As filed with the Securities and Exchange

Commission on June 23, 2017

1933 Act File No. 002-10156

1940 Act File No. 811-00560

U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM N-1A

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 þ

PRE-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. [  ]

POST-EFFECTIVE AMENDMENT NO. 173

and/or

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 þ

AMENDMENT NO. 125

(CHECK APPROPRIATE BOX OR BOXES)

JOHN HANCOCK INVESTMENT TRUST

(EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN CHARTER)

601 CONGRESS STREET

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02210-2805

(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES) (ZIP CODE)

REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE

(800) 225-5291

JOHN J. DANELLO, ESQ.

601 CONGRESS STREET

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02210-2805

(NAME AND ADDRESS OF AGENT FOR SERVICE)

COPIES OF COMMUNICATIONS TO:

MARK P. GOSHKO, ESQ.

K&L GATES LLP

ONE LINCOLN STREET

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS 02111-2950

TITLE OF SECURITIES BEING REGISTERED: Shares of beneficial interest ($0.00) par value of the Registrant.

APPROXIMATE DATE OF PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING: As soon as practicable after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):

¨ immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b) of Rule 485

¨ 60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

x on August 24, 2017 pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of Rule 485

¨ 75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

¨ on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485

If appropriate, check the following box:

¨ this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.

This filing relates solely to Class R6 shares of John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund. No information contained herein is intended to amend or supersede any prior filing relating to any other series or classes of the Registrant.

John Hancock
Small Cap Core Fund

Prospectus [8/24/17]

Class R6 [  ]

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, and is not soliciting to offer or to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

As with all mutual funds, the Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 Table of contents

Fund summary	Fund details	Your account
The summary section is a concise look at the investment objective, fees and expenses, principal investment strategies, principal risks, past performance, and investment management.	More about topics covered in the summary section, including descriptions of the investment strategies and various risk factors that investors should understand before investing.	How to place an order to buy, sell, or exchange shares, as well as information about the business policies and any distributions that may be paid.

1	John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund	5	Principal investment strategies	14	Who can buy shares
		5	Principal risks of investing	14	Opening an account
		10	Who's who	15	Buying shares
		13	Financial highlights	16	Selling shares
				18	Transaction policies
				21	Dividends and account policies
				21	Additional investor services
				22	Appendix
					For more information  See back cover

Fund summary

John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund

Investment objective

To seek long-term capital appreciation.

Fees and expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the fund.

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)	R6
Maximum front-end sales charge (load)	None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load)	None

Annual fund operating expenses (%) (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)	R6
Management fee	[0.90]
Other expenses‌1	[0.10]
Acquired fund fees and expenses‌2	[0.16]
Total annual fund operating expenses‌3	[1.16]

1"Other expenses," such as expected transfer agency expenses, have been estimated for the first year of operations of the fund's Class R6 shares.

2"Acquired fund fees and expenses" are based on indirect net expenses associated with the fund's investments in underlying investment companies.

3The "Total annual fund operating expenses" shown may not correlate to the fund's ratios of expenses to average net assets shown in the "Financial highlights" section of the fund's prospectus, which does not include "Acquired fund fees and expenses."

Expense example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. Please see below a hypothetical example showing the expenses of a $10,000 investment for the time periods indicated and then assuming you sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example assumes a 5% average annual return and that fund expenses will not change over the periods. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be:

Expenses ($)	R6
1 year	[118]
3 years	[368]
5 years	[638]
10 years	[1,409]

Portfolio turnover

The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 59% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal investment strategies

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-capitalization companies. The fund considers small-capitalization companies to be those within the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index, with a maximum capitalization of $10.5 billion as of December 31, 2016. The fund generally will not invest in companies with market capitalizations of $5 billion or more. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, rights, warrants, and depositary receipts.

The manager emphasizes a fundamental, bottom-up approach to individual stock selection, looking for companies with durable, niche business models with the potential for high returns on capital and that the manager believes are undervalued. Companies are screened based on a number of factors, including balance sheet quality, profitability, liquidity, size, and risk profile.

The fund intends to invest in a number of different sectors based on stock selection and sector weightings may vary significantly from its benchmark. The fund may focus its investments in a particular sector or sectors. The fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in foreign securities including emerging-market securities and securities of non-U.S. companies traded on a U.S. exchange.

The fund may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs), real estate investment trusts (REITs) or other real estate-related equity securities, and certain exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

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The fund normally will invest 10% or less of its total assets in cash and cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements, money market securities, U.S. government securities, and other short-term investments. The fund may invest in derivatives to a limited extent. Derivatives may be used to reduce risk and/or obtain efficient market exposure, and may include futures contracts and foreign currency forward contracts.

Principal risks

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Many factors affect performance, and fund shares will fluctuate in price, meaning you could lose money. The fund's investment strategy may not produce the intended results.

During periods of heightened market volatility or reduced liquidity, governments, their agencies, or other regulatory bodies, both within the United States and abroad, may take steps to intervene. These actions, which could include legislative, regulatory, or economic initiatives, might have unforeseeable consequences and could adversely affect the fund's performance or otherwise constrain the fund's ability to achieve its investment objective.

The fund's main risks are listed below in alphabetical order. Before investing, be sure to read the additional descriptions of these risks beginning on page 5 of the prospectus.

Credit and counterparty risk. The counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract or a borrower of fund securities may not make timely payments or otherwise honor its obligations. U.S. government securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk based on the nature of their support.

Cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting issuers of a fund's securities may negatively impact performance.

Economic and market events risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates rise or economic conditions deteriorate.

Equity securities risk. The price of equity securities may decline due to changes in a company's financial condition or overall market conditions.

Exchange-traded funds risk. An ETF generally reflects the risks of the underlying securities it is designed to track. A fund bears ETF fees and expenses indirectly.

