First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P., and The Charger Corporation jointly filed an amended beneficial ownership statement with the SEC on October 30, 2026, reporting aggregate holdings of 469,385 common shares of abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc., representing 4.81% of the class as of September 30, 2026.

Key Highlights

  • Three reporting persons: First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P., and The Charger Corporation each report 469,385 shares beneficially owned in aggregate.
  • Ownership percentage: The 469,385 shares represent 4.81% of abrdn Australia Equity Fund's outstanding common shares.
  • No voting power: All three reporting persons disclose sole and shared voting power of 0.00, with all 469,385 shares held under shared dispositive power only.
  • Amendment No. 11: This is the eleventh amendment to the original filing, triggered by an event date of September 30, 2026.
  • Beneficial ownership disclaimed: Each of the three reporting persons disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares identified in the filing.
  • Unit investment trust structure: According to the filing, the shares are held within unit investment trusts sponsored by First Trust Portfolios L.P., with no individual trust holding more than 3% of the issuer's shares.

How the First Trust Entities Hold Shares in abrdn Australia Equity Fund

According to the filing, abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc. (NYSE:IAF) is a registered investment company whose principal executive offices are located at 1900 Market Street, Suite 200, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The fund invests in Australian equities and is managed through Aberdeen Asset Management Asia Limited. The three Illinois-based reporting entities share a common address at 120 East Liberty Drive, Suite 400, Wheaton, Illinois 60187.

The filing explains that The Charger Corporation serves as the general partner of both First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P. First Trust Portfolios L.P. acts as sponsor of certain unit investment trusts that hold shares of the issuer, and First Trust Advisors L.P. acts as portfolio supervisor of those same trusts. The filing states that "neither First Trust Portfolios L.P., First Trust Advisors L.P. nor The Charger Corporation have the power to vote the shares of the issuer held by these unit investment trusts," with voting instead carried out by each trust's trustee, generally in proportion to shares held by owners outside the trusts.

The filing further notes that any difference between the aggregate beneficially owned shares and those held directly in the unit investment trusts may reflect shares held in other registered investment companies, pooled investment vehicles, or separately managed accounts for which First Trust Advisors L.P. serves as investment adviser or sub-adviser. The filing was signed by James M. Dykas, Chief Financial Officer of First Trust Portfolios L.P. and First Trust Advisors L.P., and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of The Charger Corporation, on October 30, 2026.

What Was Disclosed

Three affiliated Illinois entities jointly reported aggregate beneficial ownership of 469,385 common shares, equal to 4.81% of abrdn Australia Equity Fund, Inc., held entirely through unit investment trusts with shared dispositive power but no voting authority. All three parties disclaim beneficial ownership.