February 28, 2024

 

 

Ticker

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

JMBS

Principal U.S. Listing Exchange: NYSE Arca, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

Janus Detroit Street Trust

 

Prospectus

 

The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved of these securities or passed on the accuracy or adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

This Prospectus describes Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF (the “Fund”), a portfolio of Janus Detroit Street Trust (the “Trust”). Janus Henderson Investors US LLC (the “Adviser”) serves as investment adviser to the Fund.

 

Shares of the Fund are not individually redeemable and the owners of Fund shares may purchase or redeem shares from the Fund in Creation Units only, in accordance with the terms set forth in this Prospectus. The purchase and sale price of individual Fund shares trading on an exchange may be below, at or above the most recently calculated net asset value for Fund shares (sometimes referred to as the “NAV”).

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

 

   

Fund Summary

 

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

2

Additional Information about the Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and General Portfolio Policies

9

Risks of the fund

15

Management of the Fund

 

Investment adviser

25

Management expenses

25

Portfolio management

26

Other Information

28

Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes

29

Shareholder’s Guide

 

Pricing of fund shares

31

Distribution and servicing fees

32

Payments to financial intermediaries by Adviser or its affiliates

32

Purchasing and selling shares

33

Excessive trading

35

Shareholder communications

36

Financial Highlights

37

Glossary of Investment Terms

38

 

1 | Janus Detroit Street Trust

 

 

 

JMBS Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF Shares

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index (reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

Fund Summary

 

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

Ticker:JMBS

 

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE

 

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF seeks a high level of total return consisting of income and capital appreciation.

 

FEES AND EXPENSES OF THE FUND

 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. Investors may pay brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries on their purchases and sales of Fund shares, which are not reflected in the table or in the example below.

 

ANNUAL FUND OPERATING EXPENSES
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

 

Management Fees

0.26%

Other Expenses

0.00%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses

0.26%

Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(1)

0.03%

Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement(1)

0.23%

 

(1)

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse its Management Fee to the extent that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (excluding distribution fees (if any), brokerage expenses or commissions, interest, dividends, taxes, litigation expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) exceed 0.23% through February 28, 2025. The contractual waiver may be terminated or modified prior to this date only at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

 

EXAMPLE:

 

The Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses are equal to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Waiver and/or Expense Reimbursement for the first year and the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses thereafter. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

 

 

 

1 Year

   

3 Years

   

5 Years

   

10 Years

 
    $ 24     $ 81     $ 143     $ 328  

 

Portfolio Turnover: The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 48% of the average value of its portfolio.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT STRATEGY

 

The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing mainly in mortgage-related instruments. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80%, and often times substantially all, of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in a portfolio of mortgage-related fixed income instruments of varying maturities. Mortgage-related fixed income instruments include residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), collateralized mortgage obligations, stripped mortgage-backed securities, mortgage pass-through securities, credit risk transfer securities (“CRTs”),

 

2 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

and other securities representing an interest in or secured by or related to mortgages, including asset-backed securities and securities issued by other exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) that invest principally in MBS. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest predominantly in mortgage-related securities issued by the U.S. government and its agencies, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA” or “Ginnie Mae”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA” or “Fannie Mae”) or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC” or “Freddie Mac”). The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in non-agency, or privately-issued, residential and commercial MBS, and other non-agency or privately issued mortgage-related and asset-backed securities. The Fund will typically enter into “to be announced” or “TBA” commitments when purchasing MBS, which allows the Fund to agree to pay for certain yet-to-be issued securities at a future date and which may have a leveraging effect on the Fund. Similar to its use of leverage with respect to TBAs, the Fund may enter into reverse repurchase agreement transactions and use the cash made available from these transactions to make additional investments in mortgage-related instruments or other fixed-income securities. In addition to its investments in mortgage-backed and mortgage-related securities, the Fund will from time to time also invest in certain other fixed-income securities and/or hold cash and cash-equivalents (such as U.S. treasuries). The Fund will invest primarily in securities rated investment grade (that is, securities rated Baa3/BBB- or higher, or if unrated, determined to be of comparable credit quality by the Adviser). The Fund may also invest in lower-rated, higher-yielding securities, including securities rated below investment grade (sometimes referred to as “junk” bonds), when the Adviser believes that the increased risk of such lower rated securities is justified by the potential for increased return. The Fund invests only in U.S. dollar denominated securities. The Fund may invest its uninvested cash in affiliated or non-affiliated money market funds or unregistered cash management pooled investment vehicles that operate as money market funds. The Fund also invests in securities that have contractual restrictions that prohibit or limit their resale, which may include Rule 144A securities.

 

As a general indication of the Fund’s targeted risk/return profile, the Fund’s portfolio management will seek to select mortgage-related instruments that can over time provide a return of 0.50% (net of fees) above the Bloomberg US MBS Index Total Return Value Unhedged USD (“Bloomberg US MBS Index” or the “Index”), while generally maintaining an investment return with substantial correlation to the Index. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve this targeted risk/return.

 

Additionally, the Fund may invest in derivatives, which are instruments that have a value derived from, or directly linked to, an underlying asset, such as fixed-income securities, interest rates, or market indices. In particular, the Fund may use swaps, futures, forward contracts and options. The Fund may use derivatives only to manage or hedge portfolio risk, including interest rate risk, or to manage duration. The Fund’s exposure to derivatives will vary. The Fund may also enter into short positions for hedging purposes.

 

The Fund is “actively managed” and does not seek to replicate the composition or performance of an index. In addition to considering economic factors such as the effect of interest rates on the Fund’s investments, portfolio management applies a “bottom up” approach in choosing investments. This means that portfolio management looks at securities one at a time to determine if a security is an attractive investment opportunity and if it is consistent with the Fund’s investment policies. Portfolio management additionally considers the expected risk-adjusted return on a particular investment and the Fund’s overall target risk allocations and volatility. Due to the nature of the securities in which the Fund invests, it may have relatively high portfolio turnover compared to other funds.

 

The Fund may seek to earn additional income through lending its securities to certain qualified broker-dealers and institutions on a short-term or long-term basis, in an amount equal to up to one-third of its total assets as determined at the time of the loan origination.

 

PRINCIPAL INVESTMENT RISKS

 

The biggest risk is that the Fund’s returns and yields will vary, and you could lose money. The principal risks associated with investing in the Fund are set forth below.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities Risk. Mortgage-backed securities are classified generally as either commercial mortgage-backed securities or residential mortgage-backed securities, each of which is subject to certain specific risks. Mortgage-backed securities may be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of debt securities. Investments in mortgage-backed securities are subject to both extension risk and prepayment risk. These risks may reduce the Fund’s returns. In addition, investments in mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities.

 

3 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

Privately Issued Mortgage-Related Securities Risk. Privately issued mortgage-related securities may not be subject to the same underwriting requirements for the underlying mortgages that are applicable to those mortgage-related securities that have a government or government-sponsored entity guarantee. As a result, the mortgage loans underlying privately issued mortgage-related securities may, and frequently do, have less favorable collateral, credit risk, or other underwriting characteristics than government or government-sponsored mortgage-related securities and have wider variances in a number of terms including interest rate, term, size, purpose, and borrower characteristics. The risk of nonpayment is greater for mortgage-related securities that are backed by loans that were originated under weak underwriting standards, including loans made to borrowers with limited means to make repayment. A level of risk exists for all loans, although, historically, the poorest performing loans have been those classified as subprime. “Subprime” loans are loans made to borrowers with lower credit ratings and/or a shorter credit history, who are more likely to default on their loan obligations as compared to more credit-worthy borrowers. Privately issued mortgage-related securities are not traded on an exchange. There may be a limited market for the securities, especially when there is a perceived weakness in the mortgage and real estate market sectors. Without an active trading market, mortgage-related securities held in the Fund’s portfolio may be particularly difficult to value because of the complexities involved in assessing the value of the underlying mortgage loans.

 

Credit Risk Transfer Securities Risk. Credit risk transfer securities (“CRTs”) are unguaranteed and unsecured fixed and floating rate general obligations that are commonly issued by a government sponsored enterprise. CRTs are not directly linked to or backed by the underlying mortgage loans, so investors such as the Fund have no direct recourse to the underlying mortgage loans in the event of a default. The risks associated with CRTs are different from the risks associated with investments in mortgage-backed securities issued by government sponsored enterprises or private issuers because some or all of the mortgage default or credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage loans is transferred to investors. Additional risks associated with investments in CRTs may include credit, prepayment, extension, interest rate, and market risk.

 

TBA Commitments Risk. The Fund will typically enter into “to be announced” or “TBA” commitments for mortgage-backed securities and, at times, the portion of the Fund’s portfolio allocated to TBA securities may be significant. Although TBA securities must meet industry-accepted “good delivery” standards, there can be no assurance that a security purchased on a forward commitment basis will ultimately be issued or delivered by the counterparty. If the counterparty to a transaction fails to deliver the securities, the Fund could suffer a loss. Because TBA commitments do not require the delivery of a specific security, the characteristics of a security delivered to the Fund may be less favorable than expected. There is a risk that the security that the Fund buys will lose value between the purchase and settlement dates. TBA purchase and sales commitments may significantly increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate and are not included in the portfolio turnover rate calculation.

 

Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Asset-backed securities may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, underperformance of the underlying assets, the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit or liquidity enhancements. In addition, most asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk in a declining interest rate environment, and extension risk in an increasing rate environment.

 

Fixed-Income Securities Risk. The Fund invests in a variety of debt and other fixed-income securities that are generally subject to the following risks:

 

Interest rate risk, which is the risk that prices of bonds and other fixed-income securities will increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. The United States is currently experiencing a rising interest rate environment, which may increase the Fund’s exposure to risks associated with rising interest rates. Rising interest rates have unpredictable effects on the markets and may expose fixed-income and related markets to heightened volatility.

 

Credit risk, which is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default.

 

Prepayment risk, which is the risk that, during periods of falling interest rates, certain debt obligations may be paid off quicker than originally anticipated, which may cause the Fund to reinvest its assets in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income or return potential.

 

Valuation risk, which is the risk that one or more of the fixed-income securities in which the Fund invests are priced differently than the value realized upon such security’s sale. In times of market instability, valuation may be more difficult. Valuation may also be affected by changes in the issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength, or in the credit rating of the issuer or the security.

 

4 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

Extension risk, which is the risk that, during periods of rising interest rates, certain debt obligations may be paid off substantially slower than originally anticipated, and as a result, the value of those obligations may fall.

 

Liquidity risk, which is the risk that fixed-income securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that portfolio management would like or at the price portfolio management believes the security is currently worth. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give up an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. In unusual market conditions, even normally liquid securities may be affected by a degree of liquidity risk (i.e., if the number and capacity of traditional market participants is reduced).

 

High-Yield Bond Risk. High-yield bonds (also known as “junk” bonds) are considered speculative and may be more sensitive than other types of bonds to economic changes, political changes, or adverse developments specific to the company that issued the bond, which may adversely affect their value.

 

Market Risk. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decrease due to short-term market movements and over more prolonged market downturns. As a result, the Fund’s net asset value (“NAV”) may decrease. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry, economic sector, or the market as a whole. Market risk may be magnified if certain social, political, economic, and other conditions and events (such as financial institution failures, economic recessions, terrorism, war, conflicts, including related sanctions, social unrest, natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, including COVID-19) adversely interrupt the global economy and financial markets. It is important to understand that the value of your investment may fall, sometimes sharply, in response to changes in the market, and you could lose money.

 

Derivatives Risk. Derivatives can be volatile and involve risks in addition to the risks of the underlying referenced securities or asset. Gains or losses from a derivative investment can be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost and can therefore involve leverage. Leverage may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not used leverage because leverage can exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of securities and other instruments held by the Fund. Derivatives entail the risk that the counterparty to the derivative transaction will default on its payment obligations. Derivatives used for hedging purposes may reduce or eliminate gains or cause losses if the market moves in a manner different from that anticipated by portfolio management or if the cost of the derivative outweighs the benefit of the hedge.

 

Rule 144A Securities and Other Exempt Securities Risk. Investments in securities issued under Regulation S and Rule 144A and other securities exempt from certain registration requirements, could have the effect of decreasing the Fund’s liquidity profile or preventing the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Investments in securities exempt from certain registration requirements may be less liquid than other investments because such securities may not always be readily sold in broad public markets and may have no active trading market. As a result, they may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available.

 

Portfolio Management Risk. The Fund is an actively managed investment portfolio and is therefore subject to the risk that the investment strategies and research process employed for the Fund may fail to produce the intended results. Accordingly, the Fund may underperform its benchmark index or other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

Portfolio Turnover Risk. Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs which may have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. In addition, higher portfolio turnover may result in the acceleration of capital gains and the recognition of greater levels of short-term capital gains, which are taxed at ordinary federal income tax rates when distributed to shareholders. The Fund’s use of trading techniques including mortgage-dollar rolls (“dollar-rolls”) and relative value trading may result in increased portfolio turnover.

 

Securities Lending Risk. Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund lends its securities and is unable to recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested in an affiliated cash management vehicle or time deposits. This investment is subject to market appreciation or depreciation and the Fund will bear any loss on the investment of its cash collateral.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund sells a security and simultaneously commits to repurchase that security from the buyer, such as a bank or broker-dealer, at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon future date. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the value of securities that the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Additionally, such transactions are only

 

5 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

advantageous if the interest cost to the Fund of the reverse repurchase transaction is less than the cost of obtaining the cash otherwise. Interest costs on the proceeds received in a reverse repurchase agreement may exceed the return received on the investments made by the Fund with those proceeds, resulting in reduced returns to shareholders. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it is subject to the risk that the buyer (counterparty) may default on its obligations to the Fund. In the event of such a default, the Fund may experience delays, costs, and losses, all of which may reduce returns to shareholders. Investing reverse repurchase agreement proceeds may also have a leveraging effect on the Fund’s holdings. The Fund’s use of leverage can magnify the effect of any gains or losses, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. There is no assurance that any leveraging strategy used by the Fund will be successful.

 

Short Exposure Risk. The Fund may enter into a derivatives transaction to obtain short investment exposure to the underlying reference asset. If the value of the underlying reference asset on which the Fund has obtained a short investment exposure increases, the Fund will incur a loss. This potential loss is theoretically unlimited. A short exposure through a derivative also exposes the Fund to credit risk, counterparty risk, and leverage risk.

 

Cash Transaction Risk. The Fund intends to effect Creation Unit transactions primarily for cash, rather than in-kind securities, because of the nature of the Fund’s investments. Cash purchases may cause the Fund to incur portfolio transaction fees or charges or delays in investing the cash that it would otherwise not incur if a purchase was made on an in-kind basis. Because the Fund may be required to sell portfolio securities to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds and thereby may recognize a capital gain on such sales, Creation Unit redemption on a cash basis may be less tax-efficient for the Fund compared to an in-kind redemption. In addition, Creation Unit redemptions for cash may cause the Fund to incur portfolio transaction fees or charges it would not otherwise incur with an in-kind redemption, to the extent such fees or charges are not offset by the redemption transaction fee paid by Authorized Participants (“APs”). In addition, the Fund’s use of cash transactions may result in wider bid-ask spreads in Fund shares trading in the secondary market as compared to ETFs that transact exclusively on an in-kind basis.

 

Exchange Listing and Trading Issues Risk. Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the NYSE Arca, Inc. (the “Exchange”), there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. The lack of an active market for Fund shares, as well as periods of high volatility, disruptions in the creation/redemption process, or factors affecting the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund, may result in the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to its NAV.

