THE £1.4 billion Murray International Trust trailed its benchmark index last year, partly because it was underweight in US equities, its latest results have shown.

Murray International, which is run by Aberdeen Asset Management, said yesterday that it had made a total return on net asset value of three per cent in the year to December 31. Its benchmark, a composite index comprising 40 per cent of the FTSE World UK Index and 60 per cent of the FTSE World ex-UK Index, made a total return of 7.5 per cent last year.

Chairman Kevin Carter said: "The benchmark total return of 7.5 per cent was positively affected by the performance of United States equities in which the trust is underweight. The trust's greater geographical diversification and focus on above-average yield proved a drag on relative performance."

The Murray International board is recommending a final dividend of 15p-a-share. This makes a total for the year of 45p-a-share, up by 4.7 per cent on 2013.