Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) Performance
JSML total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +16.0% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +13.3% total return
- 5 years
- +5.8% a year
- 10 years
- +12.2% a year
- Since first price
- +12.8% a year since 2016
JSML trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | JSML total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.7% | −1.8% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | −3.9% | −3.9% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +5.2% | +5.1% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +16.0% | +15.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +13.3% | +12.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +81.8%+22.1%/yr | +77.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +32.7%+5.8%/yr | +27.8% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +215.8%+12.2%/yr | +196.4% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionFeb 25, 2016 | +260.0%+12.8%/yr | +237.6% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: JSML vs SPY
From Feb 25, 2016: JSML grew to $35,998, SPY to $46,215.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
JSML returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2020 (+35.4%), worst 2022 (−29.4%). 2026 is year to date.
JSML annual returns table
| Year | JSML | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +16.0% | −14.8% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.4% | −22.2% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.4% | −10.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +30.1% | −20.8% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −29.4% | −32.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +3.1% | −16.4% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +35.4% | −39.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +32.5% | −8.5% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −2.5% | −27.4% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +20.9% | −5.6% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
JSML largest drawdowns
Now 8.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 12, 2021 | −39.6% | Sep 26, 2022 | Nov 8, 2024 | 1.6 years | 3.7 years |
| Jan 22, 2020 | −39.2% | Mar 18, 2020 | Jul 29, 2020 | 56 days | 6 months |
| Sep 4, 2018 | −27.4% | Dec 24, 2018 | Nov 26, 2019 | 4 months | 1.2 years |
| Nov 11, 2024 | −25.6% | Apr 8, 2025 | Aug 26, 2025 | 5 months | 9 months |
| Jan 22, 2026 | −14.8% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 2 months | 3 months |
| Sep 22, 2025 | −10.0% | Nov 20, 2025 | Jan 9, 2026 | 59 days | 4 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
JSML risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +20.1% | +6.5% | +11.9% | +12.9% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 22.0% | 24.2% | 23.4% | 22.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.74 | 0.23 | 0.50 | 0.55 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.39 | 0.36 | 0.80 | 0.88 |
| Best month | +16.1% | +16.1% | +20.9% | +20.9% |
| Worst month | −9.2% | −13.8% | −19.8% | −19.8% |
| Best 12 months | +39.8% | +39.8% | +100.7% | +100.7% |
| Worst 12 months | +2.2% | −31.4% | −31.5% | −31.5% |
| Positive months | 56% | 53% | 62% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.41 | 1.28 | 1.30 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.80 | 0.83 | 0.85 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
JSML rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 117 | −31.5% | +15.1% | +100.7% | 81% |
| 3-year (a year) | 93 | −5.3% | +11.9% | +23.0% | 87% |
| 5-year (a year) | 69 | +1.5% | +8.4% | +22.1% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 9 | +10.9% | +12.4% | +13.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
JSML performance overview
Janus Henderson Small Cap Growth Alpha ETF (JSML) returned +13.3% over the past year and +12.2% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +12.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $35,998. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −39.6%, from Feb 12, 2021 to Sep 26, 2022, and it took 2.1 years to get back to the old high. JSML finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2020 (+35.4%) and the worst 2022 (−29.4%). Volatility has been 22.9% a year.
Related: JSML chart, JSML holdings, JSML dividends, JSML valuation. See the JSML overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
JSML performance FAQ
What is the JSML return over the past year?
JSML returned +13.3% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 12.9%.
What is the average annual return of JSML?
JSML has returned +5.8% a year over 5 years, +12.2% a year over 10 years, +12.8% a year since February 25, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in JSML be worth?
$10,000 invested in JSML at its first recorded close on February 25, 2016 would be worth about $35,998 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for JSML?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −29.4%. The best was 2020 at +35.4%.
What is the biggest drawdown of JSML?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −39.6% between February 12, 2021 and September 26, 2022. It recovered to the old high on November 8, 2024, 2.1 years after the bottom.
How volatile is JSML?
Over the past 3 years JSML had an annualized volatility of 22.0% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.74 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).