The £160m Independent investment trust slashed its defensive holdings from 18.8 per cent to 2.9 per cent of the portfolio in the year to November 30, as it recorded a 10.4per cent uplift in asset value, against 4.7 per cent for the all-share index and 13.7 per cent for the world index.

Its long-standing big position in oil services was hastily cut from 16per cent to 4per cent as the oil price crashed. The trust has now returned almost 11per cent a year since launch in 2000, against 4.9 per cent for the UK index.