Merchants Trust sees annual return on investment portfolio
Merchants Trust raised its annual dividend for the 30th year in a row as net revenue return per share rose 4.1 per cent to 22.9p from its portfolio of investments.
Merchants Trust raised its annual dividend for the 30th year in a row as net revenue return per share rose 4.1 per cent to 22.9p from its portfolio of investments.
The British investment trust said it was rewarding shareholders with a total dividend of 23.2p for the year, up 0.9% on the previous year, as it delivered its results for the year to January 31st, 2013.
"We now have a thirty year history of increasing the dividend and a further modest increase is proposed for this year," said Chairman, Simon Fraser.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
The company's investment portfolio produced a capital return of 14.8% ahead of the 10.5% return on the FTSE 100 index.
The firm's top 10 investments include Royal Dutch Shell 'B', GlaxoSmithKline, BP, HSBC, Vodafone, British American Tobacco, BAE Systems, SSE, National Grid and Resolution.
The net asset value total per share rose by 16.0% to 466.5p. The stock market had a strong year, particularly in the second half in response to the European Central Bank's commitment to defend the euro and US actions to defer the so-called 'fiscal cliff' of spending cuts and tax hikes.
While the economic outlook remains uncertain, Merchants expects to benefit from strong UK-listed businesses in the year ahead.
"Our fund managers are still able to identify attractive, dividend paying companies trading on sensible valuations," Fraser said.
"Merchants remains focused on delivering long term dividend and capital growth."
RD
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
-
UK-US trade deal announced: US cuts tariffs on UK car imports to 10%
Keir Starmer and Donald Trump have announced a UK-US trade deal, but the US president has refused to lift baseline tariffs on most UK goods. What does it mean for the UK?
-
How to use mid-caps to diversify from the US
Medium sized companies are overlooked by investors but could offer an attractive ‘sweet spot’. We consider the case for mid-caps amid market volatility.