Baillie Gifford Japan Trust Investment Overview

Baillie Gifford Japan Trust is a UK-registered investment trust that focuses on investing in Japanese companies. Established in 1981, it has a long history of investing in the Japanese market.

The trust is managed by Baillie Gifford, a highly respected investment management firm with a strong track record in Japan. Their investment approach is focused on long-term growth, with a focus on identifying companies with strong growth potential.

Baillie Gifford Japan Trust has a diversified portfolio of over 100 Japanese companies, with a market capitalisation of around £1.4 billion.

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The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust is managed by experienced professionals with a deep understanding of the Japanese market. Matthew Brett, the Lead Manager, has been with Baillie Gifford since 2003 and became a partner in 2018.

Baillie Gifford's Japanese Equities Team, which manages the Japan Trust, has a strong track record of investing in the Japanese market. Matthew Brett graduated from the University of Cambridge in 2000 with a BA (Hons) in Natural Sciences (Psychology) and holds a PhD in Psychology from the University of Bristol.

Praveen Kumar, the Deputy Manager, has over a decade of experience in the Japanese Equities Team and manages several other funds, including the Japanese Smaller Companies Fund.

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The net asset value (NAV) of a fund can fluctuate, but it's essential to keep an eye on it. The estimated NAV of our fund is 1,038.19p, while the latest actual NAV is 1,039.72p as of 6 October 2025.

You can check the fund's sector allocation to see how it's invested. The top sectors are Communication Services at 27.60%, Industrials at 13.79%, and Consumer Cyclical at 11.72%.

The fund's value assessment is reviewed regularly to ensure it delivers value to investors. The last review was on 31 March 2025, and the next review is scheduled for 31 March 2026.

Here's a breakdown of the fund's sector allocation:

The fund's net asset value (NAV) has fluctuated over time, with an estimated NAV of 1,032.46 and a latest actual NAV of 1,039.72 as of 6 October 2025.

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The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust is a publicly traded investment trust that invests exclusively in Japan. It's listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

The trust is managed by Baillie Gifford & Co Limited, an Edinburgh-based investment management partnership. Baillie Gifford has a strong track record in Japanese equities, and the trust's managers have a deep understanding of the Japanese market.

The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust has a long history, dating back to 1981. Its current managers, Matthew Brett and Praveen Kumar, are experienced investment professionals with a proven track record in Japanese equities.

Here are some key facts about the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust:

The trust's investment approach is focused on quality businesses with secular earnings growth over time. This approach has served the trust well over the years, and its managers continue to deliver strong returns for investors.

The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust aims to achieve long term capital growth.

This is achieved through investment in medium to smaller sized Japanese companies that are believed to have above average prospects for growth.

I've found that understanding the price fluctuations of an investment is crucial for making informed decisions.

Over a one-year period, the investment price can increase by as much as 22.83%.

In contrast, a one-week investment may see a relatively small price change of 0.65%.

It's worth noting that a three-month investment can experience a significant price jump of up to 15%.

On the other hand, a five-year investment can see a substantial decrease in price, potentially as low as 0.22%.

Here's a summary of the price changes over different time periods:

The investment process for the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust and Baillie Gifford Japanese fund is quite similar. The investment team, headed by Matthew, seeks to identify well-managed businesses with a strong competitive advantage, which are not overpriced.

The research process is designed to ensure that the best ideas from each individual team member are included in the portfolio. This approach avoids a "lowest common denominator" approach, which can result from team-based investment.

The trust typically consists of 40-70 stocks, with a focus on smaller and medium-sized companies. These companies are believed to have above-average prospects for growth.

The trust began paying a dividend in 2018, offering investors a way to share in the profits.

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The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust PLC is focused on achieving long-term capital growth.

This investment strategy aims to target medium to smaller sized Japanese companies.

These companies are believed to have above average prospects for growth.

Dividends are a great way to earn passive income from your investments. They're essentially a share of the profits that a company distributes to its shareholders.

A dividend yield is a measure of the ratio of the annual dividend payment to the stock's current price, giving you an idea of the return on investment. It's usually expressed as a percentage.

Investors often look for stocks with high dividend yields, but it's also essential to consider the company's financial health and stability. A company with a high dividend yield but struggling financially may not be a good investment.

Dividend payments are typically made quarterly, and the amount can vary depending on the company's performance. Some companies pay a fixed dividend amount, while others adjust it based on their earnings.

Dividend reinvestment plans allow you to automatically reinvest your dividend payments into more shares, which can help you grow your investment over time. This can be a great way to take advantage of the power of compounding.

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The ongoing charges for the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust are determined at the latest annual or interim period, so be sure to check the individual fund pages for specific dates.

You can find the latest information on ongoing charges, which are subject to change, on the fund's webpage.

The ongoing charge figure is crucial to consider when investing in the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust, as it affects your returns over time.

Matthew Brett, the Lead Manager at Baillie Gifford, has a strong background in psychology, holding a PhD from the University of Bristol. He graduated from the University of Cambridge with a BA in Natural Sciences.

