Janus Henderson has announced the launch of its first active ETF in Europe: the Janus Henderson Tabula Japan High Conviction Equity UCITS ETF (JCPN).

The fund will be managed by Janus Henderson Investors UK Limited, and advised by portfolio manager, head of Japanese equities and Japan high conviction equity strategy, Junichi Inoue.

JCPN will seek to adopt a high conviction approach and invest in an actively managed all-cap concentrated portfolio of 20 to 30 holdings, aiming to provide exposure to companies “set to benefit” from structural themes and trends in the Japanese equity market.

Janus Henderson said the launch of its new active ETF represented an important milestone for the firm, allowing it to cater to client demand for its investment strategies to include a UCITS ETF wrapper.

It also builds on Janus Henderson’s active ETF proposition in the US, where it is the fourth largest provider of actively managed fixed income ETFs.

The fund will initially list on Xetra with ticker JCPN, followed by listings on the London Stock Exchange and Borsa Italiana, and will be available in all major European markets.

Commenting on the launch, Janus Henderson head of EMEA and Asia Pacific equities, Lucas Klein, said: “This new offering brings high conviction active management to ETF Investors in Europe, and other important markets globally, while also providing existing clients with another way to access our world class investment teams.

“JCPN highlights the strength of our global investment teams whose local expertise and deep fundamental research can deliver consistent alpha for our clients.”

Inoue added: “We believe that now is the ideal time to invest in Japan, with a sustainable inflation outlook and corporate governance reform, businesses are becoming more shareholder-friendly and providing stronger investment opportunities.

“We have a rich history of Japanese equity investing through stock-specific analysis which means we are able to invest in companies with greater potential for generating superior returns for our clients.”

In July 2024, Janus Henderson completed the acquisition of Tabula Investment Management.

Tabula CEO, Michael John Lytle, commented: “Until recently ETFs have been synonymous with passive investing and this has driven enormous growth of the market. However, the majority of UCITS assets remain in actively managed funds. The efficiency of the ETF vehicle makes it a natural way of delivering compelling content to clients.

“The launch of JCPN not only expands Janus Henderson’s product portfolio but significantly enhances the firm’s competitive positioning in the European ETF market, setting the stage for future growth and innovation.”

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