 

Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in Fund shares inadvisable. In addition, trading is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange’s “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the Fund’s listing will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

 

Fluctuation of NAV and Market Price Risk. The NAV of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund’s securities holdings. The market prices of the Fund’s shares will generally fluctuate in accordance with changes in the Fund’s NAV and supply and demand of shares on the Exchange. Volatile market conditions, an absence of trading in shares of the Fund, or a high volume of trading in the Fund, may result in trading prices in the Fund’s shares that differ significantly from the Fund’s NAV. Additionally, during a “flash crash,” the market prices of the Fund’s shares may decline suddenly and significantly, resulting in Fund shares trading at a substantial discount to NAV. Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. Flash crashes may cause APs and other market makers to limit or cease trading in the Fund’s shares for temporary or longer periods, which may result in an increase in the variance between market prices of the Fund’s shares and the Fund’s NAV. Shareholders could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell shares at these temporarily low market prices.

 

It cannot be predicted whether Fund shares will trade below, at, or above the Fund’s NAV. Further, the securities held by the Fund may be traded in markets that close at a different time than the Exchange. Liquidity in those securities may be reduced after the applicable closing times. Accordingly, during the time when the Exchange is open but after the applicable market closing or fixing settlement times, bid-ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the Fund shares’ NAV is likely to widen. Similarly, the Exchange may be closed at times or days when markets for securities held by the Fund are open, which may increase bid-ask spreads and the resulting premium or discount to the Fund shares’ NAV when the Exchange re-opens. The Fund’s bid-ask spread and the resulting premium or discount to the Fund’s NAV may also be impacted by the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund, particularly in instances of significant volatility of the underlying securities.

 

6 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

Authorized Participant Risk. The Fund may have a limited number of financial institutions that may act as APs. Only APs who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with the Fund. These APs have no obligation to submit creation or redemption orders and, as a result, there is no assurance that an active trading market for the Fund’s shares will be established or maintained. This risk may be heightened to the extent that the securities underlying the Fund are traded outside of a collateralized settlement system. In that case, APs may be required to post collateral on certain trades on an agency basis (i.e., on behalf of other market participants), which only a limited number of APs may be willing or able to do. Additionally, to the extent that those APs exit the business or are unable to process creation and/or redemption orders, and no other AP is able to step forward to create and redeem in either of these cases, shares may trade like closed-end fund shares at a premium or a discount to NAV and possibly face delisting.

 

An investment in the Fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

 

PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

 

The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing how the Fund’s performance has varied over time. The bar chart depicts the change in performance from year to year during the periods indicated. The table compares the Fund’s average annual returns for the periods indicated to a broad-based securities market index, as well as to one or more supplemental indices that have investment characteristics similar to those of the Fund. All figures assume reinvestment of dividends and distributions and include the effect of the Fund’s recurring expenses.

 

The Fund’s past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available at janushenderson.com/performance or by calling 1-800-668-0434.

 

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

Annual Total Returns (calendar year-end)

 

 

 

Best Quarter:

4th Quarter 2023

7.72%

Worst Quarter:

3rd Quarter 2022

-5.43%

 

Average Annual Total Returns (periods ended 12/31/23)

 

 

1 Year

5 Years

Since
Inception
(9/12/18)

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

     

Return Before Taxes

5.68%

1.11%

1.37%

Return After Taxes on Distributions

3.78%

-0.09%

0.16%

Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares(1)

3.32%

0.36%

0.55%

Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index(2)(3)
(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

5.53%

1.10%

1.31%

Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index(3)
(reflects no deductions for fees, expenses or taxes)

5.05%

0.25%

0.59%

 

(1)

If the Fund incurs a loss, which generates a tax benefit, the Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares may exceed the Fund’s other return figures.

 

7 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

(2)

Effective February 28, 2024, the Fund changed its broad-based securities market index from the Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index to the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index due to regulatory requirements. The Fund retained the Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index as a performance benchmark because the Bloomberg U.S. Mortgage Backed Securities Index is more closely aligned with the Fund’s investment strategies and investment restrictions.

(3)

Index performance shown in the table is the total return, which assumes reinvestment of any dividends and distributions during the time periods shown.

 

After-tax returns in the table above are calculated using the historical highest individual U.S. federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state or local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on your individual tax situation and may differ from those shown in the preceding table. The after-tax return information shown above does not apply to Fund shares held through a tax-advantaged account, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

 

MANAGEMENT

 

Investment Adviser: Janus Henderson Investors US LLC

 

Portfolio Management: Nick Childs, CFA, is Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund, which he has co-managed since inception. John Kerschner, CFA, is Co-Portfolio Manager of the Fund, which he has co-managed since inception.

 

PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES

 

The Fund is an actively-managed ETF. Unlike shares of traditional mutual funds, shares of the Fund are not individually redeemable and may only be purchased or redeemed directly from the Fund at NAV in large increments called “Creation Units” through APs. The Adviser may modify the Creation Unit size with prior notification to the Fund’s APs. See the ETF portion of the Janus Henderson website for the Fund’s current Creation Unit size. Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a designated portfolio of in-kind securities with a cash balancing amount and/or all cash. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, Fund shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Shares of the Fund are listed and trade on the Exchange, and individual investors can purchase or sell shares in much smaller increments for cash in the secondary market through a broker-dealer. These transactions, which do not involve the Fund, are made at market prices that may vary throughout the day and differ from the Fund’s NAV. As a result, you may pay more than NAV (at a premium) when you purchase shares, and receive less than NAV (at a discount) when you sell shares, in the secondary market.

 

Investors purchasing or selling shares in the secondary market may also incur additional costs, including brokerage commissions and an investor may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (ask) when buying or selling shares in the secondary market (the “bid-ask spread”). Historical information regarding the Fund’s bid/ask spread can be accessed on the Fund’s website at janushenderson.com/performance by selecting the Fund.

 

TAX INFORMATION

 

The Fund’s distributions are generally taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-advantaged arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account (in which case you may be taxed at ordinary income tax rates upon withdrawal of your investment from such account). A sale of Fund shares may result in a capital gain or loss.

 

PAYMENTS TO BROKER-DEALERS AND OTHER FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES

 

If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Adviser and/or its affiliates may pay broker-dealers or intermediaries for the sale and/or maintenance of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.

 

8 | Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

 

Additional Information about the Fund

 

Additional Investment Strategies and General Portfolio Policies

 

The Fund is an actively managed ETF and, thus, does not seek to replicate the performance of a specified index. Accordingly, portfolio management has discretion on a daily basis to manage the Fund’s portfolio in accordance with the Fund’s investment objective. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will generally sell or dispose of its portfolio investments when, in the opinion of the Adviser, they have reached their profit or price target, or as the result of changing market conditions. The Fund is designed for investors who seek exposure to an actively managed portfolio consisting primarily of mortgage-related fixed-income instruments.

 

The Fund’s Board of Trustees (“Trustees”) may change the Fund’s investment objective or non-fundamental principal investment strategies without a shareholder vote. The Fund will notify you in writing at least 60 days or as soon as reasonably practicable before making any such change it considers material. If there is a material change to the Fund’s investment objective or principal investment strategies, you should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective.

 

On each business day before commencement of trading in shares on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on janushenderson.com/info the identities and quantities of each portfolio position held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund’s next calculation of the NAV per share. A description of the Fund’s policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of the Fund’s portfolio holdings is available in the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”). Information about the premiums and discounts at which the Fund’s shares have traded is available at janushenderson.com/performance by selecting the Fund for additional details.

 

Unless otherwise stated, the following additional investment strategies and general policies apply to the Fund and provide further information including, but not limited to, the types of securities the Fund may invest in when implementing its investment objective. Some of these strategies and policies may be part of a principal strategy. Other strategies and policies may be utilized to a lesser extent. Except for the Fund’s policies with respect to investments in illiquid investments, borrowing and derivatives use, the percentage limitations included in these policies and elsewhere in this Prospectus and/or the SAI normally apply only at the time of purchase of a security. So, for example, if the Fund exceeds a limit, other than illiquid investments, borrowing and derivatives use, as a result of market fluctuations or the sale of other securities, it will not be required to dispose of any securities. The “Glossary of Investment Terms” includes descriptions of investment terms used throughout the Prospectus.

 

The Fund may borrow money to the extent permitted by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). For temporary liquidity and cash management purposes, the Fund may invest in other ETFs that provide exposure to related securities.

 

Asset-Backed Securities

The Fund will typically invest in asset-backed securities backed by pools of home equity loans and other mortgage-related debt, credit cards and automobile loans. Asset-backed securities are collateralized by pools of obligations or assets. Most asset-backed securities involve pools of consumer or commercial debts with maturities less than ten years. However, almost any type of asset may be used to create an asset-backed security. Asset-backed securities may take the form of commercial paper, notes, or pass-through certificates and may be structured as floaters, inverse floaters, interest-only and principal-only obligations.

 

Similar to mortgage-backed securities, payments on asset-backed securities include both interest and a partial payment of principal. The value of the Fund’s investments in asset-backed securities may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or originator of the receivables, the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit or liquidity enhancements, and/or the market’s assessment of the quality of the underlying assets. Generally, the originating bank or credit provider is neither the obligor nor the guarantor of the security, and interest and principal payments ultimately depend upon payment of the underlying loans by individuals. The Fund could incur a loss if the underlying loans are not paid. In addition, most asset-backed securities are subject to prepayment risk in a declining interest rate environment. Prepayment risk is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain fixed-income securities with higher interest rates, such as mortgage- and

 

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asset-backed securities, may be prepaid by their issuers thereby reducing the amount of interest payments. The impact of prepayments on the value of asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and sensitive to changing interest rates.

 

Cash Position

The Fund may not always stay fully invested. For example, when portfolio management believes that market conditions are unfavorable for investing, or when portfolio management is otherwise unable to locate attractive investment opportunities, the Fund’s investment in cash or similar investments may increase. When the Fund’s investments in cash or similar investments increase, it may not participate in market advances or declines to the same extent that it would if the Fund remained more fully invested. To the extent the Fund invests its uninvested cash through a sweep program (meaning its uninvested cash is pooled with uninvested cash of other funds and invested in certain securities such as repurchase agreements), it is subject to the risks of the account or fund into which it is investing, including liquidity issues that may delay the Fund from accessing its cash.

 

In addition, the Fund may temporarily increase its cash position under certain unusual circumstances, such as to protect its assets or maintain liquidity in certain circumstances to meet unusually large redemptions. The Fund’s cash position may also increase temporarily due to unusually large cash inflows. Under unusual circumstances such as these, the Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash or similar investments. In this case, the Fund may take positions that are inconsistent with its investment policies. As a result, the Fund may not achieve its investment objective.

 

Credit Risk Transfer Securities

The Fund may invest in credit risk transfer securities (“CRTs”). CRTs are unguaranteed and unsecured debt securities that are commonly issued by a government sponsored entity (“GSE”). The Fund may also invest in CRTs that are issued by private entities, such as banks or other financial institutions. CRTs issued by private entities are structured similarly to those issued by a GSE and are generally subject to the same types of risks, including mortgage, credit, prepayment, liquidity, and valuation risks.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds

The Fund may invest in ETFs, including affiliated ETFs. ETFs are typically open-end investment companies that are traded on a national securities exchange. ETFs typically incur fees, such as investment advisory fees and other operating expenses that are separate from those of the Fund, which will be indirectly paid by the Fund. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund may be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying ETFs and may be higher than other ETFs or mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. Since ETFs are traded on an exchange at market prices that may vary from the NAV of their underlying investments, there may be times when ETFs trade at a premium or discount. In the case of affiliated ETFs, unless waived, the Adviser will earn fees both from the Fund and from the underlying ETF, with respect to assets of the Fund invested in the underlying ETF. The Fund is also subject to the risks associated with the securities in which the ETF invests.

 

High-Yield Bonds

Within the parameters of its specific investment policies, the Fund may invest in bonds that are rated below investment grade (also known as “junk” bonds), such as BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“Standard & Poor’s”) and Fitch, Inc. (“Fitch”), or Ba1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), or is an unrated bond of similar quality. The Fund may also invest in unrated bonds of foreign and domestic issuers.

 

Illiquid Investments

The Fund will not acquire any illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, the Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets. An illiquid investment is any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment.

 

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Interest Rate Futures Contracts

Interest rate futures contracts, including futures contracts on U.S. Treasuries, Eurodollars and other futures contracts that provide interest rate exposure, are typically exchange-traded, are typically used to obtain interest rate exposure in order to manage duration and hedge interest rate risk. An interest rate futures contract is a bilateral agreement where one party agrees to accept and the other party agrees to make delivery of a specified security, as called for in the agreement at a specified date and at an agreed upon price. Generally, Treasury interest rate futures contracts are closed out or rolled over prior to their expiration date.

 

Leverage

Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using reverse repurchase agreements, when-issued, delayed delivery, forward commitment transactions, or other similar transactions. The Fund may use leverage for investment purposes by entering into reverse repurchase agreement transactions and using the cash made available from these transactions to make additional investments in fixed-income securities in accordance with the Fund’s principal strategies. In addition, other investment techniques, such as certain derivative transactions, can create a leveraging effect.

 

Mortgage-Backed Securities

Mortgage-backed securities represent an ownership interest in a pool of mortgage loans used to finance purchases of real estate. The mortgage loans that comprise a pool normally have similar interest rates (fixed or variable), maturities and other terms. Pools of mortgages financing residential home purchases are referred to as residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), while pools of mortgages financing commercial buildings, multi-family properties and other real estate are referred to as commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”). Mortgage-backed securities may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (“agency mortgage-backed securities”), or may be issued or guaranteed by private entities such as commercial banks, savings and loan institutions or mortgage bankers (“privately issued mortgage-backed securities”).

 

The Fund will primarily invest in fixed or variable rate agency mortgage-backed securities issued by the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), or other governmental or government-related entities. Ginnie Mae’s guarantees are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government, which means that the U.S. Government guarantees that the interest and principal will be paid when due. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.

 

Unlike traditional debt instruments, payments on mortgage-backed securities include both interest and a partial payment of principal. Prepayment of the principal of underlying loans at a faster pace than expected is known as “prepayment risk” and may shorten the effective maturities of these securities. This may result in the Fund having to reinvest proceeds at a lower interest rate. Mortgage-backed securities tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than other types of debt securities. In addition to prepayment risk, investments in privately-issued mortgage-backed securities may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than other mortgage-backed securities. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to extension risk. Extension risk is the risk that borrowers may pay off their debt obligations more slowly in times of rising interest rates. The risks associated with CMBS reflect the risks of investing in the commercial real estate securing the underlying mortgage loans and are therefore different from the risks of other types of mortgage-backed securities.

 

Mortgage Dollar Rolls

The Fund utilizes “mortgage dollar rolls,” which are similar to reverse repurchase agreements in certain respects. In a “mortgage dollar roll” transaction, the Fund sells a mortgage-related security (such as a Ginnie Mae security) to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to repurchase a similar security (but not the same security) in the future at a predetermined price. A “dollar roll” can be viewed, like a reverse repurchase agreement, as a collateralized borrowing in which the Fund pledges a mortgage-related security to a dealer to obtain cash. Successful use of mortgage dollar rolls depends on the Fund’s ability to predict interest rates and mortgage payments. Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities the Fund is required to purchase may decline below the agreed upon repurchase price. The use of mortgage dollar rolls often results in higher portfolio turnover.

 

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Options on Futures Contracts

An option on a futures contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are standardized and traded on designated exchanges.

 

Options on Securities and Indices

The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on securities and indices. A put option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell, and the writer of the option the obligation to buy, the underlying security during the option period. A call option on a security gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy, and the writer of the option the obligation to sell, the underlying security at any time during the option period. The premium paid to the writer is the consideration for undertaking the obligations under the option contract.