Foreign securities risk. Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities are magnified in emerging markets. Depositary receipts are subject to most of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities directly because the value of a depositary receipt is dependent upon the market price of the underlying foreign equity security. Depositary receipts are also subject to liquidity risk.

Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions risk. Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions may increase a fund's volatility and could produce disproportionate losses, potentially more than the fund's principal investment. Risks of these transactions are different from and possibly greater than risks of investing directly in securities and other traditional instruments. Under certain market conditions, derivatives could become harder to value or sell and may become subject to liquidity risk (i.e., the inability to enter into closing transactions). Derivatives and other strategic transactions that the fund intends to utilize include: foreign currency forward contracts and futures contracts. Foreign currency forward contracts and futures contracts generally are subject to counterparty risk. Derivatives associated with foreign currency transactions are subject to currency risk.

Initial public offerings risk. IPO share prices are frequently volatile and may significantly impact fund performance.

Liquidity risk. The extent (if at all) to which a security may be sold or a derivative position closed without negatively impacting its market value may be impaired by reduced market activity or participation, legal restrictions, or other economic and market impediments.

Preferred and convertible securities risk. Preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer's Board. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption provisions. The market values of convertible securities tend to fall as interest rates rise and rise as interest rates fall. Convertible preferred stock's value can depend heavily upon the underlying common stock's value.

Real estate investment trust risk. REITs, pooled investment vehicles that typically invest in real estate directly or in loans collateralized by real estate, carry risks associated with owning real estate, including the potential for a decline in value due to economic or market conditions.

Real estate securities risk. Securities of companies in the real estate industry carry risks associated with owning real estate, including the potential for a decline in value due to economic or market conditions.

Sector risk. When a fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the fund were invested more evenly across sectors.

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Small and mid-sized company risk. Small and mid-sized companies are generally less established and may be more volatile than larger companies. Small and/or mid-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.

Warrants risk. The prices of warrants may not precisely reflect the prices of their underlying securities. Warrant holders do not receive dividends or have voting or credit rights. A warrant ceases to have value if not exercised prior to its expiration date.

Past performance

The following information illustrates the variability of the fund's returns and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund's performance from year to year compared with a broad-based market index. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate future results. All figures assume dividend reinvestment. Performance information is updated daily, monthly, and quarterly and may be obtained at our website, jhinvestments.com, or by calling 888-972-8696 between 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern time, on most business days.

A note on performance

Class I shares commenced operations on December 20, 2013. Because Class R6 shares of the fund had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, the returns shown are those of Class I shares. Returns for Class R6 shares would have been substantially similar to returns of Class I shares because both share classes are invested in the same portfolio of securities and returns would differ only to the extent that expenses of the classes are different.

Please note that after-tax returns reflect the highest individual federal marginal income-tax rates in effect as of the date provided and do not reflect any state or local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns may be different. After-tax returns are not relevant to shares held in an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-advantaged investment plan.

Calendar year total returns (%)—Class R6

Year-to-date total return. The fund's total return for the six months ended June 30, 2017, was [   ]%.

Best quarter: Q3 '16, 10.58%
Worst quarter: Q3 '15, –12.36%

Average annual total returns (%)—as of 12/31/16	1 year	Since inception (12/20/13	)
Class R6 (before tax)	27.06	8.15
after tax on distributions	26.66	7.58
after tax on distributions, with sale	15.32	6.06
Russell 2000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	21.31	7.87

Investment management

Investment advisor John Hancock Advisers, LLC
Subadvisor John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC

Portfolio management

Bill Talbot, CFA
Senior Portfolio Manager
Managed the fund since 2013

Purchase and sale of fund shares

The minimum initial investment requirement for Class R6 shares is $1 million, except that there is no minimum for qualified and nonqualified plan investors that do not require the fund or its affiliates to pay any type of administrative payment, Trustees, employees of the advisor or its affiliates, or members of the fund's portfolio management team. There are no minimum investment requirements for subsequent purchases to existing accounts. You may redeem shares of the fund on any

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business day by mail, John Hancock Signature Services, Inc., P.O. Box 55913, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5913; or for most account types through our website, jhinvestments.com; or by telephone, 888-972-8696.

Taxes

The fund's distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Withdrawals from such tax-deferred arrangements may be subject to tax at a later date.

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Fund details

Principal investment strategies

The Board of Trustees can change the fund's investment objective and strategies without shareholder approval. The fund will provide written notice to shareholders at least 60 days prior to a change in its 80% investment policy.

Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of small-capitalization companies. The fund considers small-capitalization companies to be those companies that, at the time of investment, are in the capitalization range of the Russell 2000 Index, which had a maximum market capitalization of $10.5 billion as of December 31, 2016. The fund generally will not invest in companies that, at the time of purchase, have market capitalizations of $5 billion or more. Equity securities include common and preferred stocks, rights, warrants, and depositary receipts (including ADRs, American Depositary Shares, European Depositary Receipts, and Global Depositary Receipts).

In managing the fund, the manager emphasizes a bottom-up approach to individual stock selection. The manager looks for companies with durable, niche business models that have the potential to allow them to earn high returns on capital and that are trading at a significant discount to the manager's estimate of fair value. With the aid of proprietary financial models, companies are screened based on a number of factors, including balance sheet quality, profitability, liquidity, and size.

The manager then conducts in-depth fundamental research of individual companies to locate companies that have particular attributes, such as cash flow and earnings growth visibility, manageable risks, including business risk and financial risk, and above-average return on capital. Stocks considered for inclusion in the portfolio may also be experiencing some type of temporary weakness or short-term mispricing due to various factors, such as an inflection point in earnings power, turnaround situations, or a near-term earnings event.

The fund intends to invest in a number of different sectors. The sectors in which the fund invests are primarily a result of stock selection and may, therefore, vary significantly from its benchmark. The fund may focus its investments in a particular sector or sectors of the economy. The fund may invest up to 10% of its total assets in foreign securities, including in emerging markets, which includes securities for which the relevant reference entity is domiciled outside of the United States, such as ADRs, which trade on U.S. exchanges.

