Data as at: 08/10/2024

Gearing

Gearing policy

Under normal circumstances, the Board believes that the portfolio should have a modest level of gearing and the facility provides the portfolio managers with flexibility to take advantage of opportunities when deemed appropriate.

Borrowing limits

The level of gearing within the portfolio is agreed by the Board and the absolute amount of any gearing should not exceed 20% of net assets at time of drawdown, excluding any unlisted investments in the calculation of net assets.

Ways in which investment companies can magnify income and capital returns, but which can also magnify losses.

At its simplest, gearing means borrowing money to buy more assets in the hope the company makes enough profit to pay back the debt and interest and leave something extra for shareholders.

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how gearing works table

However, if the investment portfolio doesn’t perform well, gearing can increase losses. The more an investment company gears, the higher the risk.

Investment companies can usually borrow at lower rates of interest than you’d get as an individual. They also have flexible ways to borrow – for example they might get an ordinary bank loan or, for split capital investment companies, issue different classes of share.

Not all investment companies use gearing, and most use relatively low levels of gearing.

An indication of the maximum and minimum levels that the company would expect to be geared in normal market conditions.

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