 

A put option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is less than the exercise price of the option. A call option on an index gives the holder the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the underlying index is greater than the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the difference between the closing price of the index and the exercise price of the option, expressed in dollars multiplied by a specified number. Thus, unlike options on individual securities, all settlements are in cash, and gain or loss depends on price movements in the particular market represented by the index generally, rather than the price movements in individual securities.

 

Options on Swap Contracts

The Fund may enter into options on swap agreements, commonly referred to as “swaptions.” A swaption is a contract that gives a purchaser the right, but not the obligation, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel, or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. Swaptions can be used for a variety of purposes, including to manage the Fund’s overall exposure to changes in interest or foreign currency exchange rates and credit quality; as an efficient means of adjusting the Fund’s exposure to certain markets; in an effort to enhance income or total return or protect the value of portfolio securities; to serve as a cash management tool; and to adjust portfolio duration or credit risk.

 

Pass Through Securities

Pass-through securities (such as mortgage-and asset-backed securities) are debt securities that normally give the issuer an option to pay cash at a coupon payment date or give the holder of the security a similar bond with the same coupon rate and a face value equal to the amount of the coupon payment that would have been made. In the pass-through structure, principal and interest payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis. These securities involve prepayment risk. In that case, the Fund may have to reinvest the proceeds from the securities at a lower rate. Potential market gains on a security subject to prepayment risk may be more limited than potential market gains on a comparable security that is not subject to prepayment risk.

 

Portfolio Turnover

Portfolio turnover rates are generally not a factor in making buy and sell decisions. Changes may be made to the Fund’s portfolio, consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies, when portfolio management believes such changes are in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders. Short-term transactions may result from the purchase of a security in anticipation of relatively short-term gains, liquidity needs, securities having reached a price or yield objective, changes in interest rates or the credit standing of an issuer, or by reason of economic or other developments not foreseen at the time of the initial investment decision. The Fund may also sell one security and simultaneously purchase the same or a comparable security to take advantage of short-term differentials in bond yields or securities prices. Portfolio turnover is affected by market conditions, changes in the size of the Fund (including due to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units), the nature of the Fund’s investments, and the investment style of portfolio management. Due to the nature of the securities in which it invests, the Fund may have relatively high portfolio turnover compared to other funds.

 

Increased portfolio turnover may result in higher costs for brokerage commissions, dealer mark-ups, and other transaction costs, and may also result in taxable capital gains. Higher costs associated with increased portfolio turnover also may have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. The “Financial Highlights” section of this Prospectus shows the Fund’s historical turnover rates.

 

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REITs and Real Estate-Related Securities

The Fund may invest in equity and debt securities of real estate-related companies. These securities may include common stocks, preferred stocks, and other securities, including, but not limited to, mortgage-backed securities, real estate-backed securities, securities of real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) and similar REIT-like entities (such as real estate operation companies (“REOCs”)). A REIT is an entity that invests in real estate-related projects, such as properties, mortgage loans, and construction loans. REITs are often categorized as equity REITs, mortgage REITs, and hybrid REITs. An equity REIT, the most common type of REIT, invests primarily in the fee ownership of land and buildings. An equity REIT derives its income primarily from rental income but may also realize capital gains or losses by selling real estate properties in its portfolio that have appreciated or depreciated in value. A mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real estate, which may secure construction, development, or long-term loans. A mortgage REIT generally derives its income from interest payments on the credit it has extended. A hybrid REIT combines the characteristics of equity REITs and mortgage REITs, generally by holding both ownership interests and mortgage interests in real estate.

 

Similar to REITs, REOCs are publicly-traded real estate companies that typically engage in the development, management or financing of real estate, such as homebuilders, hotel management companies, land developers and brokers. REOCs, however, have not elected (or are not eligible) to be taxed as a REIT. The reasons for not making such an election include the (i) availability of tax-loss carry-forwards, (ii) operation in non-REIT-qualifying lines of business, and (iii) ability to retain earnings. Instead, REOCs are generally structured as “C” corporations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and, as a result, are not required to distribute any portion of their income. In this regard, although REOCs do not receive the same favorable tax treatment that is accorded to REITs, REOCs are typically subject to fewer restrictions than REITs, including the ability to retain and/or reinvest funds from operations and more flexibility in terms of the real estate investments they can make.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of a security by the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at a specified price and time. The Fund may use this technique to obtain cash for investment purposes, or for other temporary or emergency purposes.

 

Securities Lending

The Fund may seek to earn additional income through lending its securities to certain qualified broker-dealers and institutions on a short-term or long-term basis, in an amount equal to up to one-third of its total assets as determined at the time of the loan origination. When the Fund lends its securities, it receives collateral (including cash collateral), at least equal to the value of securities loaned. The Fund may earn income by investing this collateral in one or more affiliated or non-affiliated cash management vehicles or in time deposits. It is also possible that, due to a decline in the value of a cash management vehicle in which collateral is invested, the Fund may lose money. Securities lending involves a risk of loss because the borrower may fail to return the securities in a timely manner or at all. If the Fund lends its securities and is unable to recover the securities loaned, it may sell the collateral and purchase a replacement security in the market. Lending securities entails a risk of loss to the Fund if and to the extent that the market value of the loaned securities increases and the collateral is not increased accordingly. Any cash received as collateral for loaned securities will be invested in an affiliated cash management vehicle or time deposits. This investment is subject to market appreciation or depreciation and the Fund will bear any loss on the investment of its cash collateral. In certain circumstances, individual loan transactions could yield negative returns. The Adviser intends to manage a portion of the cash collateral in an affiliated cash management vehicle and will receive an investment advisory fee for managing such assets.

 

Short Positions

The Fund may invest in short positions for hedging purposes using interest rate futures, swaps, forward contracts, options and also through the short sale of portfolio securities, including ETFs. A short sale is generally a transaction in which the Fund sells a security it does not own or have the right to acquire (or that it owns but does not wish to deliver) in anticipation that the market price of that security will decline. To complete the transaction, the Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. The Fund is then obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of replacement. A short sale is subject to the risk that if the price of the security sold short increases in value, the Fund will incur a loss because it will have to replace the security sold short by purchasing it at a higher price. In addition, the Fund may not always be able to close out a short position at a particular time or at an acceptable price. A lender may request, or market conditions may dictate, that the securities sold short be returned to the lender on short notice, and

 

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the Fund may have to buy the securities sold short at an unfavorable price. If this occurs at a time that other short sellers of the same security also want to close out their positions, it is more likely that the Fund will have to cover its short sale at an unfavorable price and potentially reduce or eliminate any gain, or cause a loss, as a result of the short sale. Because there is no upper limit to the price a borrowed security may reach prior to closing a short position, the Fund’s losses are potentially unlimited in a short sale transaction. The Fund’s gains and losses will also be decreased or increased, as the case may be, by the amount of any dividends, interest, or expenses, including transaction costs and borrowing fees, the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale. Such payments may result in the Fund having higher expenses than a fund that does not engage in short sales and may negatively affect the Fund’s performance.

 

The Fund may enter into a derivatives transaction to obtain short investment exposure to an underlying reference asset. If the value of the underlying reference asset on which the Fund has obtained a short investment exposure increases, the Fund will incur a loss. This potential loss is theoretically unlimited. A short exposure through a derivative also exposes the Fund to credit risk, counterparty risk, and leverage risk.

 

Swap Agreements

The Fund may utilize swap agreements such as credit default, interest rate, and total return swaps, as a means to hedge its portfolio against adverse movements in securities prices, the rate of inflation, or interest rates. Swap agreements are two-party contracts to exchange one set of cash flows for another. Swap agreements entail the risk that a party will default on its payment obligations to the Fund. If the other party to a swap defaults, the Fund would risk the loss of the net amount of the payments that it contractually is entitled to receive. If the Fund utilizes a swap at the wrong time or judges market conditions incorrectly, the swap may result in a loss to the Fund and reduce the Fund’s total return. Various types of swaps such as credit default, interest rate, and total return swaps are described in this Prospectus and/or in the “Glossary of Investment Terms.”

 

Index Credit Default Swaps. The Fund may invest in index credit default swaps (“CDX”). A CDX is a swap on an index of credit default swaps. CDXs allow an investor to manage credit risk or take a position on a basket of credit entities (such as credit default swaps or a commercial mortgage-backed index) in a more efficient manner than transacting in a single-name credit default swap. If a credit event occurs in one of the underlying companies, the protection is paid out via the delivery of the defaulted bond by the buyer of protection in return for a payment of notional value of the defaulted bond by the seller of protection or it may be settled through a cash settlement between the two parties. The underlying company is then removed from the index. New series of CDXs are issued on a regular basis.

 

Commercial mortgage-backed securities index swaps (“CMBX”) are a type of index credit default swap that are made up of tranches of commercial mortgage-backed securities rather than credit default swaps. CMBX involve a pay-as-you go settlement process designed to capture non-default events that affect the cash flow to the underlying mortgage-backed securities tranche.

 

Interest Rate Swaps. The Fund may enter into interest rate swaps, which involve the exchange by two parties of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments). Interest rate swaps are generally entered into on a net basis. Interest rate swaps do not involve the delivery of securities, other underlying assets, or principal. Accordingly, the risk of loss with respect to interest rate swaps is limited to the net amount of interest payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make.

 

TBA Commitments

The Fund will typically enter into “to be announced” or “TBA” commitments. TBA commitments are forward agreements for the purchase or sale of securities, including mortgage-backed securities, for a fixed price, with payment and delivery on an agreed upon future settlement date. The specific securities to be delivered are not identified at the trade date. However, delivered securities must meet industry-accepted “good delivery” standards, which include specified terms, for issuer, rate, and mortgage terms. At the time the TBA commitment is made, the transaction is recorded and thereafter the value of such securities is reflected each day in determining the Fund’s NAV. Because the Fund is generally not required to pay for the security until the settlement date, if the Fund remains substantially fully invested at a time when TBA commitment purchases are outstanding, the purchases may result in a form of leverage.

 

14 | Janus Detroit Street Trust

 

 

U.S. Government Securities

The Fund may invest in U.S. Government securities. U.S. Government securities include those issued directly by the U.S. Treasury, including Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities (also known as TIPS), and those issued or guaranteed by various U.S. Government agencies and instrumentalities. Some government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Other government securities are backed only by the rights of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. Others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the obligations. Certain other government securities are supported only by the credit of the issuer. For securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, the Fund must look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the securities for repayment and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States if the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. Such securities may involve increased risk of loss of principal and interest compared to government debt securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States.

 

Because of the rising U.S. Government debt burden, it is possible that the U.S. Government may not be able to meet its financial obligations or that securities issued or backed by the U.S. Government may experience credit downgrades. Such a credit event may adversely affect the financial markets.

 

Variable- and Floating-Rate Obligations

The Fund may invest in securities with variable or floating rates of interest which, under certain limited circumstances, may have varying principal amounts. Variable and floating rate securities pay interest at rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate (the “underlying index”). The floating rate tends to decrease the security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates. These types of securities are relatively long-term instruments that often carry demand features permitting the holder to demand payment of principal at any time or at specified intervals prior to maturity. Inverse floating rate securities (“Inverse Floaters”) are debt instruments whose interest bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another security. A rise in the reference rate of an inverse floater will cause a drop in the interest rate paid by the inverse floater, while a drop in the reference rate of the inverse floater will cause an increase in the interest rate paid on the inverse floater. Inverse Floaters may exhibit greater price volatility than a fixed rate obligation with similar credit quality. Similar to variable and floating rate obligations, effective use of inverse floaters requires skills different from those needed to select most portfolio securities. If movements in interest rates are incorrectly anticipated, the Fund could lose money, or its NAV could decline by the use of inverse floaters.

 

Other Types of Investments

Unless otherwise stated within its specific investment policies, the Fund may also invest in other types of U.S. dollar denominated securities and use other investment strategies. These securities and strategies are not intended to be principal investment strategies of the Fund. If successful, they may benefit the Fund by earning a return on the Fund’s assets or reducing risk; however, they may not achieve the Fund’s investment objective. These securities and strategies may include fixed-income securities issued in private placement transactions.

 

Risks of the fund

 

The value of your investment will vary over time, sometimes significantly, and you may lose money by investing in the Fund. The following information is intended to help you better understand some of the risks of investing in the Fund. The impact of the following risks on the Fund may vary depending on the Fund’s investments. The greater the Fund’s investment in a particular security, the greater the Fund’s exposure to the risks associated with that security. Before investing in the Fund, you should consider carefully the risks that you assume when investing in the Fund.

 

Affiliated Underlying Fund Risk. The Adviser may invest in certain affiliated ETFs as investments for the Fund. The Adviser will generally receive fees for managing such funds, in addition to the fees paid to the Adviser by the Fund. The payment of such fees by affiliated funds creates a conflict of interest when selecting affiliated funds for investment in the Fund. The Adviser, however, is a fiduciary to the Fund and its shareholders and is legally obligated to act in its best interest when selecting affiliated funds. In addition, the Adviser has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse a portion of the Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee it earns as an investment adviser to any of the affiliated ETFs with respect to the Fund’s investment in such ETF, less certain operating expenses.

 

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Collateralized Mortgage Obligation Risk. Collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) are a type of mortgage-backed security. CMOs are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (tranches) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments. Certain CMO tranches may represent a right to receive interest only (“IOs”), principal only (“POs”) or an amount that remains after floating-rate tranches are paid (an inverse floater). These securities are frequently referred to as “mortgage derivatives” and may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates. Interest rates on inverse floaters, for example, vary inversely with a short-term floating rate (which may be reset periodically). Interest rates on inverse floaters will decrease when short-term rates increase, and will increase when short-term rates decrease. These securities have the effect of providing a degree of investment leverage. In response to changes in market interest rates or other market conditions, the value of an inverse floater may increase or decrease at a multiple of the increase or decrease in the value of the underlying securities. If the Fund invests in CMO tranches (including CMO tranches issued by government agencies) and interest rates move in a manner not anticipated by the Adviser, it is possible that the Fund could lose all or substantially all of its investment.

 

Counterparty Risk. Fund transactions involving a counterparty are subject to the risk that the counterparty or a third party will not fulfill its obligation to the Fund (“counterparty risk”). Counterparty risk may arise because of the counterparty’s financial condition (i.e., financial difficulties, bankruptcy, or insolvency), market activities and developments, or other reasons, whether foreseen or not. A counterparty’s inability to fulfill its obligation may result in significant financial loss to the Fund. The Fund may be unable to recover its investment from the counterparty or may obtain a limited recovery, and/or recovery may be delayed. The Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk to the extent it participates in lending its securities to third parties and/or cash sweep arrangements whereby the Fund’s cash balance is invested in one or more types of cash management vehicles or in time deposits. In addition, the Fund may be exposed to counterparty risk through its investments in certain securities, including, but not limited to, repurchase agreements, debt securities, and derivatives (including various types of forwards, swaps, futures, and options). The Fund intends to enter into financial transactions with counterparties that the Adviser believes to be creditworthy at the time of the transaction. There is always the risk that the Adviser’s analysis of a counterparty’s creditworthiness is incorrect or may change due to market conditions. To the extent that the Fund focuses its transactions with a limited number of counterparties, it will have greater exposure to the risks associated with one or more counterparties.

 

Credit Quality Risk. The Fund is subject to the risks associated with the credit quality of the issuers of fixed-income securities. Credit quality measures the likelihood that the issuer or borrower will meet its obligations on a bond. One of the fundamental risks is credit risk, which is the risk that an issuer will be unable to make principal and interest payments when due, or default on its obligations. Higher credit risk may negatively impact the Fund’s returns and yield.

 

Many fixed-income securities receive credit ratings from services such as Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s. These services assign ratings to securities by assessing the likelihood of issuer default. The lower a bond issue is rated by an agency, the more credit risk it is considered to represent. Lower rated instruments and securities generally pay interest at a higher rate to compensate for the associated greater risk. Interest rates can fluctuate in response to economic or market conditions, which can result in a fluctuation in the price of a security and impact the Fund’s return and yield. If a security has not received a rating, the Fund must rely upon the Adviser’s credit assessment, which if incorrect can also impact the Fund’s returns and yield.