Praveen Kumar, the Deputy Manager, has a diverse set of skills, having worked at FKI Logistex before joining Baillie Gifford in 2008. He graduated with a BEng in Computer Science from Bangalore University in 2001 and completed an MBA at the University of Cambridge in 2008.

The fund managers at Baillie Gifford have a focus on quality businesses that can show secular earnings growth over time.

When you're investing, it's essential to understand the ongoing charges associated with your fund. The ongoing charge figure is at the latest annual or interim period.

You can find specific dates for individual fund pages, so be sure to check those. This will give you a clear understanding of when the ongoing charges were last updated.

Ongoing charges can add up, so it's crucial to keep an eye on them.

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The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust invests in small and medium-sized companies, which can lead to some volatility in the portfolio.

Currency fluctuations are another risk that investors need to consider.

The trust has tended to be more volatile than the Baillie Gifford Japanese fund over the long term, due to the gearing employed.

However, this gearing has also enhanced the trust's total returns over the long term.

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Investing in small and medium-sized companies can be a bit volatile, so be prepared for some ups and downs.

The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust has a history of being more volatile than its open-ended fund counterpart, the Baillie Gifford Japanese fund. This is mainly due to the trust's use of gearing.

Currency fluctuations are another risk to consider, as they can impact investment returns.

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The discount or premium of a trust can fluctuate significantly over time. Over the past five years, the trust in question has traded between a 12.7% discount and a 10.6% premium.

This volatility can be attributed to market fluctuations, with brief spikes occurring during certain periods. The board has not had a formal discount control policy, although it can and has repurchased shares in times of market volatility.

The trust's history of trading on a double-digit discount to net asset value suggests that investors may need to be patient and prepared for potential short-term losses.

The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust regularly assesses its value to investors. This assessment is required to ensure the fund delivers value to its investors.

The fund's Value Assessment review date is 31 March 2025. This is a crucial date as it marks the point when the fund's performance and value will be evaluated.

The fund is not subject to the Financial Conduct Authority's Collective Investment Scheme (COLL) rules. This means that the fund's assessment of value is governed by the Price and Value Assessment (PRIN) rules.

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The outcome of the PRIN Value Assessment is that the product is expected to provide fair value for the reasonably foreseeable period. This is a positive outcome that suggests the fund is performing well.

The next Value Assessment review date is 31 March 2026. This will provide another opportunity for the fund to evaluate its performance and value.

The following table summarizes the key dates and outcomes of the Value Assessment:

Baillie Gifford Japan Trust's approach to ESG and governance is centered around a long-term perspective. Matthew, the trust's manager, takes a long-term approach, looking for growth opportunities with firms that are likely to be future leaders.

This approach incorporates a natural bias towards sustainable business models, although it's not a formal policy. Material ESG issues identified in analysis will be considered as possible reasons to not invest, but this is on a case-by-case basis.

Governance is a strong focus for the trust, with regular engagement from Matthew and the team with the management of companies already held in the fund and those of prospective holdings.

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Shin Nippon Trust is a Japanese trust company that has a long history of investing in the Japanese market. It was established in 1953.

Baillie Gifford Japan Trust has a partnership with Shin Nippon Trust, which provides the trust with access to Shin Nippon's expertise in the Japanese market. Shin Nippon Trust has a team of experienced investment professionals who have a deep understanding of the Japanese economy and stock market.

The partnership between Baillie Gifford Japan Trust and Shin Nippon Trust allows the trust to tap into Shin Nippon's network of contacts and relationships in Japan. This helps the trust to gain a better understanding of the Japanese market and to identify investment opportunities that may not be available to other investors.

Shin Nippon Trust has a strong track record of investing in Japanese companies, and its expertise has been invaluable to Baillie Gifford Japan Trust. The trust's investment strategy is focused on long-term growth, and Shin Nippon's expertise has helped the trust to achieve this goal.

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As an investor, you'll want to understand how the Baillie Gifford Japan Trust is relevant to you. The fund aims to achieve long-term capital growth through investments in medium to smaller sized Japanese companies with above-average growth prospects.

The Value Assessment is a crucial tool that helps investors like you evaluate the fund's performance. It explains how the fund manager has delivered value for money or is expected to deliver it.

The fund manager will also outline the actions they're taking if the fund hasn't delivered value for money, giving you transparency and insight into their decision-making process.

For investors, the Value Assessment is a key consideration. It helps investors understand how a fund has delivered value for money or is expected to deliver value for money.

The Fund Manager will explain their actions if the fund hasn't delivered value for money or isn't expected to. This transparency is crucial for investors making informed decisions.

The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust PLC aims to achieve long-term capital growth through investments in medium to smaller sized Japanese companies with above-average growth prospects.

The Wealth Shortlist fund is a carefully curated selection of investments chosen by our analysts.

Our analysts have selected this fund for the Wealth Shortlist, which means they've thoroughly researched and vetted it for potential.

The London Stock Exchange doesn't disclose whether a trade is a buy or a sell, so the data on trades is estimated based on the trade price and the LSE-quoted mid-price at the time of the trade.

Trades priced above the mid-price are labelled as buys, while those priced below the mid-price are labelled as sells. Trades priced close to the mid-price or declared late are labelled 'N/A'.

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