John Hancock Funds Launches New Natural Resources Fund

BOSTON, April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Funds said today that its new John Hancock Natural Resources Fund (JNRAX) is now available for sale to retail investors through their financial advisers.

"We're pleased to launch this new fund as a way for investors to diversify their holdings in the alternative space, which may also help hedge against rising inflation in future years," said Keith F. Hartstein, President & CEO of John Hancock Funds.  "Our Natural Resources Fund leverages the global proprietary investment resources of Wellington Management, the sub-adviser, which is one of the largest institutional managers of global natural resources and energy assets."

Under normal market conditions, the John Hancock Natural Resources Fund will invest at least 80 percent of its net assets in equity and equity-related securities of natural resource-related companies worldwide, including emerging markets. Natural resource-related companies include companies that own or develop energy, metals, forest products and other natural resources, or that supply goods and services to such companies.

The Fund seeks companies that exhibit the following characteristics: quality assets, defined as low cost and difficult to replace; proven management teams with a demonstrated ability to deploy capital efficiently; and compelling valuations, based on a long term view of the total asset portfolio and/or taking advantage of the cycle to be contrarian.

The Natural Resources Fund is the second John Hancock fund to be sub-advised by Wellington Management.  The new Fund is managed by a team of portfolio managers, averaging 22 years of experience, at Wellington Management, which has managed energy and natural resource-related client assets since 1984.

About John Hancock Funds

The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $53 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors as at December 31, 2009.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation 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 Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$440 billion (US$420 billion) at December 31, 2009.

Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.

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

Wellington Management is an independent and unaffiliated investment sub-adviser to John Hancock Funds.

SOURCE John Hancock Funds

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