BOSTON, Oct. 1, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Investments expanded its exchange-traded fund (ETF) product lineup today with the launch of John Hancock Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF (ticker JHEM).

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, a company regarded as a pioneer and industry leader in strategic beta investing and subadvisor to 13 existing John Hancock Investments ETFs, was selected to design the underlying emerging-market equity index for the new ETF. The ETF trades on the NYSE Arca.

"With the addition of this ETF focused on emerging-market equities, we round out our suite of core equity ETF offerings that clients can use to build a global equity allocation," said Andrew G. Arnott, president and CEO of John Hancock Investments and head of Wealth and Asset Management, United States and Europe. "We're pleased to bring Dimensional's time-tested multifactor approach to our investors once again with this ETF."

Dimensional began applying the concept of multifactor investing more than 35 years ago, and the firm is a respected manager in the industry. Dimensional's approach is rooted in decades of academic research into the factors that drive expected returns and it offers a compelling track record of delivering results to investors.

"As we hit the three-year anniversary of the launch of our first ETFs with Dimensional, we're excited to add an emerging-market ETF as an offering for our clients," said Steve Deroian, U.S. head of ETF product at John Hancock Investments. "The team at Dimensional has continually demonstrated their intellectual rigor, strict attention to detail, and strength of implementation; it's been an exceptional firm to partner with as we seek to deliver strong long-term solutions for our clients."

John Hancock Investments has had a relationship with Dimensional and its portfolio management teams for more than a decade, with strategies offered as stand-alone mutual funds and as portions of the John Hancock asset allocation portfolios. In late 2015, John Hancock Investments began launching ETFs built around Dimensional strategies. Today, the firm's ETF offerings include U.S. large-, small-, and mid-cap portfolios, international portfolios and a range of sector-specific offerings. 

About John Hancock Investments
John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and protect wealth since 1862. Today, we are one of the strongest and most-recognized financial brands. We serve investors globally through a unique multimanager approach: We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investment oversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromising standards and serve the best interests of our shareholders. Our 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. 

About John Hancock and Manulife
John Hancock is a division of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading international financial services group that helps people make their decisions easier and lives better. We operate primarily as John Hancock in the United States, and Manulife elsewhere. We provide financial advice, insurance and wealth and asset management solutions for individuals, groups and institutions. Assets under management and administration by Manulife and its subsidiaries were more than $1.1 trillion (US$849 billion) as of June 30, 2018. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as MFC on the TSX, NYSE, and PSE, and under 945 on the SEHK. Manulife can be found at manulife.com.

One of the largest life insurers in the United States, John Hancock supports approximately 10.7 million Americans with a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, investments, 401(k) plans, and college savings plans.

Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

Request a prospectus or summary prospectus from your financial advisor, by visiting jhinvestments.com/etf, or by calling us at 800-225-5291. The prospectus includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information that you should consider carefully before investing.

Investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. There is no guarantee that a fund's investment strategy will be successful. A fund concentrated in one industry or sector or that holds a limited number of securities may fluctuate more than a more broadly diversified fund. Large company stocks could fall out of favor, and illiquid securities may be difficult to sell at a price approximating their value. The stock prices of small- and midsize companies can change more frequently and dramatically than those of large companies, and value stocks may decline in price. Foreign investing, especially in emerging markets, has additional risks, such as currency and market volatility and political and social instability. Shares may trade at a premium or discount to their NAV in the secondary market, and a fund's holdings and returns may deviate from those of its index. These variations may be greater when markets are volatile or subject to unusual conditions. Errors in the construction or calculation of a fund's index may occur from time to time. There can be no assurance that active trading markets for the shares will develop or be maintained by market makers or authorized participants. Please see the fund's prospectus for additional risks.

John Hancock Multifactor ETF shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV), and are not individually redeemed from the fund. Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.

The shares of the John Hancock Multifactor ETFs do not represent a deposit or an obligation of, and are not guaranteed or endorsed by, any bank or other insured depository institution, and are not federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board or any other government agency.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sale of, the shares of a John Hancock Multifactor ETF referred to in this press release in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

John Hancock ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC, and are subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. Foreside is not affiliated with John Hancock Funds, LLC or Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.

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SOURCE John Hancock Investments