Investec Semi-Annual short report
Transcription
Investec Semi-Annual short report
OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Investec Semi-Annual short report For the period ended 31 March 2015 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Contents Introduction 2 Performance overview 3 Cautious Managed Fund 4 Diversified Income Fund 10 Enhanced Natural Resources Fund 16 Managed Growth Fund 21 Strategic Bond Fund 26 UK Alpha Fund 32 UK Equity Income Fund 37 UK Smaller Companies Fund 42 UK Special Situations Fund 47 Important information 53 Additional information 54 1 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Introduction Investec Funds Series i — Short report for the period ended 31 March 2015 The short report for the Investec Funds Series i is sent to you twice a year in May and November. A longer version, the long form Report and Accounts, is also produced and is available upon request. Both the short and the long reports are also available on our website www.investecassetmanagement.com. This short report contains key information on each fund in turn. This includes a description of the fund’s investment objective and policy, a record of its performance over the reporting period and how it is being invested and managed. We also outline the risk and reward profile, the costs that have been incurred and an outlook for the asset class or market of each fund. We hope that you find the report interesting and helpful. Up to date fund prices along with our fund charting tool are available online at www.investecassetmanagement.com. If you hold shares in any of the sub-funds in Investec Funds Series ii, Investec Funds Series iii or Investec Funds Series iv, the next short reports will be sent to you towards the end of the months stated below: INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES II FEBRUARY AND AUGUST INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES III APRIL AND OCTOBER INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES IV JANUARY AND JULY American Fund Emerging Markets Local Currency Debt Fund Diversified Growth Fund Asia ex Japan Fund Global Bond Fund Emerging Markets Blended Debt Fund Global Energy Fund Global Dynamic Fund Emerging Markets Equity Fund Global Strategic Equity Fund Global Equity Fund Global Franchise Fund (formerly Global Free Enterprise Fund) Global Gold Fund Global Special Situations Fund Monthly High Income Fund Multi-Asset Protector Fund Multi-Asset Protector Fund 2 Short Dated Bond Fund Target Return Fund UK Total Return Fund (formerly Capital Accumulator Fund) Please do not hesitate to call us on 020 7597 1900 if you have any questions. Telephone calls may be recorded for training and quality assurance purposes. The value of investments can fall as well as rise and you may get back less than you invested 2 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Performance overview ROLLING 12 MONTH PERFORMANCE (%) 01.10.14 TO 31.03.15 01.04.14 TO 31.03.15 01.04.13 TO 31.03.14 01.04.12 TO 31.03.13 01.04.11 TO 01.04.10 TO 31.03.12 31.03.11 Cautious Managed Fund (1) 4.3 3.2 0.8 11.0 3.9 8.0 UK CPI (Pre 01.04.14 50% FTSE All-Share and 50% Bank of America Merrill Lynch Sterling Broad Market) (4) (0.6) (0.1) 3.3 12.3 7.4 7.4 IA Mixed Investment 20-60% Shares 6.6 8.8 3.9 10.6 1.9 5.3 Diversified Income Fund (1) 4.0 7.3 (0.4) 10.5 3.3 5.5 Diversified Income Composite Index (2) 4.9 7.4 2.0 15.9 6.8 8.4 IA Mixed Investment 0-35% Shares 5.7 7.9 1.8 9.1 2.8 4.6 Enhanced Natural Resources Fund (1) (5.3) (3.9) (10.2) (2.8) (13.2) 14.9 MSCI ACW Select Natural Resources Capped Index NDR (Pre 01.04.13 50% MSCI ACW Energy NR, 50% ACW Materials NR) (5) (6.2) (5.3) (6.0) 3.6 (12.4) 17.7 Managed Growth Fund (1) 8.6 10.7 10.5 17.4 (4.6) 16.1 FTSE WMA Stock Market Growth Total Return (3)(4) 8.2 12.1 6.5 14.4 1.9 7.7 IA Flexible Investment 9.0 11.4 4.7 12.6 (1.9) 8.1 Strategic Bond Fund (1) 3.3 5.7 (2.2) 3.1 2.6 3.3 Bank of America Merrill Lynch Sterling Broad Market 8.7 14.2 (1.2) 7.5 13.2 5.3 IA £ Strategic Bond 4.5 7.3 4.1 11.6 6.3 6.0 UK Alpha Fund (1) 8.1 7.5 25.7 24.7 (0.5) 10.7 FTSE All-Share Index (4) 5.3 6.6 8.8 16.8 1.4 8.7 IA UK All Companies 7.3 5.9 14.4 17.6 0.7 11.6 UK Smaller Companies Fund (1) 1.2 (8.9) 47.3 16.7 5.0 41.7 Numis Small-Cap plus AIM ex-IT (Pre 01.07.13 FTSE Small Cap ex IT) (4) 2.7 (4.7) 29.0 28.0 (0.1) 15.2 IA UK Smaller Companies 4.4 (2.1) 29.7 18.7 1.3 29.4 UK Special Situations Fund (1) 4.4 3.3 11.8 20.6 4.3 8.3 FTSE All-Share Index (4) 5.3 6.6 8.8 16.8 1.4 8.7 IA UK All Companies 7.3 5.9 14.4 17.6 0.7 11.6 All figures shown are percentages for the stated period. Past performance should not be taken as a guide to the future and there is no guarantee that this investment will make profits. Returns will vary with market movement, fee levels and taxes and in certain market conditions losses may be exaggerated. Source: Morningstar, total return, net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charges, net of fees in GBP. Index shown for performance comparison purposes only. (1) ‘A’ net accumulation shares. (2) 33% FTSE All-Share, 33% BofA European Currency non-financial High Yield Constrained Sterling Hedged, 17% JP Morgan EMBI Global Diversified TR, 17% JP Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified. (3) On 7 January 2014 the FTSE APCIMS/Growth index was renamed. (4) Source: FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2014. Please note a disclaimer applies to FTSE data and can be found at http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/FTSE_Wholly_Owned_Non-Partner.pdf (5) Source: MSCI. The MSCI data is comprised of a custom index calculated by MSCI for, and as requested by, Investec Asset Management Limited. The MSCI data is for internal use only and may not be redistributed or used in connection with creating or offering any securities, financial products or indices. Neither MSCI nor any other third party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the MSCI data (the “MSCI Parties”) makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and the MSCI Parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to such data. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any of the MSCI Parties have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages. The performance of other sub-fund ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘I’, ‘J’, ‘R’ or ‘S’ share classes would be similar to that of the above share classes but will differ according to the taxation and fees charged. 3 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Cautious Managed Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to provide an income and grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund seeks to invest conservatively in a broad range of shares of companies (up to 60% of the Fund’s value at any time) and bonds (contracts to repay borrowed money which typically pay interest at fixed times) issued by governments, institutions or companies around the world. The bonds invested in will predominantly be of investment grade (high quality) as rated by the credit rating agencies (companies that rate the ability of the issuers of bonds to repay borrowed money) but may also be below investment grade. The Fund can also invest in other assets including (but not limited to) derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Interest rate: The value of fixed income investments (e.g. bonds) tends to decrease when interest rates and/or inflation rises. Multi-asset investment: The Fund is subject to possible financial losses in multiple markets and may underperform more focused funds. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record Performance (sterling) Investec Cautious Managed Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +4.3%* Performance comparison index: -0.6%** Peer group: +6.6%** Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Total deemed income distributions per ‘A’ accumulation share Risk and Reward profile* Six months to 31 March 2015 0.52 pence Six months to 31 March 2014 0.43 pence Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 5 6 7 This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the risk and reward indicator scale. This is because, although it invests in the shares of companies whose values have typically tended to fluctuate widely, it also invests significantly in bonds which have not typically fluctuated as much. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. 4 UK and Japanese equities provided the strongest relative returns, while the Fund’s Norwegian government bonds detracted from performance. Factors helping performance The Fund’s holdings in UK shares were the greatest contributors to performance. Medium-sized companies rose strongly, with the FTSE 250 index up by 12.2% and reaching an all-time high. Similarly, the FTSE 100 index of the UK’s largest companies broke through the 7000 mark for the first time in its history – investors were seemingly untroubled by the uncertain outcome of May’s UK general election and the possibility of Greece’s exit from the euro zone. The underlying UK economy remains strong, with the UK confirmed as the fastest-growing of all developed economies in 2014. In the market, shares that performed particularly well included Marks and Spencer, Carnival and GlaxoSmithKline. Similarly, Japanese equities had a strong six months. Shares were helped by the Bank of Japan’s surprise announcement in October that it would substantially expand its government-bond-buying programme (known as quantitative easing) in an effort to boost the economy. In addition, the Japanese Government Pension Investment Fund’s decision to increase its investment in Japanese equities lifted the OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I market further. Japan Airlines was the leading performer, as its shares were buoyed by lower fuel prices. way to protect investors’ wealth against these ongoing uncertainties. Factors hindering performance In summary, we believe that in the current environment, with many stock markets reaching all-time highs, it is important to protect the value in the Fund and be cautious in our approach. The type of investor who chooses this Fund tends to be more risk averse and, we believe, expects this approach from us. This cautious style has resulted in some underperformance in the short term. However, we believe that investors should be willing to hold the Fund for a minimum of five years, and, while past performance is not necessarily a guide to the future, our consistent approach to investing has been proven effective over the long term. The performance of our holding in Norwegian government bonds was particularly disappointing. The Norwegian government’s dependence on tax revenue from oil means its bonds are closely linked to changes in the oil price. Overall, exposure to gold and Norwegian krone bonds have been detrimental to the Fund’s returns recently. We continue to believe, however, that these assets are vital to the Fund’s long-term strategy and should recover. Significant purchases during the period comprised: ETFS Physical Silver, Uranium Participation, Centrica, Marks & Spencer, Lloyds Banking. Significant sales during the period comprised: *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (UK CPI) and peer group (Investment Association Mixed Investment 20-60% Shares sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. United Kingdom Gilt 4.75% 07/09/2015, Kingspan, Signet Jewelers, Capita Financial Morant Wright Japan Fund ‘B’ Accumulation, BT. Outlook Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES 31 March, 30 September INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 May, 31 August, 30 November, 28/29 February We maintain our cautious, diversified approach to seek to protect investors’ wealth over the long term. We have a lower allocation to equities than we have typically held in the past. This is because we think share prices have risen too high and too quickly in several countries, particularly the US. With this in mind, we have positioned the Fund to benefit if the US stock market falls from its current high levels; that said, we still hold a number of individual US company shares that we find attractive. It may seem questionable to hold such a negative view on the US, given its recent strong performance, but the US stock market is at similar levels to those in the months preceding the global financial crisis of 2008. Instead, we see better value for our clients in Japanese and UK equities. In the UK, we prefer the shares of the very largest companies; they have remained relatively unloved and offer potential gains still to be exploited. Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ class – accumulation 1.59 1.59 ‘A’ class – income 1.59 1.59 1.59 1.59 ‘I’ class – accumulation 0.84 0.84 ‘I’ class – income 0.84 0.84 0.84 0.84 0.74 0.74 0.74 0.74 ‘R’ class – accumulation 1.09 1.09 ‘S’ class – accumulation 0.09 0.09 ‘A’ class – income-2 ‘I’ class – income-2 ‡ ‘J’ class – accumulation ‘J’ class – income-2 Investors typically choose a cautious managed fund because they want steady returns without big surprises or large falls in value. And that is the aim of our Fund. We seek to achieve this by blending assets with: the potential for long-term growth, such as UK and international equities; and other assets that help spread risk, such as inflationlinked government bonds, Norwegian government bonds and shares in gold miners. This second group of investments help reduce the Fund’s risk by limiting its exposure to a single asset class. We believe this diversified approach is essential, as we are concerned that debt levels in many countries remain very high and the impact of governments’ quantitative easing programmes is still unclear. A mix of different assets, therefore, is the best ‡ ‡ The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. ‡The OCF shown here is an estimate of the charges. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. 