John Hancock Investments Launches New Disciplined Value International Fund

BOSTON, Oct. 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Investments has launched John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund (Class A share ticker: JDIBX; Class I: JDVIX), the firm announced today. The Fund is managed by a team of portfolio managers at Boston Partners, a division of Robeco Investment Management.

"We believe that there is a strong long-term investment opportunity for shareholders to invest in the developed non-US equity markets due to the fact that many of these economies are strengthening, the earnings recovery story is strong, and stock valuations are attractive," said Andrew G. Arnott, President and CEO of John Hancock Investments. "We are dedicated to making sure that we have strong investment capabilities within the international equity space, and John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund is a product that both improves and complements our lineup of existing international equity funds."

John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund invests primarily in a portfolio of equity and equity-related securities issued by non-U.S. companies of any capitalization size.  The Fund seeks companies which generally have, among other characteristics, lower valuation measures, superior business fundamentals, and positive business momentum.  The Fund's managers use a time-tested, risk-aware approach, as they aim to keep pace in rising markets and to protect assets in falling markets through disciplined risk control.

"We chose to hire Boston Partners to manage non-US equity assets because of their distinct and repeatable investment process that historically has been proven capable of generating alpha across a variety of different market environments," said Leo Zerilli, Head of Investments at John Hancock Investments. "We have a deep understanding of the firm and their investment process through our relationship within the domestic equity space, as they manage our John Hancock Disciplined Value Fund and John Hancock Disciplined Value Mid Cap Fund. This is a high active share strategy that has been able to participate in up markets and protect capital in down markets, and importantly, to generate strong risk-adjusted returns for shareholders."

John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund is managed by a team of tenured investment professionals at Boston Partners composed of Christopher K. Hart, CFA, Joshua Jones, CFA, and Jay Feeney, Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer - Equities. Boston Partners is a boutique investment firm with a tradition of value equity expertise established in the early 1980s.

A fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses should be considered carefully before investing. The prospectus contains this and other information about the fund. To obtain a prospectus, contact your financial professional, call John Hancock Investments at 800-225-5291, or visit our website at jhinvestments.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money.

About John Hancock Investments
John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we are one of America's strongest and most-recognized brands. As a manager of managers, John Hancock Investments searches the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every fund we offer, then apply vigorous investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards. Our unique approach to asset management has led to a diverse set of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes. John Hancock Investments managed more than $123 billion in assets as of June 30, 2014.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, our group of companies offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife and its subsidiaries were C$637 billion (US$597 billion) as at June 30 2014. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments,  401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Investments