Workplace Pensions

July 2026

Change to the name and objective of the Prudential International Bond Fund

We’ve changed the underlying fund that the Prudential International Bond Fund invests in. As a result, we have also changed the name and objective of the Fund with effect from 27 July 2026.

We chose to switch to the alternative underlying fund as we believe there was potential for poor customer outcomes in the previous fund. We believe the switch to the new underlying fund helps to mitigate against this risk and allows customers in the insured fund to continue receiving appropriate outcomes.

There are no changes to the Prudential risk rating or Annual Management Charge.

The table below shows the details of the change:

Fund details before changeFund changes after change

Prudential International Bond Fund

Prudential Global Government Bond Fund

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the M&G PP International Bond Fund - the underlying fund.

 

Underlying fund objective: The fund invests in all the major government bond markets outside the UK with principal holdings in the US, Japan and Europe. The fund aims to outperform the benchmark by 0.75% per annum before fees on a rolling three-year basis.

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to access the M&G Global Government Bond Fund - the underlying fund.

 

Underlying fund objective: The fund aims to provide a combination of capital growth and income, net of the Ongoing Charge Figure, higher than the average return of the Bloomberg Global Treasury Index over any five-year period.

August 2024

Changes to our PDG IV Lifestyle Options

From August 2024, we added the Prudential Dynamic Growth V (PDG V) Fund into the Prudential Dynamic Growth IV (PDG IV) Lifestyle Options.

This change impacted members at different times, depending on which PDG IV Lifestyle Option they were invested in.

Members who were less than 15 years from retirement weren't impacted.

We also made a slight change to the name of the PDG IV Lifestyle Options. 

The table below shows the details of the change:

Name of Lifestyle Option before the changeName of Lifestyle Option after the change
Prudential Dynamic Growth IV Targeting AnnuityPrudential Dynamic Growth Targeting Annuity
Prudential Dynamic Growth IV Targeting CashPrudential Dynamic Growth Targeting Cash
Prudential Dynamic Growth IV Targeting DrawdownPrudential Dynamic Growth Targeting Drawdown

For more about Lifestyling and to see examples of how the change could impact an investment journey, please go to our information page.

November 2024

Closure of the Prudential UK Smaller Companies fund

We’ve closed the Prudential UK Smaller Companies fund and moved members' money to the Prudential UK Equity fund with effect from 19 November 2024. 

We’ve also redirected any future contributions due to be paid to the Prudential UK Smaller Companies fund into the Prudential UK Equity fund.

The table below shows the details of the change:

Closing fundAlternative fund
Prudential UK Smaller CompaniesPrudential UK Equity
 

We’ve chosen the Prudential UK Equity fund from our current fund range as the alternative fund as it has the most similar investment objectives to the fund we've closed.

Historical

Earlier fund closures

The table below shows the details of the change:

Closing fundAlternative fundDate of closure
Baillie Gifford Sustainable GrowthPrudential M&G Positive Impact11 March 2024
Baillie Gifford Diversified GrowthPrudential Dynamic Growth II11 March 2024
Prudential Threadneedle Property S3 fundPrudential Dynamic Growth I S3 (PDGI)19 January 2022
Prudential UK Property S3Prudential Dynamic Growth I S3, or an alternative fund selected by an individual member or scheme.22 June 2021
Prudential UK Property S1Trustees of each individual scheme chose the alternative fund for the scheme and notified their members.Where trustees did not choose an alternative we moved members’ investments to the Prudential Discretionary S1 fund3 June 2021
Prudential Threadneedle Adventurous PathwayPrudential Dynamic Global Equity Passive25 January 2021
Prudential Threadneedle Balanced PathwayPrudential Dynamic Growth V25 January 2021
Prudential Threadneedle Cautious PathwayPrudential Dynamic Growth III25 January 2021
Prudential Threadneedle European EquityPrudential Europe Equity Passive25 January 2021
Prudential Threadneedle UK Equity High AlphaPrudential UK Equity25 January 2021
 

Pension and investment funds

We'd recommend reviewing this section if you’re considering your investment choices. This content is for information purposes only. Please speak to your financial adviser if you require any more information.

