Janus Capital Group Inc. on Thursday launched the Janus Short Duration Income ETF (VNLA), the company’s first actively managed exchange-traded fund.
As described by Janus, the fund’s mission is to provide a steady income stream and a focus on capital preservation across various market cycles. Its strategy combines an actively managed core portfolio of predominantly high-quality investment grade fixed-income assets that are diversified across sectors and geographies, with high conviction tactical trades. It targets positive, absolute returns by selecting fixed-income instruments that can provide a return of two percent to three percent above the three-month LIBOR rate.
Janus says it views VNLA as a traditional core fixed-income diversifier which can potentially reduce risk in an investor's portfolio. The fund's annual expense ratio is 0.35 percent.
Two members of Janus’ global macro fixed-income team, Nick Maroutsos and Daniel Siluk, are portfolio managers of the VNLA fund.
Janus, which has long been a traditional mutual fund shop, entered the exchange-traded products space with its purchase of VelocityShares in 2014. Its stated goal is to offer differentiated products in multiple categories including tactical, enhanced beta, thematic and active fixed income.
Last June, Janus launched four thematic ETFs aimed at capturing demographic and behavioral changes related to health and fitness.
A Janus spokesman says the company expects to launch more ETFs in the near future.