Deutsche Bank has launched an equity fund seeking to identify stocks most likely to continue to pay investors dividends.

The DB Platinum CROCI (Cash Return on Capital Invested) Global Dividends Fund, part of the German lender's db-X division, will filter the MSCI World Index, which tracks 1,600 companies across twenty five developed markets, avoiding businesses with the lowest cash returns, highest leverage and most extreme volatility.

“With equity markets moving sideways and global interest rates at historic lows, investors are showing a keen interest in dividends as a way of generating sustainable income,” said Alex McKenna, head of db-X funds at the bank.

CROCI was developed by Deutsche Bank’s research team in an attempt to overcome difficulties in comparing company data between regions, industries and individual stocks. It aims to identify stock selection opportunities hidden by traditional metrics.

The db-X range of 10 funds had $2 billion in assets under management at the end of July.