February 2026

Change to the objective of the Prudential Royal London Sustainable Leaders Fund

This Prudential fund invests in an underlying fund managed by Royal London. The manager has made changes to the underlying fund’s objective to provide further clarity for customers. As a result, we’ve updated the objective of the Prudential fund.

There are no changes to the Prudential risk rating or fund charges.

The table below shows the details of the change:

Previous objective

Updated objective

Objective:  The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the Royal London Sustainable Leaders Trust - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund Objective:  The Scheme’s financial objective is to achieve capital growth over the medium term, which should be considered as a period of 3-5 years and to outperform the FTSE All-Share Index (the "Index") over a rolling 5-year periods. There is however no certainty or promise that the Scheme will achieve this performance target.

 

The Scheme’s sustainability objective is to invest in companies that make a positive contribution to one or more of the “Sustainability Themes” (listed below), through their products or services as determined by the Investment Adviser using its Sustainability Standard (as defined in the Investment Strategy).

 

  • Clean – to support the low carbon economy, the reduction of carbon emissions and/or the prevention or remediation of negative environmental impacts such as pollution and biodiversity loss.
  • Healthy – to support the protection and improvement of people's mental and physical health and wellbeing.
  • Safe – to support the prevention of physical and mental harm and injury in homes and workplaces and/or keeping data and information safe and secure.
  • Inclusive – to support people to participate in economic and social life by providing products and services which are affordable, accessible and of a quality that supports equitable treatment of customers and/ or people in society.


At least 80% of the fund is invested in UK companies which are listed on the London Stock Exchange. The remainder of the fund's assets may be invested in overseas stock markets to access areas that would otherwise be unavailable. Overall, at least 70% of the fund is invested in Sustainable Companies. Up to 30% may be held in Non-Sustainable Companies.

The fund is actively managed and may invest in a range of other assets, including derivatives, for diversification, liquidity or efficient portfolio management (“EPM”) purposes:
 

  • Up to 10% in other investment funds, known as collective investment schemes, including funds managed by Royal London Unit Trust Managers Limited or another Royal London Group company.
  • Typically between 0% and 5% of assets is invested in cash, although there is no restriction on cash levels exceeding 5%. The Scheme will typically have 40-60 holdings; each individual position will usually account for 2- 4% of assets, but some may be larger than this however, no single holding will be greater than 10% of total assets.

Objective:  The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the Royal London Sustainable Leaders Trust - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund Objective:  The fund is actively managed and aims to achieve capital growth where at least 80% of the fund is invested in shares of UK companies that are listed in the UK. UK companies are those that are either domiciled in, incorporated in, or have a significant economic exposure to, the UK.

 

The remainder of the fund (up to 20%) may be invested in shares of overseas listed companies. Overall, at least 70% of the fund is invested in sustainable companies or issuers  and up to 30% may be held in non-sustainable companies or issuers (as defined in the Investment Strategy section). The remaining portfolio will not conflict with the sustainability objective of the fund which includes “Screening for conflict with the sustainability objective”.

 

The Scheme’s sustainability objective is to invest in companies that make a positive contribution to one or more of the “Sustainability Themes” (listed below), through their products or services as determined by the Investment Adviser using its Sustainability Standard (as defined in the Investment Strategy).
 

  • Clean – to support the low carbon economy, the reduction of carbon emissions and/or the prevention or remediation of negative environmental impacts such as pollution and biodiversity loss.
  • Healthy – to support the protection and improvement of people's mental and physical health and wellbeing.
  • Safe – to support the prevention of physical and mental harm and injury in homes and workplaces and/or keeping data and information safe and secure.
  • Inclusive – to support people to participate in economic and social life by providing products and services which are affordable, accessible and of a quality that supports equitable treatment of customers and/ or people in society.


At least 80% of the fund is invested in UK companies which are listed on the London Stock Exchange. The remainder of the fund's assets may be invested in overseas stock markets to access areas that would otherwise be unavailable. Overall, at least 70% of the fund is invested in Sustainable Companies. Up to 30% may be held in Non-Sustainable Companies.
 