5 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Cautious Managed Fund (continued) Summary Share price range Distributions Cautious Managed Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares) SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.14 AS AT 31.03.15 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 0.52 0.43 Highest Price 380.98 369.16 371.36 ‘A’ Class – income 0.34 0.29 Lowest Price 360.81 351.80 340.04 ‘A’ Class – income-2 0.87 n/a 0.52 1.12 1.35 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 0.83 0.79 2012 2011 2010 ‘I’ Class – income 0.58 0.56 Highest Price 337.82 323.19 315.21 ‘I’ Class – income-2 0.88 n/a Lowest Price 309.87 296.88 274.28 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 0.58 0.56 3.70 4.36 4.41 ‘J’ Class – income-2 0.87 n/a ‘R’ Class – accumulation 0.43 0.39 Cautious Managed Fund ‘A’ Class (Income shares) ‘S’ Class – accumulation 1.29 1.21 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 253.17 246.07 247.86 Lowest Price 239.76 233.78 227.51 0.34 0.75 0.90 2012 2011 2010 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Performance SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 Net revenue per income share ‘A’ Class – accumulation 377.27 361.61 ‘A’ Class – income 250.36 240.30 Highest Price 226.32 220.83 216.74 ‘A’ Class – income-2 103.38 100.00 Lowest Price 209.78 202.30 191.10 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 164.77 157.34 Net revenue per income share 2.44 3.04 3.06 ‘I’ Class – income 115.07 110.45 ‘I’ Class – income-2 103.77 100.00 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 105.53 100.72 ‘J’ Class – income-2 103.82 100.00 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 112.20 107.28 S’ Class – accumulation 160.32 152.62 6 Cautious Managed Fund ‘A’ Class (Income-2 shares)(4) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 104.92 101.08 - Lowest Price 99.37 97.22 - 0.53 0.34 - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - Net revenue per income share OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Cautious Managed Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares) Cautious Managed Fund ‘J’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 166.37 160.44 159.95 Highest Price 106.54 102.69 102.13 Lowest Price 157.31 153.12 146.05 Lowest Price 100.73 98.02 99.20 0.56 1.73 1.68 0.39 1.21 0.16 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 145.09 137.51 133.59 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 132.22 126.37 115.74 Lowest Price - - - 2.49 2.65 2.46 Net revenue per accumulation share - - - CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Cautious Managed Fund ‘I’ Class (Income shares)(1) Net revenue per accumulation share Cautious Managed Fund ‘J’ Class (Income-2 shares)(4) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 116.59 113.33 114.08 Highest Price 105.35 101.23 - Lowest Price 110.24 107.49 104.59 Lowest Price 99.60 97.26 - 0.40 1.22 1.21 0.53 0.34 - 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 104.23 - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 96.43 - - Lowest Price - - - 1.16 - - Net revenue per income share - - - CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share Cautious Managed Fund ‘I’ Class (Income-2 shares)(4) Net revenue per income share Cautious Managed Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 105.31 101.22 - Highest Price 113.29 109.41 109.43 Lowest Price 99.57 97.25 - Lowest Price 107.18 104.39 100.00 0.53 0.34 - Net revenue per accumulation share 0.32 0.90 0.90 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per income share 7 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Cautious Managed Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Cautious Managed Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 161.85 155.56 154.04 Lowest Price 152.85 148.57 140.17 0.80 2.58 2.52 Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY Net revenue per accumulation share 31.03.15 Norway Government Bond 5% 15/05/2015 7.8 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 1.25% 22/11/2027 5.8 United States Treasury Inflation Indexed Bonds 0.125% 15/01/2023 5.5 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 0.125% 22/03/2029 5.4 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 139.23 130.84 126.72 Grafton 3.5 Lowest Price 126.17 120.31 109.20 db Physical Gold ETC 3.1 3.23 3.29 3.02 Source Physical Markets Gold P-ETC 3.1 ETFS Physical Gold (Jersey) 3.1 ETFS Physical Silver 3.1 HSBC 2.5 Net revenue per accumulation share * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Launched 2 May 2012 (2) Launched 2 January 2013 (3) Launched 4 October 2013 (4) Launched 30 September 2014 SECURITY 30.09.14 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. United Kingdom Treasury 4.75% 07/09/2015 8 11.6 Norway Government 5% 15/05/2015 7.7 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 0.125% 22/03/2029 5.6 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 1.25% 22/11/2027 5.2 United States Treasury Inflation Indexed 0.125% 15/01/2023 4.7 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 1.25% 22/11/2017 3.0 Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 2.8 Grafton 2.7 HSBC 2.7 Capita Financial Morant Wright Japan Fund ‘B’ Accumulation 2.4 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Sector split (%) Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific changes not requiring notice – Cautious Managed Fund, A, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 30 September 2014. – Cautious Managed Fund, I, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 30 September 2014. 2015 – Cautious Managed Fund, J, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 30 September 2014. Government Bonds Financials Industrials Consumer Services Oil & Gas Net other assets Basic Materials Consumer Goods Health Care Technology Utilities Collective Investment Scheme Perpetual Bonds Telecommunications Derivatives – Futures Corporate Bonds Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts 31.03.15 30.09.14 32.2 27.8 11.6 7.3 5.5 3.4 3.2 3.0 2.2 1.7 1.7 0.4 0.3 0.3 – – (0.6) 40.8 20.9 10.4 7.4 6.4 2.1 3.0 2.9 1.9 1.7 – 0.4 0.6 1.2 – 0.1 0.2 There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 9 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Diversified Income Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to provide an income with the opportunity to grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund attempts to reduce risk by investing around the world in a large range of bonds (contracts to repay borrowed money which typically pay interest at fixed times), shares of companies and related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). The Fund invests mostly in bonds. These may be issued by companies or governments, have varying lifespans and be of investment grade (high quality) or below investment grade as rated by the credit rating agencies (companies that rate the ability of the issuers of bonds to repay borrowed money). The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 Developing market: Some of the countries in which the Fund invests may have less developed legal, political, economic and/or other systems. These markets carry a higher risk of financial loss than those in countries generally regarded as being more developed. Investing in China: Investment in mainland China may involve a higher risk of financial loss when compared with countries generally regarded as being more developed. Multi-asset investment: The Fund is subject to possible financial losses in multiple markets and may underperform more focused funds. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* 1 Derivatives: The use of derivatives may increase the overall risk in the Fund by multiplying the effect of both gains and losses. This may lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and potentially large financial loss. 5 6 7 *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record Performance (sterling) This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. Performance comparison index: +4.9%** Peer group: +5.7%** The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. Total deemed income distributions per ‘A’ accumulation share The Fund appears towards the middle of the risk and reward indicator scale. This is because, whilst it invests in the shares of companies whose values typically tend to fluctuate widely, it also invests significantly in bonds which do not typically fluctuate as much. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Default: There is a risk that the issuers of fixed income investments (e.g. bonds) may not be able to meet interest payments nor repay the money they have borrowed. The worse the credit quality of the issuer, the greater the risk of default and therefore investment loss. Derivative counterparty: A counterparty to a derivative transaction may fail to meet its obligations to the Fund thereby leading to financial loss. 10 Investec Diversified Income Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +4.0%* Six months to 31 March 2015 5.15 pence Six months to 31 March 2014 5.31 pence The Fund’s holdings in high-yield bonds were a key factor in its underperformance. But our positions in shares, currencies and emerging market bonds issued in local currencies were positive and partially offset the impact of this. Factors helping performance Within the Fund, we held bonds in emerging markets. These included bonds issued by countries in their local currency, and also in ‘hard’ currency – generally the US dollar. The Fund’s local currency bonds rose in value compared with their benchmarks, which helped the portfolio’s performance. These bonds did particularly well in the second half of the period. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I The Fund’s equity holdings (shares issued by companies) also benefited performance over the period. The global economy showed signs of improvement, while central banks in Europe and Japan took measures to improve market conditions. This encouraged investors to favour equities over bonds. Finally, the Fund’s currency exposure was beneficial, with a long-standing US dollar position adding to returns relative to the performance comparison index. Our defensive positioning in emerging market currencies was also helpful. Factors hindering performance The Fund’s investments in high-yield bonds detracted from relative returns over the period. The prices of high-yield bonds (issued by companies with lower credit ratings), fluctuated over the six months under review, which negatively affected the Fund’s performance given the difficult conditions this created with no obvious upward or downward trend to take advantage of. Towards the end of the period, however, high yield bonds recovered as the global economy appeared to improve. The Fund’s emerging market ‘hard’ currency bonds performed relatively poorly over the quarter, partially offsetting the positive effect of the local currency bonds. Significant purchases during the period comprised: New Zealand Government Bond 6% 15/12/2017, New Zealand Government Bond 6% 15/04/2015, United Kingdom Treasury Bond 8% 12/07/2015, Queensland Treasury 6% 21/02/2018, South Africa Government Bond 13.5% 15/09/2015. Significant sales during the period comprised: Queensland Treasury 6% 21/02/2018, Mexican Bonos 9.5% 18/12/2014, United Kingdom Treasury Bond 8% 12/07/2015, F&C Commercial Property Trust, Western Australian Treasury 8% 15/07/2017. Outlook In equity markets, we think that corporate earnings forecasts are too pessimistic and valuations appear excessive. Elsewhere, we are optimistic on the outlook for US government bonds and believe they offer better value than many European government bonds. Companies’ reported earnings for the fourth quarter were comfortably ahead of expectations, although earnings forecasts were reduced for 2015 and 2016, led by the energy sector. But the pace of these downgrades is lessening and we feel that current estimates are too pessimistic. Sustained lower bond yields may justify the currently high equity valuations (given that equities look relatively more attractive), but we would sound a note of caution, at least until earnings growth picks up and relatively excessive valuation levels come down. There is a growing divergence in yield levels across global bond markets. This has coincided with a higher level of volatility in both developed-market and emerging-market currencies. Much of this activity in bond and currency markets is happening because of the differing prospects for monetary policy, especially with the US Federal Reserve getting closer to raising interest rates. More importantly, valuations across markets appear high. So, although our outlook remains in line with our longer-term strategic views, we are looking to take advantage of shorterterm tactical opportunities. Looking at the US in more detail, sustained economic growth and the growing prospect of higher interest rates has seen the yield on 10-year US government bonds (known as Treasuries) fluctuating around 2%. This is well above the yields investors can earn even from bonds in peripheral European markets like Spain and Portugal. Given that US inflation is likely to remain low, and demand for US Treasuries should remain strong, this seems reasonably good value. However, while the postponement of US interest-rate rises should be positive for US Treasuries, the surrounding uncertainty could be destabilising for bonds in general. Nonetheless, although Treasury yields remain near historically low levels, we do not see any evidence at the moment of the conditions needed for them to rise significantly. Emerging market hard currency debt appears reasonably well valued, although still appears expensive relative to developed market corporate bond markets. Emerging market local currency debt valuations look more attractive, especially relative to developed market bonds. Finally, the US dollar appears to have weakened slightly from a high level, but we believe this is temporary and expect the dollar to strengthen again in due course. The outlook statement reflects the views of the output from our Multi-Asset process and is, therefore, similar to that of the Investec Strategic Bond Fund and the Investec Managed Growth Fund. *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (Composite Index: 33% FTSE All-Share, 33% BofA ML European Currency non-financial High Yield Constrained Sterling Hedged, 17% JP Morgan EMBI Global Diversified TR, 17% JP Morgan GBI-EM Global Diversified) and peer group (Investment Association Mixed Investment 0-35% Shares sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. 11 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Diversified Income Fund (continued) Performance Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 31 May, 31 August, 30 November, 28/29 February SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 283.50 272.61 83.22 81.52 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 149.94 143.61 ‘I’ Class – income 107.28 104.69 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 111.42 106.65 ‘J’ Class – income 104.95 102.36 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 114.33 109.61 ‘R’ Class – income 104.22 101.78 ‘A’ Class – income Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 1.65 1.62 ‘A’ Class – income 1.65 1.62 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 0.90 0.87 ‘I’ Class – income 0.90 0.87 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 0.80 0.77 Share price range ‘J’ Class – income 0.80 0.77 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 1.15 1.12 Diversified Income Fund ‘A’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(2) ‘R’ Class – income 1.15 1.12 The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 286.08 277.89 273.48 Lowest Price 275.84 258.80 251.08 2.72 10.92 10.88 2012 2011 2010 Net revenue per accumulation share The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. Highest Price 251.16 238.41 231.16 Summary Lowest Price 234.93 227.09 212.33 7.84 6.49 5.09 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 84.78 83.23 86.97 Lowest Price 81.74 79.74 80.06 0.80 3.32 3.45 2012 2011 2010 Distributions SHARE CLASS Net revenue per accumulation share DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 Diversified Income Fund ‘A’ Net Class (Income shares)(2) ‘A’ Class – accumulation 5.15 5.31 ‘A’ Class – income 1.53 1.65 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 2.73 2.79 ‘I’ Class – income 1.99 2.11 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 2.04 2.02 ‘J’ Class – income 1.94 2.01 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 2.10 2.15 Highest Price 81.72 81.28 79.43 ‘R’ Class – income 1.92 2.05 Lowest Price 78.07 76.79 73.89 2.58 2.16 1.75 CALENDAR YEAR Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share 12 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I ‘Diversified Income Fund ‘I’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(2) Diversified Income Fund ‘J’ Net Class (Income shares)(4) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 151.27 146.59 142.53 Highest Price 106.90 104.59 102.79 Lowest Price 145.62 135.65 130.48 Lowest Price 102.89 99.75 99.92 1.44 5.75 5.78 1.02 4.20 0.93 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 130.46 122.64 118.49 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 121.27 116.90 108.29 Lowest Price - - - 4.30 3.61 2.67 Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Diversified Income Fund ‘I’ Net Class (Income shares)(1) (2) Net revenue per income share Diversified Income Fund ‘R’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 109.27 106.89 110.61 Highest Price 115.33 111.79 109.90 Lowest Price 105.19 102.11 102.08 Lowest Price 111.08 103.69 100.00 1.05 4.29 4.31 1.10 4.41 4.36 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 103.45 - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 98.71 - - Lowest Price - - - 2.69 - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share