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Baillie Gifford Japan Trust Letters & Research Archive

7 pieces · 2025–2026 · updated every Monday

2026

09-08Baillie Gifford Japan Investment Trust FactsheetThis is a monthly factsheet for the Baillie Gifford Japan Investment Trust. Over the past year, its share price rose 20.9% but lagged the TOPIX index's 26.7%. The report doesn't state the manager's market view, but the trust uses modest borrowing (9% net gearing) and low turnover (16%), suggesting a long-term, buy-and-hold approach. Key holdings include Sony (consumer electronics), Keyence (industrial sensors), and Tokyo Electron (semiconductor e…→08-12Baillie Gifford Japan Investment Trust FactsheetThis factsheet covers the Baillie Gifford Japan Investment Trust's latest monthly report. The fund has trailed Japan's stock market: over one year its net asset value rose 22.9% versus the benchmark's 29.3%, and it underperformed even more over five years. The manager gives no clear market view, only reaffirming a long-term approach of investing in Japanese small and mid-sized companies with above-average growth, holding them for 3-5 years. Top h…→07-09Baillie Gifford Japan Investment Trust FactsheetThis report is a factsheet for the Baillie Gifford Japan investment trust. Over the year to June 2026, the fund’s net asset value (NAV, the value of its holdings per share) rose 20.1%, while Japan’s main stock index (TOPIX) gained 31.5% — a big shortfall. Over five years, the fund returned 10.3% versus 65.0% for the index. The manager buys small and mid-sized Japanese growth companies and holds them for years, but the report gives no reason for t…→07-01Japan Trust Valuation - 30 April 2026This report is a monthly list of what a Japan-focused fund owns, like SoftBank, Rakuten, and Nintendo, and how much of the fund's money sits in each. For everyday investors, it's a snapshot that shows where your money would go if you invested in this fund. The top few companies hold a big share, so you can see risk is concentrated in a few names. The report just lists holdings; it doesn't give opinions or advice. If you're curious about Japanese…→05-20Baillie Gifford Japan Trust Circular – May 2026Baillie Gifford Japan Trust is asking shareholders to approve more share buybacks because it has already used about 68% of its current authorization and expects to run out well before the next annual meeting. The board buys back the trust's own shares when the price falls to a discount of more than high single digits to net asset value, arguing that this supports the share price and increases the remaining shareholders' net asset value per share.…→04-15Japan Trust Interim Financial Report - February 2026This is the Japan Trust’s half-year report to February 2026. It rose 4.4% in net asset value over six months, while the Japanese market in pounds rose 22.4% — a big underperformance. The manager is cautiously optimistic: he sees AI as an opportunity, not a threat, for the companies held, and likes Japan’s political stability and cheap valuations, while admitting the case for higher-priced growth stocks is not yet proven by earnings. Among holding…→

2025

08-31Japan Trust Annual Report - including the Notice of AGM - August 2025The fund manager picks growing small and mid-sized Japanese companies and holds them for the long term. Last year the fund earned about 20%, beating the market, but over five years it lagged because it avoided cyclical stocks like banks and heavy industry. The manager stays optimistic, calling AI a theme for the next decade and arguing good growth companies will win over time. Key names: SoftBank Group surged on AI enthusiasm and was the biggest…→