1. Overview

    The Sustainable Growth Fund aims to outperform (after deduction of costs) the MSCI ACWI Index, as stated in sterling, by at least 2% per annum over rolling five-year periods.

    The manager believes this is an appropriate target given the investment policy of the Fund and the approach taken by the manager when investing. In addition, the manager believes an appropriate performance comparison for this Fund is the Investment Association Global Sector.

    There is no guarantee that this objective will be achieved over any time period and actual investment returns may differ from this objective, particularly over shorter time periods.

    Our purpose as sustainable growth investors is to integrate ESG and investment with an unashamedly optimistic mindset.

    Performance & Portfolio

    Performance & Portfolio

    Periodic performance

    All figures to 31/03/2025

    6 Months

    1 Year

    3 Years

    5 Years

    Class B-Acc -5.7%-3.1%-3.5%7.3%
    Index* 1.7%5.3%8.1%14.8%
    Target Benchmark** 2.8%7.4%10.3%17.1%
    Sector Average*** -1.1%-0.3%4.3%11.5%
    Sector Ranking 461/547393/539456/482380/410

    Figures for 3 and 5 years are shown as the annualised rate of return. This is the average yearly return over the specified period.


    Annual discrete performance 31 March each year

    Annual percentage return (Updated Quarterly)

    31/03/2020
    31/03/2021

    31/03/2021
    31/03/2022

    31/03/2022
    31/03/2023

    31/03/2023
    31/03/2024

    31/03/2024
    31/03/2025

    Class B-Acc 82.0%-13.1%-17.6%12.5%-3.1%
    Index* 39.6%12.9%-0.9%21.2%5.3%
    Target Benchmark** 42.4%15.2%1.1%23.6%7.5%
    Sector Average*** 40.6%8.4%-2.7%16.7%-0.3%

    Please bear in mind that past performance is not a guide to future returns. The value of your investment may go down as well as up, and you may not get back the amount you invested

    Source: FE, Revolution, MSCI. Total return net of charges, in sterling.

    Share class returns calculated using 10am prices, while the Index is calculated close-to-close.

    *MSCI ACWI Index.

    **MSCI ACWI Index (in sterling) plus at least 2% per annum over rolling five-year periods.

    ***IA Global Sector.

    Top ten holdings 31/03/2025

    Fund %
    1 Microsoft 4.5%
    2 Alphabet 4.0%
    3 TSMC 3.7%
    4 MercadoLibre 3.4%
    5 Mastercard 3.2%
    6 DSV 3.0%
    7 UnitedHealth Group 2.9%
    8 Texas Instruments 2.7%
    9 Recruit Holdings 2.6%
    10 Edwards Lifesciences 2.5%
    Total 32.5%
    Sector analysis of total assets 31/03/2025
    Created with Highcharts 4.2.21234567

    Fund %

    • 1 Industrials 24.75
    • 2 Information Technology 20.09
    • 3 Financials 15.06
    • 4 Health Care 14.09
    • 5 Communication Services 11.24
    • 6 Consumer Discretionary 9.94
    • 7 Consumer Staples 3.02
    • 8 Real Estate 1.02
    • 9 Cash 0.78
    • Total 100.00
    Geographic analysis of total assets 31/03/2025
    Created with Highcharts 4.2.21234567810

    Fund %

    • 1 United States 48.98
    • 2 UK 7.95
    • 3 Sweden 7.77
    • 4 France 6.05
    • 5 Japan 5.81
    • 6 Brazil 4.56
    • 7 Taiwan 3.71
    • 8 Denmark 3.02
    • 9 Canada 2.40
    • 10 Others 8.95
    • 11 Cash 0.78
    • Total 100.00

    As the Fund invests in overseas securities, changes in the rates of exchange may cause the value of your investment (and any income it may pay) to go down or up.

    As well as cash in the bank, this balance includes unsettled cash flows arising from both shareholder flows and outstanding trades. Therefore, a negative balance may arise from timing differences between shareholder flows and security trading, and does not necessarily represent a bank overdraft.

    The information contained on this page is intended as a guide only and should not be relied upon when making investment decisions. Source Baillie Gifford & Co.

    Please note that totals may not sum due to rounding.

