Ashby upbeat despite dividend squeeze

Graham Ashby, manager of the AA-rated DWS UK Equity Income fund, is upbeat on the outlook for the sector, believing dividends will continue to comprise a significant portion of total return for some time to come. Ashby took over the fund from Adrian Frost last April, having been with the group for some eight years. Over one year to 18 November, the fund has posted a loss of 19.6%, offer to bid, compared with a sector average loss of -20.9%. Over three years, the fund is down 20.8%, versus a 20% sector average loss. Strong emphasis is placed on bottom-up stock selection at DWS and Ashby ...