 

Credit Risk Transfer Securities Risk. CRT securities are unguaranteed and unsecured debt securities commonly issued by a government sponsored entity. CRTs are not directly linked to or backed by the underlying mortgage loans so investors such as the Fund have no recourse to the underlying mortgage loans. The risks associated with CRTs are different from the risks associated with investments in mortgage-backed securities issued by government sponsored entities or private issuers because some or all of the mortgage default or credit risk associated with the underlying mortgage loans is transferred to investors. Additional risks associated with investments in CRTs may include valuation risk, mortgage credit risk, liquidity risk, and prepayment risk.

 

Derivatives Risks. Derivatives can be volatile and involve similar risks to those as the underlying referenced securities or assets. Gains or losses from a derivative investment can be substantially greater than the derivative’s original cost, and can therefore involve leverage. Leverage may cause the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not used leverage because leverage can exaggerate the effect of any increase or decrease in the value of securities and other instruments held by the Fund.

 

The Fund may use futures, options, swap agreements (such as interest rate, credit default, and total return swaps), and other derivative instruments individually or in combination to “hedge” or protect its portfolio from adverse movements in securities prices and interest rates. There is no guarantee that portfolio management’s use of derivative investments will benefit the

 

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Fund. The Fund’s performance could be worse than if the Fund had not used such instruments. Use of such investments may instead increase risk to the Fund, rather than reduce risk. Derivatives can be complex instruments and may involve analysis that differs from that required for other investment types used by the Fund. If the value of a derivative does not correlate well with the particular market or other asset class to which the derivative is intended to provide exposure, the derivative may not produce the anticipated result. Derivatives can also reduce the opportunity for gain or result in losses by offsetting positive returns in other investments. Derivatives entail the risk that the counterparty will default on its payment obligations. If the counterparty to a derivative transaction defaults, the Fund would risk the loss of the net amount of the payments that it contractually is entitled to receive. To the extent the Fund enters into short derivative positions, the Fund may be exposed to risks similar to those associated with short sales, including the risk that the Fund’s losses are theoretically unlimited.

 

Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contract Risk. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts (“forward currency contracts”) involve the risk that unanticipated changes in currency prices may negatively impact the Fund’s performance. Moreover, there may be an imperfect correlation between the Fund’s portfolio holdings of securities quoted or denominated in a particular currency and any forward currency contracts entered into by the Fund, which will expose the Fund to risk of foreign exchange loss. The trading markets for forward currency contracts offer less protection against defaults than trading in currency instruments on an exchange. Because a forward currency contract is not guaranteed by an exchange or clearinghouse, a default on the contract could result in losses to the Fund and may force the Fund to cover its purchase or sale commitments, if any, at the current market price. In addition, forward currency contract markets can experience periods of illiquidity, which could prevent the Fund from divesting of a forward currency contract at the optimal time and may adversely affect the Fund’s returns and NAV.

 

Index Credit Default Swaps Risk. If the Fund holds a long position in a CDX, the Fund would indirectly bear its proportionate share of any expenses paid by a CDX. By investing in CDXs, the Fund could be exposed to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk, and credit risk of the issuers of the underlying loan obligations and of the CDX markets. If there is a default by the CDX counterparty, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. CDXs also bear the risk that the Fund will not be able to meet its obligation to the counterparty.

 

Interest Rate Futures Risk. The Fund’s investments in interest rate futures entail the risk that the Fund’s portfolio management’s prediction of the direction of interest rates is wrong, and the Fund could incur a loss. In addition, due to the possibility of price distortions in the interest rate futures market, a correct forecast of general interest rate trends by portfolio management may not result in the successful use of interest rate futures.

 

Interest Rate Swaps Risk. The Fund’s use of interest rate swaps involves investment techniques and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. Interest rate swaps may result in potential losses if interest rates do not move as expected or if the counterparties are unable to satisfy their obligations.

 

Options on Futures Contracts Risk. The amount of risk that the Fund assumes when it purchases an option on a futures contract is the premium paid for the option, plus related transaction costs. In order to profit from an option purchased, it may be necessary to exercise the option and to liquidate the underlying futures contract subject to the risks of the availability of a liquid offset market. The seller of an option on a futures contract is subject to the risks of commodity futures trading, including the requirement of initial and variation margin payments, as well as the additional risk that movements in the price of the option may not correlate with movements in the price underlying security, index, currency, or futures contracts.

 

Options on Securities Indices Risk. Options on indices may, depending on circumstances, involve greater risk than options on securities. Because index options are settled in cash, when the Fund writes a call on an index it may not be able to provide in advance for its potential settlement obligations by acquiring and holding the underlying securities. If the Fund is unable to effect a closing purchase transaction with respect to covered options it has written, the Fund will not be able to sell the underlying securities or dispose of assets held in a segregated account until the options expire or are exercised. Similarly, if the Fund is unable to effect a closing sale transaction with respect to options it has purchased, it will have to exercise the options in order to realize any profit and will incur transaction costs upon the purchase or sale of underlying securities.

 

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Options on Swap Contracts Risk. Because the use of options on swap contracts, or “swaptions,” generally does not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal, the risk of loss with respect to swaptions generally is limited to the net amount of payments that the Fund is contractually obligated to make. There is also a risk of a default by the other party to a swaption, in which case the Fund may not receive the net amount of payments that it contractually is entitled to receive. Entering into a swaption contract involves, to varying degrees, the elements of credit, market, and interest rate risk, associated with both option contracts and swap contracts.

 

Treasury Futures Contracts Risk. While transactions in Treasury futures contracts may reduce certain risks, unanticipated changes in interest rates or securities prices may result in a poorer overall performance for the Fund than if it had not entered into any Treasury futures contracts. To the extent the Fund uses Treasury futures contracts, it is exposed to additional volatility and potential losses resulting from leverage. Losses (or gains) involving Treasury futures contracts can sometimes be substantial – in part because a relatively small price movement in a Treasury futures contract may result in an immediate and substantial loss (or gain) for the Fund.

 

Exchange-Traded Funds Risk. The Fund may invest in ETFs, including affiliated ETFs. ETFs are typically open-end investment companies, which may seek to track the performance of a specific index or be actively managed. ETFs are traded on a national securities exchange at market prices that may vary from the NAV of their underlying investments. Accordingly, there may be times when an ETF trades at a premium or discount to its NAV. When the Fund invests in an ETF, in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the ETF’s expenses. As a result, the cost of investing in the Fund may be higher than the cost of investing directly in the underlying ETFs and may be higher than other ETFs or mutual funds that invest directly in stocks and bonds. ETFs also involve the risk that an active trading market for an ETF’s shares may not develop or be maintained. Similarly, because the value of ETF shares depends on the demand in the market, the Fund may not be able to purchase or sell an ETF at the most optimal time, which could adversely affect the Fund’s performance. In addition, ETFs that track particular indices may be unable to match the performance of such underlying indices due to the temporary unavailability of certain index securities in the secondary market or other factors, such as discrepancies with respect to the weighting of securities.

 

The ETFs in which the Fund invests are subject to specific risks, depending on the investment strategy of the ETF. In turn, the Fund will be subject to substantially the same risks as those associated with direct exposure to the securities or commodities held by the ETF. Because the Fund may invest in a broad range of ETFs, such risks may include, but are not limited to, leverage risk, foreign exposure risk, and commodity-linked investments risk. To the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income ETFs, it will be indirectly exposed to the same risks described under “Fixed-Income Securities Risk.”

 

Fixed-Income Securities Risk. Typically, the values of fixed-income securities change inversely with prevailing interest rates. Therefore, a fundamental risk of fixed-income securities is interest rate risk, which is the risk that the value of such securities will generally decline as prevailing interest rates rise, which may cause the Fund’s NAV to likewise decrease. How specific fixed-income securities may react to changes in interest rates will depend on the specific characteristics of each security. For example, while securities with longer maturities and durations tend to produce higher yields, they also tend to be more sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates and are therefore more volatile than shorter-term securities and are subject to greater market fluctuations as a result of changes in interest rates. However, calculations of maturity and duration may be based on estimates and may not reliably predict a security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates. In addition, different interest rate measures (such as short- and long-term interest rates and U.S. and non-U.S. interest rates), or interest rates on different types of securities or securities of different issuers, may not necessarily change in the same amount or in the same direction. Investments in fixed-income securities with very low or negative interest rates may diminish the Fund’s yield and performance.

 

Fixed-income securities are also subject to credit risk, which is the risk that the credit strength of an issuer of a fixed-income security will weaken and/or that the issuer will be unable to make timely principal and interest payments and that the security may go into default. In addition, there is prepayment risk, which is the risk that during periods of falling interest rates, certain debt obligations may be paid off quicker than originally anticipated, which may cause the Fund to reinvest its assets in securities with lower yields, resulting in a decline in the Fund’s income or return potential. Fixed-income securities may also be subject to valuation risk and liquidity risk. Valuation risk is the risk that one or more of the fixed-income securities in which the Fund invests are priced differently than the value realized upon such security’s sale. In times of market instability, valuation may be more difficult. Valuation may also be affected by changes in the issuer’s financial strength, the market’s perception of such strength, or in the credit rating of the issuer of the security. Liquidity risk is the risk that fixed-income securities may be difficult or impossible to sell at the time that portfolio management would like or at the price portfolio management believes the security is currently worth. Consequently, the Fund may have to accept a lower price to

 

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sell a security, sell other securities to raise cash, or give an investment opportunity, any of which could have a negative effect on the Fund’s performance. In unusual market conditions, even normally liquid securities may be affected by a degree of liquidity risk. To the extent the Fund invests in fixed-income securities in a particular industry or economic sector, its share values may fluctuate in response to events affecting that industry or sector. Securities underlying mortgage- and asset-backed securities, which may include subprime mortgages, also may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in derivatives tied to fixed-income securities, the Fund may be more substantially exposed to these risks than a fund that does not invest in such derivatives. The market for certain fixed-income securities may become illiquid under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the conditions of a particular issuer. Similarly, the amount of assets deemed illiquid remaining within the Fund may also increase, making it more difficult to meet shareholder redemptions and further adversely affecting the value of the Fund.

 

High-Yield Bond Risk. High-yield bonds (or “junk” bonds) are bonds rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies such as Standard & Poor’s, Fitch, and Moody’s or are unrated bonds of similar quality. The value of lower quality bonds generally is more dependent on credit risk than investment grade bonds. Issuers of high-yield bonds may not be as strong financially as those issuing bonds with higher credit ratings and are more vulnerable to real or perceived economic changes, political changes, or adverse developments specific to the issuer. In addition, the junk bond market can experience sudden and sharp price swings.

 

The secondary market on which high-yield securities are traded is less liquid than the market for investment grade securities. The lack of a liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the market price of the security. Additionally, it may be more difficult to value the securities because valuation may require more research, and elements of judgment may play a larger role in the valuation because there is less reliable, objective data available.

 

Inflation Risk. Inflation creates uncertainty over the future real value of an investment (the value after adjusting for inflation). The real value of certain assets or real income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions may decline. This risk is more prevalent with respect to debt securities held by the Fund. Inflation rates may change frequently and drastically as a result of various factors, including unexpected shifts in the domestic or global economy. Moreover, the Fund’s investments may not keep pace with inflation, which may result in losses to Fund shareholders or adversely affect the real value of shareholders’ investment in the Fund. Fund shareholders’ expectation of future inflation can also impact the current value of the Fund’s portfolio, resulting in lower asset values and potential losses. This risk may be elevated compared to historical market conditions because of recent monetary policy measures and the current interest rate environment.

 

Interest Rate Risk. Generally, a fixed-income security will increase in value when prevailing interest rates fall and decrease in value when prevailing interest rates rise. Longer-term securities are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes than shorter-term securities, but they generally offer higher yields to compensate investors for the associated risks. High-yield bond prices and floating rate debt security prices are generally less directly responsive to interest rate changes than investment grade issues or comparable fixed rate securities, and may not always follow this pattern. An increase in interest rates may cause the value of fixed-income securities held by a Fund to decline. A Fund may be subject to a greater risk of rising interest rates due to inflationary trends and the effect of government fiscal and monetary policy initiatives and resulting market reaction to those initiatives. Variable and floating rate securities may increase or decrease in value in response to changes in interest rates, although generally to a lesser degree than fixed-income securities.

 

Leverage Risk. Engaging in transactions using leverage or those having a leveraging effect subjects the Fund to certain risks. These risks may be heightened if the Fund invests all, or a significant portion of its assets in futures, forwards, swaps, and other types of derivatives. Leverage can magnify the effect of any gains or losses, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. Through the use of leverage, the Fund’s total investment exposure could exceed the value of its portfolio securities and its investment performance could be dependent on securities not directly owned by the Fund. In addition, the Fund’s assets that are used as collateral to secure short sale transactions may decrease in value while the short positions are outstanding, which may force the Fund to use its other, additional assets to meet its collateral requirements.

 

Liquidity Risk. The Fund may invest in securities or instruments that do not trade actively or in large volumes, and may make investments that are less liquid than other investments. Also, the Fund may make investments that may become less liquid in response to market developments or adverse investor perceptions. Investments that are illiquid or that trade in lower volumes may be more difficult to value. When there is no willing buyer and investments cannot be readily sold at the desired time or price, the Fund may have to accept a lower price or may not be able to sell the security or instrument at all. Investments in foreign securities, particularly those of issuers located in emerging market countries, tend to have greater exposure to liquidity risk than domestic securities. In unusual market conditions, even normally liquid securities may be affected by a degree of liquidity risk (i.e., if the number and capacity of traditional market participants is reduced). An

 

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inability to sell one or more portfolio positions can adversely affect the Fund’s value or prevent the Fund from being able to take advantage of other investment opportunities. Liquidity risk may be increased to the extent that the Fund invests in other securities exempt from certain registration requirements that are deemed to be illiquid investments.

 

Market Risk. The value of the Fund’s portfolio may decrease if the value of one or more issuers in the Fund’s portfolio decreases. Further, regardless of how well individual companies or securities perform, the value of the Fund’s portfolio could also decrease if there are deteriorating economic or market conditions, including, but not limited to, a decline in commodities prices, or if the market favors different types of securities than the types of securities in which the Fund invests. If the value of the Fund’s portfolio decreases, the Fund’s NAV will also decrease, which means if you sell your shares in the Fund you may lose money. Market risk may affect a single issuer, industry, economic sector, or the market as a whole. The increasing interconnectivity between global economies and financial markets increases the likelihood that events or conditions in one region or financial market may adversely impact issuers in a different country, region or financial market. Social, political, economic and other conditions and events, such as natural disasters, health emergencies (e.g., epidemics and pandemics), terrorism, war, conflicts, including related sanctions, social unrest, financial institution failures, and economic recessions could reduce consumer demand or economic output, result in market closures, travel restrictions and/or quarantines, and generally have a significant impact on the global economies and financial markets.

 

Armed Conflict. Recent such examples include conflict, loss of life, and a disaster connected to ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Europe and Hamas and Israel in the Middle East. The extent and duration of each conflict, resulting sanctions and resulting future market disruptions in each region are impossible to predict, but could be significant and have a severe adverse effect, including significant negative impacts on the United States and broader global economy and the markets for certain securities and commodities.

 

COVID-19 Pandemic. The effects of COVID-19 have contributed to increased volatility in global financial markets and have affected and may continue to affect certain countries, regions, issuers, industries and market sectors more dramatically than others. Although many global economies have reopened and measures to mitigate transmission are in place, the duration of COVID-19 and its effects remain unclear. Any continued effects could impact the Fund and its investments, the Fund’s ability to meet redemption requests, and the processes and operations of the Fund’s service providers, including the Adviser.

