diff --git a/zipline/assets/asset_writer.py b/zipline/assets/asset_writer.py
index 5dcd4da8..ec47a366 100644
--- a/zipline/assets/asset_writer.py
+++ b/zipline/assets/asset_writer.py
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ from abc import (
     ABCMeta,
     abstractmethod,
 )
+from collections import namedtuple
 
 import pandas as pd
 from six import with_metaclass
@@ -9,6 +10,9 @@ import sqlalchemy as sa
 
 from zipline.errors import SidAssignmentError
 
+# Define a namedtuple for use with the load_data and _load_data methods
+AssetData = namedtuple('AssetData', 'equities futures exchanges root_symbols')
+
 ASSET_FIELDS = frozenset({
     'sid',
     'asset_type',
@@ -66,21 +70,6 @@ ROOT_SYMBOL_TABLE_FIELDS = ({
 })
 
 
-class AssetData(object):
-    """ Class to store collection of asset data.
-    """
-    def __init__(self, equities=None, futures=None,
-                 exchanges=None, root_symbols=None):
-        """
-        Data supplied to this object should be of a consistent type.
-        """
-
-        self.equities = equities
-        self.futures = futures
-        self.exchanges = exchanges
-        self.root_symbols = root_symbols
-
-
 class AssetDBWriter(with_metaclass(ABCMeta)):
     """
     Class used to write arbitrary data to SQLite database.
@@ -124,12 +113,12 @@ class AssetDBWriter(with_metaclass(ABCMeta)):
         # Create SQL tables
         self.init_db(engine, constraints)
         # Get the data to add to SQL
-        equities, futures, exchanges, root_symbols = self.load_data()
+        data = self.load_data()
         with engine.begin() as txn:
-            self._write_exchanges(exchanges, txn)
-            self._write_root_symbols(root_symbols, txn)
-            self._write_futures(futures, txn)
-            self._write_equities(equities, fuzzy_char, txn)
+            self._write_exchanges(data.exchanges, txn)
+            self._write_root_symbols(data.root_symbols, txn)
+            self._write_futures(data.futures, txn)
+            self._write_equities(data.equities, fuzzy_char, txn)
 
     def _write_exchanges(self, exchanges, bind=None):
         self.futures_exchanges.insert().values(
@@ -281,8 +270,7 @@ class AssetDBWriter(with_metaclass(ABCMeta)):
         equities, futures, exchanges, root_symbols
         """
 
-        equities_data, futures_data, exchanges_data, root_symbols_data = \
-            self._load_data()
+        data = self._load_data()
 
         # ******** Generate equities data ********
 
@@ -416,7 +404,10 @@ class AssetDBWriter(with_metaclass(ABCMeta)):
             copy=False
         )
 
-        return equities_data, futures_data, exchanges_data, root_symbols_data
+        return AssetData(equities=equities_output,
+                         futures=futures_output,
+                         exchanges=exchanges_output,
+                         root_symbols=root_symbols_output)
 
     @staticmethod
     def dict_subset(dict_, subset):
@@ -490,10 +481,10 @@ class AssetDBWriterFromList(AssetDBWriter):
         _exchanges = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(_exchanges, orient='index')
         _root_symbols = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(_root_symbols, orient='index')
 
-        return asset_data(equities=_equities,
-                          futures=_futures,
-                          exchanges=_exchanges,
-                          root_symbols=_root_symbols)
+        return AssetData(equities=_equities,
+                         futures=_futures,
+                         exchanges=_exchanges,
+                         root_symbols=_root_symbols)
 
 
 class AssetDBWriterFromDictionary(AssetDBWriter):
@@ -521,7 +512,10 @@ class AssetDBWriterFromDictionary(AssetDBWriter):
         _root_symbols = pd.DataFrame.from_dict(self._root_symbols,
                                                orient='index')
 
-        return _equities, _futures, _exchanges, _root_symbols
+        return AssetData(equities=_equities,
+                         futures=_futures,
+                         exchanges=_exchanges,
+                         root_symbols=_root_symbols)
 
 
 class AssetDBWriterFromDataFrame(AssetDBWriter):
@@ -539,5 +533,7 @@ class AssetDBWriterFromDataFrame(AssetDBWriter):
 
     def _load_data(self):
 
-        return self._equities, self._futures, self._exchanges,
-        self._root_symbols
+        return AssetData(equities=self._equities,
+                         futures=self._futures,
+                         exchanges=self._exchanges,
+                         root_symbols=self._root_symbols)