John Hancock Investment Management announces 5 basis point fee reduction for Disciplined Value Fund

Has reduced fees on over $20 billion in AUM this year

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BOSTON, Sept. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Investment Management, a company of Manulife Investment Management, today announced a 5 basis point (bps) reduction to the advisory fee schedule for its $12 billion John Hancock Disciplined Value Fund, effective October 1, 2021.¹ The fund, subadvised by Boston Partners, seeks to outperform over time by limiting downside risk in falling markets while keeping pace in rising markets. The portfolio management team includes Mark E. Donovan, CFA, David J. Pyle, CFA, Stephanie T. McGirr, David T. Cohen, CFA, and Joshua C. White, CFA.

"We're thrilled that through the exceptional growth of the fund platform—with a CAGR of more than 15% over the past 10 years—we've been able to pass savings to our shareholders and have reduced fees on over $20 billion in AUM this year alone," said Andrew G. Arnott, CEO, John Hancock Investment Management, and head of wealth and asset management, Manulife Investment Management, United States and Europe. "We believe we're well positioned to capture the opportunity in large-cap value, driven by the veteran portfolio management team at Boston Partners, which continues to deliver strong performance for our clients."

"We continually review the expenses of all of our funds to ensure that they're competitively priced and that the funds are adding value to our shareholders; we're very active on this front," added Gina A. Walters, head of strategy, implementation and innovation, United States and Europe, Manulife Investment Management. "Over the past 10 years, 88% of our current assets have had their net expense ratios reduced, either due to management actions, such as this permanent decrease in advisory fees, or due to asset growth."   

About John Hancock Investment Management
A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.

About Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement.

As of June 30, 2021, Manulife Investment Management's assets under management and administration, including assets managed for Manulife's other segments, totaled CAD$1 trillion (US$834 billion). Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

1. John Hancock Disciplined Value Fund total net assets were US$12.15 billion as of September 21, 2021.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) and assets under management with net expense ratio reductions are as of 8/31/2021 from ISS Market Intelligence SIMFUND and are based on John Hancock Investment Management retail-sold funds only excluding closed-end funds, money market funds, SMAs, ETFs, college savings plan, asset allocation models, using the annual report net expense ratios from 2011 through 2020.

© 2021 John Hancock Investment Management. All rights reserved. 

There is no guarantee that any investment strategy illustrated will be successful or achieve any particular level of results. This material is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, nor shall it be interpreted or construed as, a recommendation or providing advice, impartial or otherwise, regarding any security, mutual fund, ETF, sector, or index. Investors should consult with their financial professional before making any investment decisions.

Clients should carefully consider a fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses before investing. To request a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other important information, call us at 800-225-6020, or visit us at jhinvestments.com.

Value stocks may decline in price. Foreign investing, especially in emerging markets, has additional risks, such as currency and market volatility and political and social instability. Large company stocks could fall out of favor, and illiquid securities may be difficult to sell at a price approximating their value. Please see the fund's prospectus for additional risks.

John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, Member FINRA, SIPC, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 800-225-6020, jhinvestments.com

SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management