JNL Series Trust

04/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/29/2024 06:47

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Summary Prospectus - April 29, 2024
JNL Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund
Class A
Class I
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's Prospectus and other information about the Fund, including the Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") and most recent reports to shareholders, online at https://www.jackson.com/fund-literature.html. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-644-4565 (Annuity and Life Service Center), 1-800-599-5651 (NY Annuity and Life Service Center), 1-800-777-7779 (for contracts purchased through a bank or financial institution) or 1-888-464-7779 (for NY contracts purchased through a bank or financial institution), or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The current Prospectus and SAI, both dated April 29, 2024, as amended, are incorporated by reference into (which means they legally are a part of) this Summary Prospectus.
Investment Objective. The investment objective of the Fund is long-term capital appreciation.
Expenses. This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund.
The expenses do not reflect the expenses of the variable insurance contracts or the separate account through which you indirectly invest in the Fund, whichever may be applicable, and the total expenses would be higher if they were included.
You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
Shareholder Fees
(fees paid directly from your investment)
Not Applicable
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A
Management Fee
0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.30%
Other Expenses1
0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.98%
1
"Other Expenses" include an Administrative Fee of 0.10% which is payable to Jackson National Asset Management, LLC ("JNAM" or "Adviser").
2
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect expenses of investing in other investment companies. Accordingly, the expense ratio presented in the Financial Highlights section of the prospectus will not correlate to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses disclosed above.

Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(Expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class I
Management Fee
0.56%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses1
0.11%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.68%
1
"Other Expenses" include an Administrative Fee of 0.10% which is payable to Jackson National Asset Management, LLC ("JNAM" or "Adviser").
2
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses are the indirect expenses of investing in other investment companies. Accordingly, the expense ratio presented in the Financial Highlights section of the prospectus will not correlate to the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses disclosed above.

Expense Example. This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. Also, this example does not reflect the expenses of the variable insurance contracts or the separate account through which you indirectly invest in the Fund, whichever may be applicable, and the total expenses would be higher if they were included. The table below shows the expenses you would pay on a $10,000 investment, assuming (1) 5% annual return; (2) redemption at the end of each time period; and (3) that the Fund operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:
JNL Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund Class A
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$100
$312
$542
$1,201

JNL Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund Class I
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$69
$218
$379
$847

Portfolio Turnover (% of average value of portfolio). The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Expense Example above, affect the Fund's performance.
Period
1/1/2023 - 12/31/2023
54
%

