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Data Protection Policy

As a data controller, Allianz Global Investors UK Limited (“Allianz Global Investors” or “we”, 199 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3TY) would like to thank you for visiting our website (“website”) and for your interest in our services and products.

Your privacy is important to us and we want you to feel comfortable when visiting our site. We take steps to ensure that your personal data, (i.e. any items of information concerning the personal or material circumstances of an identified or identifiable natural person) collected, processed and used in connection with your visit to our website will be protected. We permit the anonymous use of the website, or the use of the site under a pseudonym as far as technically possible and reasonable.

This Data Protection Policy may be updated from time to time. We therefore ask you to consult it regularly.

We have created this Data Protection Policy to explain how and why specific types of personal data are collected from users of this website, are processed and used. This Data Protection Policy also provides an overview of the appropriate protection measures taken to safeguard your personal data.

What is the purpose and scope of this Data Protection Policy?

This Data Protection Policy applies to all personal data collected, processed and used by Allianz Global Investors when you visit the website. It does not apply to websites controlled by third parties to which the website may contain links (“third-party websites").

Please check the data protection policies of third-party sites, as Allianz Global Investors is not responsible for the content or privacy measures of third-party sites and has no control over them.

The content of this Data Protection Policy may also be subject to any additional conditions or disclaimers or other contractual terms that you have entered into with Allianz Global Investors, as well as any applicable and binding laws and regulations.

What information do we collect from you and for what purposes?

When you visit the website, our web server automatically records details of your visit (for example your IP address, the website from which you linked to our website, the type of browser software used, the individual sub-pages of the website that you actually accessed, the date and duration of your visit).

We also collect, process and use personal data that you provide through the website, such as personal details (i.e. name, gender, address, email address, telephone/fax number) that you enter on a login page or when you subscribe to an email newsletter.

Allianz Global Investors collects, processes and uses your personal data for:

  • the purposes of technical administration and research and development of the website;
  • customer and user management;
  • marketing, to inform you about our services and products;
  • online application processes
On what legal basis do we process the data, and for how long do we store your personal data?

Your personal data is processed in accordance with the above-mentioned purposes for the completion of (pre-)contractual measures and to pursue our legitimate interests, such as the further development of the website or marketing.

We store your personal data for as long as we need it to achieve these objectives. As soon as we no longer need your personal data for the purposes mentioned, we will delete the data from our systems, unless we are legally obliged to store it.

How do we use tracking technologies?

Allianz Global Investors uses tracking technologies such as cookies and tags. For details on how we use cookies and similar technologies, especially for the purposes of marketing, market and opinion research, please refer to our Cookie Policy below.

Who do we share your information with?

For the purposes of providing services to Allianz Global Investors, and for the other purposes set out above, Allianz Global Investors may share your information with affiliates and representatives of Allianz Global Investors, and third parties such as marketing agencies or web analytics service providers within and outside of your country of residence.

Our affiliates (see Contact Us), representatives and third parties who have access to the personal data collected, processed and used via the website are obliged to observe data protection regulations.

Your personal data may be transferred to recipients in countries outside the European Union or the European Economic Area, which may have a lower level of data protection. Unless the EU Commission has already established an adequate level of data protection for such a recipient country, we ensure that the recipients of your personal data comply with such an appropriate level. To ensure this, we may conclude, for example, standard contractual clauses approved by the EU Commission with the recipients, or agree binding corporate regulations with our affiliated Group companies, each of which is available at: Contact Us.

We may also share your information with government agencies and institutions, regulators, etc. in accordance with the applicable laws, regulations, a court order or an official request, or in accordance with and for the purposes of official (regulatory) policies or similar procedures as required or permitted by applicable law.

What security measures have we implemented to protect your information we collected through our website?

Allianz Global Investors has implemented appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data that Allianz Global Investors has collected from unauthorised access, misuse, loss and destruction.

How do we handle electronic messages sent to and from Allianz Global Investors?

