Janus Speaks!

The fund world's Garbo is about to pipe up.

The Janus File

Janus' Extraordinary 1999 Powered by Small Group of Favored Stocks

Investors Pour $1 Billion Into Janus Value Fund

Behind Closed Doors is Janus Turning Bearish?

Janus Makes Big Bet on Telecom Sector

Planned Spinoff Causes Much Grumbling, but Little Fumbling at Janus

Nokia Is Falling, and Janus Feels Its Pain

Janus CIO Steps Down

Janus Closes Doors on $50 Billion Flagship Fund

Janus Funds See Outflows for First Time in Years

Janus Denies Rumors of Dumping Tech Stocks

The Janus Question: To Hold or Sell?

Last year, Janus fund managers' favorite technology and telecom stocks made them heroes. This year, those holdings made them goats. Now, the traditionally mum shop is willing to talk it over. On Thursday afternoon, the Denver fund shop is inviting the press into its offices where its managers and analysts will talk over this ugly year and -- we hope -- shed some light on what they see ahead. The playbill includes Scott Schoelzel ((JAVLX Quote)Janus Twenty), Mike Lu ((JAGTX Quote)Janus Global Technology) and Jim Goff ((JAENX Quote)Janus Enterprise).

Let there be no doubt: This is a big deal. Yes, fund companies routinely trot out road-weary fund mangers at year-end to buy reporters lunch and fill business pages. Though Janus' mercurial funds have arguably gotten more good and bad ink than any other firm's offerings over the past two years, we've heard from just about everyone but the company's stock-pickers themselves.

For the 4 million Janus fund investors out there, coverage of this meeting is a rare chance to hear from the folks they gave their money to. It's important for stock investors too, because Janus managers' $250 billion in fund assets and their tendency to pile en masse into faves makes their likes and dislikes market events.

After all, many observers have alleged that Janus' tech/telecom love affair played a role in 1999's outlandish gains. The firm's average stock fund rang up a stunning 81% return and the money gushed in. Through cash flows and performance, the firm's assets swelled from $75.8 billion to $171.8 billion last year. The money came in so fast, in fact, that now about half the firm's funds are closed to new investors.

Many of those funds are now buckling under the weight of this year's brutal tech and telecom selloff -- the small-cap growth (JAVTX Quote)Janus Venture fund is down more than 40% and (JAGLX Quote)Janus Global Life Sciences is the only Janus stock fund above water. In fact, though Janus is still this year's top-selling firm, investors are yanking more money out of their funds than they're investing.

Recently Janus denied a rumor ripping through trading rooms and newsrooms that Janus managers were dumping all their big-cap tech stocks and improbably liquidating their Global Technology fund. There's also a smattering of folks wondering if the firm's grudging spin-off from railroad parent Kansas City Southern as part of Stilwell Financial(SV Quote) will lead to manager departures.

We covered Janus' stunning rise in 1999 and their descent back to earth in 2000. People were probably too smitten with Janus last year and they're probably too quick to quit on them this year. Now we can finally stop talking about these folks and just talk to them. Here's what's on the way:

Roundup From the Janus Conference

Q&A With Janus Global Technology's Mike Lu

Meet the Family: A Look at Janus' Open Funds

Meet the Family Q&A With Janus Mercury's Warren Lammert