Our share tips struggled to make progress last week as the key Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 share index fell back to fresh three month lows.

The majority of our recommendations suffered in the general mark down which saw three of our four investment portfolios approaching 2% of their total values.

But the latest 2015 list managed to buck the trend with a near 1% improvement taking its overall profit to more than £800 for the first time as we carried out our review on Wednesday morning.

That translates into a 14.2% improvement on the notional £6,000 invested at the start of the year compared with a 3% rise in the Footsie over the same period.

Most of the credit for the latest rise was down to a return to popularity of shares in Aberdeen's FirstGroup after directors were able to show that fatter margins on their bus operations were helping to limit the damage from the loss of ScotRail and other franchises.

The portfolio was boosted also by fresh support for Borders potatoes group Produce Investments on talk that its premium-priced Jersey Royals are flying off the shelves of Waitrose and other outlets.

Other shares which managed to record useful gains included B & Q retailer Kingfisher after a stockbroker upgrade and Dairy Crest on hopes of an early disposal of its pure milk interests.

In contrast, advertising giant WPP took a nasty tumble following the row over Sir Martin Sorrell's

£43 million pay package which included £274,000 for his wife's travel expenses.

Oil and gas hopeful Parkmead also took a knock as sellers showed their frustration that chief executive Tom Cross has yet to dip into the group's bulging cash reserves to make a major asset purchase.

Belhaven Brewery group Greene King was another to under perform following its recent warning over the sales impact of Scotland's tougher drink-driving laws.

The 2014 portfolio was the biggest faller with a 1.9% slippage while the 2013 and 2012 selections shed 1.6% and 1.8% respectively.