BlackRock's small-cap trusts lead AJ Bell's 'dividend heroes' by total return over last decade

Stalwart Scottish Mortgage takes third place

BlackRock's £790m Smaller Companies and £450m Throgmorton investment trusts are the highest-returning closed-ended funds over the past ten years, as well as being named AJ Bell's dividend heroes (meaning they have increased their dividend every year for at least ten consecutive years), beating the highly-regarded £7.8bn Scottish Mortgage investment trust.

The two trusts, both of which sit in the AIC's UK Smaller Companies sector have increased their dividend for 14 years running, and have produced a total return of 481% and 479% respectively over ten years, according to new research from AJ Bell, comparing the current yield to the share price of its dividend heroes. An investment of £10,000 ten years ago will have grown to £58,078 in Mike Prentis and Roland Arnold's (pictured) BlackRock Smaller Companies and £57,848 in Dan Whitestone's BlackRock Throgmorton trusts, while current income today on a £10,000 investment in each a decade ago st...