The fund may invest in initial public offerings (IPOs). The fund may also purchase real estate investment trusts (REITs) or other real estate-related equity securities, and certain exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The fund may also purchase warrants and rights on certain underlying securities, both U.S. dollar-denominated and otherwise.

The fund normally will invest 10% or less of its total assets in cash and cash equivalents, including repurchase agreements, money market securities, U.S. government securities, and other short-term investments. The fund may, to a limited extent, engage in derivatives transactions that include futures contracts and foreign currency forward contracts, in each case for the purposes of reducing risk and/or obtaining efficient market exposure.

The fund may invest in cash or money market instruments for the purpose of meeting redemption requests or making other anticipated cash payments.

Temporary defensive investing

The fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in cash, money market instruments, or other investment-grade short-term securities for the purpose of protecting the fund in the event the manager determines that market, economic, political, or other conditions warrant a defensive posture.

To the extent that the fund is in a defensive position, its ability to achieve its investment objective will be limited.

Principal risks of investing

An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The fund's shares will go up and down in price, meaning that you could lose money by investing in the fund. Many factors influence a mutual fund's performance. The fund's investment strategy may not produce the intended results.

Instability in the financial markets has led many governments, including the U.S. government, to take a number of unprecedented actions designed to support certain financial institutions and segments of the financial markets that have experienced extreme volatility and, in some cases, a lack of liquidity. Federal, state, and other governments, and their regulatory agencies or self-regulatory organizations, may take actions that affect the regulation of the instruments in which the fund invests, or the issuers of such instruments, in ways that are unforeseeable. Legislation or regulation may also change the way in which the fund itself is regulated. Such legislation or regulation could limit or preclude the fund's ability to achieve its investment objective. In addition, political events within the United States and abroad, including the U.S. government's ongoing difficulty agreeing on a long-term budget and deficit reduction plan and uncertainty surrounding sovereign debt of European Union members, could negatively impact financial markets and the fund's performance.

Governments or their agencies may also acquire distressed assets from financial institutions and acquire ownership interests in those institutions. The implications of government ownership and disposition of these assets are unclear, and such a program may have positive or negative effects on the liquidity, valuation, and performance of the fund's portfolio holdings. Furthermore, volatile financial markets can expose the fund to greater market and liquidity risk and potential difficulty in valuing portfolio instruments held by the fund.

Below are descriptions of the main factors that may play a role in shaping the fund's overall risk profile. The descriptions appear in alphabetical order, not in order of importance. For further details about fund risks, including additional risk factors that are not discussed in this prospectus because they are not considered primary factors, see the fund's Statement of Additional Information (SAI).

Credit and counterparty risk

This is the risk that the counterparty to an over-the-counter (OTC) derivatives contract (see "Hedging, derivatives and other strategic transactions risk") or a borrower of a fund's securities will be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments or to otherwise honor its obligations.

U.S. government securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk depending upon whether the securities are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; the ability to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; only by the credit of the issuing U.S. government agency, instrumentality, or corporation; or otherwise supported by the United States. For example, issuers of many types of U.S. government securities (e.g., the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac), Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), and Federal Home Loan Banks), although chartered or sponsored

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by Congress, are not funded by congressional appropriations, and their fixed-income securities, including asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities, are neither guaranteed nor insured by the U.S. government. An agency of the U.S. government has placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. As a result, these securities are subject to more credit risk than U.S. government securities that are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States (e.g., U.S. Treasury bonds).

The fund is exposed to credit risk to the extent it makes use of OTC derivatives (such as forward foreign currency contracts and/or swap contracts) and engages to a significant extent in the lending of fund securities or the use of repurchase agreements. OTC derivatives transactions can be closed out with the other party to the transaction. If the counterparty defaults, a fund will have contractual remedies, but there is no assurance that the counterparty will be able to meet its contractual obligations or that, in the event of default, a fund will succeed in enforcing them. A fund, therefore, assumes the risk that it may be unable to obtain payments owed to it under OTC derivatives contracts or that those payments may be delayed or made only after the fund has incurred the costs of litigation. While the manager intends to monitor the creditworthiness of contract counterparties, there can be no assurance that the counterparty will be in a position to meet its obligations, especially during unusually adverse market conditions.

Cybersecurity risk

Intentional cybersecurity breaches include unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices (such as through "hacking" activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information (possibly resulting in the violation of applicable privacy laws).

A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems ("denial of services"), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs. Such incidents could cause a fund, the advisor, a manager, or other service providers to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, additional compliance costs, or financial loss. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which a fund invests, and thereby cause the fund's investments to lose value.

Economic and market events risk

Events in the financials sector historically have resulted, and may result from time to time, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. These events have included, but are not limited to: bankruptcies, corporate restructurings, and other events related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2008; financial distress in the U.S. auto industry; credit and liquidity issues involving certain money market mutual funds; governmental efforts to limit short selling and high frequency trading; measures to address U.S. federal and state budget deficits; social, political, and economic instability in Europe; Standard & Poor's Ratings Services' downgrade of U.S. long-term sovereign debt; economic stimulus by the Japanese central bank; steep declines in oil prices; dramatic changes in currency exchange rates; and China's economic slowdown. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have experienced increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage, and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain when these conditions will recur. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates were to rise or economic conditions deteriorate.

In addition to financial market volatility, relatively high market volatility and reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. Actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, such as decreases or increases in short-term interest rates, or interventions in currency markets, could cause high volatility in the equity and fixed-income markets. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods, and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging-market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their securities prices. These events and the possible resulting market volatility may have an adverse effect on the fund.