The fund is actively managed and may invest in a range of other assets, including derivatives, for diversification, liquidity or efficient portfolio management (“EPM”) purposes: 
 

  • Up to 10% of the fund may be invested in other funds known as collective investment schemes (including funds managed by RLUM Limited or another Royal London Group company) and transferrable securities. The fund may use derivatives for the purposes of efficient portfolio management (including hedging). The use of derivatives for this purpose is unlikely to increase the risk profile of the fund. Cash may be held for investment purposes and to manage inflows and outflows of investors’ money in the fund, however cash is not expected to exceed 5% of the fund.


The fund may at times be concentrated in terms of the number of investments it holds (i.e. have less than 50 holdings).

February 2026

Change to the objective of the Prudential Baillie Gifford American Fund

This Prudential fund invests in an underlying fund managed by Baillie Gifford. The manager has made changes to the underlying fund’s objective. As a result, we’ve updated the objective of the Prudential fund.

There are no changes to the Prudential risk rating or fund charges.

The table below shows the details of the change:

Previous objective

Updated objective

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the Baillie Gifford American Fund - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund Objective: The objective is to produce capital growth over the long term. The fund will invest principally in equities of companies which are listed, quoted, traded, incorporated, domiciled or conducting a significant portion of their business in the United States of America. Investment may be direct or indirect and the portfolio will be concentrated, usually between 30-50 stocks. The fund may also invest in other equities, cash and near cash. Up to (but no more than) 10% in value of the-fund may be invested in each of the following: (1) collective investment schemes, including those managed or operated by the ACD and (2) deposits. The fund will be actively managed, and investment may be made in any economic sector. 
 

Performance Objective: To outperform (after deduction of costs) the S&P 500 Index, as stated in sterling, by at least 1.5% per annum over rolling five-year periods.

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the Baillie Gifford American Fund - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund Objective: The objective is to produce capital growth over the long term. The fund will invest principally in equities of companies which are listed, quoted, traded, incorporated, domiciled or conducting a significant portion of their business in the United States of America. Investment may be direct or indirect and the portfolio will be concentrated, usually between 30-50 stocks. The fund may also invest in other equities, cash and near cash. Up to (but no more than) 10% in value of the-fund may be invested in each of the following: (1) collective investment schemes, including those managed or operated by the ACD and (2) deposits. The fund will be actively managed, and investment may be made in any economic sector. 
 

Performance Objective: To outperform (after deduction of costs) the S&P 500 Index, as stated in sterling, over rolling five year periods.

January 2026

Closure of the Prudential Fidelity Asia Fund

We closed the Prudential Fidelity Asia Fund on 16 January 2026, as our confidence in the fund producing consistent returns in the future has reduced.. The Prudential Asia Pacific Fund was selected as the replacement fund. The costs and charges for this replacement fund will be lower.

We’ve included information on the fund objective, risk rating and fund costs and charges for the closing fund and our selected replacement fund below. To find the fund series you're invested in, check your letter, annual statement or speak to your financial adviser.

May 2025

Change to the objective and benchmark of the Prudential M&G UK Sustain Paris Aligned Fund

The fund manager, M&G, applied a Sustainability “Improvers” label to the UK Sustain Paris Aligned fund as part of the Sustainability Disclosure Requirements (SDR). As a result of this, the fund objective and benchmark changed to enhance and clarify the Fund’s ESG-related disclosures.

The fund will continue to be managed in the same way, there is no change to the Prudential risk rating or fund charges.

The table below shows the details of the changes:

Previous benchmark

Updated benchmark

FTSE All-Share Index

FTSE Custom All-Share ex IT Exclusions 5% Capped Index

Previous objective

Updated objective

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the M&G UK Sustain Paris Aligned Fund - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund Objective: The fund has two aims:
 

  • To provide a higher total return (capital growth plus income), net of the Ongoing Charge Figure, than the FTSE All-Share Index over any five year period; and
  • To invest in companies that contribute towards the Paris Agreement climate change goal.
     

