1. Overview

    The High Yield Bond Fund aims to produce a combination of income and capital growth.

    The manager believes an appropriate comparison for this Fund is the Investment Association Sterling High Yield Bond sector average given the investment policy of the Fund and the approach taken by the manager when investing.

    We focus on fundamental, forward looking research leading to a best ideas portfolio where every investment should make a difference.

    Performance & Portfolio

    Periodic Performance

    All figures to 31/10/2024

    6 Months

    1 Year

    3 Years

    5 Years

    Class B-Inc 7.0%17.9%1.9%2.6%

    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 Sector Average

    Annual percentage return (Updated Quarterly)

    30/09/2019
    30/09/2020

    30/09/2020
    30/09/2021

    30/09/2021
    30/09/2022

    30/09/2022
    30/09/2023

    30/09/2023
    30/09/2024

    Class B-Inc 0.3%7.7%-18.1%9.7%16.0%
    Sector Average*** -0.4%10.6%-14.3%10.2%13.0%

    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. Total return net of charges, in sterling.
    Share class returns calculated using 10am prices, while the Index is calculated close-to-close.
    *IA £ High Yield Sector.

    Top Ten Physical Bond Holdings* - 31/10/2024

    Fund %
    1 Barclays 7.125% 2025 Perp AT1 1.8%
    2 Aggreko 6.125% 2026 (144A) 1.7%
    3 IMA E+3.75% FRN 2029 1.7%
    4 UK T Bill 13/01/2025 1.6%
    5 Teva Pharma 7.375% 2029 1.5%
    6 Brightline East 11% 2030 (144A) 1.5%
    7 Neopharmed 7.125% 2030 1.5%
    8 Burford Capital 9.25% 2031 (144A) 1.4%
    9 Cheplapharm 5.5% 2028 (144A) 1.4%
    10 Kier Group 9% 2029 1.4%
    Total 15.6%
    Sector Analysis of Total Assets - 31/10/2024

    Fund %

    • 1 Industrials 86.79
    • 2 Financial 10.20
    • 3 Sovereign 3.47
    • 4 Utility 0.96
    • 5 Cash & Derivatives -1.41
    • 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.

    Meet the Managers

    Faisal Islam

    Faisal is an investment manager in the Credit Team, co-managing our High Yield Bond Strategy. Before joining Baillie Gifford in 2018, he worked for four years at PwC where he qualified as a chartered accountant in corporate finance, before moving to Aberdeen Standard Investments in 2016 as a high yield credit analyst. Faisal graduated BSc in Economics from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2011 and is a CFA Charterholder.

    Arthur Milson

    Arthur is an investment manager in the Credit Team, co-managing our High Yield Bond Strategy. Before joining Baillie Gifford in 2022, he worked for abrdn/Standard Life Investments for 16 years. Arthur graduated BSc in Biological Sciences from the University of Edinburgh in 1992, has a postgraduate diploma in commerce from the University of Wollongong and is a Chartered Accountant.

    Fund Platforms

    You can invest in a range of our funds via a number of fund platforms and supermarkets, please see the links opposite.

    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.

    Fund Platforms

    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.

    Complaints

    In the first instance, clients should contact their normal Client Contact with any concerns. Alternatively, or for those clients who do not have a direct client contact assigned, complaints can be emailed to Baillie Gifford’s Compliance Department at: InstitutionalComplaints@bailliegifford.com. A summary document which contains details on Baillie Gifford’s complaints management policy is available upon request. All material complaints are recorded in an in-house incident management system and are escalated to, and dealt with by, members of staff of suitable seniority, independent of the area from which the matter arose.