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Highlights

  • Shares fell 7% after hitting all-time highs last week, despite 25% annual total return

  • NAV per share rose to 2,542p; total dividend increased to 73p

  • Main investment Action delivered £4.6bn return, though LFL growth slowed in early 2025

Shares in 3i Group PLC (LSE:III) declined 7% on Thursday after the private equity firm released its final results for the year ended 31 March 2025, despite delivering positive returns and raising its dividend. The drop is seen by analysts as likely the result of profit-taking, following a 45% rally over the past year and recent all-time highs.

The investment group reported a total return of £5.05 billion, equivalent to 25% of opening shareholders’ funds. Net asset value (NAV) per share rose significantly to 2,542p, up from 2,085p at the end of the previous financial year.

The board proposed a second dividend of 42.5p per share, to be paid in July pending shareholder approval. This brings the total dividend for the year to 73p, an increase from 61p in the prior year.

3i's standout performer was Action, its Dutch non-food discount retail chain, which accounted for £4.6 billion of the group’s total return—a 32% uplift on its opening value. Action’s annual revenue grew by 22%, with like-for-like (LFL) sales up 10.3% and EBITDA rising 29%. However, early data from the first three months of 2025 shows LFL sales growth moderating to 6.2%.

Chief executive Simon Borrows described the period as "another successful year for 3i", pointing to the resilience of its long-term investment strategy. “This result was underpinned by the powerful compounding growth from our long-term hold assets,” Borrows said, referencing both Action and Royal Sanders, a Dutch personal care products company.