All electronic messages sent to and from Allianz Global Investors are protected by appropriate technical and organisational measures within our systems, and may only be accessed by individuals not directly involved in the communication in specific, justified cases according to the applicable laws and regulations (e.g. a court ruling, suspected criminal behaviour, breach of supervisory obligations); they are only accessed by certain individuals in defined functions (e.g. legal, compliance, risk). Each part of the procedure and the search criteria used are logged.

What should you bear in mind when sending data over the internet?

The internet is generally not considered to be a secure environment, and information sent via the internet (such as to or from the website, or as an electronic message) may be intercepted by unauthorised third parties, which may lead to divulging information, changes to content or technical failure. Even if both the sender and the recipient are located in the same country, data sent via the internet may be transmitted across international borders and forwarded to a country where the level of privacy is lower than in your country of residence.

The internet is generally not considered to be a secure environment, and information sent via the internet (such as to or from the website, or as an electronic message) may be intercepted by unauthorised third parties, which may lead to divulging information, changes to content or technical failure. Even if both the sender and the recipient are located in the same country, data sent via the internet may be transmitted across international borders and forwarded to a country where the level of privacy is lower than in your country of residence.

Please note that we do not accept any responsibility or liability for the security of your data while it is being transmitted via the internet to Allianz Global Investors. To protect your privacy, we remind you that you can use other means of communication with Allianz Global Investors where appropriate.

How can you exercise your rights as a user?

Where permitted by law, you have the right to:

  • Request information about your personal data, including information such as the source and categories of data, reasons for processing, recipients (or categories of recipients) and the retention period;
  • Update or correct your personal data so that it is always correct;
  • Have your personal data supplied in an electronic format, to you or to a third party specified by you;
  • Request that your personal data be deleted from our systems, once it is no longer required for the above-mentioned purposes;
  • Restrict the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances, e.g. if you dispute the accuracy of your personal data, until we have verified its accuracy;
  • Object to the processing of your personal data for specific reasons relating to your particular situation which take priority over our legitimate reasons for processing the data; and
  • Withdraw your consent at any time, if your personal data is being processed with your consent, without this affecting the lawfulness of the processing that took place before your consent was withdrawn;
  • File a complaint with us or the relevant data protection authority.

You may object to the use of your personal data for the purposes of marketing and market research or opinion polling.

Please contact us if you have any questions or comments regarding privacy or to exercise your aforementioned rights:

Allianz Global Investors UK Limited
Kirsten Salt
Company Secretary
199 Bishopsgate
London
EC2M 3TY

or send an email to: Investor.Services@allianzgi.com

Use of Social Media plugins:

Our Site uses the following Social Media Plugins ("Plugins")

Facebook Share Button operated by Facebook Inc., 1601 S. California Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
Tweet Button operated by Twitter Inc., 795 Folsom St., Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA
LinkedIn Share Button operated by LinkedIn Corporation, 2029 Stierlin Court, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA
Xing share button, operated by XING AG, Dammtorstrasse 29-32, 20354, Hamburg, Germany
YouTube is operated by YouTube LLC, headquartered at 901 Cherry Avenue, San Bruno, CA 94066, USA.
YouTube is represented by Google Inc., based in 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA.
Soundcloud is operated by SoundCloud Limited, headquartered at 33 St James Square, London SW1Y 4JS, UK.

All plug-ins are labelled with the brand of the respective operator (the “operators”): Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Xing, YouTube and Soundcloud.

When you visit the web page that contains a social network plug-in, your browser creates a direct connection to the operator’s servers. The operator submits the content of the plug-in directly to your browser, which embeds it in the web page, thereby enabling the operator to obtain the information that you have accessed the corresponding sub-page of our website. Allianz Global Investors therefore has no control over the data collected by the plug-in and we inform you to the best of our knowledge that: The embedded plug-ins inform the operator that you have accessed the corresponding sub-page of our website. If you do not want this information to be transmitted to the operators, you must log out of your respective account with them before visiting our website. However, XING AG will only use your data to provide the share functions (e.g. the calculation/display of the counter value) and will not store any personal data or evaluate your user behaviour.

