JNL Series Trust

04/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/29/2024 07:46

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

Summary Prospectus - April 29, 2024
JNL/WCM China Quality 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
0.85%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.30%
Other Expenses1
0.20%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.36%
1
"Other Expenses" include an Administrative Fee of 0.15% 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
0.85%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses1
0.19%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses2
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.05%
1
"Other Expenses" include an Administrative Fee of 0.15% 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/WCM China Quality Growth Fund Class A
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$138
$431
$745
$1,635

JNL/WCM China Quality Growth Fund Class I
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
$107
$334
$579
$1,283

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
90
%

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 equity securities of Chinese companies. WCM Investment Management, LLC ("WCM"), the Fund's sub-adviser (the "Sub-Adviser"), considers a company to be a Chinese company if it has been organized under the laws of, has its principal offices in, or has its securities principally traded in, China, or if the company derives at least 50% of its revenues, net profits or incremental revenue growth (typically over the past five years) from, or has at least 50% of assets or production capacities in, China. For purposes of the Fund's investments, China also includes its special administrative regions and other districts, such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
The Fund may invest in A Shares of companies based in China that trade on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange through the Shanghai - Hong Kong and Shenzhen - Hong Kong Stock Connect programs ("Stock Connect"). Stock Connect is a mutual stock market access program designed to, among other things, enable foreign investments in China.
The Fund's investments in equity securities may include common stock, including A-Shares, H-Shares, and depository receipts. The Fund's investments in depository receipts may include American, European, Canadian, and Global Depository Receipts ("ADRs", "EDRs", "CDRs", and "GDRs", respectively). ADRs and CDRs are receipts that represent interests in foreign securities held on deposit by U.S. and Canadian banks or trust companies, respectively. EDRs and GDRs have the same qualities as ADRs, although they may be traded in several international trading markets. The Fund may also use participation certificates issued by foreign banks or brokers evidencing ownership of underlying stock issued by a foreign company. Participation certificates are used by foreign investors to access local markets and to gain exposure to, primarily, equity securities of issuers listed on a local exchange.
The Sub-Adviser uses a bottom-up approach that seeks to identify companies believed to be quality companies and have above-average potential for growth in assets and the rate of return on invested capital. The Sub-Adviser considers quality growth companies to: (i) have a history of predictable and consistent earnings growth, (ii) have regular, growing dividend payments, (iii) be industry leaders with sustainable competitive advantages, (iv) have corporate cultures emphasizing strong, quality and experienced management, (v) have little or no debt, (vi) have attractive relative valuations, and (vii) have potential for asset base growth. In selecting securities, the Sub-Adviser also considers other factors including, among others, political risk, monetary policy risk, and regulatory risk. The Sub-Adviser will generally hold the equity securities of approximately 30 to 50 issuers, and the Fund may invest in securities of any market capitalization. The Fund generally invests in companies in any sector, however, from time to time the Fund may invest a significant portion of its assets in the securities of companies in one or more sectors.
The Fund is a "non-diversified" fund, as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), and may invest more of its assets in fewer issuers than "diversified" mutual funds.
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.
•
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.
•
China risk - The Chinese economy is generally considered an emerging market and can be significantly affected by economic and political conditions and policy in China and surrounding Asian countries. A relatively small number of Chinese companies represents a large portion of China's total market and thus may be more sensitive to adverse political or economic circumstances and market movements. The economy of China differs, often unfavorably, from the U.S. economy in such respects as structure, general development, government involvement, wealth distribution, rate of inflation, growth rate, allocation of resources and capital reinvestment, among others. Under China's political and economic system, the central government has historically exercised substantial control over virtually every sector of the Chinese economy through administrative regulation and/or state ownership. In addition, expropriation, including nationalization, repatriation of capital, confiscatory taxation, political, economic or social instability or other developments could adversely affect and significantly diminish the values of the Chinese companies in which the Fund invests. The Chinese securities markets are subject to more frequent trading halts and low trading volume, resulting in substantially less liquidity and greater price volatility. These and other factors could have a negative impact on the Fund's performance and increase the volatility of an investment in the Fund.
•
Hong Kong investment risk - If China were to exert its authority so as to alter the economic, political or legal structures or the existing social policy of Hong Kong, investor and business confidence in Hong Kong could be negatively affected, which in turn could negatively affect markets and business performance and have an adverse effect on the Fund's investments.
•
Taiwan investment risk - Although the relationship between China and Taiwan has been improving, there is the potential for future political or economic disturbances that may have an adverse impact on the values of investments in either China or Taiwan, or make investments in China and/or Taiwan impractical or impossible.
•
Emerging markets and less developed countries risk - Emerging market and less developed countries generally are located in Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Central and South America and Africa.Investments in, or exposure to, securities that are tied economically to emerging market and less developed countries are subject to all of the risks of investments in, or exposure to, foreign securities, generally to a greater extent than in developed markets, among other risks. Investments in securities that are tied economically to emerging markets involve greater risk from economic and political systems that typically are less developed, and likely to be less stable, than those in more advanced countries. The Fund also will be subject to the risk of adverse foreign currency rate fluctuations. Emerging market and less developed countries may also have economies that are predominantly based on only a few industries or dependent on revenues from particular commodities. The risks of nationalization, expropriation or other confiscation of assets of non-U.S. issuers is also greater in emerging and less developed countries. As a result of these risks, investments in securities tied economically to emerging markets tend to be more volatile than investments in securities of developed countries.
•
Investing in China A Shares risk - Investments in Class A Shares of Chinese companies involve certain risks and special considerations not typically associated with investments in U.S. companies, such as greater government control over the economy, political and legal uncertainty, currency fluctuations or blockage, the risk that the Chinese government may decide not to continue to support economic reform programs and the risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets. Additionally, the Chinese securities markets are emerging markets subject to the special risks applicable to developing and emerging market countries described elsewhere in this prospectus.
•
Investing through Stock Connect risk - The Fund may invest directly in China A shares through Stock Connect, and will be subject to the following risks: sudden changes in quota limitations, application of trading suspensions, differences in trading days between the PRC and Stock Connect, operational risk, clearing and settlement risk and regulatory and taxation risk.
•
Investing in H-Shares risk - H-Shares are shares of companies incorporated in mainland China and traded in Hong Kong dollars on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and they must meet Hong Kong's listing and disclosure requirements. H-shares are also subject to the risk that the Hong Kong stock market may behave very differently from the mainland Chinese stock market. There may be little to no correlation between the performance of the Hong Kong stock market and the mainland Chinese stock market.
•
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.
•
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).
•
Currency risk - Investments in foreign currencies, securities that trade in or receive revenues in foreign currencies, or derivatives that provide exposure to foreign currencies are subject to the risk that those currencies may decline in value or, in the case of hedging positions, that the currency may decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency exchange rates can be volatile and may be affected by a number of factors, such as the general economics of a country, the actions (or inaction) of U.S. and foreign governments or central banks, the imposition of currency controls, and speculation. A decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar reduces the value in U.S. dollars of investments denominated in that foreign currency.
•
Investment strategy risk -The Sub-Adviser uses the principal investment strategies and other investment strategies to seek to achieve the Fund's investment objective. Investment decisions made by the Sub-Adviser in accordance with these investment strategies may not produce the returns the Sub-Adviser expected, and may cause the Fund's shares to decline in value or may cause the Fund to underperform other funds with similar investment objectives.
•
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 Sub-Adviser's 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.
•
Liquidity risk - Investments in securities that are difficult to purchase or sell (illiquid or thinly-traded securities) may reduce returns if the Fund is unable to sell the securities at an advantageous time or price or achieve its desired level of exposure to a certain sector. Liquidity risk arises, for example, from small average trading volumes, trading restrictions, or temporary suspensions of trading. To meet redemption requests, the Fund may be forced to sell securities at an unfavorable time and/or under unfavorable conditions.
•
Participation note risk - An investment in a participation note involves additional risks beyond the risks normally associated with a direct investment in the underlying security and a participation note's performance may differ from the underlying security's performance. Holders of participation notes do not have the same rights as an owner of the underlying stock and are subject to the credit risk of the issuer, and participation notes are privately issued and may be illiquid.
•
Large-capitalization investing risk -Large-capitalization stocks as a group could fall out of favor with the market, which may cause the Fund to underperform funds that focus on other types of stocks.
•
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.
•
Non-diversification risk - The Fund is non-diversified, as defined by the 1940 Act, and as such may invest in the securities of a limited number of issuers and may invest a greater percentage of its assets in a particular issuer. Therefore, a decline in the market price of a particular security held by the Fund may affect the Fund's performance more than if the Fund were a diversified investment company.


