Baillie Gifford is Bonkers

aroominyork

I checked Bonkers today, the best performing Unit Trusts and OEICs over the last six months. Three of the top four are Baillie Gifford: American, Global Discovery and Long Term Global Growth Investment (the last I've not come across before - very SMTish). Is this some kind of record? I think we should be told.

Drp8713

They are a very well run outfit, betweeen my wife, my son and I we hold Scottish Mortgage, Shin Nippon, Monks and the Managed fund.

I wouldnt go all in as obviously there will be some correlation but they are all doing well.

aroominyork

Drp8713 wrote: »

I wouldnt go all in as obviously there will be some correlation but they are all doing well.

I have more invested with Baillie Gifford than any other fund manager, in US-led global, Japan and EM. I wouldn't go all in because they I don't see them as UK or Europe specialists compared to some other managers (aside, obviously, from single fund manager risk).

Filo25

Got a bit lucky, I bought some EWI and SMT a couple of months ago, and they have done phenomenally well over that short time.

masonic

Six month performance data is close to random noise. How have they fared over a 15-20 year period that includes at least one major market crash?

Alexland

aroominyork wrote: »

I don't see them as UK or Europe specialists compared to some other managers

The board of the Schroeder UK Growth trust seems to rate BG's ability to invest in the UK. It's not often a board excercise their power to completely change the portfolio manager.

http://citywire.co.uk/investment-trust-insider/news/baillie-gifford-to-take-over-schroder-uk-growth/a1110175

aroominyork

Alexland wrote: »

The board of the Schroeder UK Growth trust seems to rate BG's ability to invest in the UK. It's not often a board excercise their power to completely change the portfolio manager.

http://citywire.co.uk/investment-trust-insider/news/baillie-gifford-to-take-over-schroder-uk-growth/a1110175

Good point, Alex. It's an interesting move by Schroeders; BG's sole UK equity fund is 3 star on Morningstar and 4 star on Trustnet. Personally I'd take a watching brief.

pafpcg

masonic wrote: »

Six month performance data is close to random noise. How have they fared over a 15-20 year period that includes at least one major market crash?

Rather well, I'd say! My partner & I bought £5,000 of SMT almost exactly 25 years ago at a cost of 45.2p/share (allowing for the 1:5 share split in 2014) - the closing price yesterday was 540p, so I make that a 1,094% gain over 25 years (plus dividends of course). We're now selling our stock but having to do it in annual tranches otherwise we'd overwhelm our annual capital gains allowances...

masonic

pafpcg wrote: »

Rather well, I'd say! My partner & I bought £5,000 of SMT almost exactly 25 years ago at a cost of 45.2p/share (allowing for the 1:5 share split in 2014) - the closing price yesterday was 540p, so I make that a 1,094% gain over 25 years (plus dividends of course). We're now selling our stock but having to do it in annual tranches otherwise we'd overwhelm our annual capital gains allowances...

1094% capital growth over 25 years is 10.4% annualised. If there are dividends on top of this, then that is very good performance.

Alexland

aroominyork wrote: »

It's an interesting move by Schroeders.

I would imagine Schroder's are fuming at the public humiliation of being removed as portfolio manager. It's complicated for investors who were investing directly who will no longer be able to hold this trust alongside their other Schroder trusts.

Still it should increase the choice of trusts in my son's BG child savings plan - not that it matters as we are very happy with just Monks. Not that my son has a clue what this is all about at 2yrs old...

A_T

If you look at the 20 year performance of 2 of BGs most celebrated ITs it shows that only recently have they outperformed a simple FTSE 250 tracker. OK that index is not their benchmark but still...

It's NASDAQ stocks that have pushed up their performance in recent years and quite likely those are the ones that will suffer most in a downturn. Of course if you manage to sell these at what proves to be a real high you've done well.