Diversified Income Fund ‘J’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(4) Net revenue per accumulation share Diversified Income Fund ‘R’ Net Class (Income shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 112.40 109.05 102.78 Highest Price 106.15 103.89 107.83 Lowest Price 108.18 100.66 99.92 Lowest Price 102.25 99.41 99.46 1.08 4.30 0.93 1.01 4.14 4.25 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per income share * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Launched 2 May 2012 (2) Fund name change from 31 July 2012 (previously known as Managed Distribution Fund) (3) Launched 2 January 2013 (4) Launched 4 October 2013 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 13 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Diversified Income Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Sector split (%) Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY 31.03.15 New Zealand Government Bond 6% 15/12/2017 5.5 New Zealand Government Bond 6% 15/04/2015 4.3 Western Australian Treasury 8% 15/07/2017 4.0 Brazil Notas do Tesouro Nacional 10% 01/01/2017 2.3 South Africa Government Bond 13.5% 15/09/2015 1.6 South Africa Government Bond 13.5% 15/09/2016 1.4 Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 1.4 John Laing Infrastructure Fund 1.3 GlaxoSmithKline 1.2 Japan Tobacco 1.2 SECURITY 30.09.14 Western Australian Treasury 8% 15/07/2017 4.1 Queensland Treasury 6% 21/02/2018 3.1 Mexican Bonos 9.5% 18/12/2014 2.3 F&C Commercial Property Trust 2.0 Brazil Notas do Tesouro Nacional 10% 01/01/2017 1.8 Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 1.6 John Laing Infrastructure Fund 1.3 GlaxoSmithKline 1.2 New Zealand Government 6% 15/04/2015 1.0 HICL Infrastructure 1.0 14 2015 Government Bonds Corporate Bonds Financials Consumer Goods Health Care Oil & Gas Industrials Consumer Services Technology Net other assets Telecommunications Utilities Basic Materials Total Return Swap Government Treasury Bills Perpetual Bonds Derivatives – Options Derivatives – Interest Rate Swaps Derivatives – Futures Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts 31.03.15 30.09.14 33.5 29.8 9.8 7.6 3.7 3.1 3.0 2.6 2.1 2.1 2.0 0.8 0.2 0.1 0.1 – – – (0.1) (0.4) 35.0 26.7 9.1 6.9 4.2 3.9 2.7 2.9 1.8 1.2 2.1 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 1.0 – – 0.2 1.5 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific change requiring notice After consultation with the Depositary and in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.3 of the COLL, shareholders were given notice of following: On 30 January 2014 of the change of the current income share classes name from “income” (“Inc”) to “income 2” (“Inc-2”) on Diversified Income Fund effective 6 April 2015. Although the name of the share class changed, there is no change to the way in which the charges and expenses of the share class are being charged against the capital value of the share class. For current “accumulation” (“Acc”) shareholders, effective 6 April 2015, charges and expenses are paid for, in the first instance, out of income earned rather than the capital value of the share class. Should there be insufficient income, then the remainder will be paid out of the capital value if the share class. There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 15 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Enhanced Natural Resources Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund invests around the world, primarily in the shares of companies that are expected to benefit from an increase in the prices of commodities and natural resources, and in related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). This includes companies involved in mining, extracting, producing, processing, transporting or other activity relating to commodities and natural resources. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 Derivatives: The use of derivatives may increase the overall risk in the Fund by multiplying the effect of both gains and losses. This may lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and potentially large financial loss. Equity investment: The value of equities (e.g. shares) and equity-related investments may vary according to company profits and future prospects as well as more general market factors. In the event of a company default, the owners of their equity rank last in terms of any financial payment from that company. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* 1 Derivative counterparty: A counterparty to a derivative transaction may fail to meet its obligations to the Fund thereby leading to financial loss. 5 6 7 *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record Performance (sterling) This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the Risk and Reward Indicator scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies linked to commodities and natural resources whose values tend to fluctuate more widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Concentration: Investments may be primarily concentrated in specific areas (e.g. countries/geographical regions and/or industry sectors), in terms of investment style (e.g. income or growth), in individual holdings and/or in a number of other ways. This may mean the value of the Fund may decrease whilst more broadly invested funds might grow. Currency exchange: Changes in the relative values of different currencies may adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and any related income. 16 Investec Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares Performance comparison index: -5.3%* -6.2%** The Fund’s precious metals and agricultural stocks made a strong positive contribution. However, on the negative side its exposure to the base metals & bulk and energy sectors, particularly exploration & production holdings, hurt performance. Factors helping performance The agriculture & softs sector was the strongest performer, in absolute terms, particularly our exposure to fertiliser and plantation stocks. In the phosphate fertiliser market, the market remained tight as we moved into the first quarter of 2015. Fertiliser prices rose during January and February, improving margins for vertically integrated producers (those companies that control multiple steps in their own supply chains). In the plantations sector, New Britain Palm Oil was the star performer. News that Sime Darby, a large palm-oil producer itself, had made a cash offer for all the shares – at a substantial premium – rallied the stock. Exposure to precious metals also boosted the Fund’s returns. Gold prices were relatively flat over the period and our exposure contributed marginally to performance. Over OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I the past year, gold prices were lower, meaning profits and, in turn, disposable cashflow from gold equities was limited, with many companies having high levels of debt on their balance sheets. With this in mind, we focus our holdings on equities with some of the lowest all-in costs (which account for every element of cost in a transaction) and robust balance sheets which we believe can withstand sustained low gold prices. We also favour the gold royalty model, which provides no exposure to mining costs or inflation: gold royalty companies Franco-Nevada and Royal Gold were positive contributors during the review period. Factors hindering performance The Fund’s exposure to both the energy and base metals & bulks sectors were the main reasons for the negative absolute performance. Exposure to energy stocks dragged on returns after the sharp decline in oil prices prompted by Opec’s November 2014 meeting, which resulted in Opec maintaining higher-than-expected levels of oil production. The meeting’s outcome was a significant surprise and our Fund was positioned for a recovery in the oil price. The oilprice drop also affected returns via our exposure to exploration & production companies, with Marathon Oil and Afren among the worst performers. In the base metals & bulks sector, companies exposed to iron ore and coal suffered heavy sell-offs, in many cases justifiably so, given the large volumes that had built up. With the recent price falls weighing on commodities in general, end-user stockpiles have started to run low: why buy metal today when it is likely to be cheaper tomorrow? Iron ore was down over 30% during the period, which hurt producers BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto. Meanwhile, the market is experiencing a huge supply surge, as long-term capital projects undertaken by suppliers in Western Australia and Brazil enter the market, the effects of which will be felt over the next two years. Elsewhere, aluminium and copper producers were also negative contributors, and Glencore was affected by weak coal and base metal prices. Significant purchases during the period comprised: Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton (UK Listing), BHP Billiton (Australian Listing), Agrium, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares, EOG Resources, Mosaic, Century Aluminum, Exxon Mobil. Significant sales during the period comprised: Monsanto, PotashCorp, Chevron, BHP Billiton (Australian Listing), Source Physical Palladium P-ETC, Suncor Energy, Rio Tinto, Agrium, Glencore, ETFS Physical Platinum, Mosaic, CF Industries, Alumina, Archer-Daniels-Midland. Outlook We believe that oil and base metal prices will recover throughout 2015 as supply growth diminishes. Meanwhile, crop prices look likely to come under pressure. After a turbulent start to the year, we believe that the prospects for the Fund are promising, with a number of distinct opportunities within its available investment universe. After the sharp falls in oil and iron-ore prices, which were overwhelmed by supply and a stronger US dollar, 2015 has been characterised by nervous trading and a notable pickup in investor interest. This should be beneficial for the strategy as its diversified nature – being exposed to energy, base & bulk metals, precious metals and agriculture – allows us to invest in companies which can benefit in different ways. The key question for equity investors is to what extent the recent cost reductions (lower oil prices and weaker currencies versus the US dollar) outweigh the falls in commodity prices. For those companies that can preserve, and even increase, profit margins in the current environment, the outlook should be positive – particularly if commodity prices recover later in the year. For every company, the answer is different, depending on the commodities they produce and the countries in which their operations are based. But it is also clear that in the resources sell-off at the end of 2014, many companies were oversold – and now appear to be at attractive valuations compared with their long-term prospects. With most base metals in deficit, or close to it, there is much greater potential for prices to rise in the coming months, particularly if lower oil prices stimulate global demand. Large diversified producers such as BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Glencore should provide some protection, as we believe these companies may cut costs rather than their dividends. For gold companies, the position has already improved, as prices have held up in recent months while costs are down amid currency and oil moves. In the energy sector, after steep falls in oil and equity prices, we believe the market is focused on the short term and, as a result, company valuations appear low. We believe that oil prices should recover in 2015 as supply growth is reduced, primarily by capital-expenditure cuts in US onshore and disruption in Russia, Libya and Colombia. We expect prices to rise by the fourth quarter of this year and, as a consequence, prices for exploration & production companies could rally, as may integrated producers that have good growth profiles. 17 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Enhanced Natural Resources Fund (continued) We believe crop prices will come under pressure as farmers who have hoarded grains come to market. This should affect demand for agricultural farm equipment where there are high global inventories of first- and second-hand machinery. Although livestock prices have declined slightly, profits are expected to remain above average – particularly in the US, where consumer demand looks strong. We believe the strength in the US economy will continue to raise housing starts from their low levels and tighten further the North American lumber market. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. Summary Distributions SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.14 AS AT 31.03.15 ‘A’ Class – accumulation - - ‘B’ Class – accumulation - - ‘I’ Class – accumulation - - ‘J’ Class – accumulation - - ‘R’ Class – accumulation - - *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, As distributions are paid annually on 30 November, no distributions are payable within this interim short report. no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (MSCI*** All Countries World Select Natural Resources Capped) shown for performance comparison purposes only. Performance *** Source: MSCI. The MSCI data is comprised of a custom index calculated by MSCI for, and as requested by, Investec Asset Management Limited. The MSCI data is for internal use only and may not be redistributed or used in connection with creating or offering any securities, financial products or indices. Neither MSCI nor any other third party involved in or related to compiling, computing or creating the MSCI data (the “MSCI Parties’’) makes any express or implied warranties or representations with respect to such data (or the results to be obtained by the use thereof), and the MSCI Parties hereby expressly disclaim all warranties of originality, accuracy, completeness, merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose with respect to such data. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall any of the MSCI Parties have any liability for any direct, indirect, special, punitive, consequential or any other damages (including lost profits) even if notified of the possibility of such damages. Fund facts SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.09.14 AS AT 31.03.15 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 98.26 103.61 ‘B’ Class – accumulation n/a 98.58 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 103.34 108.56 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 94.40 99.12 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 88.57 93.16 INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES Share price range 31 March, 30 September 30 November Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 1.63 1.66 ‘B’ Class – accumulation n/a 2.16 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 0.88 0.91 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 0.78 0.81 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 1.13 1.16 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 103.72 109.43 118.10 Lowest Price 95.45 93.95 103.30 - 0.14 0.24 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 126.06 136.98 136.26 Lowest Price 107.57 109.11 109.04 - - - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. 