For more information on the purpose and scope of collection, processing and use of data, please refer to the data protection policies of these operators:

Facebook: https://de-de.facebook.com/about/privacy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/privacy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/legal/privacy-policy
XING AG: https://www.xing.com/app/share?op=data_protection
YouTube: https://www.google.de/intl/de/policies/privacy/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/pages/privacy

Cookie Policy

Through this Cookie Policy we, Allianz Global Investors UK Limited, 199 Bishopsgate, London, EC3M 3TY (“Allianz Global Investors” or “we”), inform you about how we use cookies and similar technologies on our website (“website”). For more information on how we collect, process and use personal data, please see our Privacy Notice.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

Cookies. We use cookies to make our website function smoothly and optimally for our users and to continuously improve its operation. Cookies are small text files that contain a sequence of alphanumeric characters, which are stored on your device. We use both session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie is deleted when you close your internet browser. A persistent cookie remains stored even after the internet browser has been closed, and can be used by your internet browser on subsequent visits to our website. Your internet browser may well offer settings for cookies. Please note that you may not be able to make full use of the features in the services offered on our website if you either delete cookies or choose not to allow them. We also use third-party cookies in connection with the services provided through our website. For example, we use Google Analytics to collect and process certain analytical data. We may not process or react to “Do not track” signals from internet browsers or similar processes that indicate that a user visiting our website or using the services provided through our website does not want to be tracked online. A list of the cookies used on our website, including their purpose and the data stored in each case, can be found in the table below. Your consent to the intended use is required before placing and using cookies on your device. This consent can also be given by adjusting your browser settings accordingly.

Clear GIFs/Web Beacons. Clear GIFs (also known as web beacons) are typically very small transparent graphics (typically 1 pixel x 1 pixel) used on a website which can be used within the scope of the services we offer on our website and are typically used in conjunction with cookies to track our users and their usage patterns.

How we use cookies and similar technologies
We use cookies and we automatically collect information in order to: (1) personalise our website and the services we offer on our website, e.g. to save data related to you so that you do not need to re-enter this data while using our website, or on your next visit to our website or when you use services provided on the website; (2) provide you with customised advertising, content and information; (3) monitor and analyse the effectiveness of our website and the services provided on our website, as well as third party promotional activities; (4) produce aggregate usage statistics, such as total number of visitors and page views; and (5) track your entries and the status of promotions or other activities and services offered via our website. Tracking technologies also help us to maintain and improve the usability of the website (1) by determining whether there has been any contact between your computer and us in the past, and (2) by identifying the most popular areas of our website.

Further details can be found in the table below:

Name Files Description Period of Validity Opt-out Cookie type

Remember me

sessionid

This cookie is used for visitors who do not select the ‘remember me’ checkbox when selecting a site version (see Site version cookie above)

Browser session

No

Application cookie

Online form security

csrftoken

This cookie provides cross-site request forgery prevention, a security feature covering the submission of online forms on our websites by visitors

One year

No

Application cookie

Google analytics

_ga

These cookies are used to collect information in an anonymised form about how visitors use our websites. We use the information to produce reports covering metrics such as numbers of visitors to pages and time spent on the websites

Up to two years

You can prevent the use of cookies by using the appropriate settings in your browser software. However, please note that you might not be able to fully use all functions offered by this website. You can also prevent Google Analytics from collecting this data by refusing to give your consent to the use of the technology, or by downloading and installing the browser plug-in for your internet browser available at the following link, thereby withdrawing your consent for the future: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/
gaoptout?hl=en-GB.

Third party cookie

_gid

In the event of activated IP anonymisation on this website, your IP address is initially truncated within member states of the European Union or in other states which are party to the agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases is a full IP address transmitted to a Google server in the United States and truncated there.

_gat

On behalf of the operator of this website, Google will use this information to evaluate your use of the website in order to compile reports about website activities and provide further services to the website operator related to website and Internet usage. The IP address transferred from your browser by Google Analytics will not be linked with any other data held by Google. IP anonymisation is enabled on this website.

Flashtalking

flashtalkingad1

These cookies are used to help manage and measure our online advertising campaign. The cookies help to limit the number of times an individual is shown specific AllianzGI adverts.

