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Ruffer LLP
Form ADV Part 2A Brochure
80 VICTORIA ST
LONDON SW1E 5JL
+44 (0)20 7963 8100
RUFFER.CO.UK
JUNE 2025
Form ADV Part 2A Brochure
ITEM 1: COVER PAGE
ITEM 2: SUMMARY OF
MATERIAL CHANGES
In this Item of our Form ADV Part 2, we are
required to discuss any material changes that have
been made to Form ADV since the last Annual
Amendment in June 2024.
MATERIAL CHANGES SINCE THE LAST UPDATE
This Firm Brochure (‘Form ADV Part 2’) provides
information regarding the qualifications and business
practices of Ruffer LLP (the ‘Firm’, ‘we’, ‘us’, ‘our’).
If you have any questions about the contents of
this Brochure, please contact Lucy Hodgson, Chief
Compliance Officer, at +44 (0)20 7824 0520 or
lhodgson@ruffer.co.uk
In October 2024, an ‘other-than-annual’ amendment
was filed to confirm that Lucy Hodgson took on the
role of Chief Compliance Officer.
The information in this Brochure has not been
approved or verified by the United States Securities
and Exchange Commission or by any state
securities authority.
ANNUAL UPDATE
Additional information about our Firm is also available
at adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/309733
You will receive a summary of any material changes to
our Form ADV brochure within 120 days of our fiscal
year end. We may also provide updated disclosure
information about material changes on a more
frequent basis. Any summaries of changes will include
the date of the last Form ADV Annual Update.
We are a registered investment adviser. Please note
that use of the term ‘registered investment adviser’
and a description of the Firm and/or our employees
as ‘registered’ does not imply a certain level of
skill or training.
FULL BROCHURE AVAILABLE
Our Form ADV may be requested at any time,
without charge by contacting Lucy Hodgson, Chief
Compliance Officer, at +44 (0)20 7824 0520 or
lhodgson@ruffer.co.uk. Additional information
about the Firm is also available via the SEC’s website
at adviserinfo.sec.gov/firm/summary/309733. The
SEC’s website also provides information about any
employees affiliated with the Firm who are registered
as investment adviser representatives.
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ITEM 3: TABLE OF CONTENTS
Form ADV Part 2A Brochure
1
Item 1: Cover page
1
Item 2: Summary of material changes
1
Item 3: Table of contents
2
Item 4: Advisory business
3
Item 5: Fees and compensation
4
Item 6: Performance-based fees and side-by-side management
4
Item 7: Types of clients
5
Item 8: Methods of analysis, investment strategies and risk of loss
5
Item 9: Disciplinary information
7
Item 10: Other financial industry activities and affiliations
7
Item 11: Code of ethics, participation or interest in client transactions and personal trading
7
Item 12: Brokerage practices
9
Item 13: Review of accounts
10
Item 14: Client referrals and other compensation
10
Item 15: Custody
10
Item 16: Investment discretion
11
Item 17: Voting client securities
11
Item 18: Financial information
11
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ITEM 4: ADVISORY BUSINESS
macro-driven, absolute return strategy. We have two
simple investment objectives
FIRM INFORMATION
1 not to lose money in any rolling 12 month period
2 to grow funds at a higher rate than would be
achieved by depositing them in cash
We are a Registered Investment Adviser with the
US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and
regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.
The portfolios we create for our clients have no
constraints on their asset allocation. This means they
will typically consist of some or all of the following
assets: equities, bonds, Ruffer-managed funds, third
party managed funds, commodities exposure, foreign
currencies and derivatives. The portfolio’s multi-asset
allocation will be built to reflect our stated investment
objective to preserve capital as well as any investment
constraints imposed by the client.
Ruffer is an independent Investment Manager,
founded in 1994 by Jonathan Ruffer (Chairman), to
provide a different approach to discretionary fund
management. We are owned and operated by the
existing and former partners of the Firm. Members of
the partnership contribute capital to and share in the
profitability of the Firm. We believe this arrangement
aligns the interests of the partnership with those of our
clients, in seeking to achieve long term, sustainable
investment returns and client relationships.