18 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘B’ Class (Accumulation shares)(6) CALENDAR YEAR Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(4) 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price - 104.18 113.27 Lowest Price - 91.20 98.93 Net revenue per accumulation share - - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 121.56 135.48 135.05 Lowest Price 103.57 105.41 102.43 - - - Net revenue per accumulation share Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares) 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 108.99 114.50 122.36 Lowest Price 100.23 98.60 107.26 - 1.03 1.12 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 129.59 139.86 138.11 Lowest Price 110.74 111.83 109.77 0.92 0.38 - Net revenue per accumulation share 2014 2013 Highest Price 93.44 94.73 104.58 Lowest Price 85.95 84.57 92.25 - 0.72 1.24 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 92.14 101.40 - Lowest Price 84.64 79.27 - - 0.86 - Net revenue per accumulation share * Up to 31 March 2015 Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘J’ Class (Accumulation shares)(5) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* Enhanced Natural Resources Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares)(1) (3) CALENDAR YEAR Net revenue per accumulation share CALENDAR YEAR (1) Launched 4 January 2011 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 99.55 104.53 103.67 Lowest Price 91.54 90.04 98.79 - 1.04 - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - (2) Change of “P” Shares to “A” Shares 1 April 2011 (3) Closed on 22 March 2012 (4) Launched 2 January 2013 Net revenue per accumulation share (5) Launched 4 October 2013 (6) Closed 29 January 2015 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 19 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Enhanced Natural Resources Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Geographical split (%) Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY 31.03.15 BHP Billiton 5.2 Exxon Mobil 4.6 BHP Billiton 4.1 Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 4.0 Phillips 66 3.7 Rio Tinto 3.7 ConocoPhillips 3.3 Tyson Foods 3.2 Glencore 3.2 EOG Resources 3.2 SECURITY 30.09.14 Suncor Energy 5.0 Glencore 4.6 Monsanto 4.5 Chevron 4.2 ConocoPhillips 4.1 BHP Billiton 3.7 Physical Palladium Source P-ETC 3.3 Marathon Oil 2.9 Archer-Daniels-Midland 2.8 Anadarko Petroleum 2.5 2015 United States Canada United Kingdom Australia Norway Jersey France Bermuda Net other assets Russia Germany Ireland Luxembourg Belgium Cayman Islands Derivatives – Options New Zealand Derivatives – Contracts For Difference 31.03.15 30.09.14 38.5 16.3 14.1 8.6 5.5 5.3 2.2 2.0 1.9 1.7 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.3 (0.2) 36.7 16.0 5.0 6.4 4.4 7.5 1.6 1.4 11.2 1.9 1.0 3.3 2.3 0.8 0.5 - Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific changes not requiring notice – Enhanced Natural Resources, B, Accumulation, Net, GBP share class was closed on 29 January 2015. There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 20 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Managed Growth Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to provide an income and grow the value of your investment. The Fund invests around the world, primarily in the shares of investment companies or other funds and in related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). The Fund may be up to 100% invested in other funds. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 5 6 7 This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the risk and reward indicator scale. This is because the values of the investment companies and funds in which it invests tend to fluctuate widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. Investment trust: The prices of investment trust shares may trade at a higher or lower value than their underlying holdings may imply. This may create greater risk of financial loss. Multi-asset investment: The Fund is subject to possible financial losses in multiple markets and may underperform more focused funds. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund's risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. Performance record Performance (sterling) Investec Managed Growth Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +8.6%* Performance comparison index: +8.2%** Peer group: +9.0%** Asian, Japanese and US equities provided strong returns relative to the performance comparison index, while the Fund’s holdings in Latin America detracted from performance. Factors helping performance Asian and Japanese stock markets rose in value over the six months, benefiting the Fund, which is invested in both. We have a bias to these stock markets on the premise of supportive measures from the central banks in these regions, particularly in Japan. US stock markets also gained in value. As nearly a quarter of the Fund’s investments are in US stocks, this too helped the Fund’s performance. The US benefited from strong economic data and a more buoyant outlook for the future growth of the economy, which in turn proved beneficial to the stock market. From a sector perspective, technology and healthcare stocks were also beneficial. Finally, our exposure to smaller companies aided performance, as these outperformed the shares of larger companies. While smaller companies are often riskier, in periods of rising equity markets, it can often be the case that smaller companies outperform larger companies, as was the case here. Factors hindering performance During the period, companies in Latin America suffered from falls in commodity prices, particularly oil. Our investments in these shares detracted from the Fund’s performance over the period. Oil prices fell as Opec, and Saudi Arabia in particular, maintained their high levels of oil supply (as supply moves higher, prices go down). Portfolio activity In terms of activity, portfolio turnover (stocks bought and sold) was modest over the six-month review period, prompted largely by monies flowing to and from the Fund. We added a US company, Pershing Square Holdings, to the portfolio, and divested from the Schroder UK Growth Fund to invest instead in the Investec UK Alpha Fund. We also sold our position in the Investec Global Energy Fund. The number of holdings increased to 57, with a very low amount invested in cash. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. 21 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Managed Growth Fund (continued) The Fund’s investments continued to be balanced between high-quality, liquid (easily tradable) funds and smaller holdings in regional and thematic funds. We believe the potential for performance is greater in these smaller holdings. Our strategy is to broadly diversify the Fund, while aiming to deliver returns at least in line with global equity markets. Significant purchases during the period comprised: Investec UK Alpha Fund, Investec GSF Global Endurance Equity Fund, Pershing Square, Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon, Capita Financial Morant Wright Japan Fund 'B' Accumulation. The outlook statement reflects the views of the output from our Multi-Asset process and is, therefore similar to that of the Investec Diversified Income Fund and the Investec Strategic Bond Fund. *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (FTSE*** WMA Stock Market Growth Total Return Index) and peer group (Investment Association Flexible Investment sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. *** Source: FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2014. Please note a disclaimer applies to FTSE data and can be found at http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/FTSE_Wholly_Owned_NonPartner.pdf The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. Significant sales during the period comprised: Schroder UK Growth & Income Trust, Investec GSF Global Endurance Equity Fund, Investec Global Energy Fund, 3i, Aberforth Geared Income Trust. Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 30 November Outlook We believe equity valuations appear excessive at present, and expect US government bond yields to stay low in the short term. Earnings made by companies in the fourth quarter were higher than expected; however, some companies have lowered their forecasts for earnings in 2015 and 2016. Looking ahead, equity valuations justify an element of caution, until earnings growth picks up and valuations come down – they currently appear relatively excessive. In bond markets, sustained economic growth and the growing prospect of higher interest rates has seen the yield on 10-year US government bonds (known as Treasuries) fluctuating around 2%. This is well above the yields investors can earn even from bonds in peripheral European markets like Spain and Portugal. Given that US inflation is likely to remain very low and demand for US Treasuries should remain strong, this seems reasonably good value. Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – accumulation‡ 1.69 1.59 ‘I’ Class – accumulation‡ 0.94 0.84 ‘R’ Class – accumulation‡ 1.19 1.09 ‘S’ Class – accumulation‡ 0.19 0.09 The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. ‡ The OCF shown here is an estimate of the charges. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. Summary However, while the postponement of US interest rate rises should be positive for US Treasuries, the surrounding uncertainty could actually be destabilising for bonds. Nonetheless, although Treasury yields remain near historically low levels, we do not see any evidence at the moment of the conditions needed for them to rise significantly. Distributions Emerging market hard currency debt appears reasonably well valued, although still appears expensive relative to developed market credit markets. Emerging market local currency debt valuations look more attractive, especially relative to developed market bonds. Finally, the US dollar appears to have weakened slightly from a high level, but we believe this is temporary and expect the dollar to strengthen again in due course. 22 SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 ‘A’ Class – accumulation - - ‘I’ Class – accumulation - - ‘R’ Class – accumulation - - ‘S’ Class – accumulation - - As distributions are paid annually on 30 November, no distributions are payable within this interim short report. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Performance SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 183.99 169.58 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 160.88 147.73 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 137.46 126.38 ‘S’ Class – accumulation 174.10 159.26 Managed Growth Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(1) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 140.55 130.12 125.05 Lowest Price 128.63 116.63 100.00 0.44 0.59 0.51 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share p = pence Share price range Managed Growth Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares) Managed Growth Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 188.15 174.45 168.43 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Lowest Price 172.37 156.46 135.35 Highest Price 177.97 164.24 156.43 0.15 - 0.06 Lowest Price 162.54 147.04 123.86 2012 2011 2010 1.37 2.29 2.08 Highest Price 134.32 138.90 134.80 2012 2011 2010 Lowest Price 117.51 113.82 102.96 Highest Price 122.89 124.31 119.72 0.24 - - Lowest Price 105.94 102.44 90.23 1.88 1.35 1.22 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share Managed Growth Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 164.49 152.16 145.91 Lowest Price 150.46 136.35 116.38 0.70 1.04 1.00 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 115.48 118.10 114.24 Lowest Price 100.29 97.06 86.87 0.99 0.33 0.24 * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Launched 2 January 2013 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 23 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Managed Growth Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Geographical split (%) Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY 31.03.15 Baillie Gifford Japan Trust 4.3 Investec Global Strategic Equity Fund† 4.3 Jupiter European Opportunities Trust 3.6 RIT Capital Partners Fund 3.2 Conventum Lyrical Fund 3.1 JPMorgan European Smaller Companies Trust 3.1 Investec GSF Global Endurance Equity Fund† 3.0 Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust 2.9 Law Debenture 2.8 Finsbury Growth & Income Trust SECURITY 2.7 30.09.14 Investec Global Free Enterprise Fund† 4.1 Baillie Gifford Japan Trust 3.8 RIT Capital Partners Fund 3.2 Jupiter European Opportunities Trust 3.1 Genesis Emerging Markets Fund 3.0 Schroder UK Mid Cap Fund 3.0 Law Debenture Fund 2.9 Investec GSF Global Endurance Equity Fund† 2.9 Conventum Lyrical Fund 2.9 JPMorgan European Smaller Companies Trust 2.8 † A related party to the Fund 24 2015 Global United Kingdom United States & North America Japan Other Emerging Private Equity Europe Asia Pacific Splits Net other assets 31.03.15 30.09.14 33.4 18.1 11.1 8.6 7.9 6.4 6.0 5.5 1.9 1.2 32.9 18.6 7.6 7.4 9.5 6.9 8.2 5.5 1.8 1.7 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. There have been no fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 25 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Strategic Bond Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to provide an income. The Fund invests around the world primarily in bonds (contracts to repay borrowed money which typically pay interest at fixed times) issued by governments or companies. The Fund may use derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset) for investment purposes. The bonds invested in will primarily be of investment grade (high quality) as rated by credit rating agencies (companies that rate the ability of the issuers of bonds to repay borrowed money) but may also be below investment grade. The Fund is managed to minimise any currency risk (a form of risk that arises from the change in price of one currency against another) in sterling. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details of this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 5 6 7 This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the lower end of the Risk and Reward Indicator scale. This is because it invests in bonds whose returns tend to fluctuate more than those of cash funds but less than those of funds which invest in the shares of companies. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Default: There is a risk that the issuers of fixed income investments (e.g. bonds) may not be able to meet interest payments nor repay the money they have borrowed. The worse the credit quality of the issuer, the greater the risk of default and therefore investment loss. 26 Derivative counterparty: A counterparty to a derivative transaction may fail to meet its obligations to the Fund thereby leading to financial loss. Derivatives: The use of derivatives may increase the overall risk in the Fund by multiplying the effect of both gains and losses. This may lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and potentially large financial loss. Developing market: Some of the countries in which the Fund invests may have less developed legal, political, economic and/or other systems. These markets carry a higher risk of financial loss than those in countries generally regarded as being more developed. Interest rate: The value of fixed income investments (e.g. bonds) tends to decrease when interest rates and/or inflation rises. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund's risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record Performance (sterling) Investec Strategic Bond Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +3.3%* Performance comparison index: +8.7%** Peer group: +4.5%** Total deemed income distributions per ‘A’ accumulation share Six months to 31 March 2015 3.50 pence Six months to 31 March 2014 3.73 pence The Fund’s exposure to interest-rate-sensitive investments was lower relative to the index, which negatively affected its returns, but its holdings in credit markets, currencies and emerging market bonds issued in local currencies were positive and partially offset the impact of this. Factors helping performance The Fund’s holdings in credit markets (such as corporate bonds and high yield bonds) performed better than the index. We have less exposure to corporate bonds than the index, which meant our returns were not as negative as those of the index. This was a particularly favourable outcome for the Fund given the poor performance of these bonds. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Furthermore, a notable positive contribution to the Fund’s performance came from our positioning in currency markets. Our preference for the US dollar, a long-term strategic position for the Fund, was particularly helpful. Factors hindering performance The Fund’s total return was lower than that from its comparative index over the six-month period. The main reason for this was falling yields (and therefore rising prices) in the UK bond market. UK government bonds performed well because of falling inflation, disappointing economic news and the European Central Bank’s announcement that it would start to buy European government bonds (known as quantitative easing). As our interest rate exposure was lower relative to the index, this led to underperformance over the period. UK bond prices rose strongly which we did not participate in to the same extent as the index. However, some of the Fund’s bond holdings were positive for performance. For example, our holding in a UK government bond with a long period until it matures (known as a long-dated gilt) performed particularly well in early 2015. Also, the Fund’s positions in bonds from smaller, high-quality developed markets added to performance as they benefited from central banks within these countries cutting interest rates. The Fund held some bonds issued within emerging market countries and these bonds were generally negative for our returns relative to the index. This was a difficult time for most emerging market investments – both shares and bonds – but emerging market bonds issued in hard currency, such as US dollars, performed very poorly as these become less favoured by investors and prices fell. Emerging market bonds denominated in the local currency of the issuer did outperform, but not well enough to fully offset the poor performance of the Fund’s hard currency bonds. Significant purchases during the period comprised: Sweden Government Bond 2.5% 12/05/2015, Indonesia Government International Bond 6.875% 17/01/2018, Turkey Government International Bond 6.25% 26/09/2022, GE Capital UK Funding 5.875% 04/11/2020, United States Treasury Inflation Indexed Bonds 0.75% 15/02/2045. There is a growing divergence in yield levels across global bond markets. This has coincided with a higher level of volatility in both developed-market and emerging-market currencies. Much of this activity in bond and currency markets is happening because of the differing prospects for monetary policy, especially with the US Federal Reserve seeming to get closer to raising interest rates. More importantly, valuations across markets appear high in both absolute terms and relative value terms. So, although our outlook remains in line with our longer-term strategic views, we are looking to take advantage of shorter-term tactical opportunities. Looking at the US in more detail, sustained economic growth and the growing prospect of higher interest rates has seen the yield on 10-year US government bonds (known as Treasuries) fluctuating around 2%. This is well above the yields investors can earn from even bonds in peripheral European markets like Spain and Portugal. Given that US inflation is likely to remain very low and demand for US Treasuries should remain strong, this seems reasonably good value. However, while the postponement of US interest rate rises should be positive for US Treasuries, the uncertainty over when US interest rates will actually rise could actually be destabilising for bonds. Nonetheless, although Treasury yields remain near historically low levels, we do not see any evidence at the moment of the conditions needed for them to rise significantly. Emerging market hard currency debt appears reasonably well valued, although still appears expensive relative to developed market credit markets. Emerging market local currency debt valuations look more attractive, especially relative to developed market bonds. Finally, the US dollar appears to have weakened slightly from a high level, but we believe this is temporary and expect the dollar to strengthen again in due course. The outlook statement reflects the views of the output from our Multi-Asset process and is, therefore, similar to that of the Investec Diversified Income Fund and the Investec Managed Growth Fund. Significant sales during the period comprised: *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. United Kingdom Gilt 1.75% 07/09/2022, United Kingdom Gilt 3.75% 22/07/2052, Norway Government 3% 14/03/2024, Poland Government 4% 25/10/2023, Brazil Notas do Tesouro Nacional 6% 15/08/2018. **Index (BofA Merrill Lynch Sterling Broad Market TR Index) and peer group (Investment Association Strategic Bond sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. Outlook We are optimistic on the outlook for US government bonds and believe they offer better value than many European government bonds. 27 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Strategic Bond Fund (continued) Performance Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 31 May, 31 August 30 November, 28/29 February SHARE CLASS Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 ‘A’ Class – net accumulation 239.24 231.67 ‘A’ Class – net income 120.70 118.62 ‘I’ Class – net accumulation 108.36 104.67 ‘I’ Class – net income 100.19 98.21 ‘R’ Class – net accumulation 103.99 100.48 96.92 95.12 157.43 151.10 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – net accumulation 1.11 1.10 ‘A’ Class – net income 1.11 1.10 ‘I’ Class – net accumulation 0.61 0.60 ‘I’ Class – net income 0.61 0.60 Performance records ‘R’ Class – net accumulation 0.86 0.85 ‘R’ Class – net income 0.86 0.85 Strategic Bond Fund ‘A’ Net Class (Accumulation shares) ‘S’ Class – gross accumulation 0.11 0.10 The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. ‘R’ Class – net income ‘S’ Class – gross accumulation CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 244.65 238.39 234.10 Lowest Price 238.24 224.67 223.54 1.71 6.77 7.91 2012 2011 2010 Net revenue per accumulation share The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. Highest Price 232.52 222.71 223.16 Summary Lowest Price 219.31 212.83 205.09 6.21 6.40 7.82 Distributions SHARE CLASS Net revenue per accumulation share DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 ‘A’ Class – net accumulation 3.50 3.73 ‘A’ Class – net income 1.79 1.97 ‘I’ Class – net accumulation 1.58 1.72 ‘I’ Class – net income 1.48 1.61 ‘R’ Class – net accumulation 1.59 1.63 ‘R’ Class – net income 1.43 1.60 ‘S’ Class – gross accumulation 2.85 3.03 Strategic Bond Fund ‘A’ Net Class (Income shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 124.33 122.06 125.78 Lowest Price 121.07 117.10 118.76 0.87 3.51 4.23 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 127.09 127.02 128.98 Lowest Price 122.18 119.88 121.12 3.43 3.61 4.64 Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share 28 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Strategic Bond Fund ‘I’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(1) Strategic Bond Fund ‘R’ Net Class (Income shares)(2) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 110.74 107.85 105.04 Lowest Price 107.83 101.18 100.50 0.77 3.09 3.53 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 104.03 - - Lowest Price 99.94 - 2.14 - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 99.79 97.95 100.50 Lowest Price 97.19 93.85 95.06 0.70 2.83 3.32 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - - Lowest Price - - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Strategic Bond Fund ‘I’ Net Class (Income shares) CALENDAR YEAR Net revenue per income share Strategic Bond Fund ‘S’ Gross Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 103.12 101.19 103.45 Highest Price 160.58 156.24 148.92 Lowest Price 100.41 96.84 97.94 Lowest Price 156.21 144.72 143.13 0.72 2.94 3.48 1.40 5.53 6.29 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 104.30 104.19 105.78 Highest Price 146.59 136.81 135.88 Lowest Price 100.20 98.32 99.31 Lowest Price 136.26 131.65 123.21 3.12 3.38 4.12 5.94 6.33 7.02 2015* 2014 2013 Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share Strategic Bond Fund ‘R’ Net Class (Accumulation shares)(2) Gross revenue per accumulation share Gross revenue per accumulation share Strategic Bond Fund ‘S’ Net Class (Income shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 106.30 103.54 101.43 Highest Price - - 103.44 Lowest Price 103.52 97.57 96.99 Lowest Price - - 98.26 0.75 2.96 3.38 Net revenue per income share - - 2.55 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Highest Price 104.06 103.92 105.64 Lowest Price - - - Lowest Price 99.89 98.02 99.13 Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per income share 3.43 3.70 4.65 Net revenue per accumulation share CALENDAR YEAR * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Launched 2 May 2012 (2) Launched 2 January 2013 (3) Closed on 11 December 2013 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 29 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Strategic Bond Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Sector split (%) Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY 31.03.15 United Kingdom Treasury 3.75% 22/07/2052 25.0 Province of Quebec Canada 4.25% 01/12/2021 6.2 United States Treasury Note 3.125% 15/08/2044 3.8 United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 2.5% 26/07/2016 2.6 2015 Investec GSF Emerging Markets Local Currency Dynamic Debt $ Fund † 2.4 Investec GSF Emerging Markets Local Currency † 2.4 United Kingdom Treasury 1.75% 07/09/2022 2.3 Sri Lanka Government International Bond 6.25% 27/07/2021 1.8 Bonos de la Tesoreria de la Republica en pesos 6% 01/01/2020 1.6 South Africa Government Bond 8% 21/12/2018 1.5 Dynamic Debt £ Fund SECURITY 30.09.14 United Kingdom Treasury 3.75% 22/07/2052 21.2 Province of Quebec Canada 4.25% 01/12/2021 5.4 United Kingdom Treasury 1.75% 07/09/2022 5.0 United States Treasury Bond 3.125% 15/08/2044 2.7 Investec GSF Emerging Markets Local Currency Dynamic Debt £ Fund † United Kingdom Treasury Inflation Linked 2.5% 26/07/2016 2.4 2.4 Investec GSF Emerging Markets Local Currency Dynamic Debt $ Fund † 2.4 Sri Lanka Government International Bond 6.25% 27/07/2021 1.5 Norway Government 3% 14/03/2024 1.4 Bonos de la Tesoreria de la Republica en pesos 6% 01/01/2020 1.4 † A related party to the Fund 30 Government Bonds Corporate Bonds Net other assets Collective Investment Schemes Cash Collateral Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts Perpetual Bonds Derivatives – Credit Default Swaps Derivatives – Futures 31.03.15 30.09.14 63.0 26.9 4.8 4.8 0.6 0.3 0.8 (0.5) (0.7) 60.2 31.4 1.5 4.7 0.7 1.2 0.6 (0.5) 0.2 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific change requiring notice After consultation with the Depositary and in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.3 of the COLL, shareholders were given notice of following: On 30 January 2014 of the change of the current income share classes name from “income” (“Inc”) to “income 2” (“Inc-2”) on Strategic Bond Fund effective 6 April 2015. Although the name of the share class changed, there is no change to the way in which the charges and expenses of the share class are being charged against the capital value of the share class. For current “accumulation” (“Acc”) shareholders, effective 6 April 2015, charges and expenses are paid for, in the first instance, out of income earned rather than the capital value of the share class. Should there be insufficient income, then the remainder will be paid out of the capital value if the share class. Fund specific changes not requiring notice – The Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange of India were added to the prospectus as new eligible securities markets for the Strategic Bond Fund. There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 31 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Alpha Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund invests primarily in the shares of UK companies or in related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). The Fund invests in a relatively small number of UK companies and seeks to invest in shares which offer good potential for growth and income. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and will not track an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* Higher risk Potentially higher rewards Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the higher end of the Risk and Reward Indicator scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies, whose values tend to fluctuate more widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Concentration: Investments may be primarily concentrated in specific areas (e.g. countries/geographical regions and/or industry sectors), in terms of investment style (e.g. income or growth), in individual holdings and/or in a number of other ways. This may mean the value of the Fund may decrease whilst more broadly invested funds might grow. Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. Equity investment: The value of equities (e.g. shares) and equity-related investments may vary according to company 32 profits and future prospects as well as more general market factors. In the event of a company default, the owners of their equity rank last in terms of any financial payment from that company. Liquidity: There may be insufficient buyers or sellers of particular investments giving rise to delays in trading and being able to make settlements from the Fund and/or large fluctuations in the value of the Fund which may lead to larger financial losses than might be anticipated. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record Performance (sterling) Investec UK Alpha Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +8.1%* Performance comparison index: +5.3%** Peer group: +7.3%** The Fund’s limited exposure to oil & gas companies, which performed poorly in the period, was beneficial to performance. Meanwhile, the holding in biopharmaceuticals stock Shire detracted from relative returns, as did the underweight position in Vodafone. UK stock markets enjoyed a strong run through 2014 and into the first quarter of 2015, as the underlying economy improved. The European Central Bank took measures to stimulate the economy, propelling the FTSE All-Share Index higher than its peaks at the turn of the century. Encouragingly, more people found work in the UK in 2014 than in any year since 1988. Unemployment reached a six-year low of 5.7%. Factors helping performance During the six-month period, oil & gas prices fell sharply, damaging the share price of oil & gas companies Royal Dutch Shell and BG Group. Our underweight exposure to these companies in comparison to the index therefore benefited the Fund’s relative returns. Furthermore at a sector level, the Fund’s underweight exposure to the broader oil & gas sector was a strong contributor to relative returns. Meanwhile, our holdings in packaging business DS Smith performed well, making a contribution to performance. The company reported interim results showing its business was OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I doing better than the market expected. Not holding resources company Glencore also helped returns. The company was affected was the sharp sell-off in iron ore prices over the period as large volumes of iron ore continue to head to market, pushing the price down. Signet Jewelers performed well as it continued to realise the benefits from the acquisition of its industry rival Zales. In addition, the retailer announced above-consensus fourth-quarter and full-year 2015 figures. Factors hindering performance The Fund’s holding in speciality biopharmaceuticals company Shire detracted from relative returns. Shire’s high-profile merger with AbbVie fell through, causing the share price to drop. In addition, we had limited exposure to telecommunications services company Vodafone, which performed very well. The Fund’s exposure to energy company Dragon Oil and miner Amerisur weighed on returns in line with the rout in commodity prices. We have since exited both positions. UK food retailer Booker had their credit rating downgraded by ratings agency Goldman Sachs, which saw the stock sell off in the aftermath. Despite the competitive and challenging outlook for the sector we remain positive on Booker due to its strong balance sheet and attractive cash generation. We believe markets will be more volatile than they’ve been in the past. However, by thoroughly analysing companies, we hope to use this volatility to generate returns for the Fund, by seeking out good investment opportunities while managing risks prudently. *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (FTSE*** All-Share Total Return Index) and peer group (Investment Association UK All Companies) shown for performance comparison purposes only. *** Source: FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2014. Please note a disclaimer applies to FTSE data and can be found at http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/FTSE_Wholly_Owned_NonPartner.pdf The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 30 November Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 1.60 1.61 Significant purchases during the period comprised: ‘I’ Class – accumulation 0.85 0.86 GlaxoSmithKline, Reckitt Benckiser, Imperial Tobacco, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares, Unilever, Legal & General, Capita, Breedon Aggregates. ‘I’ Class – income 0.85 0.86 0.76 0.76 0.76 n/a ‘R’ Class – accumulation 1.10 1.11 ‘S’ Class – accumulation 0.10 0.11 ‘J’ Class – accumulation J’ Class – income Significant sales during the period comprised: Shire, Prudential, Bovis Home, WPP, Berkeley, ITV, National Express, Rio Tinto, SABMiller, IG, Entertainment One, Capita, HellermannTyton, Ashtead, Hays, Direct Line Insurance, Babcock International, Reed Elsevier, Compass. Outlook We believe that companies and governments will continue to shed their debts, which should improve economic growth in the developed world. ‡ ‡ The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. ‡The OCF shown here is an estimate of the charges. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. The environment for investing has become increasingly uncertain, with a range of factors introducing risk. These include the risk that the global economy slows, potential action taken by central banks, and geopolitical risks. In this difficult environment, we aim to invest in companies with strong balance sheets that are generating cash. In particular, we seek to find companies that reinvest these cashflows back into their businesses, allowing them to grow in future. While such companies might appear expensive, sustainable growth is a rare and valuable attribute that could warrant these valuations. 33 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Alpha Fund (continued) Summary UK Alpha Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) Distributions SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 178.17 164.29 152.49 158.33 144.20 112.48 - 2.90 2.24 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 110.85 - - Lowest Price 89.81 - - 0.93 - - CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 314.47 294.31 274.17 Lowest Price 279.44 254.51 205.53 - 5.20 4.06 2012 2011 2010 ‘A’ Class – accumulation - - Lowest Price ‘I’ Class – accumulation - - Net revenue per accumulation share ‘I’ Class – income - - ‘J’ Class – accumulation - - J’ Class – income - - ‘R’ Class – accumulation - - ‘S’ Class – accumulation - - Net revenue per accumulation share UK Alpha Fund ‘I’ Class (Income shares) As distributions are paid annually on 30 November, no distributions are payable within this interim short report. Performance SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 Net revenue per income share ‘A’ Class – accumulation 2,060.13 1,905.72 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 171.71 158.24 ‘I’ Class – income 303.06 279.32 Highest Price 202.54 198.66 188.08 ‘J’ Class – accumulation 106.79 98.34 Lowest Price 167.85 149.47 150.95 J’ Class – income 108.64 n/a 4.27 2.44 3.04 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 151.67 139.91 ‘S’ Class – accumulation 2,083.89 1,913.33 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 110.80 102.13 - Lowest Price 98.44 89.62 - - 1.50 - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Share price range UK Alpha Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 2,138.00 1,979.82 1,846.64 Lowest Price 1,902.56 1,736.04 1,372.37 - 20.69 15.73 Net revenue per accumulation share 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 1,352.88 1,295.27 1,227.67 Lowest Price 1,100.95 984.71 972.16 19.97 12.79 11.21 Net revenue per accumulation share 34 Net revenue per income share UK Alpha Fund ‘J’ Class (Accumulation shares)(4) Net revenue per accumulation share OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Portfolio analysis UK Alpha Fund ‘J’ Class (Income shares)(5) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 112.73 103.68 - Lowest Price 100.15 98.42 - - - - Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY Net revenue per income share 31.03.15 BT 4.2 GlaxoSmithKline 4.1 Reckitt Benckiser 3.1 2012 2011 2010 BP 3.1 Highest Price - - - Imperial Tobacco 2.8 Lowest Price - - - Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 2.7 Net revenue per income share - - - Legal & General 2.6 Unilever 2.5 London Stock Exchange 2.4 St James’s Place 2.0 UK Alpha Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 157.39 145.23 135.20 Lowest Price 139.93 127.51 99.91 - 2.05 1.69 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share UK Alpha Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares)(1) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 2,162.03 1,989.11 1,833.58 Lowest Price 1,918.57 1,744.12 1,342.49 - 48.59 37.41 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 1,322.66 1,232.20 116.55 Lowest Price 1,067.47 945.36 91.61 36.24 29.27 2.53 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share SECURITY 30.09.14 Prudential 5.0 BP 4.6 Shire 4.5 Rio Tinto 4.1 BT 3.6 Lloyds Banking 3.5 Reed Elsevier 3.2 SABMiller 3.1 Compass 3.0 Bovis Homes 3.0 * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Consolidation 18 July 2011 (2) Launched 2 May 2012 (3) Launched 2 January 2013 (4) Launched 27 February 2014 (5) Launched 12 December 2014 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 35 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Alpha Fund (continued) Other information Sector split (%) Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. There have been no fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring prenotification. 2015 More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. Financials Consumer Goods Industrials Consumer Services Oil & Gas Health Care Telecommunications Basic Materials Technology Net other assets 36 31.03.15 30.09.14 20.1 19.5 18.2 14.5 7.2 7.1 5.8 4.3 2.2 1.1 23.9 14.3 15.1 24.0 7.2 4.5 4.3 4.1 1.2 1.4 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Equity Income Fund (UK Equity Income Fund was launched 29 January 2015) Significant purchases during the period comprised: Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy Imperial Tobacco, AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, British American Tobacco, Unilever, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares, Pearson, Legal & General, Reckitt Benckiser, Diageo, BAE Systems, BT, Royal Dutch Shell ‘A’ Shares, Rio Tinto, Booker, HSBC, Next, Aviva. The Fund aims to provide an income with the opportunity to grow the value of your investment by investing primarily in the shares of UK companies. The Fund can also invest in other assets including (but not limited to) derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). Derivatives are used for investment purposes. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Performance Record The UK Equity Income Fund was launched on the 29th of January, 2015, and due to this short time period we have not included a performance review commentary within this report. However, analysis of the Fund’s performance will be included in the annual report for the period ending 30 September 2015, issued later in the year. For the latest performance updates, including a monthly portfolio manager’s commentary, please visit our website at www.investecassetmanagement.com. Outlook We believe that many developed economies around the world are heavily indebted relative to history, and that their need to pay this debt off will continue to cause sustained low economic growth in the developed world. The environment for investing has become increasingly uncertain, and very real risks remain, for example around global growth, central bank policy, regulation, geopolitical risk, a potential Greek exit from the euro and commodity prices. Similarly, at the stock level, we believe valuations in many cases now leave little room for disappointment, with fewer value opportunities than in prior years. We take a ‘total return’ approach that combines income and capital growth, and we focus on long term sustainable dividend growth, not dividend yield. In this difficult environment, we believe that companies with sustainably high or improving returns, low requirements for capital spending, healthy cashflows, and the ability to reinvest those cashflows in their business for future growth, are those most likely to grow their dividends and deliver attractive total returns. Significant sales during the period comprised: Royal Dutch Shell ‘A’ Shares, BAE Systems, Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares. Risk and Reward profile* Higher risk Potentially higher rewards Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the Risk and Reward Indicator scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies whose values tend to fluctuate more widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Concentration: Investments may be primarily concentrated in specific areas (e.g. countries/geographical regions and/or industry sectors), in terms of investment style (e.g. income or growth), in individual holdings and/or in a number of other ways. This may mean the value of the Fund may decrease whilst more broadly invested funds might grow. Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. Equity investment: The value of equities (e.g. shares) and equity-related investments may vary according to company profits and future prospects as well as more general market factors. In the event of a company default, the owners of their equity rank last in terms of any financial payment from that company. Liquidity: There may be insufficient buyers or sellers of particular investments giving rise to delays in trading and being able to make settlements from the Fund and/or large fluctuations in the value of the Fund which may lead to larger financial losses than might be anticipated. 37 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Equity Income Fund (continued) Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. You may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 30 November Performance SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 ‘A’ Class - accumulation 98.19 n/a ‘A’ Class - income-2 99.15 n/a ‘I’ Class - accumulation 98.25 n/a ‘I’ Class - income-2 99.28 n/a 100.42 n/a ‘J’ Class - income-2 99.63 n/a ‘S’ Class - income-2 99.40 n/a ‘J’ Class - accumulation Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS Share price range 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class - accumulation ‡ 1.61 n/a ‘A’ Class - income-2 ‡ 1.61 n/a ‘I’ Class - accumulation ‡ 0.86 n/a ‘I’ Class - income-2 ‡ 0.86 n/a ‘J’ Class - accumulation ‡ 0.76 n/a ‘J’ Class - income-2 ‡ 0.76 n/a ‘S’ Class - income-2 ‡ 0.11 n/a UK Equity Income Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 102.33 - - Lowest Price 97.83 - - 0.32 - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 104.24 - - Lowest Price 98.00 - - 0.93 - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. UK Equity Income Fund ‘A’ Class (Income-2 shares)(1) ‡ The OCF shown here is an estimate of the charges. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. Summary Distributions SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 ‘A’ Class - accumulation 0.32 n/a ‘A’ Class - income-2 0.93 n/a ‘I’ Class - accumulation 0.38 n/a ‘I’ Class - income-2 0.91 n/a ‘J’ Class - accumulation 0.70 n/a ‘J’ Class - income-2 0.79 n/a ‘S’ Class - income-2 0.91 n/a 38 Net revenue per income share OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Equity Income Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) UK Equity Income Fund ‘J’ Class (Income-2 shares)(2) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 102.40 - - Highest Price 104.66 - - Lowest Price 97.86 - - Lowest Price 100.00 - - 0.38 - - Net revenue per income share 0.79 - - 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per income share - - - CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Net revenue per accumulation share UK Equity Income Fund ‘I’ Class (Income-2 shares)(1) UK Equity Income Fund ‘S’ Class (Income-2 shares)(1) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 104.44 - - Highest Price 104.52 - Lowest Price 98.03 - - Lowest Price 98.05 - 0.91 - - Net revenue per income share 0.91 - 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per income share * Up to 31 March 2015 UK Equity Income Fund ‘J’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) CALENDAR YEAR Highest Price 2015* 104.66 2014 - 2013 - (1) Launched 29 January 2015 (2) Launched 18 February 2015 (3) Launched 27 February 2015 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. Lowest Price 100.00 - - 0.70 - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share 39 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Equity Income Fund (continued) Portfolio analysis Sector split (%) Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY 31.03.15 Imperial Tobacco 5.5 GlaxoSmithKline 5.1 AstraZeneca 4.9 British American Tobacco 4.5 Unilever 4.3 Pearson 4.2 Legal & General 4.0 Reckitt Benckiser 3.9 Royal Dutch Shell ‘B’ Shares 3.8 BT 2.9 40 2015 31.03.15 Consumer Goods Financials Consumer Services Industrials Health Care Oil & Gas Basic Materials Telecommunications Technology Utilities Net other assets 22.4 22.4 15.9 14.9 10.0 4.9 3.7 2.9 1.9 1.3 (0.3) OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Other information Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific changes not requiring notice – UK Equity Income Fund was launched on 29 January 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, A, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 29 January 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, I, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 29 January 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, J, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 18 February 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, S, Income-2, Net, GBP share class was launched on 29 January 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, A, Accumulation, Net, GBP share class was launched on 27 February 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, I, Accumulation, Net, GBP share class was launched on 27 February 2015. – UK Equity Income Fund, J, Accumulation, Net, GBP share class was launched on 18 January 2015. There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. 41 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Smaller Companies Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund invests primarily in the shares of UK smaller companies and in related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). UK smaller companies are companies considered to be small based on the size of their issued capital (the value of all shares held by their shareholders added together) and which are included in the Numis Smaller Companies plus AIM (excluding Investment Trusts) Index. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested and does not manage it with reference to an index. