JOHN HANCOCK TAX-ADVANTAGED GLOBAL SHAREHOLDER YIELD FUND ANNOUNCE PROPOSED MERGER

BOSTON, April 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Epoch Investment Partners, announced today that shareholders of the Fund have approved the Fund's reorganization into John Hancock Global Shareholder Yield Fund ("JGYIX") (the proposed reorganization of the Fund into JGYIX is the "Reorganization").  As part of the Reorganization, shareholders of the Fund will receive Class I shares of JGYIX as previously announced.

The Reorganization is currently scheduled to become effective close of business on Friday, April 26, 2024 (the "Closing Date"), subject to satisfaction of certain closing conditions. Former Fund shareholders will hold shares of the JGYIX. Shares of JGYIX may be purchased or redeemed on any business day. To facilitate the Reorganization, all shares of the Fund will cease trading on the New York Stock Exchange as of market close on April 17, 2024.

JGYIX is an open-end fund that is a series of John Hancock Funds III with approximately $1.17 billion in net assets and is also managed by John Hancock Investment Management, the investment adviser of the Fund, and subadvised by Epoch Investment Partners, the sub-adviser of the Fund, using a similar investment strategy.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the John Hancock Investment Management Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund is a Massachusetts business trust registered as a diversified, closed-end management investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended. The Fund's investment objective is to provide total return consisting of a high level of current income and gains and long term capital appreciation. In pursuing its investment objective, the Fund seeks to achieve favorable after-tax returns for its shareholders by seeking to minimize the U.S. federal income tax consequences on income and gains generated by the fund. There can be no assurance that the fund will achieve its investment objective.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined under the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "project," "will," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historical in nature. Forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual future results to differ significantly from the Fund's present expectations or projections indicated in any forward-looking statements. These risks include, but are not limited to, changes in economic and political conditions; regulatory and legal changes; leverage risk; valuation risk; interest rate risk; tax risk; the volume of sales and purchase of shares; the continuation of investment advisory, administration and other service arrangements; and other risks discussed in the Fund's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Fund undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein. There is no assurance that the Fund's investment objective will be attained.

An investor should consider the Funds investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

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SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management