TAILORED RELATIONSHIPS
TYPES OF ADVISORY SERVICES
Whilst keeping to the dual investment aims described
above, we are able to tailor investment advisory
services to the individual needs of the client. Our
clients may impose restrictions on the investments in
their account. All limitations and restrictions placed on
accounts must be agreed in writing.
WRAP FEE PROGRAMS
We do not sponsor, manage or participate in a
wrap-fee program.
FIDUCIARY STATEMENT
The firm provides discretionary investment
management services. Advice is limited to investments
in the Ruffer strategy. In the US, the Firm is marketed
to non-retail investors. The Firm also manages a
number of investment vehicles, including: a London
listed, Guernsey registered investment company, a
number of UK and Luxembourg domiciled UCITS
collective investment schemes and a Cayman Limited
Company master feeder fund (with Cayman Limited
Company and Delaware Limited Partnership feeder
funds). Some of these funds are offered in the US
through private placements.
Our compensation is solely from fees paid directly by
clients. We do not receive commissions based on our
clients’ purchase(s) of any financial product, including
insurance. No commissions in any form are accepted.
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Both we and our employees are fiduciaries who must
take into consideration the best interests of the Firm’s
clients. We will act with competence, dignity, integrity,
and in an ethical manner, when dealing with clients.
We will use reasonable care and exercise independent
professional judgement when conducting investment
analysis, making investment recommendations,
trading, promoting our services, and engaging in other
professional activities.
We will manage investment accounts on a discretionary
basis only. This service typically includes the selection,
monitoring and review of portfolio assets, and follows a
single investment philosophy and process.
As a fiduciary, we have the obligation to deal fairly
with our clients. We have the following responsibilities
when working with a client to–
– render impartial advice
– make appropriate recommendations based on
the client’s needs, financial circumstances and
investment objectives
– exercise a high degree of care and diligence to
Prior to investment, we will gather information about
a client’s financial situation, including investment
objectives, risk capacity and constraints, to ensure that
our approach is appropriate. The client will enter into
an Investment Management Agreement (IMA) with us
prior to the management of the portfolio beginning.
The IMA sets out the terms of the engagement.
ensure that information is presented in an accurate
manner and not in a way to mislead
We manage all client portfolios in line with our single
investment approach, which is described as a global,
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CALCULATION AND PAYMENT
– have reasonable basis, information, and
understanding of the facts in order to provide
appropriate recommendations and representations
– disclose any material conflict of interest which can’t
be mitigated/managed in writing and
The specific manner in which we charge fees is
established in a client’s written agreement with us. The
amount due in fees is debited directly from our client’s
accounts unless they have elected to be invoiced
directly for fees.
– treat clients fairly and equitably.
ASSETS UNDER MANAGEMENT
Accounts initiated during a calendar quarter will
be charged a prorated fee. Upon termination of any
account, the fee for the final, partial calendar quarter
will be prorated. Any prepaid, unearned fees will be
promptly refunded, and any earned, unpaid fees will be
due and payable.
As of 31 March 2025, our assets under management
are $24,201,709,009. This number represents all the
assets the Firm manages for its discretionary clients.
The Firm does not manage any assets on a non-
discretionary basis.
AGREEMENT TERMS
ITEM 5: FEES AND COMPENSATION
We base our fees on a percentage of assets under
management. Our fee schedules are described below.
The client may terminate an agreement at any
time by notifying us in writing. We may terminate
an agreement by giving the client at least four
weeks’ notice.
COMPENSATION – INVESTMENT
GENERAL INFORMATION ON COMPENSATION
MANAGEMENT SERVICES
AND OTHER FEES
Our annual investment management fees are
calculated upon the level of chargeable assets
under management in accordance with the
following schedule.
Segregated portfolios tiered fee scale*
(% of funds under management)
%
Minimum $100,000,000
$100,000,000-250,000,000
0.90
$250,000,000-500,000,000
0.80
In certain circumstances, fees, account minimums and
payment terms are negotiable depending on a client’s
unique situation – such as the size of the aggregate
related party portfolio size. Certain clients may pay
more or less than others depending on the amount
of assets, type of portfolio, or the time involved, the
degree of responsibility assumed, complexity of the
engagement, special skills needed to solve problems,
the application of experience and knowledge of the
client’s situation.
