3i Group plc (LON:III) kept its dividend unchanged as the private equity group reported a smaller total return fo the year to 31 March and a slight fall in its net asset value (NAV).
The total dividend for the year will be kept the same as last year at 35p per share, with a dividend of 17.5p per share to be paid in July.
Total return of £253mln or 3% on opening shareholders' funds fell from £1.25bn or 18% a year ago.
NAV per share of 804p was down from 877p at the end of December and 815p at the end of March year ago.
The 3i portfolio value was £8.1bn at the end of March, down from £8.8bn three months earlier but up from £7.6bn a year earlier.
The FTSE 100 group said the Private Equity business delivered a gross investment return of £352mln or 6% of opening funds, while the Infrastructure business saw a negative return of £39mln, or a 4% decline.
After being net investors over the 12 months, 3i ended the year with net cash of £270mln and liquidity of almost £1.3bn.
Chief executive Simon Borrows said: “We enter our new financial year with a carefully assembled portfolio of private equity and infrastructure companies and an experienced team that has proved adept at managing these investments against a deteriorating macro-economic backdrop.
“We have been cautious investors for some years and have maintained a strong balance sheet since our restructuring in 2012.”
Shares in the company were up 4% to 778.8p in early trading on Thursday.