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 5 6 7 Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. Equity investment: The value of equities (e.g. shares) and equity-related investments may vary according to company profits and future prospects as well as more general market factors. In the event of a company default, the owners of their equity rank last in terms of any financial payment from that company. Liquidity: There may be insufficient buyers or sellers of particular investments giving rise to delays in trading and being able to make settlements from the Fund and/or large fluctuations in the value of the Fund which may lead to larger financial losses than might be anticipated. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. The full list of the Fund’s risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Performance record This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the Risk and Reward Indicator scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies, whose values tend to fluctuate more widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Concentration: Investments may be primarily concentrated in specific areas (e.g. countries/geographical regions and/or industry sectors), in terms of investment style (e.g. income or growth), in individual holdings and/or in a number of other ways. This may mean the value of the Fund may decrease whilst more broadly invested funds might grow. 42 Performance (sterling) Investec UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares +1.2%* Performance comparison index: +2.7%** Peer group: +4.4%** Small-cap companies underperformed mid- and largecap companies in general, which affected the Fund’s performance. However, the Fund’s underweight exposure to the oil and gas sector made a significant contribution to relative returns. UK equities, especially mid-cap stocks, enjoyed a solid run over the review period, with the FTSE 250 returning 12.2% and hitting an all-time high. Similarly, the FTSE 100 broke through the 7000 mark for the first time in its history, with investors apparently undeterred by the uncertain outcome of May’s general election and the possibility of a Greek exit from the eurozone. However, small-cap companies lagged behind their larger counterparts. The underlying dynamics of the economy remained strong, with the UK the fastest growing of all developed economies in 2014. Meanwhile, the oil-price collapse in the final quarter of 2014 led to a decrease in inflationary pressure, extended expectations for the timing of interest-rate rises and increased consumer confidence. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Factors helping performance The Fund benefited from the decline in the oil price, with our underweight exposure to the oil and gas sector the largest contributor to relative returns. In terms of individual stocks, the greatest contributor was Plus500. The Fund had supported the 2013 initial public offering of this brokerage company, which provided robust returns after it announced a special dividend and rallied further after publishing a strong set of annual results in February. Other strong performers were Eros, an Indian media company experiencing strong growth, and Bovis, a leading housebuilder. Factors hindering performance likely to affect all stages of the value chains supporting industries such as oil & gas, though consumers stand to benefit through lower prices. The diversity of the smaller-company market provides better opportunities for stock-picking, and we continue to find what we believe are attractively valued companies with strong potential through new technology and exposure to growth markets. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (Numis Small-Cap (ex-IT) plus AIM Index) and peer group (Investment Association UK Smaller Companies sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. Fund facts By contrast, our stock selection within the industrials and technology sectors detracted most from relative returns. The chief detractor from performance was Tungsten, an electronic-invoicing specialist, which was hit by negative newsflow. Elsewhere, technology stock Digital Globe Services announced a loss for the second half of 2014 and Amerisur Resources, an oil and gas company, suffered as a result of the falling oil price. Other poor performers included Quindell and Pressure Technologies, two stocks in which we have subsequently closed our positions. Actions taken by Quindell’s management over the period called into question the company’s ability to fulfil its potential. Significant purchases during the period comprised: INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 30 November Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) SHARE CLASS 2015 2014 ‘A’ Class – accumulation 1.59 1.59 ‘A’ Class – income 1.59 1.59 ‘I’ Class – accumulation 0.84 0.84 Interserve, Gamma Communications, Eurocell, ISG, Mortgage Advice Bureau. ‘I’ Class – income 0.84 0.84 ‘R’ Class – accumulation 1.09 1.09 Significant sales during the period comprised: ‘S’ Class – accumulation 0.09 0.09 Eros International, Keller, Telecom Plus, Bovis Home, Plus500. ‘S’ Class – income 0.09 0.09 Outlook We are optimistic on the outlook for UK smaller companies as, in our opinion, their diverse nature offers more opportunities to find value through stock-picking. The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. The global economic outlook is still ambiguous, with uncertainty about economic recoveries in Europe and Asia balanced against signs of sustained GDP growth and rising real wages in the UK and the US. And after years of improving economic conditions and stock-market performance, many financial markets are becoming increasingly volatile. The valuation case for equities continues to be well supported, as other investments, such as bonds, yield close to zero or even negative returns. Commodity-price falls are 43 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Smaller Companies Fund (continued) Summary UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘A’ Class (Income shares) Distributions SHARE CLASS CALENDAR YEAR DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 3,199.33 3,547.77 3,167.00 3,020.78 2,864.03 2,207.07 - - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 2,177.66 1,989.58 1,790.58 Lowest Price 1,754.29 1,651.21 1,265.67 - - 5.30 ‘A’ Class – accumulation - - Lowest Price ‘A’ Class – income - - Net revenue per income share ‘I’ Class – accumulation - - ‘I’ Class – income - - ‘R’ Class – accumulation - - ‘S’ Class – accumulation - - ‘S’ Class – income - - Net revenue per income share UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) As distributions are paid annually on 30 November, no distributions are payable within this interim short report. CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 161.28 177.56 158.16 Lowest Price 152.11 143.91 109.38 - 0.97 0.51 2012 2011 2010 Performance SHARE CLASS NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 Net revenue per accumulation share ‘A’ Class – accumulation 3,371.28 3,330.86 ‘A’ Class – income 3,132.30 3,094.78 157.93 155.45 Highest Price 107.91 - - 4,548.53 4,477.03 Lowest Price 91.41 - - ‘R’ Class – accumulation 143.47 141.39 0.42 - - ‘S’ Class – accumulation 3,607.65 3,537.63 ‘S’ Class – income 3,186.56 3,123.08 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 4,645.07 5,144.57 4,583.01 Lowest Price 4,380.87 4,144.68 3,180.30 - 26.81 14.27 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 3,137.73 2,874.79 2,577.24 Lowest Price 2,524.54 2,387.49 1,821.17 18.94 18.17 22.22 ‘I’ Class – accumulation ‘I’ Class – income Net revenue per accumulation share UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘I’ Class (Income shares) CALENDAR YEAR Share price range UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 3,443.34 3,818.40 3,408.58 Lowest Price 3,251.19 3,082.49 2,374.54 - - - Net revenue per accumulation share 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 2,342.89 2,141.10 1,926.95 Lowest Price 1,887.31 1,776.99 1,357.50 - - 5.71 Net revenue per accumulation share 44 Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Portfolio analysis UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 146.52 161.70 144.14 Lowest Price 138.24 130.88 99.90 - 0.55 0.33 Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY Net revenue per accumulation share 31.03.15 Plus500 3.4 Optimal Payments 3.2 National Express 2.9 2012 2011 2010 Entertainment One 2.8 Highest Price - - - HellermannTyton 2.5 Lowest Price - - - Arrow Global 2.1 Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Staffline 2.1 Redcentric 2.1 Pace 2.1 SafeStyle UK 2.0 UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares)(1) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 3,683.63 4,026.60 3,579.56 Lowest Price 3,470.20 3,276.09 2,457.22 - 48.44 31.01 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 2,424.17 2,166.75 129.00 Lowest Price 1,923.81 1,800.68 89.67 30.13 28.48 1.82 Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share UK Smaller Companies Fund ‘S’ Class (Income shares)(1) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 3,252.12 3,604.11 3,203.97 Lowest Price 3,063.69 2,892.31 2,221.37 - 43.36 28.03 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 2,191.50 2,015.28 149.98 Lowest Price 1,761.95 1,666.96 105.95 27.59 26.48 2.14 Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share SECURITY 30.09.14 Optimal Payments 3.4 National Express 3.2 Bovis Homes 2.7 Plus500 2.6 Entertainment One 2.5 Amerisur Resources 2.4 Skyepharma 2.1 Keller 2.1 HellermannTyton 2.1 Tungsten 1.9 * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Consolidated 18 July 2011 (2) Launched 2 May 2012 (3) Launched 2 January 2013 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. 45 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Smaller Companies Fund (continued) Other information Sector split (%) Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. There have been no fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. 2015 More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. Industrials Consumer Services Financials Technology Consumer Goods Net other assets Health Care Oil & Gas Basic Materials Utilities Telecommunications 46 31.03.15 30.09.14 22.7 22.2 16.5 15.3 7.5 5.8 3.3 3.1 2.3 1.3 - 22.6 23.1 15.3 16.2 4.7 4.2 3.3 5.1 2.4 1.3 1.8 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Special Situations Fund Summary of the Fund’s investment objective and policy The Fund aims to provide an income and to grow the value of your investment over the long term. The Fund invests primarily in the shares of companies in the UK and in related derivatives (financial contracts whose value is linked to the price of an underlying asset). The Fund will use a contrarian approach (investing in a way that is likely to be different to current general market views) in selecting investments. The Investment Manager is free to choose how the Fund is invested. However, the FTSE All-Share Index is taken into account when the Fund’s investments are selected. Equity investment: The value of equities (e.g. shares) and equity-related investments may vary according to company profits and future prospects as well as more general market factors. In the event of a company default, the owners of their equity rank last in terms of any financial payment from that company. Liquidity: There may be insufficient buyers or sellers of particular investments giving rise to delays in trading and being able to make settlements from the Fund and/or large fluctuations in the value of the Fund which may lead to larger financial losses than might be anticipated. Third party operational: The Fund’s operations depend on third parties. Investors in the Fund may suffer disruption or financial loss in the event of third-party operational failure. Full details on this Fund’s investment objective and policy can be found in the prospectus. The full list of the Fund's risks are contained in Appendix vii of the Investec Funds Series i prospectus. Risk and Reward profile* *The Risk and Reward profile is taken from the Key Investor Information Document. Please note that, the Risk and Reward profile section is based on Sterling “A” Class Accumulation shares. Lower risk Potentially lower rewards 1 2 Higher risk Potentially higher rewards 3 4 5 6 7 Performance record Performance (sterling) Investec UK Special Situations Fund ‘A’ accumulation shares This indicator is based on historical data and may not be a reliable indication of the future risk profile of the Fund. The risk and reward category shown is not guaranteed to remain unchanged and may shift over time. The lowest category does not mean ‘risk free’. The value of your investment and any income from it can fall as well as rise and you are not certain of making profits; losses may be made. The Fund appears towards the middle of the risk and reward indicator scale. This is because it invests in the shares of companies whose values tend to fluctuate more widely. The following risks may not be fully captured by the Risk and Reward Indicator: Concentration: Investments may be primarily concentrated in specific areas (e.g. countries/geographical regions and/or industry sectors), in terms of investment style (e.g. income or growth), in individual holdings and/or in a number of other ways. This may mean the value of the Fund may decrease whilst more broadly invested funds might grow. Derivatives: The use of derivatives is not intended to increase the overall level of risk in the Fund. However, the use of derivatives may still lead to large changes in the value of the Fund and includes the potential for large financial loss. +4.4%* Performance comparison index: +5.3%** Peer group: +7.3%** The Fund’s top contributors to relative returns were Grafton Group and Carnival, with our underweight exposure to the mining sector, which performed poorly, also positive. In contrast, Qinetiq Group and Avon Products were the chief detractors. Factors helping performance The stock that performed the best for the Fund over the period was Grafton Group. Shares in the constructionmaterials supplier performed well after the company released better-than-expected full-year results for 2014. Its management reported the UK’s continued recovery and rapidly improving Irish construction market were the main drivers of its results. Carnival shares also performed well, as the cruise operator continued to enjoy the benefit of lower fuel costs. This was confirmed by the company’s first-quarter results, in which it reported moving from loss to profit thanks to a 7% decline in costs. Over the longer term, we think the structure of the industry should help Carnival to deliver decent returns. In other positive factors for the Fund’s relative performance, continued concerns in the market about the global 47 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Special Situations Fund (continued) economic outlook pulled the mining sector lower. We shared these concerns, therefore the Fund did not hold miners BHP Billiton and Glencore, which was positive for performance as both stocks fell over the period. Factors hindering performance Turning to stocks that were negative, defence-technology contractor Qinetiq Group was the worst-performing stock over the period. The shares fell when the chief executive left the company towards the end of 2014. The company was also hit by fears that reversals in working capital (a company’s assets minus its liabilities) may weaken the firm’s balance sheet. The stock has been more stable so far in 2015. Avon Products was also unhelpful for the Fund’s performance. A stronger US dollar and weak profits from emerging markets were unhelpful for trading, but we have long believed that the company’s issues are primarily of its own making, and that there is the potential for it to be better managed and far more profitable than in recent years. For example, Avon’s operating profit margin