BILL GROSS: 'Janus Is The Right Fit'

Bill Gross, founder of PIMCO, is leaving the firm to join Janus Capital.

Following the announcement, shares of Janus are surging, gaining as much as 19% in pre-market trade on Friday.

In a statement, Bill Gross said:

For most of my career, I have been privileged to be associated with one of the most successful investment management firms ever - Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO). Today, with a mixture of excitement and sadness, I am announcing that I have decided to join Janus Capital Group and end my association with PIMCO. It was not without great thought and deliberation over quite some time that I decided to begin this next chapter. During my time at PIMCO we accomplished a great deal, managing now over 2 trillion dollars of global assets with a track record of very significant value added that has generated tens of billions of dollars to individual, corporate, and sovereign client portfolios. But now, after having spent considerable time serving in senior management, it is a time for me to reduce executive and people management responsibilities at a larger firm and focus on the pure aspects of portfolio management at a smaller one. Janus is the right fit at the right time in my career - and my life.

I am honored to be welcomed by Janus Capital Group, which is headed by former PIMCO managing director/COO Dick Weil. At Janus, in a new Newport Beach office, a simpler yet still intense career lies ahead of me to be able to assist individuals and other investors in their needs for above market returns in an increasingly risky market environment. In particular, I greatly respect the fixed income investment philosophy of Janus, which is consistent with my belief: value added consistent with the protection of principal.

I have been fortunate to have had a great run at PIMCO, and I am looking forward to be able to continue this run with Janus.

I sincerely wish all of my friends and associates at PIMCO much future success. It has been an honor to have worked at PIMCO these many years.

The news comes after reports earlier this week said an ETF tied to PIMCO's flagship total return fund, managed by Gross, was facing an investigation from the SEC.