2. Overview

    The European Fund aims to outperform (after deduction of costs) the MSCI Europe ex UK Index, as stated in Sterling, by at least 1.5% per annum over rolling five-year periods. 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.

    The manager believes this is an appropriate benchmark 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 Europe excluding UK Sector.

    We invest in companies not countries. The view is different from the bottom up than it is from the top down.

    Portfolio

    Top Ten Holdings - 31/01/2021

    Fund %
    1 Zalando 5.9%
    2 Prosus 5.6%
    3 IMCD 4.5%
    4 Spotify 3.8%
    5 Delivery Hero 3.7%
    6 Atlas Copco 3.5%
    7 adidas 3.4%
    8 Kinnevik 3.4%
    9 Adyen 3.4%
    10 Avanza Bank 3.4%
    Total 40.5%
    Fund %
    1 Zalando 5.9%
    2 Prosus 5.6%
    3 IMCD 4.5%
    4 Spotify 3.8%
    5 Delivery Hero 3.7%
    6 Atlas Copco 3.5%
    7 adidas 3.4%
    8 Kinnevik 3.4%
    9 Adyen 3.4%
    10 Avanza Bank 3.4%
    Total 40.5%
    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.
    Geographic analysis of total assets - 31/01/2021
    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.
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    Insights

    View all Insights.
    March 2021

    Enlightenment.

    Featuring the news and views of the teams involved in running our funds

    Read more
    December 2020

    Podcast - How Covid is Changing the Way We Shop.

    The digital disruption of the high street accelerated during the pandemic. Baillie Gifford’s Moritz Sitte explores the innovative ways in which European retailers are reshaping the future of shopping.

    Listen now
    December 2020

    How COVID is changing the way we shop.

    The digital disruption of the high street accelerated during the pandemic. Baillie Gifford’s Moritz Sitte explores the innovative ways in which European retailers are reshaping the future of shopping.

    Read more
    November 2020

    Enlightenment.

    Featuring the news and views of the teams involved in running our funds

    Read more
    October 2020

    Europe's Tech Awakening.

    There’s no such thing as a big European tech platform, or is there? Chris Davies explores the rise of European platform businesses, questioning whether they are coming of age.

    Read more
    March 2020

    European Stock Stories.

    Investment managers Stephen Paice and Moritz Sitte give some examples of European companies that tick all the boxes and show exciting growth potential.

    Watch
    Third Quarter 2019

    Podcast - Finding Europe's Hidden Champions.

    There are lots of reasons not to invest in Europe. Its economic growth is uninspiring and much of its stock index is made up of bureaucratic corporate dinosaurs. But beyond the negative headlines, there are still exciting investment opportunities to be found. They include potential tenbaggers – companies whose share price could increase ten-fold.

    Listen now
    Third Quarter 2019

    Episode 7 - Finding Europe's Hidden Champions.

    There are lots of reasons not to invest in Europe. Its economic growth is uninspiring and much of its stock index is made up of bureaucratic corporate dinosaurs. But beyond the negative headlines, there are still exciting investment opportunities to be found. They include potential tenbaggers – companies whose share price could increase ten-fold.

    Listen now (16 minutes)
    Third Quarter 2018

    The Great Convergence of Medicine.

    The future of medicine is likely to be fundamentally different from what we know today. Investment Manager, Rose Nguyen, discusses the technological advances that are likely to transform life science in the coming decades.

    Read more

    View all Insights.

    Meet the Managers

    Stephen Paice

    Stephen is Head of the European Equity Team. He joined Baillie Gifford in 2005 and spent time in the US, UK Smaller Companies and Japanese Equities Teams. Stephen graduated BSc in Financial Mathematics in 2005.

    Moritz Sitte

    Moritz joined Baillie Gifford in September 2010 and is an Investment Manager in the European Equity Team. He graduated BSc in Business Administration from the University of Regensburg, Germany in 2009 where he took part in the Honours Elite Degree Programme. Moritz then went on to complete an MSc in Finance and Investment from the University of Edinburgh in 2010.

    Chris Davies

    Chris joined Baillie Gifford in 2012 and is an Investment Manager in the Europe Team. He graduated BA (Hons) in Music from the University of Oxford in 2009 and went on to gain an MMus in Music Performance from the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama in 2010 and an MSc in Music, Mind and Brain from Goldsmiths College in 2011.

    Josie Bentley

    Josie is an Investment Manager in the European Equity Team and became a member of the Global Stewardship Portfolio Construction Group in 2020. She joined Baillie Gifford in 2016 and spent time in the International Growth, UK Equity and High Yield Bond Teams. Josie started her career in London, working as a global board analyst at Russell Reynolds Associates. Josie graduated MA (Oxon) in Music from the University of Oxford in 2014.

    How to Invest

    You can invest in our funds via a number of fund platforms and supermarkets, 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.

    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, MyLocalAdviser is a website that allows you to search for authorised intermediaries in your area. You can visit their site on www.mylocaladviser.co.uk

    Documents

    You can access any literature about the Fund here, either by downloading or requesting a copy by post (where available). Please note that, due to current government restrictions, we have a limited number of staff in our office. As a result, if posting instructions to us, there may be a delay in processing these due to these current restrictions.

    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.

    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.

    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.