 

Market Trading Risk. The Fund is subject to secondary market trading risks. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on an exchange; however, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market for such shares will develop or continue. Shares of the Fund may be listed or traded on U.S. and foreign exchanges other than the Fund’s primary U.S. listing exchange. There can be no guarantee that the Fund’s shares will continue trading on any exchange or in any market or that the Fund’s shares will continue to meet the listing or trading requirements of any exchange or market. The Fund’s shares may experience higher trading volumes on one exchange as compared to another and investors are subject to the execution and settlement risks of the market where their broker directs trades.

 

Secondary market trading in the Fund’s shares may be halted by an exchange because of market conditions. Pursuant to exchange or market rules, trading in the Fund’s shares on an exchange or in any market may be subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility. There can be no guarantee that the Fund’s exchange listing or ability to trade its shares will continue or remain unchanged. In the event the Fund ceases to be listed on an exchange, the Fund may cease operating as an “exchange-traded” fund and operate as a mutual fund, provided that shareholders are given advance notice.

 

Shares of the Fund may trade on an exchange at prices at, above, or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of the Fund is calculated at the end of each business day, as described below, and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund’s holdings. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares fluctuate continuously throughout the trading day based on market supply and demand, and may not closely track NAV. The trading prices of the Fund’s shares may differ significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility, which may, among other factors, lead to the Fund’s shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. Buying or selling the Fund’s shares on an exchange may require the payment of brokerage commissions. In addition, you may also incur the cost of the spread (the difference between the bid price and the ask price). The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares. The spread varies over time for shares of the Fund based on its trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally less if the Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and more if the Fund has less trading volume and market liquidity. Due to the costs inherent in buying or selling the Fund’s shares, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment returns. Investment in the Fund’s shares may not be advisable for investors who expect to engage in frequent trading.

 

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Money Market Fund Investment Risk. The Fund may have cash balances that have not been invested in portfolio securities, which may be used to purchase shares of affiliated or non-affiliated money market funds, or cash management pooled investment vehicles that operate as money market funds, as part of a cash sweep program. By investing in a money market fund, the Fund will be exposed to the investment risks of the money market fund in direct proportion to such investment. The money market fund may not achieve its investment objective and the Fund may lose money. To the extent the Fund transacts in instruments such as derivatives, the Fund may hold investments, which may be significant, in money market fund shares to cover its obligations resulting from the Fund’s investments in derivatives. An investment in a money market fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by any bank, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. There can be no assurance that a money market fund will maintain a $1.00 per share NAV at all times. Factors that could adversely affect the value of a money market fund’s shares include, among other things, a sharp rise in interest rates, an illiquid market for the securities held by the money market fund, a high volume of redemption activity in a fund’s shares, and a credit event or credit rating downgrade affecting one or more of the issuers of securities held by the money market fund. In addition, the failure of even an unrelated money market fund to maintain a stable NAV could create a widespread risk of increased redemption pressures on all money market funds, potentially jeopardizing the stability of their NAVs. Certain money market funds have in the past failed to maintain stable NAVs, and there can be no assurance that such failures and resulting redemption pressures will not impact money market funds in the future.

 

Rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) require, among other things, certain money market funds to cause transactions in shares of these funds to be effected using a fund’s NAV per share calculated out to the fourth decimal point (e.g., $1.0000 instead of $1.00). “Government Money Market Funds” and “Retail Money Market Funds” as defined in Rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act are not subject to the floating NAV requirements. In addition, certain money market funds may impose a fee upon sale of shares.

 

The SEC adopted changes to the rules that govern SEC registered money market funds in July 2023 that impact the manner in which money market funds are operated. These changes may affect the investment strategies, performance, yield, operating expenses and continued viability of money market funds in which a Fund may invest in. There can be no assurance that the Fund’s investments in money market funds are not adversely affected by these or additional reforms to money market regulation that may be adopted by the SEC or other regulatory authorities.

 

In addition to the fees and expenses that the Fund directly bears, the Fund indirectly bears the fees and expenses of any money market fund in which it invests.

 

Mortgage- and Asset-Backed Securities Risk. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of, or reduce the rate of prepayments on, both commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) and residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”), making them more sensitive to changes in interest rates (“extension risk”). As a result, in a period of rising interest rates, the price of mortgage-backed securities may fall, causing the Fund to exhibit additional volatility. Mortgage-backed securities are also subject to prepayment risk. When interest rates decline, borrowers may pay off their mortgages sooner than expected. This can reduce the Fund’s returns because the Fund will have to reinvest that money at lower prevailing interest rates. Investments in certain mortgage-backed securities, including those comprised of subprime mortgages, may be subject to a higher degree of credit risk, valuation risk, and liquidity risk than various other types of fixed-income securities. Additionally, although mortgage-backed securities are generally supported by some form of government or private guarantee and/or insurance, there is no assurance that guarantors or insurers will meet their obligations.

 

CMBS are subject to certain other risks. The market for CMBS developed more recently than that for RMBS and is relatively small in terms of outstanding principal amount of issues compared to the RMBS market. CMBS are also subject to risks associated with a lack of standardized terms, shorter maturities than residential mortgage loans, and payment of all or substantially all of the principal at maturity, rather than regular amortization of principal. Moreover, the type and use of a particular commercial property may add to the risk of CMBS investments. Adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to have an adverse impact on mortgage-backed securities secured by loans on commercial properties than on those secured by residential properties.

 

Similarly, the value of the Fund’s investments in asset-backed securities may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates, factors concerning the interests in and structure of the issuer or originator of the receivables, the creditworthiness of the entities that provide any supporting letters of credit, surety bonds, or other credit or liquidity enhancements, and/or the market’s assessment of the quality of the underlying assets. Generally, the originating bank or credit provider is neither the obligor nor the guarantor of the security, and interest and principal payments ultimately depend upon payment of the underlying loans by individuals. The Fund could incur a loss if the underlying loans are not paid. In addition, most asset-

 

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backed securities are subject to prepayment risk in a declining interest rate environment. The impact of prepayments on the value of asset-backed securities may be difficult to predict and may result in greater volatility. Rising interest rates tend to extend the duration of asset-backed securities, making them more volatile and sensitive to changing interest rates.

 

Newly Issued Securities Risk. The credit obligations in which the Fund invests may include newly issued securities, or “new issues,” such as initial debt offerings. New issues may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund during periods in which it has a small asset base. The impact of new issues on the Fund’s performance likely will decrease as the Fund’s asset size increases, which could reduce the Fund’s returns. New issues may not be consistently available to the Fund for investing, particularly as the Fund’s asset base grows. Certain new issues, such as initial debt offerings, may be volatile in price due to the absence of a prior trading market, limited quantities available for trading and limited information about the issuer. The Fund may hold new issues for a short period of time. This may increase the Fund’s portfolio turnover and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, new issues can experience an immediate drop in value after issuance if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.

 

Operational Risk. An investment in the Fund can involve operational risks arising from factors such as processing errors, human errors, inadequate or failed internal or external processes, failures in systems and technology, changes in key personnel, technology and/or service providers, and errors caused by third party service providers. Among other things, these errors or failures, as well as other technological issues, may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to calculate its NAV, process fund orders, execute portfolio trades or perform other essential tasks in a timely manner, including over a potentially extended period of time. These errors or failures may also result in a loss or compromise of information, regulatory scrutiny, reputational damage or other events, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Fund. Implementation of business continuity plans by the Fund, the Adviser or third-party service providers in response to disruptive events such as natural disasters, epidemics and pandemics, terrorism, conflicts and social unrest may increase these operational risks to the Fund. While the Fund seeks to minimize such events through internal controls and oversight of third-party service providers, there is no guarantee that the Fund will not suffer losses if such events occur.

 

Portfolio Management Risk. The Fund is an actively managed investment portfolio and is therefore subject to the risk that the investment strategies and research process employed for the Fund may fail to produce the intended results. The Fund may underperform its benchmark index or other funds with similar investment objectives.

 

Private Placements and Other Exempt Securities Risk. Investments in private placements and other securities exempt from certain registration requirements could decrease the Fund’s liquidity profile or prevent the Fund from disposing of them promptly at advantageous prices. Private placements and other securities exempt from certain registration requirements may be less liquid than other investments because such securities may not always be readily sold in broad public markets and may have no active trading market. As a result, they may be difficult to value because market quotations may not be readily available. Transaction costs may be higher for these securities, and the Fund may get only limited information about the issuer of a private placement or other securities exempt from certain registration requirements.

 

REIT Risk. To the extent that the Fund holds REITs and REIT-like entities, it may be subject to the additional risks associated with REITs and REIT-like investments. REITs and REIT-like entities are subject to heavy cash flow dependency to allow them to make distributions to their shareholders. The prices of equity REITs are affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, changes in capital markets and interest rates, management skill in running a REIT, and the creditworthiness of the REIT. The prices of mortgage REITs are affected by the quality of any credit they extend, the creditworthiness of the mortgages they hold, as well as by the value of the property that secures the mortgages. In addition, mortgage REITs (similar to direct investments in mortgage-backed securities) are subject to prepayment risk. Equity REITs and mortgage REITs are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidation. There is also the risk that borrowers under mortgages held by a REIT or lessees of a property that a REIT owns may be unable to meet their obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. While equity REITs and mortgage REITs may provide exposure to a large number of properties, such properties may be concentrated in a particular industry, region, or housing type, making such investments more vulnerable to unfavorable developments to economic or market events. Certain “special purpose” REITs in which the Fund may invest focus their assets in specific real property sectors, such as hotels, shopping malls, nursing homes, or warehouses, and are therefore subject to the specific risks associated with adverse developments in these sectors. The Fund’s shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the REIT’s expenses, in addition to their proportionate share of the Fund’s expenses. The value of investments in REOCs will generally be affected by the same factors that adversely affect REIT investments; however, REOCs may also be adversely affected by income streams derived from businesses other than real estate ownership.

 

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Additionally, a REIT that fails to comply with federal tax requirements affecting REITs may be subject to federal income taxation, or the federal tax requirement that a REIT distribute substantially all of its net income to its shareholders may result in a REIT having insufficient capital for future expenditures. REITs are also subject to certain provisions under federal tax law and the failure of a company to qualify as a REIT could have adverse consequences for the Fund, including significantly reducing the return to the Fund on its investment in such company.

 

Reverse Repurchase Agreement Risk. Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which the Fund sells a security and simultaneously commits to repurchase that security from the buyer, such as a bank or broker-dealer, at an agreed upon price on an agreed upon future date. The repurchase price consists of the sale price plus an incremental amount reflecting the interest cost to the Fund on the proceeds it has received from the initial sale. Reverse repurchase agreements involve the risk that the value of securities that the Fund is obligated to repurchase under the agreement may decline below the repurchase price. Additionally, such transactions are only advantageous if the interest cost to the Fund of the reverse repurchase transaction is less than the cost of obtaining the cash otherwise. Interest costs on the proceeds received in a reverse repurchase agreement may exceed the return received on the investments made by the Fund with those proceeds, resulting in reduced returns to shareholders. When the Fund enters into a reverse repurchase agreement, it is subject to the risk that the buyer (counterparty) may default on its obligations to the Fund. In the event of such a default, the Fund may experience delays, costs, and losses, all of which may reduce returns to shareholders. Investing reverse repurchase proceeds may also have a leveraging effect on the Fund’s portfolio. The Fund’s use of leverage can magnify the effect of any gains or losses, causing the Fund to be more volatile than if it had not been leveraged. There is no assurance that any leveraging strategy used by the Fund will be successful.

 

Structured Note Risk. Structured notes are derivative debt instruments, the interest rate or principal of which is determined by an unrelated indicator (for example, a currency, security, commodity or index thereof). The terms of the instrument may be “structured” by the purchaser and the borrower issuing the note. The terms of structured notes may provide that in certain circumstances no principal is due at maturity, which may result in a loss of invested capital. Structured notes may be positively or negatively indexed, so that appreciation of the unrelated indicator may produce an increase or a decrease in the interest rate or the value of the structured note at maturity may be calculated as a specified multiple of the change in the value of the unrelated indicator. Therefore, the value of such notes may be very volatile. Structured notes may entail a greater degree of market risk than other types of debt securities because the investor bears the risk of the unrelated indicator. Structured notes also may be more volatile, less liquid, and more difficult to accurately price than less complex securities and instruments or more traditional debt securities.

 

TBA Commitments Risk. The Fund will typically enter into “to be announced” or “TBA” commitments for mortgage-backed securities and, at times, the portion of the Fund’s portfolio allocated to TBA securities may be significant. Although TBA securities must meet industry-accepted “good delivery” standards, there can be no assurance that a security purchased on a forward commitment basis will ultimately be issued or delivered by the counterparty. During the settlement period, the Fund will still bear the risk of any decline in the value of the security to be delivered. Because TBA commitments do not require the purchase and sale of identical securities, the characteristics of the security delivered to the Fund may be less favorable than the security delivered to the dealer. If the counterparty to a transaction fails to deliver the securities, the Fund could suffer a loss. At the time of its acquisition, a TBA security may be valued at less than the purchase price. When the Fund sells a TBA security prior to settlement, it does not participate in future gains or losses with respect to the security. The Fund is generally not required to pay for the TBA security until the settlement date and, as a result, if the Fund remains substantially fully invested at a time when TBA commitment purchases are outstanding, the purchases may result in a form of leverage.

 

Trading Issues Risk. Although Fund shares are listed for trading on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares inadvisable. In addition, trading in shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to the Exchange “circuit breaker” rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of the Fund will continue to be met or will remain unchanged or that the shares will trade with any volume, or at all. In addition, during periods of significant volatility, the liquidity of the underlying securities held by the Fund may affect the Fund’s trading prices. During a “flash crash,” the market prices of the Fund’s shares may decline suddenly and significantly. Such a decline may not reflect the performance of the portfolio securities held by the Fund. Flash crashes may cause APs and other market makers to limit or cease trading in the Fund’s shares for temporary or longer periods. Shareholders could suffer significant losses to the extent that they sell shares at these temporarily low market prices.

 

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Transaction and Spread Risk. Investors buying or selling Fund shares in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions can be a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares. In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the “bid” price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the “ask” price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the “spread” or “bid/ask spread.” The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally lower if the Fund’s shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if the Fund’s shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility and trading halts affecting any of the Fund’s portfolio securities may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

 

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Management of the Fund

 

Investment adviser

 

Janus Henderson Investors US LLC (the “Adviser”), 151 Detroit Street, Denver, Colorado 80206-4805, is the investment adviser to the Fund. The Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s investment portfolio and furnishes continuous advice and recommendations concerning the Fund’s investments. The Adviser also provides certain administration and other services and is responsible for other business affairs of the Fund.

 

The Adviser (together with its predecessors and affiliates) has served as investment adviser to Janus Henderson mutual funds since 1970 and currently serves as investment adviser to all of the Janus Henderson mutual funds, as well as the Janus Henderson exchange-traded funds, acts as subadviser for a number of private-label mutual funds, and provides separate account advisory services for institutional accounts and other unregistered products.

 

The Fund may rely on SEC exemptive and no action relief that permits the Adviser, subject to the approval of the Trustees, to appoint or replace affiliated and unaffiliated subadvisers to manage all or a portion of the Fund’s assets and enter into, amend, or terminate such subadvisory agreements without obtaining shareholder approval (a “manager-of-managers structure”). The manager-of-managers structure applies to subadvisers that are not affiliated with the Trust or the Adviser (“non-affiliated subadvisers”), as well as any subadviser that is an indirect or direct “wholly-owned subsidiary” (as such term is defined by the 1940 Act) of the Adviser or of another company that, indirectly or directly, wholly owns the Adviser (collectively, “wholly-owned subadvisers”).