Above $500,000,000
0.70
This table of charges is supplied to the client
along with the IMA.
Our fees are exclusive of brokerage commissions,
transaction fees, and other related costs and expenses
which shall be incurred by the client. Such charges,
fees and commissions are exclusive of and in addition
to our fees, and we shall not receive any portion of
these commissions, fees, and costs.
The asset-based fee is billed on a quarterly basis, in
arrears, based upon the market value of the client’s
account, on the last day of the previous quarter.
Clients should note that similar management services
may (or may not) be available from other registered
investment advisers for similar or lower fees.
ITEM 6: PERFORMANCE-BASED FEES AND
SIDE-BY-SIDE MANAGEMENT
It should be noted that in order to ensure there is no
double charging to clients, holdings in any Ruffer funds
are excluded from the calculation of the investment
management fees where Ruffer receives a management
fee directly from the fund. The annual investment
management charge for the Ruffer funds ranges from
0.7% to 1.5% depending on the individual fund and the
class of units held.
‘Performance-Based Fees’ are fees based on the capital
gains or capital appreciation in an account. We do not
charge performance-based fees.
There are normally no initial or termination charges
for new or leaving clients.
Fee arrangements vary by client as described in
Item 5. As a result, conflicts of interest could arise with
respect to the allocation of more profitable trades to
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good time to buy) or overpriced (indicating it may
be time to sell).
Fundamental analysis does not attempt to anticipate
market movements. This presents a potential risk, as
the price of a security can move up or down along with
the overall market regardless of the economic and
financial factors considered in evaluating the stock.
higher fee-paying accounts. To mitigate such potential
conflicts of interest, the Firm’s policies and procedures
state that investment decisions are to be made in
accordance with our fiduciary duties and regulatory
principles. In determining the suitability of investment
opportunities for client accounts and funds, we
consider several factors, including their investment
objectives, constraints, existing portfolio composition,
and legal or process constraints surrounding the
investment. See Item 11 for additional information on
conflicts management.
Technical analysis, which analyzes past market
movements and applies that analysis to the present
in an attempt to recognize recurring patterns of
investor behavior and potentially predict future
price movement.
ITEM 7: TYPES OF CLIENTS
TYPES OF CLIENTS
Technical analysis does not consider the underlying
financial condition of a company. This presents
a risk in that a poorly managed or financially
unsound company may underperform regardless of
market movement.
In the US, discretionary investment management
services are marketed to non-retail investors,
including: banks or thrift institutions, pooled
investment vehicles, pension and profit-sharing plans,
trusts, estates and charitable organizations, family
offices, corporations and other investment managers.
The terms ‘charting’ and ‘technical’ analysis are
generally used synonymously and therefore, for
the purpose of this document, we will use the term,
‘technical analysis.’
ACCOUNT MINIMUMS
Cyclical analysis, which measures the movements of
a particular stock against the overall market in an
attempt to predict the price movement of the security.
For our separately managed accounts we require a
minimum size of $100,000,000. We may group certain
related client accounts for the purposes of achieving
the minimum account size.
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
We have one global, macro-driven, absolute return
strategy that is unchanged since our Firm began in
1994. We define this single investment strategy with
two simple investment objectives
1 not to lose money in any 12 month rolling period
In exceptional circumstances, we have the discretion
to waive the account minimum. Accounts of less than
$100,000,000 may be set up when we anticipate
the client will add additional funds to the accounts
bringing the total to $100,000,000 within a
reasonable time.
2 to grow funds at a higher rate than would be
achieved by depositing them in cash
The account minimums for funds are provided in the
respective fund offering documents.
ITEM 8: METHODS OF ANALYSIS,
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISK
OF LOSS
METHODS OF ANALYSIS
Our approach starts with managing the risk of losing
money. We aim to identify the future risks we see in
markets, considering a range of possible scenarios,
and choose assets which will benefit should those
events come to pass. These are the assets which should
provide genuine protection to the portfolio in the event
of market downturns.
We may employ the following security analysis
methods: fundamental analysis, technical analysis, and
cyclical analysis.
