Investors move to Janus as new Gross-run fund adds $769 million

Bill Gross' main bond fund at Janus Capital Group Inc. received an estimated $769 million in new money last month, bringing assets above $1 billion. His Janus Global Unconstrained Bond Fund (JUCIX) reported assets of $1.21 billion as of Nov. 28. That's an increase from $442.9 million from the prior month. The fund returned 0.38% in the month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Janus is seeking to raise its profile and rebuild a brand damaged by missteps and departures of money managers. The Denver-based firm hired Mr. Gross from Pacific Investment Management Co., manager of the world's biggest bond fund, and recently agreed to buy VelocityShares to expand in exchange-traded products, the fastest-growing part of the fund industry. Janus said it had about $1.1 billion in U.S. mutual fund deposits in October, the first time in more than three years that clients added net new money. Competing bond managers including DoubleLine Capital and Vanguard Group are also benefiting as investors pull their money from Pimco after Mr. Gross's abrupt departure Sept. 26. Clients withdrew a record $51 billion in September and October from the Pimco Total Return Fund (PTTRX), previously run by Mr. Gross, before redemptions slowed to $9.5 billion in November, according to the firm. Mr. Gross's fund, which won a $500 million mandate from a vehicle managed by George Soros's investment firm, Quantum Partners LP, has outperformed 85% of similar funds in the past month, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The fund was started in May. “We are doing exciting things here at Janus Capital and are pleased it is beginning to be recognized by clients and advisors,” the Denver-based firm said in an e-mailed statement. “Our story features Bill Gross and his Global Unconstrained Bond fund, of course, but has been under way for some time and is much deeper than Bill alone.” Bloomberg estimated withdrawals for the Janus fund (JANSX) by computing the change in assets over the month that isn't accounted for by performance. The number may vary from actual figures and from estimates compiled by other data providers.