Principal Investment Strategies. The Fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its assets (net assets plus the amount of any borrowings made for investment purposes) in the equity securities of small-capitalization companies that, when purchased, have market capitalizations between the smallest company and 120% of the largest company in the Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index. As of December 31, 2023, the range of such companies in the Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index was $293.0 million to $34.90 billion.
The Fund has flexibility in the relative weighting of each asset class and expects to vary the percentages of assets invested in each asset class from time to time. JNAM's allocations to the underlying Sub-Advisers will be a function of a variety of factors including each underlying strategy's expected returns, volatility, correlation, and contribution to the Fund's overall risk profile.
Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Because the Fund may allocate relatively more assets to certain sectors than others, the Fund's performance may be more susceptible to any developments which affect those sectors emphasized by the Fund.
Unaffiliated investment managers ("Sub-Advisers") generally provide day to day management for a portion of the Fund's assets (each portion is sometimes referred to as a "sleeve"). Each Sub-Adviser may use different investment strategies in managing Fund assets, acts independently from the others, and uses its own methodology for selecting investments. Jackson National Asset Management, LLC ("JNAM" or "Adviser") is responsible for identifying and retaining the Sub-Advisers for the selected strategies and for monitoring the services provided by the Sub-Advisers. JNAM provides qualitative and quantitative supervision as part of its process for selecting and monitoring the Sub-Advisers. JNAM is also responsible for selecting the Fund's investment strategies and for determining the amount of Fund assets to allocate to each Sub-Adviser. Based on JNAM's ongoing evaluation of the Sub-Advisers, JNAM may adjust allocations among Sub-Advisers.
JNAM also may choose to allocate the Fund's assets to additional Sub-Advisers in the future. There is no assurance that any or all of the strategies discussed in this prospectus will be used by JNAM or the Sub-Advisers.
JNAM may also manage Fund assets directly to seek to enhance returns, or to hedge and to manage the Fund's cash and short-term instruments.
Below are the principal investment strategies for each Sub-Adviser's strategy, but the Sub-Advisers may also implement other investment strategies in keeping with their respective strategy's objective.
GIM Strategy
Granahan Investment Management, LLC ("GIM") constructs the GIM Strategy by blending their Small Cap Advantage strategy, which consists of two of their unique strategies, Small Cap Focused Growth strategy and Small Cap Discoveries strategy and their Small Cap Select Strategy.
Within Small Cap Advantage strategy, the blended strategies utilize rigorous bottom-up fundamental research. GIM's Small Cap Focused Growth strategy is grounded in the belief that superior long term returns are best achieved by focusing on smaller companies that are poised to grow at 15% or more, and using a strict methodology to own the stocks of these sustainable growth companies when risk/reward is attractive.
Within this philosophy, GIM's Small Cap Focused Growth strategy seeks to own companies with large open-ended opportunities, a favorable competitive landscape and products or services providing a significant value proposition to the customer.
The Small Cap Discoveries strategy believes that the small/micro-capitalization market has a skewed distribution of returns where a small but meaningful number of high-performing stocks drive the return of the benchmark. In-depth company research combined with tools to gauge market sentiment results in a portfolio of stocks representing innovative emerging growth companies coupled with stocks of companies with unrecognized growth.
The Small Cap Select strategy takes a diversified approach to growth by seeking companies that can either sustain growth for an extended time, or materially accelerate their growth rate over the near to medium term. The strategy believes that this approach expands the investment opportunity set, diversifies the sources of alpha, and mitigates risk.
Baron Strategy
BAMCO, Inc. ("BAMCO") constructs the Baron Strategy by investing for the long term primarily in equity securities in the form of common stock of U.S. small-sized growth companies.
BAMCO seeks to invest in businesses it believes have significant opportunities for growth, sustainable competitive advantages, exceptional management, and an attractive valuation. Although the strategy invests primarily in U.S. companies, it may also invest in securities of non-U.S. issuers that are not publicly traded in the U.S. and in Global Depository Receipts and European Depository Receipts.
Victory RS Investments Strategy
Victory Capital Management Inc., through its investment franchise, RS Investments, ("Victory Capital"), sub-advises a portion of the Fund. Victory Capital constructs the Victory RS Investments Strategy by investing in small- and mid-capitalization companies. The Victory RS Investments Strategy typically invests most of its assets in equity securities of U.S. companies but may also invest any portion of its assets in foreign securities, including American and Global Depositary Receipts ("ADRs" and "GDRs").
Victory Capital employs both fundamental analysis and quantitative screening in seeking to identify companies that the investment team believes will produce sustainable earnings growth over a multi-year horizon. Investment candidates typically exhibit some or all of the following key criteria: strong organic revenue growth, expanding margins and profitability, innovative products or services, defensible competitive advantages, growing market share, and experienced management teams. Valuation is an integral part of the investment process and purchase decisions are based on the Victory Capital's expectation of the potential reward relative to risk of each security based in part on its proprietary earnings calculations.
Victory Capital regularly reviews its investments and will sell securities when it believes the securities are no longer attractive because (1) of a deterioration in rank of the security in accordance with Victory Capital's process, (2) of price appreciation, (3) of a change in the fundamental outlook of the company or (4) other investments available are considered to be more attractive.
As a result of Victory Capital's investment process, its investments may be focused in one or more economic sectors from time to time, including the information technology sector.
Kayne Anderson Rudnick Strategy
Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC ("KAR") constructs the KAR Strategy by blending two of their unique strategies, Small Cap Growth and Small-Mid Cap Growth strategies. The Small Cap Growth strategy invests in common stocks of small market capitalization companies believed to possess sustainable competitive advantages at prices that KAR deems attractive. The Small Cap Growth strategy emphasizes companies determined by KAR to have a sustainable competitive advantage and the ability to grow over an extended period of time. Although the Small Cap Growth strategy invests primarily in U.S. companies, it may invest in foreign securities and ADRs.
The Small-Mid Cap Growth strategy invests in common stocks of small and mid-market capitalization companies believed to possess sustainable competitive advantages at prices that KAR deems attractive. The Small-Mid Cap Growth strategy emphasizes companies determined by KAR to have a sustainable competitive advantage and the ability to grow over an extended period of time. Although the Small-Mid Cap Growth strategy invests primarily in U.S. companies, it may invest in foreign securities and ADRs.
SBH Strategy
Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC ("SBH") constructs the SBH Strategy by investing in small companies that SBH believes to have attractive growth prospects for earnings and/or cash flows.
The SBH Strategy primarily invests in equity securities of companies whose stock is traded on U.S. markets, including depositary receipts or shares issued by companies incorporated outside of the United States (e.g., ADRs).
SBH implements an investment strategy primarily through independent "bottom-up" fundamental research. SBH constructs a portfolio designed to generate alpha, or risk-adjusted excess return relative to the Russell 2000 Growth Index, primarily through stock selection. SBH uses a proprietary discounted cash flow ("DCF") model for purposes of valuing and generating price targets for individual stocks. The DCF model is utilized for two primary purposes - to understand what assumptions are implied in a stock's current price and to generate an expected value for each stock, based on SBH's internally generated forecasts.
