497 1 b79674a1e497.htm JOHN HANCOCK INVESTMENT TRUST John Hancock Investment Trust
Supplement dated February 19, 2010
to the Statement of Additional Information dated May 15, 2009
The following section entitled “Sovereign Debt Obligations” is added under “Risks of Foreign Securities” in the “Investment Polices and Objectives” section for Large Cap Equity Fund of the Statement of Additional Information.
Sovereign Debt Obligations
Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loan or loan participations. Typically, sovereign debt of developing countries may involve a high degree of risk and may be in default or present the risk of default, however, sovereign debt of developed countries also may involve a high degree of risk and may be in default or present the risk of default. Governments rely on taxes and other revenue sources to pay interest and principal on their debt obligations, and governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due and may require renegotiation or rescheduling of debt payments. The payment of principal and interest on these obligations may be adversely affected by a variety of factors, including economic results, changes in interest and exchange rates, changes in debt ratings, a limited tax base or limited revenue sources, natural disasters, or other economic or credit problems. In addition, prospects for repayment and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Defaults in sovereign debt obligations, or the perceived risk of default, may also impair the market for other securities and debt instruments, including securities issued by banks and other entities holding such sovereign debt, and negatively impact the Fund.