Political turmoil within the United States and abroad may also impact the fund. Although the U.S. government has honored its credit obligations, it remains possible that the United States could default on its obligations. While it is impossible to predict the consequences of such an unprecedented event, it is likely that a default by the United States would be highly disruptive to the U.S. and global securities markets and could significantly impair the value of the fund's investments. Similarly, political events within the United States at times have resulted, and may in the future result, in a shutdown of government services, which could negatively affect the U.S. economy, decrease the value of many fund investments, and increase uncertainty in or impair the operation of the U.S. or other securities markets.

Uncertainties surrounding the sovereign debt of a number of European Union (EU) countries and the viability of the EU have disrupted and may in the future disrupt markets in the United States and around the world. If one or more countries leave the EU or the EU dissolves, the world's securities markets likely will be significantly disrupted. In June 2016, the United Kingdom approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as "Brexit." There is significant market uncertainty regarding Brexit's ramifications, and the range and potential implications of possible political, regulatory, economic, and market outcomes are difficult to predict. Political and military events, including the military crises in Ukraine, Turkey, and the Middle East, and nationalist unrest in Europe, also may cause market disruptions.

In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the U.S. and many foreign economies may decline over time, known as deflation. Deflation may have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely. If a country's economy slips into a deflationary pattern, it could last for a prolonged period and may be difficult to reverse.

Equity securities risk

Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate, and can decline and reduce the value of a fund investing in equities. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company's financial condition and

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overall market and economic conditions. The value of equity securities purchased by a fund could decline if the financial condition of the companies in which the fund is invested declines, or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. An issuer's financial condition could decline as a result of poor management decisions, competitive pressures, technological obsolescence, undue reliance on suppliers, labor issues, shortages, corporate restructurings, fraudulent disclosures, or other factors. Changes in the financial condition of a single issuer can impact the market as a whole.

Even a fund that invests in high-quality, or blue chip, equity securities, or securities of established companies with large market capitalizations (which generally have strong financial characteristics), can be negatively impacted by poor overall market and economic conditions. Companies with large market capitalizations may also have less growth potential than smaller companies and may be less able to react quickly to changes in the marketplace.

The fund may maintain substantial exposure to equities and generally does not attempt to time the market. Because of this exposure, the possibility that stock market prices in general will decline over short or extended periods subjects the fund to unpredictable declines in the value of its investments, as well as periods of poor performance.

Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) risk

ETFs are a type of investment company bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index. A fund could purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or a foreign market while awaiting purchase of underlying securities. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying securities it is designed to track, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile, and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs. An ETF has its own fees and expenses, which are indirectly borne by the fund.

Foreign securities risk

Funds that invest in securities traded principally in securities markets outside the United States are subject to additional and more varied risks, as the value of foreign securities may change more rapidly and extremely than the value of U.S. securities. The securities markets of many foreign countries are relatively small, with a limited number of companies representing a small number of industries. Additionally, issuers of foreign securities may not be subject to the same degree of regulation as U.S. issuers. Reporting, accounting, and auditing standards of foreign countries differ, in some cases significantly, from U.S. standards. There are generally higher commission rates on foreign portfolio transactions, transfer taxes, higher custodial costs, and the possibility that foreign taxes will be charged on dividends and interest payable on foreign securities, some or all of which may not be reclaimable. Also, for lesser-developed countries, nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency or assets from a country); political changes; or diplomatic developments could adversely affect a fund's investments. In the event of nationalization, expropriation, or other confiscation, the fund could lose its entire investment in a foreign security. All funds that invest in foreign securities are subject to these risks. Some of the foreign risks are also applicable to funds that invest a material portion of their assets in securities of foreign issuers traded in the United States.

Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. Depositary receipts are subject to most of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities directly because the value of a depositary receipt is dependent upon the market price of the underlying foreign equity security. Depositary receipts are also subject to liquidity risk.

Emerging-market risk.  Investments in the securities of issuers based in countries with emerging-market economies are subject to greater levels of foreign investment risk than investments in more-developed foreign markets, since emerging-market securities may present market, credit, currency, liquidity, legal, political, and other risks greater than, or in addition to, the risks of investing in developed foreign countries. These risks include high currency exchange-rate fluctuations; increased risk of default (including both government and private issuers); greater social, economic, and political uncertainty and instability (including the risk of war); more substantial governmental involvement in the economy; less governmental supervision and regulation of the securities markets and participants in those markets; controls on foreign investment and limitations on repatriation of invested capital and on a fund's ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; unavailability of currency hedging techniques in certain emerging-market countries; the fact that companies in emerging-market countries may be newly organized, smaller, and less seasoned; the difference in, or lack of, auditing and financial reporting standards, which may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers; different clearance and settlement procedures, which may be unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions or otherwise make it difficult to engage in such transactions; difficulties in obtaining and/or enforcing legal judgments in foreign jurisdictions; and significantly smaller market capitalizations of emerging-market issuers.

Currency risk. Currency risk is the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates may adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of a fund's investments. Currency risk includes both the risk that currencies in which a fund's investments are traded, or currencies in which a fund has taken an active investment position, will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar and, in the case of hedging positions, that the U.S. dollar will decline in value relative to the currency being hedged. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly for a number of reasons, including the forces of supply and demand in the foreign exchange markets, actual or perceived changes in interest rates, intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or currency controls or political developments in the United States or abroad. Certain funds may engage in proxy hedging of currencies by entering into derivative transactions with respect to a currency whose value is expected to correlate to the value of a currency the fund owns or wants to own. This presents the risk that the two currencies may not move in relation to one another as expected. In that case, the fund could lose money on its investment and also lose money on the position designed to act as a proxy hedge. Certain funds may also take active currency positions and may cross-hedge currency exposure represented by their securities into another foreign currency. This may result in a fund's currency exposure being substantially different from that suggested by its securities investments. All funds with foreign currency holdings and/or that invest or trade in securities denominated in foreign currencies or related derivative instruments may be

7

adversely affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Derivative foreign currency transactions (such as futures, forwards, and swaps) may also involve leveraging risk in addition to currency risk. Leverage may disproportionately increase a fund's portfolio losses and reduce opportunities for gain when interest rates, stock prices, or currency rates are changing.

Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions risk

The ability of a fund to utilize hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions to benefit the fund will depend in part on its manager's ability to predict pertinent market movements and market risk, counterparty risk, credit risk, interest-rate risk, and other risk factors, none of which can be assured. The skills required to utilize hedging and other strategic transactions are different from those needed to select a fund's securities. Even if the manager only uses hedging and other strategic transactions in a fund primarily for hedging purposes or to gain exposure to a particular securities market, if the transaction does not have the desired outcome, it could result in a significant loss to a fund. The amount of loss could be more than the principal amount invested. These transactions may also increase the volatility of a fund and may involve a small investment of cash relative to the magnitude of the risks assumed, thereby magnifying the impact of any resulting gain or loss. For example, the potential loss from the use of futures can exceed a fund's initial investment in such contracts. In addition, these transactions could result in a loss to a fund if the counterparty to the transaction does not perform as promised.

A fund may invest in derivatives, which are financial contracts with a value that depends on, or is derived from, the value of underlying assets, reference rates, or indexes. Derivatives may relate to stocks, bonds, interest rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, and related indexes. A fund may use derivatives for many purposes, including for hedging and as a substitute for direct investment in securities or other assets. Derivatives may be used in a way to efficiently adjust the exposure of a fund to various securities, markets, and currencies without a fund actually having to sell existing investments and make new investments. This generally will be done when the adjustment is expected to be relatively temporary or in anticipation of effecting the sale of fund assets and making new investments over time. Further, since many derivatives have a leverage component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate, or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself. Certain derivatives have the potential for unlimited loss, regardless of the size of the initial investment. When a fund uses derivatives for leverage, investments in that fund will tend to be more volatile, resulting in larger gains or losses in response to market changes. To limit leverage risk, a fund may segregate assets determined to be liquid or, as permitted by applicable regulation, enter into certain offsetting positions to cover its obligations under derivative instruments. For a description of the various derivative instruments the fund may utilize, refer to the SAI.

The regulation of the U.S. and non-U.S. derivatives markets has undergone substantial change in recent years and such change may continue. In particular, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, and regulation proposed to be promulgated thereunder require many derivatives to be cleared and traded on an exchange, expand entity registration requirements, impose business conduct requirements on dealers that enter into swaps with a pension plan, endowment, retirement plan or government entity, and required banks to move some derivatives trading units to a non-guaranteed affiliate separate from the deposit-taking bank or divest them altogether. Although the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has released final rules relating to clearing, reporting, recordkeeping and registration requirements under the legislation, many of the provisions are subject to further final rule making, and thus its ultimate impact remains unclear. New regulations could, among other things, restrict the fund's ability to engage in derivatives transactions (for example, by making certain types of derivatives transactions no longer available to the fund) and/or increase the costs of such derivatives transactions (for example, by increasing margin or capital requirements), and the fund may be unable to fully execute its investment strategies as a result. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the fund engages in derivative transactions also could prevent the fund from using these instruments or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change the availability of certain investments.

At any time after the date of this prospectus, legislation may be enacted that could negatively affect the assets of the fund. Legislation or regulation may change the way in which the fund itself is regulated. The advisor cannot predict the effects of any new governmental regulation that may be implemented, and there can be no assurance that any new governmental regulation will not adversely affect the fund's ability to achieve its investment objectives.

The use of derivative instruments may involve risks different from, or potentially greater than, the risks associated with investing directly in securities and other, more traditional assets. In particular, the use of derivative instruments exposes a fund to the risk that the counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. OTC derivatives transactions typically can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction, although either party may engage in an offsetting transaction that puts that party in the same economic position as if it had closed out the transaction with the counterparty or may obtain the other party's consent to assign the transaction to a third party. If the counterparty defaults, the fund will have contractual remedies, but there is no assurance that the counterparty will meet its contractual obligations or that, in the event of default, the fund will succeed in enforcing them. For example, because the contract for each OTC derivatives transaction is individually negotiated with a specific counterparty, a fund is subject to the risk that a counterparty may interpret contractual terms (e.g., the definition of default) differently than the fund when the fund seeks to enforce its contractual rights. If that occurs, the cost and unpredictability of the legal proceedings required for the fund to enforce its contractual rights may lead it to decide not to pursue its claims against the counterparty. The fund, therefore, assumes the risk that it may be unable to obtain payments owed to it under OTC derivatives contracts or that those payments may be delayed or made only after the fund has incurred the costs of litigation. While a manager intends to monitor the creditworthiness of counterparties, there can be no assurance that a counterparty will meet its obligations, especially during unusually adverse market conditions. To the extent a fund contracts with a limited number of counterparties, the fund's risk will be concentrated and events that affect the creditworthiness of any of those counterparties may have a pronounced effect on the fund. Derivatives are also subject to a number of other risks, including market risk and liquidity risk. Since the value of derivatives is calculated and derived from the value of other assets, instruments, or references, there is a risk that they will be improperly valued. Derivatives also involve the risk that changes in their value may not correlate perfectly with the assets, rates, or indexes they are designed to hedge or closely track. Suitable derivatives transactions may not be available in all circumstances. The fund is also subject to the risk that the counterparty closes out the derivatives transactions upon the occurrence of certain triggering

8     

events. In addition, a manager may determine not to use derivatives to hedge or otherwise reduce risk exposure. Government legislation or regulation could affect the use of derivatives transactions and could limit a fund's ability to pursue its investment strategies.

A detailed discussion of various hedging and other strategic transactions appears in the SAI. The following is a list of certain derivatives and other strategic transactions that the fund intends to utilize and the main risks associated with each of them:

Foreign currency forward contracts. Counterparty risk, liquidity risk (i.e., the inability to enter into closing transactions), foreign currency risk, and risk of disproportionate loss are the principal risks of engaging in transactions involving foreign currency forward contracts.