 

Pursuant to the relief, the Adviser, with the approval of the Trustees, has the discretion to terminate any subadviser and allocate and reallocate the Fund’s assets among the Adviser and any other non-affiliated subadvisers or wholly-owned subadvisers (including terminating a non-affiliated subadviser and replacing it with a wholly-owned subadviser). The Adviser, subject to oversight and supervision by the Trustees, has responsibility to oversee any subadviser to the Fund and to recommend for approval by the Trustees, the hiring, termination, and replacement of subadvisers for the Fund. The order also permits the Fund to disclose subadvisers’ fees only in the aggregate in the SAI. In the event that the Adviser hires a new subadviser pursuant to the manager-of-managers structure, the Fund would provide shareholders with information about the new subadviser and subadvisory agreement within 90 days.

 

The Trustees and the initial shareholder of the Fund have approved the use of a manager-of-managers structure for the Fund.

 

Management expenses

 

The Fund uses a unitary fee structure, under which the Fund pays the Adviser a “Management Fee” in return for providing certain investment advisory, supervisory, and administrative services to the Fund, including the costs of transfer agency, custody, fund administration, legal, audit, and other services. The Adviser’s fee structure is designed to pay substantially all of the Fund’s expenses. However, the Fund bears other expenses which are not covered under the Management Fee which may vary and affect the total level of expenses paid by shareholders, such as distribution fees (if any), brokerage expenses or commissions, interest and dividends (including those relating to short positions (if any)), taxes, litigation expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and extraordinary expenses.

 

The Fund’s Management Fee is calculated daily and paid monthly. The Fund’s advisory agreement details the Management Fee and other expenses that the Fund must pay.

 

The following table reflects the Fund’s contractual Management Fee rate (expressed as an annual rate). The rates shown are fixed rates based on the Fund’s daily net assets.

 

Fund Name

Daily Net Assets
of the Fund

Contractual
Management Fee (%)
(annual rate)

Actual Investment
Advisory Fee
Rate (%) (for
the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2023)

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

$0-$500 Million

0.30

0.26

 

Next $500 Million

0.25

 
 

Over $1 Billion

0.20

 

 

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A discussion regarding the basis for the Trustees’ approval of the Fund’s investment advisory agreement is included in the Fund’s semiannual report (for the period ended April 30, 2023) and will be included in the Fund’s semiannual report (for the period ended April 30, 2024) to shareholders. You can request the Fund’s annual or semiannual reports (as they become available), free of charge, by contacting your broker-dealer, plan sponsor, or financial intermediary, or by contacting a representative at 1-800-668-0434. The reports are also available, free of charge, at janushenderson.com/info.

 

Expense Limitation

The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse the management fee payable by the Fund in an amount equal to the amount, if any, that the Fund’s total annual fund operating expenses (excluding distribution fees (if any), brokerage expenses or commissions, interest, dividends, taxes, litigation expenses, acquired fund fees and expenses (if any), and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the Fund’s business) exceed the annual rate shown below. The Adviser has agreed to continue the waiver at least through February 28, 2025.

 

Fund Name

Expense Limit Percentage (%)

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

0.23

 

The Adviser has also contractually agreed to waive and/or reimburse a portion of the Fund’s management fee in an amount equal to the management fee it earns as an investment adviser to any affiliated ETFs in which the Fund invests. Pursuant to this agreement, the waiver amount is equal to the amount of Fund assets invested in the affiliated ETF, multiplied by an amount equal to the current daily unitary management fee of the affiliated ETF less certain asset-based operating fees and expenses incurred on a per-fund basis and paid by the Adviser with respect to the affiliated ETF (including, but not limited to custody, sub-administration and transfer agency fees, and fees paid to the distributor). The fee waiver agreement will remain in effect at least through February 28, 2025. The fee waiver agreement may be modified or terminated prior to this date only at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.

 

Portfolio management

 

Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF

 

Co-Portfolio Managers Nick Childs and John Kerschner jointly are responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund, with no limitation on the authority of one co-portfolio manager in relation to the other.

 

Nick Childs, CFA, is Co-Portfolio Manager of Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF, which he has co-managed since inception. Mr. Childs is also Portfolio Manager of other Janus Henderson accounts. Prior to joining the Adviser in 2017, he was a portfolio manager at Proprietary Capital, LLC from 2012 to 2016, where he managed alternative fixed income strategies specializing in mortgage-backed securities and, absolute return investing. Mr. Childs holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Denver. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

 

John Kerschner, CFA, is Head of U.S. Securitized Products of Janus Henderson Investors. He is Co-Portfolio Manager of Janus Henderson Mortgage-Backed Securities ETF, which he has co-managed since inception. Mr. Kerschner is also Portfolio Manager of other Janus Henderson accounts. He joined the Adviser in December 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (cum laude) in Biology from Yale University and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, where he was designated a Fuqua Scholar. Mr. Kerschner holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

 

Information about portfolio management’s compensation structure and other accounts managed, as well as the aggregate range of their individual ownership in the Fund, is included in the SAI.

 

Conflicts of Interest

The Adviser manages other funds and numerous other accounts, which may include separate accounts and other pooled investment vehicles, such as hedge funds. Side-by-side management of multiple accounts, including the management of a cash collateral pool for securities lending and investing the Janus Henderson funds’ cash, may give rise to conflicts of interest among those accounts, and may create potential risks, such as the risk that investment activity in one account may adversely

 

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affect another account. For example, short sale activity in an account could adversely affect the market value of long positions in one or more other accounts (and vice versa). Side-by-side management may raise additional potential conflicts of interest relating to the allocation of investment opportunities and the aggregation and allocation of trades.

 

In addition, from time to time, the Adviser or its affiliates may, subject to compliance with applicable law, purchase and hold shares of the Fund for their own accounts, or may purchase shares of the Fund for the benefit of their clients, including other Janus Henderson funds. Increasing the Fund’s assets may enhance the Fund’s profile with financial intermediaries and platforms, investment flexibility and trading volume. The Adviser and its affiliates reserve the right, subject to compliance with applicable law, to dispose of at any time some or all of the shares of the Fund acquired for their own accounts or for the benefit of their clients. A large sale of Fund shares by the Adviser or its affiliates could significantly reduce the asset size of the Fund, which might have an adverse effect on the Fund’s investment flexibility or trading volume. The Adviser considers the effect of redemptions on the Fund and other shareholders in deciding whether to dispose of its shares of the Fund.

 

The Adviser believes it has appropriately designed and implemented policies and procedures to mitigate these and other potential conflicts of interest. A further discussion of potential conflicts of interest and policies and procedures intended to mitigate them is contained in the Fund’s SAI.

 

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Other Information

 

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FUND

 

Creation Units for the Fund are distributed by ALPS Distributors, Inc. (the “Distributor”), which is a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”). To obtain information about FINRA member firms and their associated persons, you may contact FINRA at www.finra.org, or 1-800-289-9999.

 

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Dividends, Distributions and Taxes

 

DISTRIBUTIONS

 

To avoid taxation of the Fund, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), requires the Fund to distribute all or substantially all of its net investment income and any net capital gains realized on its investments at least annually.

 

Distribution Schedule

 

Dividends from net investment income are generally declared and distributed to shareholders monthly. Distributions of net capital gains are declared and distributed at least annually. Dividends may be declared and paid more frequently to comply with the distribution requirements of the Internal Revenue Code. The date you receive your distribution may vary depending on how your intermediary processes trades. Dividend payments are made through Depository Trust Company (“DTC”) participants and indirect participants to beneficial owners then of record with proceeds received from the Fund. Please consult your financial intermediary for details.

 

How Distributions Affect the Fund’s NAV

 

Distributions are paid to shareholders as of the record date of a distribution of the Fund, regardless of how long the shares have been held. Undistributed income and net capital gains are included in the Fund’s daily NAV. The Fund’s NAV drops by the amount of the distribution, net of any subsequent market fluctuations. For example, assume that on December 31, the Fund declared a dividend in the amount of $0.25 per share. If the Fund’s NAV was $10.00 on December 30, the Fund’s NAV on December 31 would be $9.75, barring market fluctuations. You should be aware that distributions from a taxable fund do not increase the value of your investment and may create income tax obligations.

 

No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Financial intermediaries may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of Fund shares for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their financial intermediary to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation therein. Financial intermediaries may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and net capital gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.

 

TAXES

 

As with any investment, you should consider the tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The following is a general discussion of certain federal income tax consequences of investing in the Fund. The discussion does not apply to qualified tax-advantaged accounts or other non-taxable entities, nor is it a complete analysis of the federal income tax implications of investing in the Fund. You should consult your tax adviser regarding the effect that an investment in the Fund may have on your particular tax situation, including the federal, state, local, and foreign tax consequences of your investment.

 

Taxes on Distributions

Distributions by the Fund are subject to federal income tax, regardless of whether the distribution is made in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund. Distributions from net investment income (which includes dividends, interest, and realized net short-term capital gains), other than qualified dividend income, are taxable to shareholders as ordinary income. Distributions of qualified dividend income are taxed to individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at long-term capital gain rates, provided certain holding period and other requirements are satisfied. Because the income of the Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid by the Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income.

 

Distributions of net capital gain (i.e., the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss) are taxable as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long a shareholder has held Fund shares. Individuals, trusts, and estates whose income exceeds certain threshold amounts are subject to an additional 3.8% Medicare contribution tax on net investment income. Net investment income includes dividends paid by the Fund and capital gains from any sale or exchange of Fund

 

29 | Janus Detroit Street Trust

 

 

shares. The Fund’s net investment income and capital gains are distributed to (and may be taxable to) those persons who are shareholders of the Fund at the record date of such payments. Although the Fund’s total net income and net realized gain are the results of its operations, the per share amount distributed or taxable to shareholders is affected by the number of Fund shares outstanding at the record date. Distributions declared to shareholders of record in October, November, or December and paid on or before January 31 of the succeeding year will be treated for federal income tax purposes as if received by shareholders on December 31 of the year in which the distribution was declared. Generally, account tax information will be made available to shareholders on or before February 15 of each year. Information regarding distributions may also be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).

 

Taxes on Sales

Any time you sell the shares of the Fund in a taxable account, it is considered a taxable event. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price, you may have a gain or loss on the transaction. The gain or loss will generally be treated as a long-term capital gain or loss if you held your shares for more than one year and if not held for such period, as a short-term capital gain or loss. Any tax liabilities generated by your transactions are your responsibility.

 

U.S. federal income tax withholding may be required on all distributions payable to shareholders who fail to provide their correct taxpayer identification number, fail to make certain required certifications, or who have been notified by the IRS that they are subject to backup withholding. The current backup withholding rate is applied.

 

For shares purchased and sold from a taxable account, your intermediary will report cost basis information to you and to the IRS. Your financial intermediary will permit shareholders to elect their preferred cost basis method. In the absence of an election, your cost basis method will be your financial intermediary’s default method, which is often the average cost method. Please consult your tax adviser to determine the appropriate cost basis method for your particular tax situation and to learn more about how the cost basis reporting laws apply to you and your investments.

 

Taxation of the Fund

Dividends, interest, and some capital gains received by the Fund on foreign securities may be subject to foreign tax withholding or other foreign taxes.

 

Certain fund transactions may involve futures, options, swap agreements, hedged investments, and other similar transactions, and may be subject to special provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that, among other things, can potentially affect the character, amount, and timing of distributions to shareholders, and utilization of capital loss carryforwards. The Fund will monitor its transactions and may make certain tax elections and use certain investment strategies where applicable in order to mitigate the effect of these tax provisions, if possible.

 

The Fund does not expect to pay any federal income or excise taxes because it intends to meet certain requirements of the Internal Revenue Code, including the distribution each year of substantially all its net investment income and net capital gains. It is important for the Fund to meet these requirements so that any earnings on your investment will not be subject to federal income tax twice. If the Fund invests in a partnership, however, it may be subject to state tax liabilities.

 

If the Fund redeems Creation Units in cash, it may recognize more capital gains than it will if it redeems Creation Units in-kind.

 

For additional information, see the “Income Dividends, Capital Gains Distributions, and Tax Status” section of the SAI.

 

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Shareholder’s Guide

 

The Fund issues or redeems its shares at NAV per share only in Creation Units. Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange and trade on the secondary market during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like shares of other publicly traded companies. There is no minimum investment. When buying or selling Fund shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and offered price in the secondary market on each purchase and sale transaction. Fund shares are traded on the Exchange under the trading symbol JMBS. Share prices are reported in dollars and cents per share.

 

APs may acquire Fund shares directly from the Fund, and APs may tender their Fund shares for redemption directly to the Fund, at NAV per share, only in Creation Units and in accordance with the procedures described in the Fund’s SAI.

 

Pricing of fund shares

 

The per share NAV of the Fund is computed by dividing the total value of the Fund’s portfolio, less any liabilities, by the total number of outstanding shares of the Fund. The Fund’s NAV is calculated as of the close of the trading session of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (normally 4:00 p.m. New York time) each day that the NYSE is open (“Business Day”). However, the NAV may still be calculated if trading on the NYSE is restricted, provided there is sufficient pricing information available for the Fund to value its securities, or as permitted by the SEC. Foreign securities held by the Fund, as applicable, may be traded on days and at times when the NYSE is closed and the NAV is therefore not calculated. Accordingly, the value of the Fund’s holdings may change on days that are not Business Days in the United States and on which you will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s shares.

 

Securities held by the Fund are valued in accordance with policies and procedures established by the Adviser pursuant to Rule 2a-5 under the 1940 Act and approved by and subject to the oversight of the Trustees (“Valuation Procedures”). To the extent available, equity securities (including shares of ETFs) are generally valued at readily available market quotations, which are (i) the official close prices or (ii) last sale prices on the primary market or exchange in which the securities trade. Most fixed-income securities are typically valued using an evaluated bid price supplied by an Adviser-approved pricing service that is intended to reflect market value. The evaluated bid price is an evaluation that may consider factors such as security prices, yields, maturities, and ratings. Certain short-term instruments maturing within 60 days or less may be valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. If a market quotation or evaluated price for a security is not readily available or is deemed unreliable, or if an event that is expected to affect the value of the security occurs after the close of the principal exchange or market on which the security is traded, and before the close of the NYSE, a fair value of the security will be determined in good faith by the Adviser pursuant to the Valuation Procedures. Such events include, but are not limited to: (i) a significant event that may affect the securities of a single issuer, such as a merger, bankruptcy, or significant issuer-specific development; (ii) an event that may affect an entire market, such as a natural disaster or significant governmental action; (iii) a non-significant event such as a market closing early or not opening, or a security trading halt; and (iv) pricing of a non-valued security and a restricted or non-public security. This type of fair valuation may be more commonly used with foreign equity securities, but it may also be used with, among other things, thinly-traded domestic securities or fixed-income securities. Special valuation considerations may apply with respect to “odd-lot” fixed-income transactions which, due to their small size, may receive evaluated prices by pricing services which reflect a large block trade and not what actually could be obtained for the odd-lot position. For valuation purposes, if applicable, quotations of foreign portfolio securities, other assets and liabilities, and forward contracts stated in foreign currency are generally translated into U.S. dollar equivalents at the prevailing market rates. The methodologies employed when fair valuing securities may change from time to time. Because fair value pricing involves subjective judgments, it is possible that the fair value determination for a security may be different than the value that could be realized when selling that security.

 

The value of the securities of mutual funds held by the Fund, if any, will be calculated using the NAV of such mutual funds, and the prospectuses for such mutual funds explain the circumstances under which they use fair valuation and the effects of using fair valuation. The value of the securities of any cash management pooled investment vehicles that operate as money market funds held by the Fund, if any, will be calculated using the NAV of such funds.

