3i Group said asset sales more than trebled over nine months but warned that ongoing market turmoil and economic uncertainty had hit performance at its portfolio companies.

The London-listed private equity firm said realisations for the nine months to December 31, 2011 were £562m, compared with £168m in 2010 last year. This includes £202m realised in the final three months. Almost all of that came from the sale of German engine manufacturer MWM to Caterpillar I of the US.