Trustnet Magazine 58 January 2020 | Page 42

In focus [ TRUST ] 42 / 43 This trust has been dubbed “Scottish Mortgage’s little brother” as it is also managed by Baillie Gifford and invests in smaller companies with the potential to become “winners of the future” Edinburgh Worldwide TRUSTNET Because if you do, we’re probably not doing our job.” The trust’s managers attempt to limit volatility through diversification. For example, the portfolio currently has around 115 holdings and will always have exposure to a minimum of six countries and 15 industries. FACT BOX MANAGER: Douglas Brodie / LAUNCHED: 09/07/1998 / PREMIUM/DISCOUNT: +2% / OCF: 0.75% CROWN RATING PERFORMANCE OF TRUST VS SECTOR UNDER MANAGER TENURE Edinburgh Worldwide (139.59%) IT Global Smaller Companies (34.52%) 160% 140% 120% 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% -20% That said, its annualised volatility of 19.79 per cent is the highest in the sector, double that of the average trust, and its maximum drawdown stands at 27.66 per cent. However, investors with a lengthy time horizon may feel this is a price worth paying for the potential returns on offer. Edinburgh Worldwide invests in immature entrepreneurial companies with a market cap of less than $5bn. Like all of the trusts run by Baillie Gifford, it expects to hold on to companies for the long term, which results in low turnover. Brodie specialises in global smaller companies and is the head of Baillie Gifford’s global discovery team. He focuses on the fundamental characteristics of businesses, favouring those with strong management teams, innovative products and the ability to generate S cottish Mortgage is one of the best-known investment trusts in the business but long-term investors seeking the growth potential of small caps may also be tempted by one of its stablemates. The Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust is part of the same Baillie Gifford global equity range as Scottish Mortgage, but it invests solely in small caps, which leads to higher levels of volatility with the potential for greater returns. The trust has made 139.59 per cent since current manager Douglas Brodie took charge in January 2014, making it the best-performing member of the IT Global Smaller Companies sector over this time. This return is almost 30 percentage points ahead of the trust in second place. sustainable profits to fund future growth opportunities. Deputy manager Svetlana Viteva said this leads her to companies that fly under the radar of most investors: “When you go through the holdings in our portfolio, you hopefully won’t recognise most of the names. Source: FE Analytics trustnet.com