Fundamental analysis, which attempts to measure the
intrinsic value of a security by looking at economic
and financial factors (including the overall economy,
industry conditions, and the financial condition and
management of the company itself) to determine if
the company is underpriced (indicating it may be a
By focusing, first and foremost, on the protection
of capital, we are then able to be opportunistic in
allocating to growth assets throughout the market
cycle. This is typically through our exposure to global
equity markets. By building a balanced portfolio in this
way, our aim is to deliver consistent positive returns
through the market cycle and with less volatility than
would be expected from equities.
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currency of the investment’s originating country. This
is also referred to as exchange rate risk.
Reinvestment risk: this is the risk that future proceeds
from investments may have to be reinvested at a
potentially lower rate of return (ie, interest rate). This
primarily relates to fixed income securities.
Our asset allocation is the key driver of returns. It is
dynamic and completely unconstrained, meaning there
is no strategic asset allocation and there are no control
ranges. This allows us to look across a broad asset
universe to identify the assets that can best protect
our portfolio against the risks we see. Equally, we are
free to avoid assets that we believe look overvalued or
carry too much risk. We invest across asset classes and
geographies in order to form a portfolio we feel to be
suitably diversified.
Business risk: these risks are associated with a
particular industry or a particular company within
an industry. For example, oil-drilling companies
depend on finding oil and then refining it, a lengthy
process, before they can generate a profit. They carry
a higher risk of profitability than an electric company,
which generates its income from a steady stream of
customers who buy electricity no matter what the
economic environment is like.
This asset allocation is complemented by our own
in-house equity research. Our analysts undertake
extensive research, including meeting with the
management of a company, to identify the best ideas to
fit into the top-down asset allocation. These allocations
may be geographic, thematic or special situations.
We use long-term trading and short-term trading.
RISK OF LOSS
Investing in securities involves risk of loss that clients
should be prepared to bear.
Liquidity risk: liquidity is the ability to readily convert
an investment into cash. Generally, assets are more
liquid if many traders are interested in a standardized
product. For example, treasury bills are highly liquid,
while real estate properties (ie non-traded REITs and
other alternative investments) are not.
Financial risk: excessive borrowing to finance a
business’ operations increases the risk of profitability,
because the company must meet the terms of
its obligations in good times and bad. During
periods of financial stress, the inability to meet
loan obligations may result in bankruptcy and/or a
declining market value.
All investments involve the risk of loss, including
(among other things) loss of principal, a reduction
in earnings (including interest, dividends and other
distributions), and the loss of future earnings.
Although we manage assets in a manner consistent
with your investment objectives and risk tolerance,
there can be no guarantee that our efforts will be
successful. You should be prepared to bear the
following risks of loss
Interest-rate risk: fluctuations in interest rates
may cause investment prices to fluctuate. For
example, when interest rates rise, yields on existing
bonds become less attractive, causing their market
values to decline.
Cybersecurity risk: a breach in cyber security refers
to both intentional and unintentional events that may
cause an account to lose proprietary information,
suffer data corruption, or lose operational capacity.
This in turn could cause an account to incur regulatory
penalties, reputational damage, and additional
compliance costs associated with corrective measures,
and/or financial loss.
Pandemic risk: large-scale outbreaks of infectious
disease can greatly increase morbidity and mortality
over a wide geographic area, crossing international
boundaries, and causing significant economic, social,
and political disruption.
Market risk: the price of a security, bond, or mutual
fund may drop in reaction to tangible and intangible
events and conditions. This type of risk is caused
by external factors independent of a security’s
particular underlying circumstances. For example,
political, economic and social conditions may
trigger market events.
Inflation risk: when any type of inflation is present,
a dollar next year will not buy as much as a dollar
today, because purchasing power is eroding at the
rate of inflation.
Custodial risk: This risk is the probability that a party
to a transaction will be unable or unwilling to fulfil
its contractual obligations either due to technological
errors, control failures, malfeasance, or potential
regulatory liabilities.
Currency risk: overseas investments are subject to
fluctuations in the value of the dollar against the
Alternative investments (limited partnerships): the
performance of alternative investments (for example
limited partnerships) can be volatile and may have
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AFFILIATIONS – POOLED INVESTMENT VEHICLES
(‘RUFFER FUNDS’)
limited liquidity. An investor could lose all or a portion
of their investment. Such investments often have
concentrated positions and investments that may carry
higher risks. Clients should only have a portion of their
assets in these investments.
