LONDON (ShareCast) - British Assets Trust reported an increase in the total return of its investment portfolio in the last quarter.

The UK investment trust posted a 3.8% rise in net asset value for the three months to December 31st, compared to a total return of 3.5% from the composite benchmarks weighted on the 80% FTSE All-Share Index and 20% FTSE World (ex UK) index.

Among the group’s top holdings, Royal Dutch Shell delivered 3.9% of total assets followed by BP and BHP Billiton, at 2.9% and 2.7% respectively.

“Global markets generated a further quarter of positive returns as they climbed the ‘walls of worry’ surrounding the US elections, Chinese leadership handover and, at the very last minute, an initial deal on sustaining an element of the US tax cuts,” the company said in a statement.

During the period a third interim dividend for the year ended September 30th, of 1.442p per share, was paid on October 5th and a final dividend of 1.786p per share will be paid on January 31st.

The group said it aims to continue to achieve a total return in excess of composite index by investing in a diversified international portfolio of equities and equity-related securities.

RD

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