Short Briefings On Long Term Thinking - Baillie Gifford

Meet the lesser-known niche players thriving in the shadow of the country’s big brands  Think of Japanese companies and chances are giants such as Sony, Hitachi and Mitsubishi come to mind. You probably don't think of Shima Seiki - a maker of automated knitting machines, Descente, which owns licences to use brands such as Le Coq Sportif and Umbro, or Shoei, a maker of handmade motorcycle helmets. But these kinds of companies are the beating heart of its economy. Japan’s three and a half million small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) employ about seven in 10 private sector workers. These firms are sometimes overlooked by investors in Japan, but not by Praveen Kumar, manager of Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, who explains why they provide ample opportunities for growth investors.  Praveen Kumar is manager of the Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon and Baillie Gifford Japan Trust. You can read more about his and his colleagues’ thoughts about the positive outlook for Japan’s most inventive and disruptive companies at our

As many question the future of growth investing, the American Fund’s Dave Bujnowski explores the new engines powering progress.

Kirsty Gibson and Julia Angeles on how technology is changing the way we do business.

Rose Nguyen on the companies seeking to overcome the scourge of heart disease.

Why ‘what if…?’ is the most vital question an investor can ask. Kirsty Gibson of the Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust explains.

It’s a small country with a large number of businesses that can keep innovating and growing for decades. Stephen Paice explores what’s so great about Sweden.

Apps and online courses have upended the economics of education, making learning more accessible, fun and relevant. Positive Change’s Thaiha Nguyen explains.

For Peter Singlehurst, head of the Private Companies Team, the difference between investing in a private company and a public company is that private companies choose their shareholders. So, why choose Baillie Gifford?

‘Growth or value’ has framed many investment narratives. But Monks’ Malcolm MacColl explains the two aren’t at odds.

Over four decades Japan has seen 21 prime ministers come and go. Exporters such as Toyota and Toshiba have flourished but the country has also struggled with debt and deflation. Matthew Brett, manager of The Baillie Gifford Japan Trust, discusses what’s next.

Chaos is often associated with a failure of leadership. Gary Robinson, manager of Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust, argues that the best bosses don’t resist disorder but channel it to create ‘chaordic organisations’ in which innovation thrives.

Are your investments as good for the environment and society as you think they are? Stuart Dunbar, partner at Baillie Gifford, explains why too many people have been lulled into a false sense of security by metrics-based approaches to ESG that don’t support the transition to a more sustainable society.

Messenger RNA vaccines could provide a solution not just to Covid, but to cancer, and other diseases. Julia Angeles, co-manager of Baillie Gifford’s Health Innovation Fund, discusses how.

Karma Chameleon topped the charts, Mrs Thatcher won a landslide and Monks’ manager Charles Plowden joined Baillie Gifford. 1983 was a year to remember. Charles reflects on what’s changed and looks at the investment opportunity to come.

Are there limits to economic growth? Will we run out of ideas? Investment manager Lee Qian explains why he’s confident innovation will create a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive world.

  With the high street either shut down or harder to access during the pandemic, consumer habits had to change. Moritz Sitte, joint manager of the Baillie Gifford European Growth Trust and the European Fund, explores what this means for the future of shopping.  

Income investing has been shaken by the coronavirus, but how will this affect the divided payers of the future? Baillie Gifford investment manager James Dow gives us a glimpse of the potential star performers of tomorrow.

Over the last decade the investment industry has become increasingly short term and increasingly complex. Stuart Dunbar talks to Malcolm Borthwick about whether the industry has lost its way.

Growth stocks have been more resilient during the coronavirus downturn. Tom Slater discusses why now is not the time to hunt for value stocks and accelerated digital disruption.

These are turbulent times for investors. Scott Nisbet shares what he has learnt from previous crises and talks about why now’s the time to read Albert Camus.