Capital at risk

Investment strategy

UK Alpha

We invest in a small collection of tremendously exciting UK businesses. Many may not be household names, but they are typically leaders in their fields with attractive competitive positions that rivals find hard to match.  

We pride ourselves on the strength of our relationships with companies and the level of corporate access and insight this affords us.  

Tower Bridge viewed from an alleyway in London.

A carefully selected portfolio

This is a punchy, concentrated portfolio of 30-50 carefully selected British businesses. We typically invest in them for at least five years to take full advantage of their strengths as they emerge over time.

Seeking out potential

Our objective is to outperform the FTSE All-Share Index by 2 per cent per annum, after management fees, over rolling five-year periods. 

To achieve this, we aim to identify well-managed, high-quality growth companies which enjoy sustainable competitive advantages. We seek out businesses that have the potential to deliver superior earnings growth over many years and hold onto them long enough for their strengths to emerge as the dominant influence on share prices.  

We take stewardship seriously, meeting with management and boards regularly, voting thoughtfully at general meetings and advocating for change where needed. 

The performance target is aspirational and is not guaranteed. We don’t use it to compile the portfolio and returns will vary. A single performance target may not be appropriate across all vehicles and jurisdictions. We may not meet our investment objectives if, for example, our growth investment style is out of favour or we misjudge the long-term earnings growth of our holdings.

Investing to add value

This is a concentrated portfolio, which only invests in between 30-50 stocks. Therefore, it looks very different to the broader UK equity index and has a very high active share.  

This is simply because we believe that to add value over the long term, we need to take an active and differentiated approach.  

When we look across the portfolio, we can group our holdings into broad themes that we are really excited about, including research and development innovators, digital consumer stocks and world-class industrials. 

Meet the manager

Milena Mileva

Milena Mileva

Milena is an investment manager in the UK Equity Team and lead manager of the UK Alpha Strategy. She is a member of the International All Cap Portfolio Construction Group. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2009 and became a partner of the firm in 2022.Milena graduated BA in Social and Political Science from the University of Cambridge in 2007 and MPhil in Politics from the University of Oxford in 2009.

Documents

Philosophy and process

Explore our investment philosophy and the processes around how the team constructs the portfolio.

Quarterly update

Get the latest investment commentary, portfolio overview, transactions and performance information alongside governance engagement and voting. 

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Strategy portfolio holdings

A list of the top 10 holdings that the representative portfolio invests in.

All figures up to: 31 October 2024

#Holding% of portfolio
1Games Workshop9.4%
2Experian8.3%
3Auto Trader7.4%
44imprint 6.4%
5AJ Bell4.7%
6Wise4.4%
7Ashtead3.8%
8Moonpig Group3.5%
9Softcat3.4%
10Genus3.1%

Strategy holdings by sector

As at: 31 October 2024

1Software and Computer Services18.00%
2Industrial Support Services13.80%
3Leisure Goods9.40%
4Investment Banking and Brokerage Services8.50%
5Media6.40%
6Retailers6.30%
7Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology6.00%
8Industrial Engineering4.40%
9Electronic and Electrical Equipment4.10%
10Industrial Transportation3.80%
11Beverages3.30%
12Travel and Leisure2.70%
13Real Estate Investment and Services2.50%
14Banks2.30%
15Industrial Metals and Mining2.00%
16Others5.50%
17Cash1.10%
Total 100%

Strategy holdings by sector

All figures up to: 31 October 2024

Total: 100%

Please note

The information contained on this page is intended as a guide only and should not be relied upon when making investment decisions. All holdings information is unaudited. Source Baillie Gifford & Co. Please note that totals may not add due to rounding.

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Insights

Key articles, videos and podcasts relating to the strategy:

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Insights

Viewing 9 of 9
  1. Saving when sending abroad: a Wise move

    With international payments a profitable afterthought for the banks, it’s been left to a newcomer to build the best way of moving money around the world.
    October 2024
    Article4 minutes
  2. Wise: Money Without Borders

    Co-founder and CEO of digital payments platform Wise explains how a customer-centric approach is helping revolutionise global money movement.
    October 2024
    Video37 minutes
  3. Creo Medical: at the spearhead of surgery

    The Welsh company cutting surgery waiting lists – and costs.
    September 2024
    Article7 minutes
  4. Ashtead: hiding in plain sight

    This little-known equipment rental company is one of the UK’s most exciting growth stories.
    December 2023
    Article5 minutes
  5. Why growth, why now?

    Tough times play to the partnership’s strengths: analysing what enables us to adapt and thrive amid rapid change.
    December 2023
    Article17 minutes
  6. UK equities: growth on our doorstep

    Our specialist approach is well-placed to take advantage of early-stage British businesses.
    December 2023
    Article5 minutes
  7. The case for UK equities

    Baillie Gifford’s Iain McCombie discusses UK equities on Hymans Robertson’s investment podcast.
    September 2023
    Podcast30 minutes
  8. Joiners’ mate

    Iain McCombie on how Howdens’ kitchens won the building trade’s trust.
    September 2023
    Article
  9. UK equities: Home focus

    Companies solving big problems in healthcare, fintech and AI, are proving the UK is an exciting place to invest.
    December 2022
    Article

Why growth, why now?

Tough times play to the partnership’s strengths: analysing what enables us to adapt and thrive amid rapid change.
December 2023
Article17 minutes

Explore further

Curious to learn more about our products and what we can offer you? Please get in touch.

Important information

The content of this website is intended exclusively for professional investors in accordance with MiFID legislation. 'Professional investors' are potential investors who are deemed to have the status of “professional clients”, within the meaning of MiFID (2004/39/EC), as transposed in Ireland. It is not intended for retail investors.

Baillie Gifford Investment Management (Europe) Limited is authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland (Reference number C182354) as an Alternative Investment Fund Manager and UCITS Manager to Baillie Gifford Worldwide Funds plc. Its registered office is 4/5 School House Lane East, Dublin 2, D02 N279, Ireland.

This website is informative only and the information provided should not be considered as investment or other advice or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a particular investment. Read our Legal and regulatory information for further details.