Futures contracts. Counterparty risk, liquidity risk (i.e., the inability to enter into closing transactions), and risk of disproportionate loss are the principal risks of engaging in transactions involving futures contracts.

Initial public offerings (IPOs) risk

Certain funds may invest a portion of their assets in shares of IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified impact on the performance of a fund with a small asset base. The impact of IPOs on a fund's performance will likely decrease as the fund's asset size increases, which could reduce the fund's returns. IPOs may not be consistently available to a fund for investing, particularly as the fund's asset base grows. IPO shares are frequently volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading, and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, a fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of a fund and may lead to increased expenses for a fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, IPO shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.

Liquidity risk

The extent (if at all) to which a security may be sold or a derivative position closed without negatively impacting its market value may be impaired by reduced market activity or participation, legal restrictions, or other economic and market impediments. Funds with principal investment strategies that involve investments in securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign securities, derivatives, or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk. Exposure to liquidity risk may be heightened for funds that invest in securities of emerging markets and related derivatives that are not widely traded, and that may be subject to purchase and sale restrictions.

Preferred and convertible securities risk

Unlike interest on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer's board. Also, preferred stock may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions. The market values of convertible securities tend to fall as interest rates rise and rise as interest rates fall. The value of convertible preferred stock can depend heavily upon the value of the security into which such convertible preferred stock is converted, depending on whether the market price of the underlying security exceeds the conversion price.

Real estate investment trust (REIT) risk

REITs are subject to risks associated with the ownership of real estate. Some REITs experience market risk and liquidity risk due to investment in a limited number of properties, in a narrow geographic area, or in a single property type, which increases the risk that such REIT could be unfavorably affected by the poor performance of a single investment or investment type. These companies are also sensitive to factors such as changes in real estate values and property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, supply and demand, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Borrowers could default on or sell investments that a REIT holds, which could reduce the cash flow needed to make distributions to investors. In addition, REITs may also be affected by tax and regulatory requirements impacting the REITs' ability to qualify for preferential tax treatments or exemptions. REITs require specialized management and pay management expenses. REITs also are subject to physical risks to real property, including weather, natural disasters, terrorist attacks, war, or other events that destroy real property.

REITs include equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidations. In addition, equity and mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the Code), or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act). The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments. In addition, even many of the larger REITs in the industry tend to be small to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Moreover, shares of REITs may trade less frequently and, therefore, are subject to more erratic price movements than securities of larger issuers.

Real estate securities risk

Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry subjects a fund to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate.
These risks include:

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Declines in the value of real estate

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Risks related to general and local economic conditions

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Possible lack of availability of mortgage funds

■

Overbuilding

■

Extended vacancies of properties

■

Increased competition

■

Increases in property taxes and operating expenses

■

Changes in zoning laws

■

Losses due to costs resulting from the cleanup of environmental problems

■

Liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems

■

Casualty or condemnation losses

■

Limitations on rents

■

Changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants

■

Changes in interest rates and

■

Liquidity risk

9

Therefore, for a fund investing a substantial amount of its assets in securities of companies in the real estate industry, the value of the fund's shares may change at different rates compared with the value of shares of a fund with investments in a mix of different industries.

Securities of companies in the real estate industry include equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REIT, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers, and self-liquidations. In addition, equity and mortgage REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax-free pass through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code) or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors may also adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to a REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, a REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

In addition, even the larger REITs in the industry tend to be small to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. Moreover, shares of REITs may trade less frequently and, therefore, are subject to more erratic price movements than securities of larger issuers.

Sector risk

When a fund's investments are focused in one or a few sectors of the economy, they are not as diversified as the investments of most mutual funds and are far less diversified than the broad securities markets. This means that focused funds tend to be more volatile than other mutual funds, and the values of their investments tend to go up and down more rapidly. In addition, a fund which invests in particular sectors is particularly susceptible to the impact of market, economic, regulatory, and other factors affecting those sectors.  From time to time, a small number of companies may represent a large portion of a particular sector or sectors.

Small and mid-sized company risk

Market risk and liquidity risk may be pronounced for securities of companies with medium-sized market capitalizations and are particularly pronounced for securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations. These companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources, or they may depend on a few key employees. The securities of companies with medium and smaller market capitalizations may trade less frequently and in lesser volume than more widely held securities, and their value may fluctuate more sharply than those securities. They may also trade in the OTC market or on a regional exchange, or may otherwise have limited liquidity. Investments in less-seasoned companies with medium and smaller market capitalizations may not only present greater opportunities for growth and capital appreciation, but also involve greater risks than are customarily associated with more established companies with larger market capitalizations. These risks apply to all funds that invest in the securities of companies with smaller- or medium-sized market capitalizations. For purposes of the fund's investment policies, the market capitalization of a company is based on its capitalization at the time the fund purchases the company's securities. Market capitalizations of companies change over time. The fund is not obligated to sell a company's security simply because, subsequent to its purchase, the company's market capitalization has changed to be outside the capitalization range, if any, in effect for the fund.

Warrants risk

Warrants are rights to purchase securities at specific prices and are valid for a specific period of time. Warrant prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities, and warrant holders receive no dividends and have no voting rights or rights with respect to the assets of an issuer. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants cease to have value if not exercised prior to the expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

Who's who

The following are the names of the various entities involved with the fund's investment and business operations, along with brief descriptions of the role each entity performs.

Board of Trustees

The trustees oversee the fund's business activities and retain the services of the various firms that carry out the fund's operations.

Investment advisor

The investment advisor manages the fund's business and investment activities.

John Hancock Advisers, LLC
601 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210-2805

Founded in 1968, the advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), which in turn is a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation.

