The total funds under management at UK-listed Rathbone Brothers fell 3.2 per cent between the end of last year to stand at £15.1 billion (around $24.2 billion) at 30 September, as difficult markets took their toll.

The decline in AuM was, however, far less than the 13.1 per cent fall in the FTSE 100 Index of blue-chip UK stocks and the fall of 8.2 per cent in the FTSE APCIMS Balanced Index in the first nine months of this year, the firm said today in a statement.

Rathbone Investment Management, part of the group, logged an underlying annualised rate of net organic growth of AuM of 4.6 per centfor the quarter ended 30 September 2011 (2010: 5.7 per cent) and 6.2 per cent for the nine months ended 30 September 2011 (2010: 4.6 per cent).

The net operating income of £102.5 million in Rathbone Investment Management for the nine months ended 30 September 2011 was 15.7 per cent higher than 2010 as net growth in new funds combined with higher average market levels.

Rathbone Unit Trust Management experienced a fourth consecutive quarter of net inflows attracting £62 million in the nine months ended 30 September 2011.