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. 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 29, 2024, the Morningstar® Emerging Markets Target Market Exposure Index℠ (Net) replaced the Morningstar® China Index℠ (Net) as the Fund's broad-based securities market index in accordance with new regulatory disclosure requirements. The Morningstar® China Index℠ (Net) 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 3/31/2023): 1.54%; Worst Quarter (ended 6/30/2023): -10.50%

Annual Total Returns as of December 31

Class I
Best Quarter (ended 3/31/2023): 1.63%; Worst Quarter (ended 6/30/2023): -10.48%

Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/2023
1 year
Life of Fund (April 25, 2022)
JNL/WCM China Quality Growth Fund (Class A)
-17.96
%
-8.93
%
Morningstar Emerging Markets Target Market Exposure Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
10.19
%
0.54
%
Morningstar China Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-10.54
%
-6.76
%

Average Annual Total Returns as of 12/31/2023
1 year
Life of Class (April 25, 2022)
JNL/WCM China Quality Growth Fund (Class I)
-17.66
%
-8.68
%
Morningstar Emerging Markets Target Market Exposure Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
10.19
%
0.54
%
Morningstar China Index (Net) (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
-10.54
%
-6.76
%

Portfolio Management.
Investment Adviser to the Fund:
Jackson National Asset Management, LLC ("JNAM")
Sub-Adviser:
WCM Investment Management, LLC ("WCM")
Portfolio Managers:
Name:
Joined Fund Management Team In:
Title:
Mike Tian, CFA
April 2022
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's shareholders are separate accounts of Jackson or Jackson NY and mutual funds owned directly or indirectly by such separate accounts. Accordingly, the Fund's dividends and other distributions generally are not taxable to you, the contract owner or plan participant, but no further discussion is included about the U.S. federal income tax consequences to you. 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.