At least 80% of the fund is invested directly in equities and equity related securities of companies, across any sector and of any size, which are incorporated, domiciled or do most of their business, in the UK. The fund is concentrated and usually holds shares in fewer than 50 companies. The fund invests in securities that meet the ESG Criteria and Sustainability Criteria. The following types of exclusions apply to the fund's direct investments:
 

  • Norms-based exclusions: investments that are assessed to be in breach of commonly accepted standards of behaviour related to human rights, labour rights, environment and anti-corruption.

  • Sector-based and/or values-based exclusions: investments and/or sectors exposed to business activities that are assessed to be damaging to human health, societal wellbeing, the environment, or otherwise assessed to be misaligned with the fund's sector-based and/or values based criteria.

  • Other exclusions: investments assessed to be otherwise in conflict with the ESG Criteria and Sustainability Criteria.

Objective: The investment strategy of the fund is to purchase units in the M&G UK Sustain Paris Aligned Fund - the underlying fund.
 

Underlying Fund objective: The Fund aims to:
 

  • Provide a higher total return (capital growth plus income), net of the Ongoing Charge Figure, than that of the FTSE Custom All-Share ex IT Exclusions 5% Capped Index over any five-year period, and
  • As its Sustainability Goal, support the mitigation of climate change by investing at least 70% of the Fund in companies that contribute towards the Paris Agreement climate change goal* and have the potential to reduce their contribution to climate change determined by their potential to decarbonise their operations over time and ultimately reach Net Zero**.
     

*The overarching Paris Agreement climate change goal is to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. The principal way to achieve this is to avoid the buildup of greenhouse gases, which in turn will prevent the most severe impacts of climate change, such as extreme weather events, sea-level rise, and biodiversity loss.
 

**The long term target is for investments made by the Fund to reach Net Zero by 2050.
 

Derivatives may be used for Efficient Portfolio Management and hedging.

Prudential International Investment fund

We'd recommend reviewing this section if you’re considering your investment choices. This content is for information purposes only. Please speak to your financial adviser if you require any more information.

We offer a range of funds you can invest in. You can find the relevant Key Information and Investment Option documents for each fund here.

For more information about our available fund range, please read our client fund guides:

May 2024

Change to the objectives PIA PruFund Risk Managed Funds

Following a review we have made some changes to the objectives of the PIA PruFund Risk Managed Funds to aid consistency. The changes are to wording only, the investment strategy and operation of the funds remains unchanged.

The table below shows the details of the changes:

PIA PruFund Risk Managed 1
Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to achieve long-term total return (the combination of income and growth of capital). The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') your investment experiences, after allowing for smoothing, to 9% per annum over the medium to long-term. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility to the target level.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') the fund experiences, to 9% per annum (before smoothing). There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility below this limit.

PIA PruFund Risk Managed 2
Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to achieve long-term total return (the combination of income and growth of capital). The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') your investment experiences, after allowing for smoothing, to 10% per annum over the medium to long-term. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility to the target level.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') the fund experiences, to 10% per annum (before smoothing). There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility below this limit.

PIA PruFund Risk Managed 3
Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to achieve long-term total return (the combination of income and growth of capital). The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') your investment experiences, after allowing for smoothing, to 12% per annum over the medium to long-term. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility to the target level.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') the fund experiences, to 12% per annum (before smoothing). There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility below this limit.

PIA PruFund Risk Managed 4
Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to achieve long-term total return (the combination of income and growth of capital). The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') your investment experiences, after allowing for smoothing, to 14.5% per annum over the medium to long-term. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility to the target level.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') the fund experiences, to 14.5% per annum (before smoothing). There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility below this limit.

PIA PruFund Risk Managed 5
Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to achieve long-term total return (the combination of income and growth of capital). The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') your investment experiences, after allowing for smoothing, to 17% per annum over the medium to long-term. There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility to the target level.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund is actively managed and aims to limit the fluctuations ('volatility') the fund experiences, to 17% per annum (before smoothing). There is no guarantee that the fund will achieve its objective of managing the volatility below this limit.