 

All purchases, sales, or other account activity must be processed through your financial intermediary or plan sponsor.

 

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Distribution and servicing fees

 

Distribution and Shareholder Servicing Plan

The Trust has adopted a Distribution and Servicing Plan for shares of the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “Plan”). The Plan permits compensation in connection with the distribution and marketing of Fund shares and/or the provision of certain shareholder services. The Plan permits the Fund to pay the Distributor, or its designee, a fee for the sale and distribution and/or shareholder servicing of the shares at an annual rate of up to 0.25% of average daily net assets of the shares of the Fund (“12b-1 fee”). However, payment of a 12b-1 fee has not been authorized at this time.

 

Under the terms of the Plan, the Trust is authorized to make payments to the Distributor or its designee for remittance to retirement plan service providers, broker-dealers, bank trust departments, financial advisors, and other financial intermediaries, as compensation for distribution and/or shareholder services performed by such entities for their customers who are investors in the Fund.

 

The 12b-1 fee may only be imposed or increased when the Trustees determine that it is in the best interests of shareholders to do so. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund’s assets on an ongoing basis, to the extent that a fee is authorized and payments are made, over time they will increase the cost of an investment in the Fund. The 12b-1 fee may cost an investor more than other types of sales charges.

 

Payments to financial intermediaries by Adviser or its affiliates

 

From their own assets, the Adviser or its affiliates pay selected brokerage firms or other financial intermediaries for making certain funds available to their clients or for distribution, marketing, promotional, data, or related services. The Adviser or its affiliates also make payments to one or more intermediaries for information about transactions and holdings in the funds, such as the amount of fund shares purchased, sold or held through the intermediary and or its salespersons, the intermediary platform(s) on which shares are transacted and other information related to the funds. Payments made by the Adviser and its affiliates may eliminate or reduce trading commissions that the intermediary would otherwise charge its customers or its salespersons in connection with the purchase or sale of certain funds. Payment by the Adviser or its affiliates to eliminate or reduce a trading commission creates an incentive for salespersons of the intermediary to sell the Janus Henderson funds over other funds for which a commission would be charged. The amount of these payments is determined from time to time by the Adviser, may be substantial, and may differ for different intermediaries. The Adviser may determine to make payments based on any number of factors or metrics. For example, the Adviser may make payments at year-end and/or other intervals in a fixed amount, an amount based upon an intermediary’s services at defined levels, an amount based upon the total assets represented by funds subject to arrangements with the intermediary, an amount based on the intermediary’s net sales of one or more funds in a year or other period, or a fee based on the management fee received by the Adviser, any of which arrangements may include an agreed-upon minimum or maximum payment, or any combination of the foregoing. Payments based primarily on sales create an incentive to make new sales of shares, while payments based on assets create an incentive to retain previously sold shares. The Adviser currently maintains asset-based agreements with certain intermediaries on behalf of the Trust. The amount of compensation paid by the Adviser varies from intermediary to intermediary. More information regarding these payments is contained in the Fund’s SAI.

 

With respect to non-exchange-traded Janus Henderson funds not offered in this Prospectus, the Adviser or its affiliates pay fees, from their own assets, to selected brokerage firms, banks, financial advisors, retirement plan service providers, and other financial intermediaries that sell the Janus Henderson funds for distribution, marketing, promotional, or related services, and/or for providing recordkeeping, subaccounting, transaction processing, and other shareholder or administrative services (including payments for processing transactions via National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”) or other means) in connection with investments in the Janus Henderson funds. These fees are in addition to any fees that may be paid by the Janus Henderson funds for certain of these types of services or other services. Shareholders investing through an intermediary should consider whether such arrangements exist when evaluating any recommendations from an intermediary.

 

In addition, the Adviser or its affiliates may also share certain marketing expenses with intermediaries, or pay for or sponsor informational meetings, seminars, client awareness events, and support for marketing materials, sales reporting, or business building programs for such intermediaries to raise awareness of the Janus Henderson funds. The Adviser or its affiliates make payments to participate in selected intermediary marketing support programs which may provide the Adviser or its affiliates with one or more of the following benefits: attendance at sales conferences, participation in meetings or training sessions,

 

32 | Janus Detroit Street Trust

 

 

access to or information about intermediary personnel, use of an intermediary’s marketing and communication infrastructure, fund analysis tools, data, business planning and strategy sessions with intermediary personnel, information on industry- or platform-specific developments, trends and service providers, and other marketing-related services. Such payments may be in addition to, or in lieu of, the payments described above. These payments are intended to promote the sales of Janus Henderson funds and to reimburse financial intermediaries, directly or indirectly, for the costs that they or their salespersons incur in connection with educational seminars, meetings, and training efforts about the Janus Henderson funds to enable the intermediaries and their salespersons to make suitable recommendations, provide useful services, and maintain the necessary infrastructure to make the Janus Henderson funds available to their customers.

 

The receipt of (or prospect of receiving) payments, reimbursements and other forms of compensation described above may provide a financial intermediary and its salespersons with an incentive to favor sales of Janus Henderson funds’ shares over sales of other funds (or non-mutual fund investments), with respect to which the financial intermediary does not receive such payments or receives them in a lower amount. The receipt of these payments may cause certain financial intermediaries to elevate the prominence of the Janus Henderson funds within such financial intermediary’s organization by, for example, placement on a list of preferred or recommended funds and/or the provision of preferential or enhanced opportunities to promote the Janus Henderson funds in various ways within such financial intermediary’s organization.

 

From time to time, certain financial intermediaries approach the Adviser to request that the Adviser make contributions to certain charitable organizations. In these cases, the Adviser’s contribution may result in the financial intermediary, or its salespersons, recommending Janus Henderson funds over other funds (or non-mutual fund investments).

 

The payment arrangements described above will not change the price an investor pays for shares nor the amount that a Janus Henderson fund receives to invest on behalf of the investor. You should consider whether such arrangements exist when evaluating any recommendations from an intermediary to purchase or sell shares of the Fund. Please contact your financial intermediary or plan sponsor for details on such arrangements.

 

Purchasing and selling shares

 

Shares of the Fund are listed for trading on a national securities exchange during the trading day. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like shares of other publicly traded companies. However, there can be no guarantee that an active trading market will develop or be maintained, or that the Fund shares listing will continue or remain unchanged. The Fund does not impose any minimum investment for shares of the Fund purchased on an exchange. Buying or selling the Fund’s shares involves certain costs that apply to all securities transactions. When buying or selling shares of the Fund through a financial intermediary, you may incur a brokerage commission or other charges determined by your financial intermediary. Due to these brokerage costs, if any, frequent trading may detract significantly from investment returns. In addition, you may also incur the cost of the spread (the difference between the bid price and the ask price). The commission is frequently a fixed amount and may be a significant cost for investors seeking to buy or sell small amounts of shares.

 

Shares of the Fund may be acquired through the Distributor or redeemed directly with the Fund only in Creation Units or multiples thereof, as discussed in the “Creation and Redemption of Creation Units” section of the Fund’s SAI. Once created, shares of the Fund generally trade in the secondary market in amounts less than a Creation Unit.

 

The Exchange is open for trading Monday through Friday and is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

 

A Business Day with respect to the Fund is each day the Exchange is open. Orders from APs to create or redeem Creation Units will only be accepted on a Business Day. On days when the Exchange or the bond market closes earlier than normal (or on days the bond market is closed but the Exchange is open), the Fund may require orders to create or redeem Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, to minimize brokerage and other related trading costs associated with securities that cannot be readily transferred in-kind, the Fund may establish early trade cut-off times for APs to submit orders for Creation Units, in accordance with the 1940 Act. See the Fund’s SAI for more information.

 

In compliance with the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (“USA PATRIOT Act”), your financial intermediary is required to verify certain information on your account application as part of its Anti-Money Laundering Program. You will be required to provide your full name, date of birth, social security number, and permanent street address to assist in verifying your identity. You may also be asked

 

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to provide additional documents that may help to establish your identity. Until verification of your identity is made, your financial intermediary may temporarily limit additional share purchases. In addition, your financial intermediary may close an account if it is unable to verify your identity. Please contact your financial intermediary if you need additional assistance when completing your application or additional information about your financial intermediary’s Anti-Money Laundering Program.

 

In an effort to ensure compliance with this law, the Adviser’s Anti-Money Laundering Program (the “Program”) provides for the development of internal practices, procedures and controls, designation of anti-money laundering compliance officers, an ongoing training program, and an independent audit function to determine the effectiveness of the Program.

 

Continuous Offering

The method by which Creation Units of shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units of shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a “distribution,” as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirements and liability provisions of the Securities Act. For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent shares and sells the shares directly to customers or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.

 

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are effecting transactions in shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not “underwriters” but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with the shares that are part of an unsold allotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act is only available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.

 

Book Entry

Shares of the Fund are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The DTC or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding shares of the Fund and is recognized as the owner of all shares for all purposes.

 

Investors owning shares of the Fund are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for shares of the Fund. DTC participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other exchange-traded securities that you hold in book-entry or “street name” form.

 

Share Prices

The trading prices of the Fund’s shares in the secondary market generally differ from the Fund’s daily NAV per share and are affected by market forces such as supply and demand, economic conditions, and other factors. Information regarding the intra-day NAV of the Fund is disseminated every 15 seconds throughout the trading day by the national securities exchange on which the Fund’s shares are primarily listed or by market data vendors or other information providers. The intra-day NAV calculations are estimates of the value of the Fund’s NAV per Fund share based on the current market value of the securities and/or cash included in the Fund’s intra-day NAV basket, using market data converted into U.S. dollars at the current currency rates. The intra-day NAV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities and instruments held by the Fund at particular point in time. Additionally, when current pricing is not available for certain

 

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portfolio securities (including foreign securities and certain debt securities), the intra-day indicative value may not accurately reflect the current market value of the Fund’s shares or the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. For example, the intra-day NAV is based on quotes and closing prices from the securities’ local market and may not reflect events that occur subsequent to the local market’s close. Therefore, the intra-day NAV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV, which is computed only once a day. The intra-day NAV is generally determined by using both current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities and instruments included in the Fund’s intra-day NAV basket. The Fund is not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the intra-day NAV and makes no representation or warranty as to its accuracy. An inaccuracy in the intra-day NAV could result from various factors, including the difficulty of pricing portfolio instruments on an intra-day basis.

 

Premiums and Discounts

There may be differences between the daily market prices on secondary markets for shares of the Fund and the Fund’s NAV. NAV is the price per share at which the Fund issues and redeems shares. See “Pricing of Fund Shares” above. The price used to calculate market returns (“Market Price”) of the Fund generally is determined using the midpoint between the highest bid and the lowest offer on the national securities exchange on which shares of the Fund are primarily listed for trading, as of the time that the Fund’s NAV is calculated. The Fund’s Market Price may be at, above, or below its NAV. The NAV of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of its portfolio holdings. The Market Price of the Fund will fluctuate in accordance with changes in its NAV, as well as market supply and demand.

 

Premiums or discounts are the differences (expressed as a percentage) between the NAV and the Market Price of the Fund on a given day, generally at the time the NAV is calculated. A premium is the amount that the Fund is trading above the reported NAV, expressed as a percentage of the NAV. A discount is the amount that the Fund is trading below the reported NAV, expressed as a percentage of the NAV. A discount or premium could be significant. Information regarding the Fund’s premium/discount to NAV for the most recently completed calendar year and the most recently completed calendar quarters since that calendar year end (or the life of the Fund, if shorter) is available at janushenderson.com/performance by selecting the Fund for additional details.

 

Bid/Ask Spread

Investors purchasing or selling shares of the Fund in the secondary market may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of the Fund (the “bid”) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of the Fund (the “ask”). The spread varies over time for shares of the Fund based on its trading volume and market liquidity, and is generally less if the Fund has more trading volume and market liquidity and more if the Fund has less trading volume and market liquidity. Historical information regarding the Fund’s spread over various periods of time can be accessed at janushenderson.com/performance by selecting the Fund for additional details.

 

Investments by Other Investment Companies

The Trust and Janus Investment Fund are part of the same “group of investment companies” for purposes of Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act.

 

Under the 1940 Act, purchases or acquisitions by the Fund of shares issued by registered investment companies (including other ETFs) and business development companies (“BDCs”) and the purchase or acquisition of Fund shares by registered investment companies, BDCs, and investment vehicles relying on Section 3(c)(1) or 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act are subject to the restrictions set forth in Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act, except where an exemption is available, including as provided in Sections 12(d)(1)(F) and (G) and Rule 12d1-4 thereunder. Rule 12d1-4 permits registered investment companies and BDCs to invest in Fund shares beyond the limits in Section 12(d)(1)(A), subject to certain terms and conditions, including that the registered investment company or BDC first enter into a written agreement with the Trust regarding the terms of the investment, among other conditions.

 

Excessive trading

 

Unlike traditional mutual funds, the frequent trading of Fund shares generally does not disrupt portfolio management, increase the Fund’s trading costs, lead to realization of capital gains by the Fund, or otherwise harm Fund shareholders. The vast majority of trading in Fund shares occurs on the secondary market. Because these trades do not involve the Fund, they do not harm the Fund or its shareholders. A few institutional investors, referred to as APs, are authorized to purchase and

 

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redeem Fund shares directly with the Fund in Creation Units. Creation Unit transactions that are effected using securities (i.e., in kind) do not cause any of the harmful effects to the issuing fund (as previously noted). However, Creation Unit transactions effected using cash can potentially subject the Fund and its shareholders to those harmful effects. As a result, the Fund requires APs to pay transaction fees to cover brokerage and certain related costs when purchasing or redeeming Creation Units. Those fees are designed to protect the Fund and its shareholders from the dilutive costs associated with frequent creation and redemption activity. For these reasons, the Trustees of the Fund have determined that it is not necessary to adopt policies and procedures to detect and deter frequent trading and market timing of Fund shares. However, the Fund’s policies and procedures regarding frequent purchases and redemptions may be modified by the Trustees at any time.

 

Fund website & availability of portfolio holdings information

 

Each Business Day, the Fund’s portfolio holdings information is provided by its custodian or other agent for dissemination through the facilities of the NSCC and/or other fee-based subscription services to NSCC members and/or subscribers to entities that publish and/or analyze such information in connection with the process of purchasing or redeeming Creation Units or trading shares of the Fund in the secondary market. In addition, on each Business Day before commencement of trading in shares on the Exchange, the Fund will disclose on janushenderson.com/info the identities and quantities of each portfolio position held by the Fund that will form the basis for the Fund’s next calculation of the NAV. The Fund is also required to disclose its complete holdings as an exhibit to its reports on Form N-PORT within 60 days of the end of the first and third fiscal quarters, and in the annual report and semiannual report to Fund shareholders.

 

For additional information on these disclosures and the availability of portfolio holdings information, please refer to the Fund’s SAI.

 

Shareholder communications

 

Statements and Reports

Your financial intermediary or plan sponsor is responsible for sending you periodic statements of all transactions, along with trade confirmations and tax reporting, as required by applicable law.

 

Your financial intermediary or plan sponsor is responsible for providing annual and semiannual reports, including the financial statements of the Fund. These reports show the Fund’s investments and the market value of such investments, as well as other information about the Fund and its operations. Please contact your financial intermediary or plan sponsor to obtain these reports. The Fund’s fiscal year ends October 31.