ITEM 9: DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION
Ruffer LLP and its subsidiaries manage a number of
pooled investment vehicles; including a London listed,
Guernsey registered investment company, a number
of UK and Luxembourg domiciled UCITS collective
investment schemes and a Cayman Limited Company
master feeder fund (with Cayman Limited Company
and Delaware Limited Partnership feeder funds).
AFFILIATIONS – OTHER
We are required to disclose all pertinent facts
regarding any legal, regulatory or disciplinary events
that would be material to your evaluation of the Firm
or the integrity of our management.
We have no material legal, regulatory or disciplinary
events to disclose in this Item.
Apart from affliations noted above, we do not
have a material relationship or arrangement with
related persons or financial industry entities in the
following categories–
– municipal securities dealer, or government
ITEM 10: OTHER FINANCIAL INDUSTRY
ACTIVITIES AND AFFILIATIONS
securities dealer or broker
FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES
– futures commission merchant, commodity pool
operator, or commodity trading adviser
– banking or thrift institution
Our business activities are associated with providing
discretionary investment management and investment
advisory services to our clients.
– accountant or accounting firm
– lawyer or law firm
FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES –
– insurance company or agency
BROKER-DEALERS
– pension consultant
– real estate broker or dealer
– sponsor or syndicator of limited partnerships.
RECOMMENDING OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISERS
We are not registered as a broker-dealer, and
none of our management persons are registered
representatives of a broker-dealer. However, we have
a subsidiary, Ruffer LLC, which is a FINRA broker-
dealer. Ruffer LLC markets Ruffer funds to US non-
retail investors.
We do not recommend or select other investment
advisers for our clients.
FINANCIAL INDUSTRY ACTIVITIES – FUTURES
AND COMMODITIES
ITEM 11: CODE OF ETHICS, PARTICIPATION
OR INTEREST IN CLIENT TRANSACTIONS
AND PERSONAL TRADING
We are registered as a commodity pool operator,
however the Ruffer funds currently rely on
pool exemptions.
CODE OF ETHICS
AFFILIATIONS – OTHER INVESTMENT ADVISERS
Our employees must comply with a Code of Ethics
and Statement for Insider Trading (the ‘Code’). The
Code describes our high standard of business conduct,
and fiduciary duty to our clients. The Code’s key
provisions include
1 Statement of general principles
2 Policy on and reporting of personal
securities transactions
Ruffer LLP has three related investment advisers:
Ruffer S.A., Ruffer AIFM Limited and Ruffer (Channel
Islands) Limited. These are wholly owned subsidiaries
of the Firm and are organized to provide investment
advisory services in other jurisdictions or manage
Ruffer funds. Please note that none of the Firm’s
subsidiaries may take on US-based clients, as they are
not registered with the SEC. Ruffer AIFM Limited is
notified to the SEC as an Exempt Reporting Adviser.
3 A prohibition on insider trading
4 Restrictions on the acceptance and giving of
significant gifts
7
5 Procedures to detect and deter
misconduct and violations
6 Requirement to maintain confidentiality of
client information
employees may not purchase or sell based upon having
(or possibly having) access to inside information.
Employee trading is continually monitored under the
Policy and designed to reasonably prevent conflicts of
interest between the Firm’s employees and our clients.
PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS AND PRINCIPAL/AGENCY
Our employees must acknowledge the terms of
the Code at least annually, and any employee not
in compliance with the Code may be subject to
disciplinary action or termination.
CROSS TRADES
Clients and prospective clients can obtain a copy
of the Firm’s Code of Ethics by contacting Ruffer’s
Chief Compliance Officer, Lucy Hodgson, at
+44 (0)20 7824 0520 or lhodgson@ruffer.co.uk
PARTICIPATION OR INTEREST IN CLIENT
TRANSACTIONS – PERSONAL SECURITIES
TRANSACTIONS
Employees may buy or sell securities identical to those
recommended to clients for their personal accounts.