May 2024

Change to the objective of the PIA PruFund Growth Fund

Following a review we have made some changes to the objective of the PIA PruFund Growth Fund to aid consistency with other PruFunds.

 

The changes are to wording only, the actual investment strategy and operation of the funds remain unchanged.

The table below shows the details of the changes:

Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims to maximise growth over the medium to long-term by investing in shares, property, fixed interest and other investments. The fund currently invests in UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long-term (5 to 10 years or more) while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance. The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and other specialist investments.

May 2024

Change to the objective of the PIA PruFund Cautious Fund

Following a review we have made some changes to the objective of the PIA PruFund Cautious Fund to aid consistency with other PruFunds.

The changes are to wording only, the actual investment strategy and operation of the funds remain unchanged.

The table below shows the details of the changes:

Previous objectiveUpdated objective

The fund aims for steady and consistent growth over the medium to long term (5 to 10 years or more) through a cautious approach to investing.

The fund invests in UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities, cash and other specialist investments. The fund will aim to invest 50-75% in fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and cash, although we may occasionally move outside this range to meet the fund objectives.

The fund aims to produce growth over the medium to long term (5 to 10 years or more) using a cautious approach to investing while smoothing some of the ups and downs of short-term investment performance.

The fund spreads investment risk by investing in a range of different asset types, which currently includes UK and international equities, property, fixed interest securities, index-linked securities, cash and other specialist investments. The cautious approach to investment means the fund aims to invest 50-75% in fixed interest securities, index-linked securities and cash, although we may occasionally move outside this range to meet the fund objectives.

Market update and investment risks

March 2026

The following reflects the general views of our Life Investment Office (LIO) and should not be taken as a recommendation or advice as how any specific market is likely to perform.

These views are as at the end of March 2026.
The value of investments can go down as well as up. Investors could get back less than they put in.

Please remember that past performance is not a reliable indication of the future performance.

The conflict in the Middle East and the accompanying spike in energy prices was the main event and significantly altered the macroeconomic landscape. Prior to the start of the conflict on 28 February, global economic activity had been resilient and the disinflationary trend remained on track. However, as the conflict continued through March, the disruption to global oil and gas supplies, caused by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, raised the prospect of higher inflation and a potential slowdown in economic growth, so-called stagflation. As a result, major developed market central banks kept interest rates on hold and investors began to anticipate interest rate hikes instead of rate cuts.

In the UK, headline inflation fell to 3.0% year-on-year in February, from 3.4% in December. However, with petrol prices rising in March, inflation is expected to rise. The UK economy expanded by just 0.1% in the final three months of 2025, , while gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.4% annually in 2025. 

The US economy was more robust, with GDP growing 2.1% in 2025. However, the economy expanded at an annual rate of 0.7% in the fourth quarter, which was much lower than expected. In February, the annual inflation rate was 2.4%, slightly above the Federal Reserve’s 2.0% target, but higher US gasoline prices are expected to push up future inflation readings. 

This view was supported by eurozone inflation data, which saw annual inflation rise 2.5% in March from 1.9% in February

UK equities were positive, outperforming global equities. Share prices advanced initially, amid expectations of interest rate cuts. The FTSE 100 reached an all-time high, approaching 11,000 points. However, markets declined in March as the conflict in the Middle East drove fears of rising inflation and economic slowdown. 

US stockmarkets declined in the first quarter and underperformed the broader global market and other regions, such as emerging markets, Asia and the UK. This was driven, in part, by the ongoing trend of investors rotating away from US equities.

Shares started positively, however, retreated as the conflict in the Middle East and energy price rises raised inflation worries. The market was also rattled by concerns that new artificial intelligence (AI) products might threaten a range of industries. In addition, investors began to question the continued high levels of investment in AI infrastructure and the potential return.

European equities fell - their first decline in five quarters. The year started positively, however, there was an abrupt shift in March when the Middle East conflict rattled markets. 

The Japanese stockmarket rose strongly in January and February but saw a sharp sell‑off in March.