 

Lost (Unclaimed/Abandoned) Accounts

It is important to maintain a correct address for each shareholder. An incorrect address may cause a shareholder’s account statements and other mailings to be returned as undeliverable. Based upon statutory requirements for returned mail, your financial intermediary or plan sponsor is required to attempt to locate the shareholder or rightful owner of the account. If the financial intermediary or plan sponsor is unable to locate the shareholder, then the financial intermediary or plan sponsor is legally obligated to deem the property “unclaimed” or “abandoned,” and subsequently escheat (or transfer) unclaimed property (including shares of a fund) to the appropriate state’s unclaimed property administrator in accordance with statutory requirements. Further, your account may be deemed “unclaimed” or “abandoned,” and subsequently transferred to your state of residence if no activity (as defined by that state) occurs within your account during the time frame specified in your state’s unclaimed property laws. The shareholder’s last known address of record determines which state has jurisdiction. Interest or income is not earned on redemption or distribution check(s) sent to you during the time the check(s) remained uncashed.

 

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Financial Highlights

 

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund’s financial performance for each fiscal period shown. Items “Net asset value, beginning of period” through “Net asset value, end of period” reflect financial results for a single Fund share. The information for the fiscal periods shown has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, whose report, along with the Fund’s financial statements, is included in the Annual Report, which is available upon request, and incorporated by reference into the SAI.

 

The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned (or lost) on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions).

 

 

For a share outstanding during each year or period ended October 31

 

2023

   

2022

   

2021

   

2020

   

2019

 

Net Asset Value, Beginning of Period

  $ 44.25     $ 52.94     $ 53.58     $ 52.62     $ 49.53  
                                         

Income/(Loss) from Investment Operations:

                                       

Net investment income/(loss)(1)

    2.18       0.92       0.66       1.22       1.56  

Net realized and unrealized gain/(loss)

    (2.33 )     (8.73 )     (0.19 )     1.51       3.03  

Total from Investment Operations

    (0.15 )     (7.81 )     0.47       2.73       4.59  
                                         

Less Dividends and Distributions:

                                       

Dividends (from net investment income)

    (1.93 )     (0.88 )     (1.00 )     (1.77 )     (1.50 )

Distributions (from capital gains)

                (0.11 )            
                                         

Total Dividends and Distributions

    (1.93 )     (0.88 )     (1.11 )     (1.77 )     (1.50 )

 

                                       

Net Asset Value, End of Period

  $ 42.17     $ 44.25     $ 52.94     $ 53.58     $ 52.62  
                                         

Total Return*

    (0.57 )%     (14.89 )%     0.88 %     5.30 %(2)     9.40 %(2)

Net assets, End of Period (in thousands)

  $ 2,006,118     $ 776,603     $ 848,374     $ 578,645     $ 168,381  

Average Net Assets for the Period (in thousands)

  $ 1,297,545     $ 835,074     $ 712,596     $ 369,845     $ 78,797  
                                         

Ratios to Average Net Assets**

                                       

Ratio of Gross Expenses

    0.26 %     0.28 %     0.28 %     0.32 %     0.35 %

Ratio of Net Investment Income/(Loss)

    4.83 %     1.86 %     1.24 %     2.31 %     3.05 %

Portfolio Turnover Rate(3)(4)

    48 %     143 %     162 %     300 %     348 %

 

*

Total return not annualized for periods of less than one full year.

**

Annualized for periods of less than one full year.

(1)

Per share amounts are calculated based on average shares outstanding during the year or period.

(2)

The return includes adjustments in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles required at period end date.

(3)

Portfolio turnover rate excludes securities received or delivered from in-kind processing of creation or redemptions.

(4)

Portfolio Turnover Rate excludes TBA (to be announced) purchase and sales commitments.

 

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Glossary of Investment Terms

 

This glossary provides a more detailed description of some of the types of securities, investment strategies, and other instruments in which the Fund may invest, as well as some general investment terms. The Fund may invest in these instruments to the extent permitted by its investment objective and policies. The Fund is not limited by this discussion and may invest in any other types of instruments not precluded by the policies discussed elsewhere in this Prospectus.

 

EQUITY AND DEBT SECURITIES

 

Average-Weighted Effective Maturity is a measure of a bond’s maturity. The stated maturity of a bond is the date when the issuer must repay the bond’s entire principal value to an investor. Some types of bonds may also have an “effective maturity” that is shorter than the stated date due to prepayment or call provisions. Securities without prepayment or call provisions generally have an effective maturity equal to their stated maturity. Average-weighted effective maturity is calculated by averaging the effective maturity of bonds held by the Fund with each effective maturity “weighted” according to the percentage of net assets that it represents.

 

Bonds are debt securities issued by a company, municipality, government, or government agency. The issuer of a bond is required to pay the holder the amount of the loan (or par value of the bond) at a specified maturity and to make scheduled interest payments.

 

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”) are a type of mortgage-backed security that are created by dividing the principal and interest payments collected on a pool of mortgages into several revenue streams (tranches) with different priority rights to portions of the underlying mortgage payments. Certain CMO tranches are frequently referred to as “mortgage derivatives” and may be extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates.

 

Commercial paper is a short-term debt obligation with a maturity ranging from 1 to 270 days issued by banks, corporations, and other borrowers to investors seeking to invest idle cash. The Fund may purchase commercial paper issued in private placements under Section 4(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

Common stocks are equity securities representing shares of ownership in a company and usually carry voting rights and earn dividends. Unlike preferred stock, dividends on common stock are not fixed but are declared at the discretion of the issuer’s board of directors.

 

Credit risk transfer securities (“CRTs”) are unguaranteed and unsecured debt securities that are commonly issued by a government sponsored entity. CRTs are not directly linked to or backed by the underlying mortgage loans so investors such as the Fund have no direct recourse to the underlying mortgage loans in the event of a default.

 

Debt securities are securities representing money borrowed that must be repaid at a later date. Such securities have specific maturities and usually a specific rate of interest or an original purchase discount.

 

Duration is a measurement of price sensitivity to interest rate changes. Unlike average maturity, duration reflects both principal and interest payments. Generally, the higher the coupon rate on a bond, the lower its duration will be. The duration of a bond portfolio is calculated by averaging the duration of bonds held by the Fund with each duration “weighted” according to the percentage of net assets that it represents. Because duration accounts for interest payments, the Fund’s duration is usually shorter than its average maturity. Securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to changes in interest rates, and are usually more volatile than securities with shorter duration. For example, the price of a bond portfolio with an average duration of five years would be expected to fall approximately 5% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. The Fund with a longer portfolio duration is more likely to experience a decrease in its share price as interest rates rise.

 

Equity securities generally include domestic and foreign common stocks; preferred stocks; securities convertible into common stocks or preferred stocks; warrants to purchase common or preferred stocks; and other securities with equity characteristics.

 

Fixed-income securities are securities that pay a specified rate of return. The term generally includes short- and long-term government, corporate, and municipal obligations that pay a specified rate of interest, dividends, or coupons for a specified period of time. Coupon and dividend rates may be fixed for the life of the issue or, in the case of adjustable and floating rate securities, for a shorter period.

 

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High-yield bonds are bonds that are rated below investment grade by the primary rating agencies (i.e., BB+ or lower by Standard & Poor’s and Fitch, or Ba or lower by Moody’s). Other terms commonly used to describe such bonds include “lower rated bonds,” “non-investment grade bonds,” and “junk bonds.”

 

Mortgage- and asset-backed securities are shares in a pool of mortgages or other debt instruments. These securities are generally pass-through securities, which means that principal and interest payments on the underlying securities (less servicing fees) are passed through to shareholders on a pro rata basis.

 

Mortgage dollar rolls are transactions in which the Fund’s sells a mortgage-related security, such as a security issued by Government National Mortgage Association, to a dealer and simultaneously agrees to purchase a similar security (but not the same security) in the future at a predetermined price. A “dollar roll” can be viewed as a collateralized borrowing in which the Fund’s pledges a mortgage-related security to a dealer to obtain cash.

 

Municipal securities are bonds or notes issued by a U.S. state or political subdivision. A municipal security may be a general obligation backed by the full faith and credit (i.e., the borrowing and taxing power) of a municipality or a revenue obligation paid out of the revenues of a designated project, facility, or revenue source.

 

Pass-through securities are shares or certificates of interest in a pool of debt obligations that have been repackaged by an intermediary, such as a bank or broker-dealer.

 

Preferred stocks are equity securities that generally pay dividends at a specified rate and have preference over common stock in the payment of dividends and liquidation. Preferred stock generally does not carry voting rights.

 

Private placements are securities that are subject to legal and/or contractual restrictions on their sales. These securities may not be listed on an exchange and may have no active trading market. As a result of the absence of a public trading market, the prices of these securities may be more volatile and more difficult to determine than publicly traded securities and these securities may involve heightened risk as compared to investments in securities of publicly traded companies.

 

Real estate investment trust (“REIT”) is an investment trust that operates through the pooled capital of many investors who buy its shares. Investments are in direct ownership of either income property or mortgage loans. A REIT may be listed on an exchange or traded over-the-counter.

 

Strip bonds are debt securities that are stripped of their interest (usually by a financial intermediary) after the securities are issued. The market value of these securities generally fluctuates more in response to changes in interest rates than interest-paying securities of comparable maturity.

 

“To be announced” or “TBA” commitments are forward agreements for the purchase or sale of securities, including mortgage-backed securities, for a fixed price, with payment and delivery on an agreed upon future settlement date. The specific securities to be delivered are not identified at the trade date. However, delivered securities must meet specified terms, including issuer, rate, and mortgage terms. At the time the TBA commitment is made, the transaction is recorded and thereafter the value of such securities is reflected each day in determining the Fund’s NAV. Because the Fund is generally not required to pay for the security until the settlement date, if the Fund remains substantially fully invested at a time when TBA commitment purchases are outstanding, the purchases may result in a form of leverage.

 

U.S. Government securities include direct obligations of the U.S. Government that are supported by its full faith and credit. Treasury bills have initial maturities of less than one year, Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years, and Treasury bonds may be issued with any maturity but generally have maturities of at least ten years. U.S. Government securities also include indirect obligations of the U.S. Government that are issued by federal agencies and government sponsored entities. Unlike Treasury securities, agency securities generally are not backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government. Some agency securities are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the Treasury, others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s obligations, and others are supported only by the credit of the sponsoring agency.

 

Variable and floating rate securities have variable or floating rates of interest and, under certain limited circumstances, may have varying principal amounts. Variable and floating rate securities pay interest at rates that are adjusted periodically according to a specified formula, usually with reference to some interest rate index or market interest rate. The floating rate tends to decrease the security’s price sensitivity to changes in interest rates.

 

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FUTURES, OPTIONS, AND OTHER DERIVATIVES

 

Credit default swaps are a specific kind of counterparty agreement that allows the transfer of third party credit risk from one party to the other. One party in the swap is a lender and faces credit risk from a third party, and the counterparty in the credit default swap agrees to insure this risk in exchange for regular periodic payments.

 

Derivatives are instruments that have a value derived from, or directly linked to, an underlying asset (stock, bond, commodity, currency, interest rate or market index). Types of derivatives can include, but are not limited to options, forward contracts, swaps, and futures contracts.

 

Forward contracts are contracts to purchase or sell a specified amount of a financial instrument for an agreed upon price at a specified time. Forward contracts are not currently exchange-traded and are typically negotiated on an individual basis. The Fund may enter into forward currency contracts for investment purposes or to hedge against declines in the value of securities denominated in, or whose value is tied to, a currency other than the U.S. dollar or to reduce the impact of currency appreciation on purchases of such securities. It may also enter into forward contracts to purchase or sell securities or other financial indices.

 

Futures contracts are contracts that obligate the buyer to receive and the seller to deliver an instrument or money at a specified price on a specified date. The Fund may buy and sell futures contracts on foreign currencies, securities, and financial indices including indices of U.S. Government, foreign government, equity, or fixed-income securities. The Fund may also buy options on futures contracts. An option on a futures contract gives the buyer the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a futures contract at a specified price on or before a specified date. Futures contracts and options on futures are standardized and traded on designated exchanges.

 

Indexed/structured securities are typically short- to intermediate-term debt securities whose value at maturity or interest rate is linked to currencies, interest rates, equity securities, indices, commodity prices, or other financial indicators. Such securities may be positively or negatively indexed (e.g., their value may increase or decrease if the reference index or instrument appreciates). Indexed/structured securities may have return characteristics similar to direct investments in the underlying instruments and may be more volatile than the underlying instruments.

 

Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by two parties of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest (e.g., an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments).

 

Inverse floaters are debt instruments whose interest rate bears an inverse relationship to the interest rate on another instrument or index. For example, upon reset, the interest rate payable on the inverse floater may go down when the underlying index has risen. Certain inverse floaters may have an interest rate reset mechanism that multiplies the effects of change in the underlying index. Such mechanism may increase the volatility of the security’s market value.

 

Options are the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a specified amount of securities or other assets on or before a fixed date at a predetermined price. The Fund may purchase and write put and call options on securities, securities indices, and foreign currencies. The Fund may purchase or write such options individually or in combination.

 

Total return swaps involve an exchange by two parties in which one party makes payments based on a set rate, either fixed or variable, while the other party makes payments based on the return of an underlying asset, which includes both the income it generates and any capital gains over the payment period. A fixed-income total return swap may be written on many different kinds of underlying reference assets, and may include different indices for various kinds of debt securities (e.g., U.S. investment grade bonds, high-yield bonds, or emerging market bonds).

 

OTHER INVESTMENTS, STRATEGIES, AND/OR TECHNIQUES

 

Cash sweep program is an arrangement in which the Fund’s uninvested cash balance is used to purchase shares of affiliated or non-affiliated money market funds or unregistered cash management pooled investment vehicles that operate pursuant to the provisions of the 1940 Act that govern the operation of money market funds at the end of each day.

 

Industry concentration for purposes under the 1940 Act is the investment of 25% or more of the Fund’s total assets in an industry or group of industries.

 

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Leverage is investment exposure which exceeds the amount invested. Leverage occurs when the Fund increases its assets available for investment using reverse repurchase agreements, derivatives or other similar transactions. In addition, other investment techniques, such as short sales, can create a leveraging effect.

 

Net long is a term used to describe when the Fund’s assets committed to long positions exceed those committed to short positions.

 

Repurchase agreements involve the purchase of a security by the Fund and a simultaneous agreement by the seller (generally a bank or dealer) to repurchase the security from the Fund at a specified date or upon demand. This technique offers a method of earning income on idle cash.

 

Reverse repurchase agreements involve the sale of a security by the Fund to another party (generally a bank or dealer) in return for cash and an agreement by the Fund to buy the security back at a specified price and time. This technique may be used for investment purposes, which may have a leveraging effect on the Fund’s portfolio. This technique may also be used for other temporary or emergency purposes.

 

When-issued, delayed delivery, and forward commitment transactions generally involve the purchase of a security with payment and delivery at some time in the future – i.e., beyond normal settlement. New issues of stocks and bonds, private placements, and U.S. Government securities may be sold in this manner.

 

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You can make inquiries and request other information, including a Statement of Additional Information, annual report, or semiannual report, Fund financial statements (as they become available), free of charge, by contacting your broker-dealer, plan sponsor, or financial intermediary, or by contacting a representative at 1-800-668-0434. The Fund’s Statement of Additional Information, most recent annual and semiannual reports, and Fund financial statements (as they become available) are also available, free of charge, at janushenderson.com/info. Additional information about the Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semiannual reports and in Form N-CSR. In the Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during its last fiscal period. In Form N-CSR you will find the Fund’s annual and semi-annual financial statements. Other information is also available from financial intermediaries that sell shares of the Fund.

 

The Statement of Additional Information provides detailed information about the Fund and is incorporated into this Prospectus by reference. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval (EDGAR) Database on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov. You may obtain copies of this information, after paying a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].

 

 

janushenderson.com/info

 

151 Detroit Street
Denver, CO 80206-4805
1-800-668-0434

 

The Trust’s Investment Company Act File No. is 811-23112.

 

125-20-69950 02-24