Britain's 3i lifts return on assets by 16.4 pct

LONDON, July 27 (Reuters) - British private equity firm 3i's total return on assets reached 16.4 percent in its first quarter to June 30, it said on Tuesday, adding that its portfolio had been helped by sterling weakness since Britain's vote to leave the European Union.

Its diluted net asset value (NAV) per share, a key performance indicator, rose to 538 pence from 463 pence in the previous quarter.

"While we cannot be immune to what we expect will be a volatile and challenging period, we expect the portfolio to be generally resilient as the wider implications of Brexit unfold," the company said in a statement.

(Reporting By Freya Berry; Editing by David Goodman)