John Hancock Investments' Market Intelligence sets new bar for capital markets research

BOSTON, Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Investments has released the inaugural edition of Market Intelligence, a comprehensive review of the investment landscape across key markets and asset classes. The quarterly publication is unique in the industry, capturing the views of a broad range of asset managers and independent researchers, and distilling them into timely, actionable investment ideas for financial advisors and their clients.

"Market Intelligence is a natural byproduct of the work we do every day vetting investment strategies and talking to our global network of asset managers," said head of investments, Leo M. Zerilli, CIMA. "As a manager of managers, John Hancock Investments is uniquely positioned to be at the center of this activity. And while this research has been a key input in our decision-making for years, we're publishing it externally because we believe the financial advisors and their clients who work with us may find it useful as well."

The report is the work of a dedicated team of more than 50 investment professionals at John Hancock Investments that collect, sort, and evaluate investment research from more than 75 asset managers, independent research firms, broker-dealers, and banks. Research is vetted, aggregated, and weighted to remove asset management biases and to inform John Hancock Investments' 12-to 18-month view on the markets.

The report, which benefits from the analysis of more than 30 distinct asset categories, illustrates both the range of views among the 75-firm network and the view of the investment team at John Hancock Investments. The report is modular and can be used in its entirety or as separate sections--even individual pages--depending on investor needs, and culminates in a list of strategies to consider in the current environment. It is available in several formats and uses charts and infographics to illustrate key themes.

Some of the themes discussed in the current issue are:

• U.S. equity: a passing of the torch--The U.S. expansion will remain intact, but the current rally may be due for a correction; clients should prepare for a change in capitalization leadership.
• International equity: the shift overseas has begun--The next stage of growth in capital markets will likely take place overseas, with some markets offering significant relative growth and valuation potential.
• Fixed income: prepare to be nimble--The most attractive opportunities in fixed income continue to be in those areas of the market least reliant on declining rates to drive returns. Expect an ongoing rotation away from traditional intermediate-term bond funds and into more flexible mandates.

"The initial feedback from the financial advisor community has been overwhelmingly positive," said president and CEO, Andrew G. Arnott. "Financial advisors and consultants don't always have time to sift through dozens of research reports," he said. "What we're hearing from advisors is that they appreciate the aggregated views of our global asset management network, and that we are making our research easy for them to use with their clients."

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, we search 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. A division of global financial services firm, Manulife Financial, 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.

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SOURCE John Hancock Investments

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