Overview
The Strategic Bond Fund aims to produce monthly income. Opportunities for capital growth are also sought, subject to prevailing market conditions.
The manager believes that appropriate comparisons for this Fund are the Investment Association Sterling Strategic Bond sector average, given the investment policy of the Fund and the approach taken by the manager and a composite index comprising 70%: ICE BofA Sterling Non-Gilt Index and 30%: ICE BofA European Currency High Yield Constrained Index (hedged to GBP) being representative of the strategic asset allocation of the Fund.
Our performance is driven by stock selection. We source ideas across both investment grade and high yield bonds and are guided by our fundamental, bottom-up stock analysis.
Performance & Portfolio
Periodic Performance
All figures to 31/10/2024 6 Months
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
Class B-Inc 4.5% 12.4% -1.2% 0.5% Index* 3.7% 10.4% -1.3% 0.4% Sector Average*** 4.1% 11.4% -0.0% 1.5% Sector Ranking 35/88 30/86 59/78 51/69 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-Inc 2.4% 4.3% -21.1% 7.7% 13.0% Index* 2.9% 2.8% -20.0% 9.1% 11.1% Sector Average*** 3.6% 4.6% -14.5% 4.9% 11.8% 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.
Sector data based on B-Acc share class performance.
Source: FE, Revolution. Total return net of charges, in sterling.
Share class returns calculated using 10am prices, while the Index is calculated close-to-close.
*70% ICE BofA ML Sterling Non Gilts Index / 30% ICE BofA ML European Currency High Yield Constrained Index
***IA £ Strategic Bond Sector.Top Ten Physical Bond Holdings* - 31/10/2024
Fund % 1 Rothesay Life 8% 2025 2.9% 2 DNB Bank 4% 2026/27 2.7% 3 Bharti Airtel 5.65% 2025 Perp 2.4% 4 Banco Santander 1.5% 2026 2.3% 5 Barclays 7.125% 2025 Perp AT1 2.3% 6 Telereal FRN 2031 (C1) 2.1% 7 Berkeley Group 2.5% 2031 2.0% 8 Realty Income 5.125% 2034 2.0% 9 Yorkshire Water 6.375% 2034 1.8% 10 Schroders 6.346% 2029/34 T2 1.8% Total 22.3% Sector Analysis of Total Assets - 31/10/2024Fund %
- 1 Industrials 41.42
- 2 Financial 35.04
- 3 Securitized 9.60
- 4 Quasi & Foreign Government 6.79
- 5 Utility 3.22
- 6 Sovereign 1.61
- 7 Cash & Derivatives 2.32
- 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.Meet the Managers
Lesley Dunn
Lesley is Head of Credit and co-manager of the Strategic Bond strategy. She is a member of the Multi Asset and Income Leadership Group and the Sustainable Income Portfolio Construction Group. Lesley joined Baillie Gifford in 2016 and became a partner of the firm in 2023. Prior to this, she spent 15 years at Scottish Widows Investment Partnership. Lesley graduated BSc (Hons) in Maths, Statistics & Economics from Strathclyde University in 2000 and is a CFA Charterholder.
Robert Baltzer
Robert is Head of Credit Research and co-manager of the Strategic Bond Strategy. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2001 on the graduate scheme, becoming an investment grade bond manager in 2004 before going on to manage high yield portfolios in 2010. He is responsible for running the corporate credit portion of the Managed strategy. Robert has managed strategic bond strategies since 2012. He graduated MMath from Durham University in 2001 and is a CFA Charterholder.
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
Interim reports
Key investor information documents (KIIDs)
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.
Bonds and Inflation
Bonds issued by companies and governments may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, expectations of inflation and a decline in the creditworthiness of the bond issuer. The issuers of bonds in which the Fund invests may not be able to pay the bond income as promised or could fail to repay the capital amount.
Concentration
The Fund’s concentrated portfolio relative to similar funds may result in large movements in the share price in the short term.
Derivatives
Derivatives may be used to obtain, increase or reduce exposure to assets and may result in the Fund being leveraged. This may result in greater movements (down or up) in the price of shares in the Fund. It is not our intention that the use of derivatives will significantly alter the overall risk profile of the Fund.
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.
Under certain market conditions it can be difficult to buy or sell securities and even small purchases or sales can cause their prices to move significantly. To manage the effects of this, we may apply an increased dilution adjustment. As a result investors may face increased dealing costs.
Fees to capital
From 1 October 2019 the Fund’s expenses will be taken from the Fund’s capital. This will reduce the capital value of the Fund. The figure for the current financial period has not yet been determined.Market Conditions
Market values for illiquid securities which are difficult to trade may not be readily available, and there can be no assurance that any value assigned to them will reflect the price the Fund might receive upon their sale.
Tax Rates
Tax rates and the tax treatment of OEICs can change at any time.