In the ordinary course of business we do not act
as principal, buy securities for ourselves from, or
sell securities we own to clients. We shall only act
as principal in a transaction in order to correct an
error that we have made when managing our client’s
portfolios. We do not recommend any securities to
our clients in which we have a material financial
interest. We do not effect any principal transactions
for client accounts. We may cross trades between
client accounts, but only when it is considered in the
best interests of both clients and best execution can be
achieved for both clients.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
However, employees are subject to the requirements of
our Personal Account Dealing Policy and Procedures
(the ‘Policy’), to ensure that any conflicts of interest
that arise are mitigated.
The Firm takes appropriate steps to ensure the
interests of our clients are put ahead of the interests of
ourselves or our employees.
The policy requires employees to obtain prior approval
for personal transactions and report such transactions
and holdings. Client orders will have priority over
employee deals. All securities captured by the Policy
must be held for 90 calendar days.
The Firm considers that the organizational and
administrative arrangements it has established to
prevent or manage conflicts of interest are sufficient
to ensure, with reasonable confidence, that the risks
of damage to the clients’ interests will be prevented.
However, there are some examples of conflicts which
we want to draw to your attention, so that you are
aware of the sort of conflicts which we are preventing
or managing and how we will try and mitigate or
manage the conflict.
The Code and Policy, described above, are designed
to ensure that the personal securities transactions,
activities and interests of the employees of the Firm
will not interfere with (i) making decisions in the best
We may without prior reference to the client, give
investment advice or effect transactions for the client
which may involve (either directly or indirectly) a
conflict between the client’s interests and Ruffer’s
interests or the interests of another Ruffer client. These
may arise for example because
interest of clients and (ii) implementing such decisions
while, at the same time, allowing employees to invest
for their own accounts.
a we act as investment manager for another client or
clients with interests in investments in relation to
which we provide investment advice or may effect
transactions for the portfolio
b we, or our staff members, may have an interest in
investments in which we may provide investment
advice or effect transactions for you
Under the Policy certain classes of securities have
been designated as exempt transactions, based upon a
determination that these would not materially interfere
with the best interest of our clients. Nonetheless,
because the Policy in some circumstances would
permit employees to invest in the same securities as
clients, there is a potential risk that employees might
benefit from market activity by a client in a security
held by an employee. To help manage this risk, the
Firm maintains a list of restricted securities that
c your portfolio contains securities where a
Ruffer staff member is a director or other
officer of the issuer
8
d the transaction or investment advice is in relation
to a collective investment scheme or investment
trust whose assets are managed by us or one of
our subsidiaries
e only limited quantities of a particular investment
of the transaction, the need for timely execution, the
liquidity of the market, the size of the order, the nature
of the financial transaction, including whether it is
executed on a regulated market or over-the-counter,
the likelihood of settlement and the prevention of
any information leakage. We will exercise our own
discretion in determining the factors that we need to
take into account for the purpose of providing ‘best
execution’ to our clients.
may be transacted for client portfolios, for instance
because of a shortage in the market, because there is
a limit on the amount of a particular investment that
we can sell, or because there is a limit to the amount
of an investment that it would be prudent for us to
take on for our client base as a whole or
f we are correcting a dealing error.
Research is paid for directly by us, whether it is
provided by a broker or an independent research
provider. Third party research is an important source
material for our research team and fund managers.
The cost is not part of dealing/execution charges
mentioned above and there is no link between the
execution commission paid when we deal and the
receipt of research.
BROKERAGE FOR CLIENT REFERRALS
As concerns items (a) to (d) and (f) above, we will
always take appropriate steps to ensure fair treatment
for you by disregarding any interest we may have
when advising you or dealing on your behalf, and by
maintaining procedures preventing members of staff
from gaining an unfair advantage from the holding of,
giving advice in relation to, or dealing in investments
on behalf of their clients.
We may pay referral fees to independent
broker-dealers for the marketing to and referral
of US clients to our Firm. In these cases, there will
be a written agreement between ourselves and
the solicitors, which clearly defines the duties and
responsibilities of the solicitor under this arrangement.
The referral fees represent a share of the investment
management fee that we charge to our clients, but
do not result in higher costs. The referral fees will be
disclosed to clients who are referred to us under such
an arrangement.
