margin, its Asset Turnover, or its Leverage, it can grow its ROE %.

The factors that affect a company's ROE % can also be illustrated with the five-step DuPont Analysis:

ROE %(Q: Dec. 2025 )
=Net Income/Total Stockholders Equity
=110.228/289.406
=(Net Income / Pre-Tax Income) * (Pre-Tax Income / Revenue) * (Revenue / Total Assets) * (Total Assets / Total Stockholders Equity)
= (110.228 / 110.228) * (110.228 / 111.166) * (111.166 / 326.5275) * (326.5275 / 289.406)
= Tax Burden * Pretax Margin % * Asset Turnover * Equity Multiplier
= 1 * 99.16 % * 0.3404 * 1.1283
=38.09 %

Note: The net income data used here is two times the semi-annual (Dec. 2025) net income data. The Revenue data used here is two times the semi-annual (Dec. 2025) revenue data. The same rule applies to Pre-Tax Income and Operating Income.
* In the five-step DuPont Analysis, Operating Income is only available for non-financial companies. Thus, for Insurance companies, we use EBIT as a substitution of Operating Income. For Banks, both Operating Income and EBIT is unavailable. Thus we combined Interest Burden and Operating Margin % into Pretax Margin %, and the DuPont Analysis is divided into four components instead.

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.


Be Aware

Net Income is used.

Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the equity multiplier when investing in high ROE % companies. Like ROA %, ROE % is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in company's earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective.

Asset light businesses require very few assets to generate very high earnings. Their ROE %s can be extremely high.


ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE % Related Terms


ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE % Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE % Chart

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
ROE %
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -1.93 -34.32 9.78 6.53 31.21

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, Semi-Annual Data
Jun16 Dec16 Jun17 Dec17 Jun18 Dec18 Jun19 Dec19 Jun20 Dec20 Jun21 Dec21 Jun22 Dec22 Jun23 Dec23 Jun24 Dec24 Jun25 Dec25
ROE % Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 4.87 11.71 1.17 28.32 38.09

AEF vs JGH, KTF, HIX: ROE % Comparison

For the Asset Management subindustry, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE %, along with its competitors' market caps and ROE % data, can be viewed below:

* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.


ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE % vs Asset Management Industry

For the Asset Management industry and Financial Services sector, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % falls into.


AEF
35GF Score
ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC. AEF
ROE % is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ROE % Calculation

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s annualized ROE % for the fiscal year that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

ROE %=Net Income (A: Dec. 2025 )/( (Total Stockholders Equity (A: Dec. 2024 )+Total Stockholders Equity (A: Dec. 2025 ))/ count )
=95.564/( (302.447+309.858)/ 2 )
=95.564/306.1525
=31.21 %

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s annualized ROE % for the quarter that ended in Dec. 2025 is calculated as

ROE %=Net Income (Q: Dec. 2025 )/( (Total Stockholders Equity (Q: Jun. 2025 )+Total Stockholders Equity (Q: Dec. 2025 ))/ count )
=110.228/( (268.954+309.858)/ 2 )
=110.228/289.406
=38.09 %

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

In the calculation of annual ROE %, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total shareholder equity over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data, the net income data used here is two times the semi-annual (Dec. 2025) net income data. ROE % is displayed in the 30-year financial page.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about ROE % →
What does a ROE % of 38.09% mean?
ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, (AEF) has a ROE % of 38.09% as of Dec. 2025. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, and its competitors. This is 260% above median its historical median of 10.57. According to the industry distribution chart, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ranks #148 out of 1608 companies in the Asset Management industry, placing it in the top 9.2%.
Is ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % too high?
ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s current ROE % of 38.09% is 260% above median its 10-year median of 10.57. The Asset Management industry median ROE % is 6.90. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s value of 38.09% is 452% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ranks #148 out of 1608 companies in the Asset Management industry, which is in the top quartile — a strong position relative to peers. Overall, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, has a GF Score™ of 35/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s ROE % compare to JGH and KTF?
According to the Asset Management industry distribution chart, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, ranks #148 out of 1608 companies for ROE %. This places ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, in the top 9% of its industry — outperforming the majority of peers. The industry median ROE % is 6.90. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s value of 38.09% is 452% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 10.57 vs. the industry median of 6.90, ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good ROE % for an Asset Management company?
The median ROE % among Asset Management companies is 6.90, based on 1,608 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a ROE % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, ROE % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s current ROE % of 38.09% is 452% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high ROE % mean?
A high ROE % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on equity is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period total equity. View historical data on ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, and its competitors. For the Asset Management industry, the median ROE % is 6.90 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s current ROE % is 38.09%, which is 260% above median its own 10-year median of 10.57. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, stock overvalued right now?
ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, (AEF) has a current ROE % of 38.09%. The current ROE % is 38.09%, which is 260% above median its 10-year median of 10.57 and 452% above the Asset Management industry median of 6.90. ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND,'s overall GF Score™ is 35/100 with 4 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is ROE % calculated?
ROE % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, (AEF), the current ROE % is 38.09% as of Dec. 2025. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITYOME FUND, Business Description

Address 1900 Market Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA, USA, 19103
ABERDEEN EMERGING MARKETS EQUITY INCOME FUND, INC. is a non-diversified closed-end, management investment company. Its investment objective is to seek to provide both current income and long-term capital appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests a majority of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in emerging markets (excluding China) equity securities. The performance of the fund is measured against the MSCI Emerging Markets ex-China Index. Its investment portfolio consists of equity securities from emerging market companies (excluding China), spanning multiple sectors such as Information Technology, Financials, Industrials, Consumer Discretionary, Real Estate, and others.
35GF Score

Get the complete analysis for AEF

ROE % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$9.23
Price