Edinburgh-based investment giant Baillie Gifford has dominated AJ Bell’s “Most Popular Funds And Shares Of 2021” report.

Baillie Gifford American, Baillie Gifford Positive Change, Baillie Gifford Global Discovery and Baillie Gifford Global Alpha Growth are included in the Top 10 most popular funds.

Further, Baillie Gifford’s high-flying flagship fund, the £21 billion Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust plc, is ranked top of AJ Bell’s most popular investment trusts, with the firm’s Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust and Monks Investment Trust also in the Top 10 trusts.

Baillie Gifford had around £360 billion under management and advice as at November 22, 2021.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, said: “DIY fund buyers didn’t get the memo that value investing is back in fashion, instead largely plumping for growth strategies over the course of 2021 …

“Investors also showed a clear preference for global funds, which seem to be cleaning up across the board when it comes to attracting new investment.

“As does Baillie Gifford, which runs four of the most popular funds and two of the most popular investment trusts, despite some of these posting weaker performance than investors have become accustomed to …

“Investment trust buyers showed a bit more willingness to buy local, with a couple of the most popular trusts investing in UK shares, and the Scottish Investment Trust even flying the flag for a contrarian, value approach to investment management.

“Interesting too that Blackrock World Mining and Fidelity China Special Situations feature, which shows trust investors are willing to look through Beijing’s crackdown on what it sees as disorderly capitalism, and the effect its chastening of the property market may have on demand for raw materials …”