DIRECTED BROKERAGE
As concerns item (e) we operate the overriding
principle that any allocation of an investment to or
from a client is that it must be fair and appropriate
to all the Ruffer clients concerned. We will disregard
any differential portfolio performance of clients
involved in allocation decisions and will ensure that
no client is intentionally advantaged or disadvantaged
vis-à-vis another, though on occasion the effect of
allocation may be to favor one client over another.
A pro rata allocation process is followed, subject to
minimum trade size and minimum trade increment of
the investment.
Clients cannot direct us to use a particular broker-
dealer to execute some or all transactions for the client
(‘directed brokerage’).
ITEM 12: BROKERAGE PRACTICES
TRADE AGGREGATION
RESEARCH AND OTHER SOFT DOLLAR BENEFITS
We do not receive soft dollar benefits. The cost of
execution charged by broker/dealers in connection
with client securities transactions are charged
directly to the client.
We may aggregate trades for multiple accounts. Trade
aggregation is the act of trading a large block of a
security in a single order. Shares of a purchased or sold
security are then allocated to the appropriate accounts
in the appropriate proportion. The main purposes of
order aggregation are (i) for ease of trading and (ii) to
obtain a lower transaction cost associated with trading
a larger quantity.
Orders for the same security entered on behalf of
more than one client may be aggregated (ie, blocked
or bunched) subject to the aggregation being in the
best interests of all participating clients. If an order
has not been filled completely so that there are not
enough shares to allocate among all the clients equally,
When dealing we will pass orders to a broker/dealer
for execution. When executing an order, we take all
sufficient steps to achieve ‘best execution’ in relation to
that order. We have in place a policy and procedures
which are designed to obtain the best possible
execution result for the client. This is dependent on
the nature of the orders, the market in question and
a balance of other, sometimes conflicting, factors. We
will take into consideration a range of different factors
which include not just price, but also the total cost
9
We encourage frequent contact with our clients but will
only contact the client when deemed necessary. Our
clients can contact us at any time. Clients are obligated
to promptly notify us of any material changes in their
financial situation or investment policy to ensure that
our investment strategy continues to be appropriate
and in line with expectations.
shares will be allocated in good faith, on a pro rated
basis. If a partial execution is attained at the end of
the trading day, we will allocate shares on a pro rata
basis. All clients participating in each aggregated
order shall receive the average price and subject to
minimum ticket charges, pay a pro-rata portion of
execution commissions.
REPORTING
Our allocation procedure seeks to be fair and equitable
to all clients with no particular group or client(s) being
favored or disfavored over any other clients.
ITEM 13: REVIEW OF ACCOUNTS
REVIEWS
We prepare periodic reports, at least quarterly,
which generally include individual holdings, cost
basis information, deposits and withdrawals,
acquisitions and disposals, accrued income, dividends,
performance, a broker commission summary and
custody statement. We may also prepare reports or
communications related to our investment services at
other times, including when requested by clients.
ITEM 14: CLIENT REFERRALS AND OTHER
COMPENSATION
Fund managers have overall responsibility for the
management of each account. Each Fund Manager
has the responsibility of managing the portfolio
according to Ruffer’s single investment strategy, taking
into account the clients’ specific investment policy
objectives and constraints.
OTHER COMPENSATION
We do not receive any economic benefits (other than
normal compensation and benefits described in
Item 12) from any firm or individual for providing
investment advice.
The Asset Allocation team meets regularly, at least
once a week, to set our investment strategy and asset
allocation. They review the overall portfolio in the
context of the macroeconomic environment and ensure
it is well positioned to meet our central investment
objectives of capital preservation. The analysis
incorporates stress testing and scenario analysis.
COMPENSATION – CLIENT REFERRALS –
SOLICITATION ARRANGEMENT
We review all of a client’s relevant financial
information, including investment portfolios. Reviews
include analyzing securities, sensitivity to overall
markets, economic changes, investment results and
asset allocation, to ensure the investment strategy and
expectations are structured to continue to meet clients’
investment objectives.
We may pay referral fees to independent solicitors
for the referral of clients to our Firm. In these cases,
there will be a written agreement between ourselves
and the solicitors, which clearly defines the duties and
responsibilities of the solicitor under this arrangement.