The advisor's parent company has been helping individuals and institutions work toward their financial goals since 1862. The advisor offers investment solutions managed by leading institutional money managers, taking a disciplined team approach to portfolio management and research, leveraging the expertise of seasoned investment professionals. As of June 30, 2017, the advisor had total assets under management of approximately $[    ] billion.

Subject to general oversight by the Board of Trustees, the advisor manages and supervises the investment operations and business affairs of the fund. The advisor selects, contracts with and compensates one or more subadvisors to manage on a day-to-day basis all or a portion of the fund's portfolio assets subject to oversight by the advisor. The advisor is responsible for overseeing and implementing the fund's investment programs and provides a variety of advisory oversight and investment research services. The advisor also provides management and transition services associated with certain fund events (e.g., strategy, portfolio manager or subadvisor changes) and coordinates and oversees services provided under other agreements.

The advisor has ultimate responsibility to oversee a subadvisor and recommend to the Board of Trustees its hiring, termination, and replacement. In this capacity, the advisor, among other things: (i) monitors the compliance of the subadvisor with the investment objectives and related policies of the fund; (ii) reviews the performance of the subadvisor; and (iii) reports periodically on such

10     

performance to the Board of Trustees. The advisor employs a team of investment professionals who provide these research and monitoring services.

The fund relies on an order from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) permitting the advisor, subject to approval by the Board of Trustees, to appoint a subadvisor or change the terms of a subadvisory agreement without obtaining shareholder approval. The fund, therefore, is able to change subadvisors or the fees paid to a subadvisor, from time to time, without the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approval of the change. This order does not, however, permit the advisor to appoint a subadvisor that is an affiliate of the advisor or the fund (other than by reason of serving as a subadvisor to the fund), or to increase the subadvisory fee of an affiliated subadvisor, without the approval of the shareholders.

Management fee

The fund pays the advisor a management fee for its services to the fund. The advisor in turn pays the fees of the subadvisor. The management fee is stated as an annual percentage of the aggregate net assets of the fund (together with the assets of any other applicable fund identified in the advisory agreement) determined in accordance with the following schedule, and that rate is applied to the average daily net assets of the fund.

Average daily net assets ($)	Annual rate (%)
First 500 million	0.900
Next 500 million	0.850
Excess over 1 billion	0.800

During its most recent fiscal year, the fund paid the advisor a management fee equal to 0.89% of average daily net assets (including any waivers and/or reimbursements).

The basis for the Board of Trustees' approval of the advisory fees, and of the investment advisory agreement overall, including the subadvisory agreement, is discussed in the fund's most recent annual shareholder report for the period ended October 31.

Additional information about fund expenses

The fund's annual operating expenses will likely vary throughout the period and from year to year. The fund's expenses for the current fiscal year may be higher than the expenses listed in the fund's "Annual fund operating expenses" table, for some of the following reasons: (i) a significant decrease in average net assets may result in a higher advisory fee rate if advisory fee breakpoints are not achieved; (ii) a significant decrease in average net assets may result in an increase in the expense ratio because certain fund expenses do not decrease as asset levels decrease; or (iii) fees may be incurred for extraordinary events such as fund tax expenses.

The advisor voluntarily agrees to reduce its management fee for the fund, or if necessary make payment to the fund, in an amount equal to the amount by which the expenses of the fund exceed 0.20% of the average net assets of the fund. For purposes of this agreement, "expenses of the fund" means all the expenses of the fund, excluding (a) taxes, (b) brokerage commissions, (c) interest expense, (d) litigation and indemnification expenses and other extraordinary expenses not incurred in the ordinary course of the fund's business, (e) advisory fees, (f) class-specific expenses, (g) borrowing costs, (h) prime brokerage fees, (i) acquired fund fees and expenses paid indirectly, and (j) short dividend expense. This agreement will continue in effect until terminated at any time by the advisor on notice to the fund.

Subadvisor

The subadvisor handles the fund's portfolio management activities, subject to oversight by the advisor.

John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC
197 Clarendon Street
Boston, MA 02116

John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC provides investment advisory services to individual and institutional investors. John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) (a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation) and, as of June 30, 2017, had total assets under management of approximately $[   ] billion.

Below is a brief biographical profile of the fund's portfolio manager who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund's portfolio. For more information about this individual, including information about his compensation, other accounts he manages, and any investments he may have in the fund, see the SAI.

Bill Talbot, CFA

■

Senior Portfolio Manager

■

Portfolio Manager of the fund since 2013

■

Joined John Hancock Asset Management in 2013

■

Began business career in 1986

Custodian

The custodian holds the fund's assets, settles all portfolio trades, and collects most of the valuation data required for calculating the fund's net asset value.

State Street Bank and Trust Company
State Street Financial Center
One Lincoln Street
Boston, MA 02111

Principal distributor

The principal distributor markets the fund and distributes shares through selling brokers, financial planners, and other financial representatives.

John Hancock Funds, LLC
601 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02210-2805

Transfer agent

The transfer agent handles shareholder services, including recordkeeping and statements, distribution of dividends, and processing of buy-and-sell requests.

John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913

Additional information

The fund has entered into contractual arrangements with various parties that provide services to the fund, including, among others, the advisor, subadvisor, custodian, principal distributor, and transfer agent, as described above and in the

11

SAI. Fund shareholders are not parties to, or intended or "third-party" beneficiaries of, any of these contractual arrangements. These contractual arrangements are not intended to, nor do they, create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right, either directly or on behalf of the fund, to either: (a) enforce such contracts against the service providers; or (b) seek any remedy under such contracts against the service providers.

This prospectus provides information concerning the fund that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the fund. Each of this prospectus, the SAI, or any contract that is an exhibit to the fund's registration statement, is not intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the fund and any investor. Each such document also does not give rise to any contract or create rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders, or other person. The foregoing disclosure should not be read to suggest any waiver of any rights conferred expressly by federal or state securities laws.