Up to two years

You may opt out of receiving personalized advertisements from Flashtalking by visiting: https://www.flashtalking.com/optout/. When you opt out, we will set a cookie on your browser that tells us not to use your web browsing activity to serve ads that are targeted to your interests. If you use multiple devices and/or multiple browsers, you need to opt out on each device and browser you use.

Third party cookie

_D9J

Allianz Global Investors

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Welcome to The Merchants Trust

Select Role
  • Individual and professional investors

  • Warning to Shareholders

    We are aware that some shareholders may have received unsolicited telephone calls or correspondence concerning investment matters. These are typically from overseas based organisations who target UK shareholders offering to sell them, what often turn out to be, worthless or high risk shares in US or UK investments. They can be extremely persistent and persuasive. Shareholders are therefore advised to be very wary of any unsolicited advice or offers.

    Please note that it is most unlikely that either the company or the company’s Registrar, Link Asset Services, would make unsolicited telephone calls to shareholders. Any such calls would only ever relate to official documentation already circulated to shareholders and never in respect of investment ‘advice’.

    If you are in any doubt about the veracity of an unsolicited telephone call, please call the Company Secretary +44 (0)800 389 4696 or the Registrar on +44 (0) 371 664 0300.

    You can also report and get advice about fraud or cyber crime by contacting Action Fraud – National Fraud & Cyber Crime Reporting Centre 0300 123 2040 and visiting their website at www.actionfraud.police.uk.

    Please read this important information before proceeding further. It contains legal and regulatory notices relevant to the information contained on this website. By pressing ‘Confirm’ you agree that you have read and understood the following information.

    Investing involves risk. The value of an investment and the income from it may fall as well as rise and investors may not get back the full amount invested.

    Please note that the products referred to on this website are only available to persons normally resident for tax purposes in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Allianz Global Investors UK Limited has taken reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of information available through the site. However, the information may be amended at any time by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited without notice. As far as it is permitted under the Financial Services Act, Allianz Global Investors UK Limited does not accept liability for any loss, direct or indirect owing to reliance on any information contained herein. Opinions expressed whether in general or both on the performance of individual funds and in a wider economic context represent the views of the contributor at the time of preparation. They are subject to change and should not be interpreted as investment advice which Allianz Global Investors UK Limited is not authorised to give. If you are unsure of the suitability of any investment contained in this website, please contact a Financial Adviser. This site may provide links to third party websites over which Allianz Global Investors UK Limited has no control. These links are provided for your convenience and Allianz Global Investors UK Limited accepts no responsibility for the content of such websites. For your security we may record or randomly monitor all telephone calls.

    Regulation and Status Disclosure

    Allianz Global Investors represents products and services of Allianz Global Investors UK Limited. Allianz Global Investors UK Limited is an investment company incorporated in the United Kingdom, with its registered office at 199 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3TY. 

    Allianz Global Investors UK Limited, company number 11516839, is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.  Details about the extent of our regulation are available from us on request and on the Financial Conduct Authority's website (www.fca.org.uk). The duplication, publication or transmission of the contents, irrespective of the form, is not permitted; except for the case of explicit permission by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited.

    The Merchants Trust PLC is incorporated in England and Wales. (Company registration no. 28276). Registered Office: 199 Bishopsgate, London, EC2M 3TY. The Company is a member of the Association of Investment Companies - Category: UK Equity Income.

    Please note that the important information set out here does not exclude or restrict any duty or liability to customers of Allianz Global Investors UK Limited under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 or under the Financial Conduct Authority Rules.

    Investments

    You should always bear in mind that:

    Past performance does not predict future returns.

    The value of an investment and the income from it may fall as well as rise and investors might not get back the full amount invested. You should not make any assumptions about the future on the basis of this information.

    Changes in rates of exchange may cause the value of investments and the income from them to go down or up.

    In a building society your money is secure, whereas in a stock market-based investment it is exposed to a degree of risk and the value of your investment will fluctuate up and down.

    The Merchants Trust PLC is a quoted company listed on the London Stock Exchange. Its share prices are determined by factors including demand which means that the shares may trade below (at a discount) or above (at a premium to) the underlying net asset value.

