John Hancock Mutual Funds [see profile] has launched a retail share class for the John Hancock Emerging Markets Fund. The $2.1 billion fund, which has been in existence for four years and is sub-advised by Dimensional Fund Advisors [see profile], was previously available as an underlying portfolio to investors in Hancock's Lifestyle and Lifecycle Funds.

Keith F. Hartstein John Hancock Funds President and CEO

"We've always wanted to bring that product to market," said Keith Hartstein, president and CEO of John Hancock Funds, in an interview with The MFWire.com. "We've been in discussions with DFA about it. They finally allowed us to do that."

DFA also subadvises other funds for Hancock. Those funds are within the lifestyle and lifecycle offerings. Asked if Hancock plans to roll out retail share classes for those funds as well, Hartstein said: "There's nothing imminent."

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JOHN HANCOCK EMERGING MARKETS FUND (JEVAX) NOW AVAILABLE IN RETAIL SHARE CLASSES

Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) sub-advises the four-year old Fund

John Hancock Emerging Markets Value Fund NAV honored by Lipper at recent 2011 Fund Awards

BOSTON, MA, April 19, 2011—John Hancock Mutual Funds has added retail share classes to the John Hancock Emerging Markets Fund (JEVAX), which previously was available as an underlying portfolio to investors in John Hancock’s Lifestyle and Lifecycle Funds. As a result, the Fund, which has a four year track record and approximately $2.1 billion in assets, is now available for sale to investors through their financial advisers.

"We are very pleased to now offer investors access to the John Hancock Emerging Markets Fund, having included it in our popular Lifestyle and Lifecycle Funds for the past four years where it posted a strong record," said Keith F. Hartstein, President & CEO of John Hancock Funds. "Dimensional Fund Advisors is one of the most highly-respected managers in this asset class. Indeed, DFA’s solid performance was recently recognized by Lipper, which honored the Fund with a trophy for three-year results in the Emerging Markets category at the Lipper Fund Awards event in March."

Since its inception (May 1, 2007), John Hancock Emerging Markets NAV has returned 9.03 percent versus the Lipper Emerging Markets Funds category average of 4.41 percent. Over this time period, it outperformed 96 percent of the category. Over the most recent three years ending March 31, 2011, John Hancock Emerging Markets NAV has returned 8.49 percent versus the Lipper Emerging Markets Funds category average of 2.21 percent. Over this time period, it out-performed 93 percent of the Lipper Emerging Markets category. The annual total returns for the fund over the one-, three- and since inception-performance, with a five percent sales charge, are 12.98 percent, 6.84 percent and 7.76 percent, respectively.

The Dimensional Fund Advisors team managing the John Hancock Emerging Markets Fund includes: Karen E. Umland, Senior Portfolio Manager and Vice President and a member of the fund management team since 2007; Stephen A. Clark, Senior Portfolio Manager and Vice President; Joseph H. Chi, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Vice President; and Jed S. Fogdall, Portfolio Manager and Vice President, all of whom have been members of the portfolio management team for the Fund since 2010.

The John Hancock Emerging Markets Fund seeks long-term capital growth through investment primarily in emerging market equity securities. The fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing in companies associated with emerging markets, including frontier markets (emerging market countries at an earlier stage of development), authorized for investment by the Investment Committee of the sub-adviser (“Approved Markets”) from time to time, with an increased exposure to securities of small cap issuers and securities that it considers to be value securities. Under normal circumstances, the fund will invest at least 80 percent of its net assets in companies associated with emerging markets.

 

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