WCM Strategy
WCM Investment Management, LLC ("WCM") sub-advises a portion of the Fund. WCM constructs the WCM Strategy by investing principally in small-capitalization companies.
The WCM Strategy primarily invests in equity securities of U.S. companies but may also invest any portion of its assets in REITs, foreign securities, including ADRs and GDRs.
WCM employs both fundamental analysis and quantitative screening in seeking to identify companies that the investment team believes will produce significant, long-term excess return.
WCM's investment process examines four key governing components:
•
Corporate Performance - reviewing the operating history of the company, understanding of management's skill set, the company's core competency, the culture and their ability to evolve.
•
Systematic Effects - evaluating the macro factors affecting the business, their position in the market and looking to gain an understanding of the key drivers of the business.
•
Sustainability - measuring how the company can protect its margins and continue to reinvest cash flows.
•
Intrinsic Value - determining the value of the company versus how the market values the company.
Principal Risks of Investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not guaranteed. As with any mutual fund, the value of the Fund's shares will change, and you could lose money by investing in the Fund. The principal risks associated with investing in the Fund include:
•
Market risk - Portfolio securities may decline in value due to factors affecting securities markets generally, such as real or perceived adverse economic, political, or regulatory conditions, inflation, changes in interest or currency rates or adverse investor sentiment, public health issues, including widespread disease and virus epidemics or pandemics, war, terrorism or natural disasters, among others. Adverse market conditions may be prolonged and may not have the same impact on all types of securities. The values of securities may fall due to factors affecting a particular issuer, industry or the securities market as a whole.
•
Equity securities risk - Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile, and equity securities generally have greater price volatility than fixed-income securities. The price of equity or equity-related securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of a portfolio investing in equity or equity-related securities. The value of equity or equity-related securities purchased or held by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies the Fund invests in decline or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. They may also decline due to factors that affect a particular industry or industries, such as labor shortages or an increase in production costs and competitive conditions within an industry. In addition, they may decline due to general market conditions that are not specifically related to a company or industry, such as real or perceived adverse economic conditions, changes in the general outlook for corporate earnings, changes in interest or currency rates or generally adverse investor sentiment.
•
Small-capitalization investing risk - Investing in smaller companies, some of which may be newer companies or start-ups, generally involves greater risks than investing in larger, more established ones. The securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than the securities of companies with larger market capitalizations.
•
Sector risk - Companies with similar characteristics may be grouped together in broad categories called sectors. Sector risk is the risk that securities of companies within specific sectors of the economy can perform differently than the overall market. For example, this may be due to changes in the regulatory or competitive environment or changes in investor perceptions regarding a sector. Because the Fund may allocate relatively more assets to certain sectors than others, the Fund's performance may be more susceptible to any developments which affect those sectors emphasized by the Fund. In addition, the Fund could underperform other funds investing in similar sectors or comparable benchmarks because of the investment manager's choice of securities within such sector.
•
Investment style risk - The returns from a certain investment style may be lower than the returns from the overall stock market. Growth stock prices frequently reflect projections of future earnings or revenues, and if earnings growth expectations are not met, their stock prices will likely fall, which may reduce the value of a Fund's investment in those stocks. Over market cycles, different investment styles may sometimes outperform other investment styles (for example, growth investing may outperform value investing).
•
Allocation risk - The Fund's ability to achieve its investment objective depends upon the investment manager's analysis of such factors as macroeconomic trends, outlooks for various industries and asset class valuations, and its ability to select an appropriate mix of asset classes based on its analysis of such factors. TheFund is subject to the risk of changes in market, investment, and economic conditions in the selection and percentages of allocations.
•
Information technology sector risk - Information technology companies face intense competition and potentially rapid product obsolescence. They are also heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by the loss or impairment of those rights.
•
Portfolio turnover risk - Frequent changes in the securities held by the Fund, including investments made on a shorter-term basis or in derivative instruments or in instruments with a maturity of one year or less at the time of acquisition, may increase transaction costs, which may reduce performance.
•
Managed portfolio risk - As an actively managed portfolio, the Fund's portfolio manager(s) make decisions to buy and sell holdings in the Fund's portfolio. Because of this, the value of the Fund's investments could decline because the financial condition of an issuer may change (due to such factors as management performance, reduced demand or overall market changes), financial markets may fluctuate or overall prices may decline, the investment techniques could fail to achieve the Fund's investment objective or negatively affect the Fund's investment performance, or legislative, regulatory, or tax developments may affect the investment techniques available to the Sub-Adviser of the Fund. There is no guarantee that the investment objective of the Fund will be achieved.
•
Depositary receipts risk - Depositary receipts, such as American depositary receipts ("ADRs"), global depositary receipts ("GDRs"), and European depositary receipts ("EDRs"), may be issued in sponsored or un-sponsored programs. They may be traded in the over-the-counter ("OTC") market or on a regional exchange, or may otherwise have limited liquidity. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. In a sponsored program, a security issuer has made arrangements to have its securities traded in the form of depositary receipts. In an un-sponsored program, the issuer may not be directly involved in the creation of the program. Holders of un-sponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services. Depositary receipts involve many of the same risks as direct investments in foreign securities. These risks include: fluctuations in currency exchange rates, which are affected by international balances of payments and other economic and financial conditions; government intervention; and speculation. With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation, political and social upheaval, and economic instability. Investments in depositary receipts that are exchange traded or OTC may also subject the Fund to liquidity risk. This risk is enhanced in connection with OTC depositary receipts.
•
Foreign securities risk - Investments in, or exposure to, foreign securities involve risks not typically associated with U.S. investments. These risks include, among others, adverse fluctuations in foreign currency values, possible imposition of foreign withholding or other taxes on income payable on the securities, as well as adverse political, social and economic developments, such as political upheaval, acts of terrorism, financial troubles, sanctions or the threat of new or modified sanctions, or natural disasters. Many foreign securities markets, especially those in emerging market countries, are less stable, smaller, less liquid, and less regulated than U.S. securities markets, and the costs of trading in those markets is often higher than in U.S. securities markets. There may also be less publicly available information about issuers of foreign securities compared to issuers of U.S. securities. In addition, the economies of certain foreign markets may not compare favorably with the economy of the United States with respect to issues such as growth of gross national product, reinvestment of capital, resources and balance of payments position.