    Decision makers

    Toby Ross

    Toby is an investment manager on the Sustainable Growth Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2006 and became a partner in the firm in 2023. Toby joined as an analyst on the UK equities team and went on to join the Global Income Growth Team as an investment manager in 2013, and in this role, he helped to develop the team’s approach to responsible investment. He became the joint manager of The Scottish American Investment Company PLC (SAINTS) in 2017. In 2022, Toby assumed the leadership of the Sustainable Growth Team. He graduated MA in English Literature from the University of Cambridge in 2006 and is a CFA Charterholder.

    Katherine Davidson

    Katherine is an investment manager on the Sustainable Growth Team. Before joining Baillie Gifford in September 2022, she had spent her investment career on the Global and International Equity Team at Schroders. Katherine joined the Schroders graduate scheme in 2008 and held various sector and fund responsibilities while developing a growing interest and expertise in sustainable investing. Katherine was instrumental in the development and management of Schroders’ Global Sustainable Growth Fund. She graduated with an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford in 2008 and is a CFA Charterholder.

    Documents

    You can access any literature about the Fund here, either by downloading or requesting a copy by post (where available).

    To download any document you will need Adobe Reader. Please note that we can now provide you with Braille and audio transcriptions of our literature on request. It may take up to 10 days for the transcription to be completed dependent on the size of the document.

    Philosophy and process documents

    Quarterly investor reports

    Sustainability-related disclosures and climate reports

    Risks

    General Investment Risk

    Investment markets can go down as well as up and market conditions can change rapidly. The value of an investment in the Fund, and any income from it, can fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the amount invested.

    Custody

    Custody of assets involves a risk of loss if a custodian becomes insolvent or breaches duties of care.

    Emerging Markets

    The Fund invests in emerging markets where difficulties in dealing, settlement and custody could arise, resulting in a negative impact on the value of your investment.

    Responsible Investment

    The Fund invests according to responsible investment criteria and with reference to the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact for business. This means the Fund will not invest in certain sectors and companies and, therefore, the universe of available investments will be more limited than other funds that do not apply such criteria/ exclusions. The Fund therefore may have different returns than a fund which has no such restrictions.

    Fees from Revenue

    Where possible, charges are taken from the Fund's revenue. Where there is insufficient revenue, the remainder will be taken from capital. This will reduce the capital value of your investment.

    Foreign Currency

    The Fund has exposure to foreign currencies and changes in the rates of exchange will cause the value of any investment, and income from it, to fall as well as rise and you may not get back the amount invested.

    Volatility

    The Fund’s share price can be volatile due to movements in the prices of the underlying holdings and the basis on which the Fund is priced.

    Dilution

    A dilution adjustment may apply when you buy or sell shares in the Fund. This is applied to the share price and may reduce the return on your investment.

    Tax Rates

    Tax rates and the tax treatment of OEICs can change at any time.

    Important Information

    Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited provides investment management and advisory services to non-UK clients and is authorised and regulated by the UK Financial Conduct Authority. Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited is not licensed under the Regulation of Investment Advising, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management Law, 5755-1995 (the “Advice Law”) and does not carry insurance pursuant to the Advice Law.

    Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited markets and distributes Baillie Gifford’s range of collective investment schemes to Qualified Clients and Qualified Investors in Israel, as listed in the First Addendum to the [Regulation of Investment Advising, Investment Marketing and Portfolio Management Law, 5755-1995 (the “Advice Law”)]/[Advice Law] and in the First Addendum to the [Israel Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the “Securities Law”)]/ [Securities Law]. Detailed disclosure of the collective investment schemes can be found within this website and in the relevant scheme prospectus.

    Baillie Gifford Overseas Limited does not provide investment advice. If you are in any doubt about whether an investment is suitable, you should seek independent advice.

    No action has been or will be taken in Israel that would permit a public offering or distribution of the Funds mentioned in this website to the public in Israel. This website and the Funds mentioned herein have not been approved by the Israeli Securities Authority (the “ISA”). In addition, the Funds mentioned in this website are not regulated under the provisions of Israel’s Joint Investment Trusts law, 5754-1994 (the “Joint Investment Trusts Law”). This website and the Funds mentioned herein will only be distributed to Israeli residents in reliance on an exemption from any advice or marketing restrictions [in a manner that will not constitute “an offer to the public” under sections 15 and 15a of]/[in reliance on an exemption from the prospectus requirements under] the Israel Securities Law, 5728-1968 (the “Securities Law”) or the Joint Investment Trusts Law, and any guidelines, pronouncements or rulings issued from time to time by the ISA as applicable.