Any client who is referred to us by a solicitor will be
given a full written disclosure describing the terms and
fee arrangements between us and the solicitor(s).
ITEM 15: CUSTODY
CUSTODY – ACCESS TO CLIENT CASH AND/
OR SECURITIES
Portfolios are generally monitored continuously
by the portfolio manager; however, formal reviews
could also occur at the time of new deposits, material
changes in a client’s investment policy requirements
or financial situation, changes in market, political or
economic conditions, at our discretion, or as often as
the client directs.
On a quarterly basis all portfolios are independently
reviewed for performance dispersion and large dif-
ferences in asset allocation. Where portfolios flag the
relevant manager is required to provide a reason and,
if necessary, correct the divergence. The Oversight &
Controls Committee oversees this process, and reports
to the Executive and Risk Committees of the Board.
We do not have physical custody of any clients’
cash or bank account or securities. Our clients will
direct us to work with their chosen acting custodian,
with our authority over the client’s custody account
being limited to settling transactions that we have
undertaken under the terms of the IMA and related
currency transactions, corporate actions and
exercising voting rights.
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CUSTODY – FEE DEBITING
ITEM 17: VOTING CLIENT SECURITIES
PROXY VOTING
We will vote proxies on behalf of our clients, using the
authority set out in the IMA. If any conflict of interest
exists which cannot be mitigated, it will be disclosed
to the client. Clients may contact us for information
about proxy voting which has been carried out
on their behalf.
Clients may authorize us (in the IMA) to debit fees
directly from their account at the broker dealer,
bank or other qualified custodian (‘custodian’). The
custodian is advised in writing of the limitation of our
access to the account. The custodian sends a statement
to the client, at least quarterly, indicating all amounts
disbursed from the account including the amount of
advisory fees paid directly to the Firm. For funds, the
administrator reconciles to the custodian daily.
CUSTODY – POOLED INVESTMENT VEHICLES
Ruffer LLP and/or one of our subsidiaries are either
the General Partner, Managing Member and/or sole
investment adviser to one or more private funds
(the ‘Fund(s)’).
We are committed to being good stewards of our
clients’ assets. We believe this approach will lead
to better long-term performance for our clients,
whilst also benefiting the companies we invest in, the
environment and society. To that end, we take our
voting responsibilities seriously. The opportunity to
vote enables us to encourage boards and management
teams to consider and address areas we are concerned
about or want to support, particularly if engagement
has not been successful.
We comply with the SEC’s Custody Rule with regard to
the custody of the Fund(s) by ensuring that each US-
based Fund receives an annual audit, and the audited
financial statements are sent to investors within 120
days of each Fund’s fiscal year end as required.
CUSTODY – ACCOUNT STATEMENTS
We have an internal voting policy which reflects
both our investment objectives and our investment
approach. The policy includes criteria for determining
whether a remuneration policy should be supported,
along with criteria for determining independence and
over-boarding of directors and the composition of
board sub-committees.
Clients receive at least quarterly statements from
the custodian that holds and maintains client’s
investment assets. Clients are urged to carefully review
such statements and compare such official custodial
records to the reports that we provide. Our quarterly
reports may vary from custodial statements based on
accounting procedures, reporting dates, or valuation
methodologies of certain securities.
ITEM 16: INVESTMENT DISCRETION
Our internal voting policy provides guidelines to
assist analysts in their decision to vote. However, our
research analysts review relevant issues case by case.
Drawing on support from our Responsible Investment
team and the accumulated knowledge of the
company, analysts will make an informed judgement
on how to vote.
ITEM 18: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
The Firm only manages client accounts on a
discretionary basis. The terms of this discretion
are laid out in the IMA provided to all clients
before the commencement of the investment
management service.
We have no financial commitments that impair our
ability to meet contractual and fiduciary commitments
to clients and we have not been the subject of a
bankruptcy proceeding.
We have the right to retain, sell, buy, exchange or
otherwise deal in investments without getting our
client’s consent first. When we do this, we are guided
by our investment objectives, taking into account our
client’s investment constraints.
We do not require prepayment of fees of more than
$1,200 per client, six months or more in advance; and
therefore, we are not required to provide a balance
sheet to clients.
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