    The Trust seeks to enhance returns for its shareholders through gearing, in the form of long-term, fixed rate debentures. Gearing can boost the Trust’s returns when investments perform well, though losses can be magnified when investments lose value. You should be aware that this Trust may be subject to sudden and large falls in value and you could suffer substantial capital loss.

    This investment trust charges 65% of its annual management fee to the capital account and 35% to revenue. This could lead to a higher level of income but capital growth will be constrained as a result. Your capital could also decrease if income paid out of capital exceeds the growth rate of the Trust. Derivatives are used to manage the trust efficiently.

    The views and opinions expressed herein, which are subject to change without notice, are those of the issuer companies at the time of publication. The data used is derived from various sources, and assumed to be correct and reliable at the time of publication.

    A person within Allianz Global Investors UK Limited, its affiliates and their directors may or may not have a position in or with respect to any investments mentioned on this website.

    If you are in any doubt about the information contained on this website please call us on 0800 389 4696 and speak to one of our trained helpline staff or consult a professional financial adviser.

    The material contained in this website is directed only at persons or entities in any jurisdiction or country where such access to information contained herein and use thereof is not contrary to local law or regulation. Accordingly, all persons who access this website are required to inform themselves of and to comply with any such restrictions.

    Advice

    Allianz Global Investors UK Limited only provides information on our own and other group company products and does not give advice to retail customers based on individual circumstances. Please contact a financial adviser if you need advice.

    No Reliance

    Although Allianz Global Investors UK Limited has taken all reasonable care that the information contained within the website is accurate at the time of the publication, no representation or warranty (including liability towards third parties), expressed or implied, is made as to its accuracy, reliability or completeness by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited or its contractual partners. Information, opinions and estimates and any other contents on this website are provided by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited for personal use and informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice. Nothing contained on the website constitutes investment, legal, tax or other advice nor is to be relied on in making an investment or other decision. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any investment decision.

    No Warranty

    The information and opinions contained on the website are provided without any warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, to the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law. Allianz Global Investors UK Limited further assumes no responsibility for, and makes no warranties that, functions contained on the website will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the website or the servers that make it available will be free of viruses or other harmful components.

    Liability Waiver

    Under no circumstances, including, but not limited to, negligence, shall Allianz Global Investors UK Limited be liable for any special or consequential damages that result from the access or use of, or the inability to access or use, the materials at the website.

    Cookies

    A 'cookie' is a piece of information that is saved to your PC by the web server. Confirmation of reading this disclaimer will place a cookie on your PC and it will ease your navigation around the web site by not popping up this disclaimer again during this browser session. This cookie is temporary and will be removed when you close your browser. The cookie is not used for any other reason on this site.

    Linked Sites

    Some pages on this website contain information maintained by third parties. Although the information is believed to be reliable, Allianz Global Investors Limited does not guarantee the timeliness, accuracy or suitability of such information in any way and anyone who acts on the information does so entirely at their own risk. Allianz Global Investors UK Limited is not responsible for the content of any links to off-site pages, nor is it responsible for any websites that may contain links to this website. Any such website will not have been reviewed by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited and Allianz Global Investors UK Limited shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your reliance upon information therein. Following links to any off-site pages or other websites shall be entirely at your own risk.

    Copyright

    Copyright in this website is owned by Allianz Global Investors UK Limited. The copyrights of third parties are reserved. You may download or print a hard copy of individual pages and/or sections of the website, provided that you do not remove any copyright or other proprietary notices. Any downloading or other copying from the website will not transfer title to any software or material to you. You may not reproduce (in whole or part), transmit (by electronic means or otherwise), modify, link or use for any public or commercial purpose the website without the prior permission of Allianz Global Investors UK Limited.

    Nothing at the website shall be construed as granting any license or right to use any image, trademark, service mark or logo. Allianz Global Investors UK Limited reserves all rights with respect to copyright and trademarks ownership of all material at the website, and will enforce such rights to the full extent of applicable law.

    Money Laundering

    Any transaction involving client money will be covered by statutory and other requirements relating to money laundering including the Money Laundering Regulations, the Financial Conduct Authority rules and the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group Guidance Notes, as amended from time to time (jointly "the Money Laundering Requirements").

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