Performance. The performance information shown provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns compared with those of a broad-based securities market index and an additional index that the Adviser believes more closely reflects the market segments in which the Fund invests. Performance prior to September 28, 2015, reflects the Fund's results when managed by the former sub-adviser, Eagle Asset Management, Inc. The Fund's past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future.
The returns shown in the bar chart and table do not include charges that will be imposed by variable insurance products. If these amounts were reflected, returns would be less than those shown.
Effective April 26, 2021, the Fund was combined with JNL/Vanguard Small Company Growth Fund ("Acquired Fund"), with the Fund as the surviving Fund. The performance shown is the Fund's historic performance and does not reflect the performance of the Acquired Fund.
Effective April 29, 2024, the Morningstar® US Market Extended Index℠ replaced the Morningstar® US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index℠ as the Fund's broad-based securities market index in accordance with new regulatory disclosure requirements. The Morningstar® US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index℠ is included as an additional index for the Fund because the Adviser believes it more closely reflects the market segments in which the Fund invests.
Annual Total Returns as of December 31

Class A
Best Quarter (ended 6/30/2020): 36.71%; Worst Quarter (ended 6/30/2022): -21.59%

Annual Total Returns as of December 31

Class I
Best Quarter (ended 6/30/2020): 36.86%; Worst Quarter (ended 6/30/2022): -21.52%

Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/2023
1 year
5 year
10 year
JNL Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund (Class A)
16.32
%
10.43
%
7.81
%
Morningstar US Market Extended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
26.22
%
15.15
%
11.51
%
Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
22.61
%
9.75
%
7.43
%

Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/2023
1 year
5 year
10 year
JNL Multi-Manager Small Cap Growth Fund (Class I)
16.68
%
10.76
%
8.09
%
Morningstar US Market Extended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
26.22
%
15.15
%
11.51
%
Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Growth Extended Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
22.61
%
9.75
%
7.43
%

Portfolio Management.
Investment Adviser to the Fund:
Jackson National Asset Management, LLC ("JNAM")
Sub-Advisers:
BAMCO, Inc. ("BAMCO")
Granahan Investment Management, LLC ("GIM")
Kayne Anderson Rudnick Investment Management, LLC ("KAR")
Segall Bryant & Hamill, LLC ("SBH")
Victory Capital Management Inc. ("Victory Capital/RS Investments")
WCM Investment Management, LLC ("WCM")
Portfolio Managers:
Name:
Joined Fund Management Team In:
Title:
William Harding, CFA
September 2015
Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager, JNAM
Sean Hynes, CFA, CAIA
September 2015
Vice President and Portfolio Manager, JNAM
Mark Pliska, CFA
September 2015
Vice President and Portfolio Manager, JNAM
Laird Bieger
April 2022
Vice President and Portfolio Manager, BAMCO
Randolph Gwirtzman, CFA
April 2022
Vice President and Portfolio Manager, BAMCO
Andrew L. Beja, CFA
September 2015
Senior Vice President, Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, GIM
David Rose, CFA
October 2020
Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Portfolio Manager, GIM
Jeffrey A. Harrison, CFA
October 2020
Managing Director, Portfolio Manager, GIM
Todd Beiley, CFA
April 2018
Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, KAR
Jon Christensen, CFA
April 2018
Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, KAR
Julie Biel, CFA
April 2021
Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, KAR
Chris Wright, CFA
March 2022
Portfolio Manager and Senior Research Analyst, KAR
Brian C. Fitzsimons, CFA
April 2022
Director of Small-Cap Growth Strategies, SBH
Mitch S. Begun, CFA
April 2022
Senior Portfolio Manager, SBH
D. Scott Tracy, CFA
September 2015
Chief Investment Officer and Co-Portfolio Manager, Victory Capital/RS Investments
Stephen J. Bishop
September 2015
Co-Portfolio Manager, Victory Capital/RS Investments
Melissa Chadwick-Dunn
September 2015
Co-Portfolio Manager, Victory Capital/RS Investments
Christopher W. Clark, CFA
September 2015
Co-Portfolio Manager, Victory Capital/RS Investments
Paul Leung, CFA
May 2018
Co-Portfolio Manager, Victory Capital/RS Investments
John Rackers
October 2019
Portfolio Manager and Business Analyst, WCM
Chad E. Hoffman
October 2019
Portfolio Manager and Business Analyst, WCM

Purchase and Redemption of Fund Shares
Only separate accounts of Jackson National Life Insurance Company ("Jackson") or Jackson National Life Insurance Company of New York ("Jackson NY") and series, including fund of funds, of registered investment companies in which either or both of those insurance companies invest may purchase shares of the Fund. You may invest indirectly in the Fund through your purchase of a variable annuity or life insurance contract issued by a separate account of Jackson or Jackson NY that invests directly, or through a fund of funds, in this Fund. Any minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements and redemption procedures are governed by the applicable separate account through which you invest indirectly.
This Fund serves as an underlying investment by insurance companies, affiliated investment companies, and retirement plans for funding variable annuity and life insurance contracts and retirement plans.
Tax Information
The Fund expects to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and does not expect to make regular distributions (other than in redemption of Fund shares) to shareholders, which generally are the participating insurance companies investing in the Fund through separate accounts of Jackson or Jackson NY and mutual funds owned directly or indirectly by such separate accounts. You should consult the prospectus of the appropriate separate account or description of the plan for a discussion of the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you of your contract, policy, or plan.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Financial Intermediaries
If you invest in the Fund under a variable insurance contract or a plan that offers a variable insurance contract as a plan option through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a financial institution), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's Website for more information.