The Fund does not guarantee positive returns. It aims to limit the extent of loss in any short term period to a lower level than equities. 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.
The specific risks associated with the Fund include:
Market Condition
Market values for illiquid securities which are difficult to trade, or value less frequently than the Fund, such as holdings in weekly or monthly dealt funds, may not be readily available. There can be no assurance that any value assigned to them will reflect the price the Fund might receive upon their sale.
Investment in vehicles which themselves invest in a range of assets described previously which may become illiquid may not be easily converted into cash when required.
Custody
Custody of assets, particularly in emerging markets, involves a risk of loss if a custodian becomes insolvent or breaches duties of care.
Emerging Markets
The Fund invests in emerging markets, which includes China, where difficulties with market volatility, political and economic instability including the risk of market shutdown, trading, liquidity, settlement, corporate governance, regulation, legislation and taxation could arise, resulting in a negative impact on the value of your investment.
Bonds & 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, particularly in emerging markets, may not be able to pay the bond income as promised or could fail to repay the capital amount.
Alternative Assets
Investments may be made directly in hedge funds or, through specific investment vehicles into property, infrastructure and commodities. Returns from these investments are sensitive to various factors which may include interest and exchange rates, economic growth prospects and inflation, the occurrence of natural disasters, and the cost and availability of gearing (debt finance).
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.
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.
Further Details
Further details of the risks associated with investing in the Fund can be found in the Key Information Document (KID), or the Prospectus. Copies of both the KID and Prospectus are available at bailliegifford.com.
Definitions
Active Share: A measure of the Fund's overlap with the benchmark. An active share of 100 indicates no overlap with the benchmark and an active share of zero indicates a portfolio that tracks the benchmark.