  • Equities are commonly known as "shares". When a fund buys a company share, it is investing in a company and, in exchange, receives a share of the ownership of that company. Shares give two potential investment benefits:
    • Share prices may increase as the value of the company increases.
    • Companies may pay dividends - regular payments made to shareholders based on how well the company is doing.
  • Over the longer-term (over 10 years), equities are considered to offer greater growth potential than many other asset types. However, the value of any investment can go down as well as up and so there is a higher risk of losing your original capital than investing in fixed interest securities (see below).
  • The financial results of other companies and general stock market and economic conditions can all affect a company's share price, and consequently the value of any fund investing in that company.

The price of UK government bonds (gilts) fell 1.9%, underperforming both US Treasuries and European sovereigns. The yield of the 10-year UK gilt rose to 4.9%, from 4.5% at the end of 2025.

The quarter was uniformly negative for global government bonds, as markets digested the implications of the conflict in the Middle East. 

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady as the central bank noted it was “too soon” to know how the conflict would affect the outlook. The 10-year US government bond return fell 0.1%, while US corporate bonds fell 0.4%. 

Gilts were among the weakest performers among developed market government bonds, and, while German bunds fared better, they were still in negative territory, as were most European government bonds. Japanese government bonds were also weak.

  • Fixed interest securities, more commonly known as "bonds", are loans issued by companies or by governments in order to raise money.

  • Bonds issued by companies are called Corporate Bonds, those issued by the UK government are often called Gilts or UK Government bonds and those issued by the US government are called Treasury Bonds.

  • In effect, all bonds are I owe you's that promise to pay you a sum on a specified date and pay a fixed rate of interest along the way.

  • Index-linked securities are similar but the interest payments and redemption value are normally increased by a price index e.g. for UK government index-linked securities, interest payments and redemption value are increased in line with the UK Retail Price Index.
 
  • On the whole, investing in Government or Corporate Bonds is seen as lower-risk than investing in equities. To date, no UK government has ever failed to pay back money owed to investors. But with Corporate Bonds there is a risk that the company may not be able to repay its loan or that it may default on its interest payments. 
    •  Corporate and Government bonds are sensitive to interest rate trends. An increase in interest rates is likely to reduce their value, and hence the value of any fund investing in them.

For the three months to end-February 2026 (“the review period” and the latest available data at the time of writing), capital values for All UK commercial property rose by just 0.1%, according to property consultant CBRE. However, this was an improvement on the previous three-month period to end-November 2025, when capital values fell by 0.5%. Capital values rose in retail and industrials but fell marginally in offices. Including rental income, the total return over the review period was 1.4%. Total returns were positive across all three main sectors – retail, offices and industrials, with retail being the strongest. Rental values grew in all three sectors in the three months, but was strongest, by far, in industrials.

  • For our funds we would mean commercial property investment. This generally means the fund is sharing in the returns from the ownership of some buildings (for example, offices and shopping centres).

  • The value of the property may increase and tenants may pay rent to the owners of the building.
  • Property can be difficult to buy and sell quickly. Fund managers may have to delay withdrawal of money by customers from a property fund until they can sell some of the buildings the fund invests in.

  • The actual value of a property is what someone is prepared to pay for it - an actual sale value. As sales are infrequent, interim valuations are based on a valuer's opinion and may be revised up or down from time to time. This can affect the value of a fund invested in commercial property, with the value possibly fluctuating significantly and could result in an investor not getting back the amount they originally invested.

  • This leads to a number of risks for funds investing in property:  
    • Cash could remain uninvested as property assets can be difficult to buy, leading to lower returns than expected.
    • The value of the fund may be reduced if a large number of withdrawals are requested and it is necessary for properties to be sold at reduced prices. 
    • There may be delays removing your money from the fund if property cannot be sold.
    • Property fund valuations may be revised periodically, upwards or downwards.
    • Rental income is not guaranteed. Defaulted rent and unoccupied properties could reduce returns.
    • If the size of the fund falls significantly, the fund may have to hold fewer properties, and this reduced diversification may lead to an increase in risk.

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