in 2013 was 4.3%, compared with 12.5% as recently as 2008. However, with recovery still showing little sign of getting off the ground, the company has generated lower levels of cash than expected – this has begun to leave Avon’s balance sheet looking weaker than we would like. We have conducted significant balance-sheet analysis over the past two years. As a result, we still believe Avon offers a potentially attractive opportunity, but we will keep its performance closely under review. In addition, we see the potential for higher volatility at the broader market level coming from geopolitical problems, central banks’ interest-rate policies, emerging market problem areas, and the growing levels of government debt around the world. Again, this is likely to impact on share prices and may provide us with new investment opportunities. The opinions expressed herein are as at end of March 2015. *Source: Morningstar, total return, income reinvested net of UK basic rate tax, no initial charge, accumulation share class (acc), net of fees in GBP. **Index (FTSE*** All-Share Total Return Index) and peer group (Investment Association UK All Companies sector) shown for performance comparison purposes only. *** Source: FTSE International Limited (“FTSE”) © FTSE 2014. Please note a disclaimer applies to FTSE data and can be found at http://www.ftse.com/products/downloads/FTSE_Wholly_Owned_NonPartner.pdf Fund facts INTERIM/ANNUAL ACCOUNTING DATES INCOME PAYMENT DATES 31 March, 30 September 30 November Ongoing Charges as per the Key Investor Information Document (%) 2015 2014 ‘A’ class – accumulation 1.60 1.59 ‘A’ class – income 1.60 1.59 Significant purchases during the period comprised: ‘A’ class – income-2 ‡ 1.60 n/a United Kingdom Gilt 4.75% 07/09/2015, Lloyds Banking, Drax, Centrica, BP. ‘B’ class – accumulation 1.10 1.09 ‘B’ class – income 1.10 1.09 Significant sales during the period comprised: ‘I’ class – accumulation 0.85 0.84 Unilever, Imperial Tobacco, Signet Jewelers, Tesco, QinetiQ. ‘I’ class – income 0.85 0.84 Outlook ‘I’ class – income-2 ‡ 0.85 n/a We think that stock prices are overvalued, and that we’re in an environment of significant macroeconomic risk. We will be watchful for investment opportunities that arise from volatility in individual stocks and at the broader market level. ‘J’ class – accumulation 0.75 0.74 ‘J’ class – income ‡ 0.75 0.74 ‘J’ class – income-2 ‡ 0.75 n/a ‘R’ class – accumulation 1.10 1.09 ‘S’ class – accumulation 0.11 0.09 We continue to look for cheap stocks that are out of favour in the market. Our opportunity set has certainly become more attractive during the year, though it is hard to find outstanding value. We believe share prices now reflect high expectations for future profitability, and we would not be surprised if a number of companies fail to meet these expectations. Therefore, we expect to see more volatility at the individual stock level which could give us the opportunity to invest if we feel that share prices over-react to bad news. 48 SHARE CLASS The Ongoing Charges Figure (OCF) is the ratio of the Fund’s total disclosable costs (excluding overdraft interest) to the average net assets of the Fund and is based on the expenses of the Fund’s Annual Reports & Accounts. ‡ The OCF shown here is an estimate of the charges. The Fund’s Annual Report & Accounts for each financial year will include details on the exact charges made. For more information about charges, please see section 7 of the Investec Fund Series i Prospectus. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Summary Share price range Distributions UK Special Situations Fund ‘A’ Class (Accumulation shares) SHARE CLASS DISTRIBUTIONS (P) DISTRIBUTIONS (P) AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 31.03.14 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 1,086.92 1,056.20 1,030.34 Lowest Price 996.00 949.24 831.99 - 24.46 21.03 2012 2011 2010 ‘A’ class – accumulation - - ‘A’ class – income - - ‘A’ class – income-2 - n/a ‘B’ class – accumulation - - ‘B’ class – income - - Highest Price 826.17 766.87 734.08 ‘I’ class – accumulation - - Lowest Price 719.88 645.66 607.79 ‘I’ class – income - - Net revenue per accumulation share 21.14 17.99 15.91 ‘I’ class – income-2 - n/a ‘J’ class – accumulation - - ‘J’ class – income - - ‘J’ class – income-2 - ‘R’ class – accumulation ‘S’ class – accumulation Net revenue per accumulation share UK Special Situations Fund ‘A’ Class (Income shares) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 n/a Highest Price 440.07 438.17 427.43 - - Lowest Price 403.26 384.32 352.70 - - Net revenue per income share - 10.15 8.92 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 352.32 343.27 328.59 Lowest Price 313.50 283.45 278.64 9.21 8.05 7.30 As distributions are paid annually on 30 November, no distributions are payable within this interim short report. Performance SHARE CLASS ‘A’ class – accumulation NET ASSET VALUE NET ASSET VALUE (P) PER SHARE (P) PER SHARE AS AT 31.03.15 AS AT 30.09.14 1,067.68 1,022.76 ‘A’ class – income 432.28 414.14 ‘A’ class – income-2 102.89 n/a 1,125.67 1,075.62 ‘B’ class – income 445.86 426.11 ‘I’ class – accumulation 169.81 162.06 ‘I’ class – income 134.54 128.42 ‘I’ class – income-2 103.21 n/a ‘J’ class – accumulation 110.46 105.36 ‘J’ class – income 103.63 98.80 ‘J’ class – income-2 103.16 n/a ‘R’ class – accumulation 129.76 123.99 ‘S’ class – accumulation 1,124.31 1,068.88 ‘B’ class – accumulation Net revenue per income share UK Special Situations Fund ‘A’ Class (Income-2 shares)(6) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 104.75 100.00 - Lowest Price 95.98 93.68 - - - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per income share 49 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Special Situations Fund (continued) UK Special Situations Fund ‘B’ Class (Accumulation shares) CALENDAR YEAR UK Special Situations Fund ‘I’ Class (Income shares)(1) 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 1,145.85 1,110.63 1,079.54 Highest Price 136.95 136.35 132.30 Lowest Price 1,048.89 998.53 867.43 Lowest Price 125.29 119.22 108.69 - 28.36 24.37 - 3.65 3.16 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 861.20 793.58 757.70 Highest Price 108.71 100.46 - Lowest Price 746.82 668.47 625.80 Lowest Price 96.23 86.75 - 23.90 20.45 18.06 3.21 0.73 - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share UK Special Situations Fund ‘B’ Class (Income shares) Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share UK Special Situations Fund ‘I’ Class (Income-2 shares)(6) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 453.85 451.89 439.24 Highest Price 105.04 100.00 - Lowest Price 415.46 395.51 361.43 Lowest Price 96.08 93.72 - - 11.54 10.08 - - - 2012 2011 2011 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 361.34 350.92 335.05 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 320.41 289.33 284.12 Lowest Price - - - 10.26 9.04 8.19 Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per income share Net revenue per income share UK Special Situations Fund ‘I’ Class (Accumulation shares) Net revenue per income share UK Special Situations Fund ‘J’ Class (Accumulation shares)(4) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 172.85 167.32 162.35 Highest Price 112.43 108.78 105.46 Lowest Price 158.14 150.46 130.12 Lowest Price 102.84 97.83 98.92 - 4.47 3.84 - 2.94 - 2012 2011 2010 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 129.18 118.60 113.16 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price 111.75 99.92 93.46 Lowest Price - - - 3.73 3.12 2.70 Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share Net revenue per accumulation share 50 Net revenue per accumulation share OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Special Situations Fund ‘J’ Class (Income shares)(5) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 105.48 102.75 - Lowest Price 96.49 91.72 - - 0.73 - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Net revenue per income share 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price 841.04 764.04 120.97 Lowest Price 722.60 644.21 99.43 26.97 23.04 3.39 Net revenue per accumulation share * Up to 31 March 2015 (1) Launched 15 July 2011 (2) Consolidation 18 July 2011 (3) Launched 2 January 2013 (4) Launched 4 October 2013 (5) Launched 27 June 2014 (6) Launched 5 December 2014 High and low prices are quoted at mid valuations. UK Special Situations Fund ‘J’ Class (Income-2 shares)(6) Portfolio analysis CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 105.04 100.00 - Lowest Price 96.08 93.72 - - - - 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per income share - - - Top 10 Holdings (%) SECURITY Net revenue per income share UK Special Situations Fund ‘R’ Class (Accumulation shares)(3) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 132.09 128.02 124.45 Lowest Price 120.91 115.10 100.96 - 3.26 2.69 2012 2011 2010 Highest Price - - - Lowest Price - - - Net revenue per accumulation share - - - Net revenue per accumulation share UK Special Situations Fund ‘S’ Class (Accumulation shares)(2) CALENDAR YEAR 2015* 2014 2013 Highest Price 1,144.32 1,103.44 1,065.04 Lowest Price 1,045.34 992.80 847.42 - 33.24 28.33 Net revenue per accumulation share 31.03.15 HSBC 8.1 GlaxoSmithKline 7.4 Royal Dutch Shell 'B' Shares 7.4 United Kingdom Treasury 4.75% 07/09/2015 6.9 BP 6.2 Grafton 5.0 Lloyds Banking 4.0 Royal Bank of Scotland 3.5 Carnival 3.4 British American Tobacco 3.1 SECURITY 30.09.14 Royal Dutch Shell 'B' Shares 9.0 HSBC 8.7 GlaxoSmithKline 6.9 BP 5.3 United Kingdom Treasury 4.75% 07/09/2015 4.5 Grafton 4.1 British American Tobacco 3.5 Royal Bank of Scotland 3.3 Unilever 3.3 QinetiQ 3.2 51 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I UK Special Situations Fund (continued) Other information Sector split (%) Please refer to the important information section at the back for changes which generally apply across the Investec Fund Series. Fund specific change requiring notice After consultation with the Depositary and in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.3 of the COLL, shareholders were given notice of following: 2015 On 30 September 2014 of the change in allocation policy of UK Special Situations Fund to allow Income-2 share classes. Financials Industrials Oil & Gas Consumer Services Health Care Bonds Net other assets Utilities Consumer Goods Telecommunications Basic Materials Technology Forward Foreign Exchange Contracts Derivatives 52 31.03.15 30.09.14 24.8 16.0 15.0 11.3 7.4 7.0 5.5 4.1 4.1 2.6 1.4 0.8 – – 22.8 17.3 16.4 11.1 6.9 4.9 5.3 0.8 9.7 2.8 1.1 0.8 0.1 – On 30 September 2014 of the change to the charges and expenses policy of the UK Special Situations Fund. With effect from 5 December 2014 100% of the charges and expenses will be paid out of the income earned by the Fund rather than 50% out of income and 50% out of capital. There have been no other fundamental changes to the Company or the Fund that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Company or Fund requiring pre-notification. More information about the activities and performance of the Fund for this and previous periods can be obtained from the ACD. OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Important information Changes made requiring notice Other changes After consultation with the Depositary and in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.3 of the COLL, shareholders were given notice of the following: In accordance with CASS, the ACD will operate under the Delivery versus Payment Exemption (“DvP Exemption”) in relation to subscriptions and redemptions with effect from 8 May 2015 (or if not, a date thereafter up to 1 June 2015). The DvP Exemption allows the ACD two small periods of time during which the ACD can process a Shareholder’s money without holding it in a client money account (as detailed in CASS, an account designed to protect a Shareholder’s rights to money). In summary, these exceptions are: – On 31 July 2014, of the change of the settlement period from four business days to three business days, effective 6 October 2014. Report and Accounts Please contact Investec Fund Managers Limited for the long form report and accounts of the OEIC. Share class conversion For share class conversions within the same Fund it may be necessary, at the discretion of the ACD and only when it is in the interests of shareholders for accounting purposes to do so, defer the completion of such conversions to a subsequent valuation point or ultimately to the valuation point immediately following the end of the relevant Fund's accounting period. If such a deferral is required, the ACD will notify the shareholder requesting the conversion as soon as practicable and will discuss with the shareholder the timing for the completion of the conversion. (1) for subscriptions of Shares into the Funds, where money is provided to the ACD from the Shareholder earlier than the relevant settlement date for the Shares, the money will be held in the ACD’s corporate bank account and transferred to a client money account or to the relevant Fund at the latest by the end of the business day after the ACD received the money from the Shareholder; or (2) for redemptions of Shares in the Funds, where money is received from the Fund by the ACD to pay the Shareholder for the redemption, this money may be held in a corporate bank account prior to payment to the Shareholder and if not paid by the ACD to the Shareholder at the latest by the end of the business day after receipt from the Fund, the money will be transferred to a client money account. Typically the ACD would only not have paid the money to the Shareholder within this period after immediately on receipt from the Fund if the ACD had not received completed redemption documentation from the Shareholder. There have been no other fundamental changes to Funds that required shareholder approval or any other significant changes to the operation of the Funds requiring pre-notification. 53 OEIC | SEMI-ANNUAL SHORT REPORT INVESTEC FUNDS SERIES I Additional information ISA status During the year under review, the shares of the funds met the requirements for eligibility to be held in a stocks and shares ISA as determined by the regulations which govern ISAs. Investec Fund Managers Limited offer the A shares of the funds through its own ISA plan*. *Please note that while the Multi-Asset Protector Fund became a qualifying investment for a stocks and shares ISA as of 1 January 2011, this may change over time. Please refer to the section of the Supplementary Information Document titled 'ISA Investment in the Multi-Asset Protector Fund' for further information. Distributions Where a distribution is to be paid, it has been calculated as at 31 March 2015 and will be distributed to shareholders where applicable on 31 May 2015. For accumulation shares income distribution payments are deemed to be paid on 31 May 2015. Telephone calls Telephone calls may be recorded for training and quality assurance purposes. 54 Investment Adviser Authorised Corporate Director (ACD) Investec Asset Management Limited Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall Street, London, EC2V 5HA Investec Fund Managers Limited Contact address PO Box, 9042, Chelmsford CM99 2XL Telephone +44 (0)20 7597 1900 Registrar Freephone 0800 389 2299 International Financial Data Services (UK) Limited IFDS House, St Nicholas Lane, Basildon, Essex, SS15 5FS Email enquiries@investecmail.com Indicator online valuation service www.investecassetmanagement.com Registered address Woolgate Exchange, 25 Basinghall Street, London, EC2V 5HA Depositary State Street Trustees Limited 20 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HJ Fund Administrator State Street Bank and Trust Company Limited 20 Churchill Place, London, E14 5HJ Independent Auditors IAM/R&Ai/Interim/05/15 KPMG LLP 15 Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5GL Issued by Investec Fund Managers Limited, May 2015. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.