John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund (JGPAX) Portfolio Manager Christopher Arbuthnot Named Mutual Fund “Rising Star” by Institutional Investor

BOSTON, April 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — John Hancock Funds' portfolio manager Christopher Arbuthnot, CFA, was honored as a "Rising Star of Mutual Funds" for 2012 by Institutional Investor at the 19th annual Mutual Fund Industry Awards event, held last night in New York City. Mr. Arbuthnot, the lead portfolio manager for the John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund (JGPAX), is a Senior Managing Director and Senior Portfolio Manager with John Hancock Asset Management, a division of Manulife Asset Management.

The Rising Stars of Mutual Funds are chosen annually by the publishers of Institutional Investor and represent up-and-comers whose accomplishments in and contributions to the industry make them standouts among their peers, and position them as future industry leaders.

Mr. Arbuthnot provides research on technology, consumer, and global companies for all strategies managed by John Hancock Asset Management's Intrinsic Value team. He joined the Intrinsic Value Team in 2006, and assumed responsibility for the John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund in 2008. The Fund had more than $910 million in assets as of February 29, 2012, and as of that date had outperformed 99 percent of its peers in the Morningstar World Stock category year to date, 96 percent of its peers on a three-year basis, and 97 percent of its peers on a five-year basis.  Bloomberg Markets Magazineranked the Fund as one of the top 10 global equity funds in the U.S. in 2010 and 2011. The Fund invests in a diversified portfolio of global equities and seeks companies that are selling at discounts to their long-term intrinsic values. Also serving as portfolio managers on the John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund are Roger Hamilton and Timothy Malloy, both Senior Managing Directors and Senior Portfolio Managers.

"Chris Arbuthnot has a passion for stock-picking that is evident to anyone who speaks with him for more than five minutes," said Keith Hartstein, President and CEO of John Hancock Funds. "He is relentless in his global search for companies trading at a good value. He and his team dig in, do thorough analytical work and are not afraid to show their conviction when they believe in a stock. And as results show, he has been right a lot more than he's been wrong."

Prior to joining John Hancock Asset Management, Mr. Arbuthnot was an associate at Wachovia Securities. He began his career as an investment analyst at Middlebury Venture Partners. He holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Rochester, and an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Mr. Arbuthnot is a Chartered Financial Analyst.

Preceding Mr. Arbuthnot with this honor were Carey Foran Hoch and Andrew Arnott of John Hancock, who were named Rising Stars in 2008. Ms. Hoch is Senior Vice President and head of marketing for John Hancock Funds. Mr. Arnott is Executive Vice President of John Hancock Investment Management Services.

About John Hancock Funds

The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $66.3 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, 2011.   

About Manulife Asset Management and John Hancock Asset Management
Manulife Asset Management™ is the global asset management arm of Manulife Financial. Manulife Asset Management provides comprehensive asset management solutions for institutional investors and investment funds in key markets around the world. Manulife Asset Management also provides investment management services to affiliates' retail clients through product offerings of Manulife and John Hancock. This investment expertise extends across a full range of asset classes including equity, fixed income and alternative investments such as real estate, timber, farmland, as well as asset allocation strategies.

Manulife Asset Management has offices with full investment capabilities in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. In addition, it has a joint venture asset management business in China, Manulife TEDA. It also has operations in Australia, New Zealand, Brazil and Uruguay.

John Hancock Asset Management, Hancock Natural Resource Group and Declaration Management and Research are units of Manulife Asset Management. John Hancock Asset Management is a division of Manulife Asset Management that provides investment management services related to John Hancock products sold in the United States. 

As at December 31, 2011 assets under management were Cdn$211 billion (US$208 billion). Additional information about Manulife Asset Management can be found at www.manulifeam.com.

Manulife Asset Management was named a 2011 'Bond Manager of the Year' finalist by Money Management Intelligence (MMI) in the United States and "Best Asia Bond House" by Asia Asset Management.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. In 2012, John Hancock celebrates 150 years of serving clients across the United States, while Manulife celebrates its 125th anniversary. 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 C$500 billion (US$491 billion) as at December 31, 2011. 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 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 johnhancock.com.

SOURCE John Hancock Funds