Janus Moves Into Active ETFs Via Acquisition

Janus Capital Group said on Monday that it's positioning itself in the "rapidly growing rules-based and active ETF universe," as the investment management firm announced it's acquired the parent company of VelocityShares, a provider of exchange-traded products. The deal sparked discussion among ETF-industry watchers about whether Janus will launch an actively managed ETF run by Bill Gross, given that Gross managed one of the largest active ETFs, the Pimco Total Return ETF , before he left Pimco for Janus. The Janus-VelocityShares deal includes an initial upfront cash consideration of $30 million, and it's expected to close in the fourth quarter, Janus said in a news release.