Overview
The Positive Change 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. It also aims to contribute to a more sustainable and inclusive world through investing in companies whose products and/or services contribute to impact themes addressing critical social and/or environmental challenges, measured over at least a five-year period.
There is no guarantee that this performance objective will be achieved over any time period and actual investment returns may differ from this objective, particularly over shorter time periods.
The manager believes this is an appropriate performance 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.
Performance & Portfolio
Periodic Performance
All figures to 31/10/2024 6 Months
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
Class B-Acc 4.4% 19.4% -6.9% 13.7% Index* 8.2% 25.9% 8.3% 11.7% Target Benchmark** 9.3% 28.5% 10.5% 14.0% Sector Average*** 4.4% 21.9% 4.1% 9.2% 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 to 30 September each year
Annual percentage return (Updated Quarterly) 30/09/2019
30/09/202030/09/2020
30/09/202130/09/2021
30/09/202230/09/2022
30/09/202330/09/2023
30/09/2024Class B-Acc 72.5% 36.2% -30.8% 4.5% 8.6% Index* 5.8% 22.7% -3.7% 11.0% 20.4% Target Benchmark** 7.9% 25.2% -1.8% 13.3% 22.9% Sector Average*** 7.2% 23.2% -8.9% 7.8% 16.2% Please bear in mind that past performance is not a guide to future performance.
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.
**MSCI AC World Index (in sterling) plus at least 2% per annum over rolling five-year periods.
***IA Global Sector.Top Ten Holdings - 31/10/2024
Fund % 1 MercadoLibre 8.0% 2 TSMC 7.8% 3 Shopify 5.3% 4 Duolingo 5.1% 5 Nu Holdings 4.9% 6 ASML 4.9% 7 HDFC Bank 4.8% 8 Alnylam Pharmaceuticals 4.7% 9 Autodesk 4.7% 10 Bank Rakyat Indonesia 4.7% Total 54.9% Geographic Analysis of Total Assets - 31/10/2024Fund %
- 1 North America 51.54
- 2 Emerging Markets 32.89
- 3 Europe (ex UK) 13.78
- 4 UK 0.98
- 5 Cash 0.81
- 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.
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.Insights
View all Insights.Key Decision Makers
Kate Fox
Kate is an investment manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. Kate joined Baillie Gifford in 2002 and became a partner of the firm in 2020. She is a CFA Charterholder and graduated MA in Economics and Maths from the University of Edinburgh in 2001.
Kate believes the financial community plays a crucial role in creating a more sustainable world for future generations. Kate’s experience analysing smaller companies has left her with a natural enthusiasm for businesses that address unmet needs or challenge the status quo, as well as an appreciation of their long-term potential.
Lee Qian
Lee is an investment manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and has previously worked as an analyst on the Developed Asia, International Growth, Global Income Growth and International Alpha strategies. Lee is a CFA Charterholder and graduated BA (Hons) in Economics and Management from the University of Oxford in 2012.
Lee grew up in China during a period of incredible economic and social progress, when hundreds of millions of people were lifted out of poverty and the standard of living improved for the majority of the population. Witnessing that has influenced Lee deeply and he has been interested in development since.Thaiha Nguyen
Thaiha is an investment manager and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2014 and moved full-time to Positive Change in 2021 after two years of working with the team as a portfolio advisor from our US Equities team. She is a CFA Charterholder and graduated BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of Cambridge in 2014.
Thaiha believes that we are entering the golden age of technological innovations and impact entrepreneurship. The combination of the two will be a powerful driver of a thriving, sustainable and inclusive world. In her view, investors could play a critical role to support ambitious entrepreneurs that leverage technologies to bring creative solutions to global challenges.Ed Whitten
Ed is an impact director and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2018. Prior to joining Baillie Gifford, Ed worked for three years in a consultancy advising investors, insurers and corporates on risk management and social impact in emerging and frontier markets. Ed started his career as an officer in the British Army, latterly working in a cross-government role on the UK government. Ed graduated BA (Hons) in History from Newcastle University in 2008 and MSc in Sustainable Development from London’s School of Oriental and African Studies in 2020.
Ed’s experience of working in and studying developing countries drives his desire to work towards a more sustainable future that leaves no one behind. Ed believes that thoughtful and responsible investment in companies achieving financial, social and environmental returns has enormous potential to catalyse positive change in the corporate landscape, build trust in capital markets and help support solutions to global challenges.
Apricot Wilson
Apricot is a senior impact analyst and decision maker in the Positive Change Team. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2023. Prior to working at Baillie Gifford, Apricot completed the graduate training programme at Aberdeen Asset Management, before working for Investing for Development SICAV, a Luxembourg-based blended fund focused on development finance. Apricot is a CFA Charterholder and graduated MBA from the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai. Her first degree was in Modern and Medieval Languages from the University of Cambridge.
Having worked in development, Apricot has been impressed by the power of financial markets to generate positive societal change. She has a particular interest in opportunities which support those living at the base of the economic pyramid.
How to Invest
You can invest in our funds via a number of fund platforms, please see the links opposite. Information on the range of funds available through platforms can be found in our Platform Matrix.
Please note that we do not have the facility for you to invest directly with us in our Investment Trusts and we do not offer ISAs, SIPPS or Share Plans.
Please also note that we do not have an online service for individual investors.
Further information on our funds can be found in the relevant Key Investor Information and Prospectus Documents, which are available in English and will be sent to you free of charge on request.
Baillie Gifford does not sponsor, maintain or have any control over the content of any other websites. Therefore, we are not responsible for the adequacy or accuracy of any of the information you may view, nor do we undertake to ensure successful transmission to any linked website.
How to Invest
Getting Financial Advice
At Baillie Gifford we don’t provide financial advice, but we do try our best to provide you with all the information we think you might need to make investment decisions. Of course, we realise there are occasions when you may want the advice of an expert.
Using professional financial advice
An authorised intermediary can give you advice and help on how best to manage your financial affairs based on your circumstances and investment aspirations. They can also help keep track of all your different investment interests, saving you a lot of time and bookkeeping.
Finding a financial adviser near you
If you want to use an authorised intermediary, unbiased is a website that allows you to search for authorised intermediaries in your area. You can visit their site on www.unbiased.co.uk
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.
Application forms
Bulletins
Enhanced disclosure document
Factsheets
Impact report and positive conversations
Interim reports
Key investor information documents (KIIDs)
Other fund literature
Sustainability-related disclosures and climate reports
Value assessment
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.
Concentration
The Fund’s concentrated portfolio relative to similar funds may result in large movements in the share price in the short term.
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.
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.
Tax Rates
Tax rates and the tax treatment of OEICs can change at any time.
Sustainable & Responsible Investment
The Fund invests in companies whose products or behaviour make a positive impact on society and/or the environment. This means the Fund will not invest in certain sectors and companies and the universe of investments available to the Fund will be more limited than other funds that do not apply such criteria. The Fund therefore may have different returns than a fund which has no such restrictions.
