Strategic Income Fund

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Strategic Income Fund December 31, 2017

Quarterly update and outlook Overview

Outlook

It is worth noting that Q4 2017 was a more challenging period to navigate in the bond market as the now well-trodden experience of seasonal weakness (higher yields) in sovereign bonds came to bear. In contrast, corporate bond spreads provided some cushion to returns as credit spreads continued to tighten, reflecting the broader strength of risk assets. The broad narrative of bond investing changed little over the course of the three months under review: price and wage inflation remained surprisingly low to a consensus which expected a cyclical pickup whilst default levels also remained entrenched at exceptionally low levels.

We continue to view the world through the lens of long-term structural disinflationary forces and divergent economic cycles in the developed world. The range and speed of industry disruptions in 2017 is our key takeaway and continues to drive a focus on quality businesses with sustainable cash flows, as opposed to trying to time cyclical upswings in low-quality industries and companies. We expect the current environment of low inflation and low default rates to persist for some time yet. That being said, the first quarter is often a seasonally weak period for government bond markets and we will continue to manage the duration of the Fund actively.

Fund Performance and Positioning The Fund made positive gains over the period. We continued to favor investment-grade over high-yield bonds, reflecting a move which began in earnest in August 2017. Banking bonds (both high-yield and investment-grade financials) also proved relatively attractive for continued investment and particularly strong performers for the Fund. There were no major detractors to performers, reflecting a relatively steady performance and the range of investments which contributed positively. We continued to have a preference to Australia for its government bond exposure, but managed duration actively throughout the period using interest rate futures.

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Strategic Income Fund December 31, 2017

Asset class allocation

Regional allocation

Investment grade corporates

45.16%

U.S.

43.63%

High yield corporates

21.03%

UK

22.90%

Government bonds

19.60%

Asia Pacific ex Japan

12.64%

Europe

12.13%

Cash

8.70%

Bank loans

4.73%

CMBS

0.38%

For more information, please visit janushenderson.com. Please consider the charges, risks, expenses and investment objectives carefully before investing. For a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this and other information, please call Janus Henderson at 800.668.0434 or download the file from janushenderson.com/info. Read it carefully before you invest or send money. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Call 800.668.0434 or visit janushenderson.com/performance for current month-end performance. Discussion is based on the performance of the Fund's Class I Shares. The opinions are as of 12/31/17 and are subject to change at any time due to changes in market or economic conditions. Janus Henderson may have a business relationship with certain entities discussed. The comments should not be construed as a recommendation of individual holdings or market sectors, but as an illustration of broader themes. Performance may be affected by risks that include those associated with non-diversification, portfolio turnover, short sales, potential conflicts of interest, foreign and emerging markets, initial public offerings (IPOs), high-yield and high-risk securities, undervalued, overlooked and smaller capitalization companies, real estate related securities including Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), derivatives, and commodity-linked investments. Each product has different risks. Please see the prospectus for more information about risks, holdings and other details. Fixed income securities are subject to interest rate, inflation, credit and default risk. The bond market is volatile. As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. The return of principal is not guaranteed, and prices may decline if an issuer fails to make timely payments or its credit strength weakens. High-yield or "junk" bonds involve a greater risk of default and price volatility and can experience sudden and sharp price swings. Foreign securities are subject to additional risks including currency fluctuations, political and economic uncertainty, increased volatility, lower liquidity and differing financial and information reporting standards, all of which are magnified in emerging markets. Bloomberg Barclays Global Aggregate Credit Index measures the credit sector of the global investment grade fixed-rate bond market, including corporate, government and agency securities. Index performance does not reflect the expenses of managing a portfolio as an index is unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Janus Henderson is a trademark of Janus Henderson Investors. © Janus Henderson Investors. The name Janus Henderson Investors includes HGI Group Limited, Henderson Global Investors (Brand Management) Sarl and Janus International Holding LLC. Funds distributed by Janus Henderson Distributors C-1217-14720 04-15-18

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