12     

Fund details

Financial highlights

Because Class R6 shares of the fund had not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, this table details the financial performance of Class I shares of the fund, which are described in a separate prospectus, including total return information showing how much an investment in the fund has increased or decreased each period (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). Certain information reflects financial results for a single fund share. Because Class R6 shares have different expenses than Class I shares, financial results for Class R6 shares would have differed.

The financial statements of the fund as of October 31, 2016, have been audited by [   ], the fund's independent registered public accounting firm. The report of [   ], along with the fund's financial statements in the fund's annual report for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, as well as the unaudited financial statements for the six months ended April 30, 2017, has been incorporated by reference into the SAI. Copies of the fund's most recent annual and semiannual reports are available upon request.

[To Be Updated By Amendment]

Small Cap Core Fund Class I Shares
Per share operating performance	Period ended	4-30-17	10-31-16		10-31-15		10-31-14	‌1
Net asset value, beginning of period			$9.85		$10.08		$10.00
Net investment income‌2			0.06		0.03		—	‌3
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments			1.21		(0.06	)	0.08
Total from investment operations			1.27		(0.03	)	0.08
Less distributions
From net investment income			(0.04	)	-		-
From net realized gain			(0.10	)	(0.20	)	-
Total distributions			(0.14	)	(0.20	)	-
Net asset value, end of period			$10.98		$9.85		$10.08
Total return (%)‌4			13.18		(0.35	)	0.80	‌5
Ratios and supplemental data
Net assets, end of period (in millions)			$1		$—	‌6	$—	‌6
Ratios (as a percentage of average net assets):
Expenses before reductions			1.09		1.09		1.12	‌7
Expenses including reductions			1.09		1.09		1.11	‌7
Net investment income (loss)			0.60		0.28		(0.03	)‌7
Portfolio turnover (%)			59		68		59

1	Period from 12-20-13 (commencement of operations) to 10-31-14.
2	Based on average daily shares outstanding.
3	Less than $0.005 per share.
4	Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced during the period.
5	Not annualized.
6	Less than $500,000.
7	Annualized.

13

Your account

Who can buy shares

Class R6 shares are offered without any sales charge and are generally made available to the following types of investors if they also meet the minimum initial investment requirement for purchases of Class R6 shares. (See "Opening an account.")

■

Qualified 401(a) plans (including 401(k) plans, Keogh plans, profit-sharing pension plans, money purchase pension plans, target benefit plans, defined benefit pension plans, and Taft-Hartley multi-employer pension plans) (collectively, qualified plans)

■

Endowment funds and foundations

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Any state, county, or city, or its instrumentality, department, authority, or agency

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457 plans, including 457(a) governmental entity plans and tax-exempt plans

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Accounts registered to insurance companies, trust companies, and bank trust departments

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Investment companies, both affiliated and not affiliated with the advisor

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Any entity that is considered a corporation for tax purposes, including corporate nonqualified deferred compensation plans of such corporations

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Fund Trustees and other individuals who are affiliated with the fund and other John Hancock funds

■

Financial intermediaries utilizing fund shares in certain eligible qualifying investment product platforms under a signed agreement with the distributor

Class R6 shares may not be available through certain investment dealers.

The availability of Class R6 shares for qualified plan investors will depend upon the policies of your financial intermediary and/or the recordkeeper for your qualified plan.

Class R6 shares also are generally available only to qualified plan investors where plan level or omnibus accounts are held on the books of the fund.

Class R6 shares are not available to retail non-retirement accounts, Traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts (IRAs), Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, SEPs, SARSEPs, SIMPLE IRAs, and 529 college savings plans.

Your broker-dealer or agent may charge you a fee to effect transactions in fund shares. Other share classes of the fund, which have their own expense structure, may be offered in separate prospectuses.

Payments to financial intermediaries

No dealer compensation is paid from fund assets on sales of Class R6 shares. Class R6 shares do not carry sales commissions, pay Rule 12b-1 fees, or make payments to financial intermediaries to assist in the distributor's efforts to promote the sale of the fund's shares, sometimes referred to as revenue sharing. Neither the fund nor its affiliates make any type of administrative or service payments in connection with investments in Class R6 shares.

Opening an account

1

Read this prospectus carefully.

2

Determine if you are eligible by referring to "Who can buy shares."

3

Determine how much you want to invest. The minimum initial investment is $1 million for all investors, with the following exceptions:

■

There is no minimum initial investment requirement for qualified and non-qualified plan investors that do not require the fund or its affiliates to pay any type of administrative payment.

■

There is no minimum initial investment requirement for certain eligible qualifying investment product platforms.

■

There is no minimum initial investment requirement for (i) Trustees, (ii) employees of the advisor or its affiliates, or (iii) members of the fund's portfolio management team.
There are no minimum investment requirements for subsequent purchases to existing accounts.

4

All shareholders must complete the account application, carefully following the instructions. If you have any questions, please contact your financial representative or call John Hancock Signature Services, Inc. (Signature Services) at 888-972-8696.

5

Make your initial investment using the instructions on the next page.

Important information about opening a new account

To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act) requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person or entity that opens an account.

When you open an account, you will be asked for the name of the entity, its principal place of business, and taxpayer identification number (TIN), and you may be requested to provide information on persons with authority or control over the account, such as name, residential address, date of birth, and Social Security number. You may also be asked to provide documents, such as articles of incorporation, trust instruments, or partnership agreements, and other information that will help Signature Services identify the entity. Please see the mutual fund account application for more details.

14     

Your account

Buying shares

Opening an account	Adding to an account
By check
■ Make out a check for the investment amount, payable to "John Hancock Signature Services, Inc." ■ Deliver the check and your completed application to your financial representative or mail them to Signature Services (address below).	■ Make out a check for the investment amount, payable to "John Hancock Signature Services, Inc." ■ If your account statement has a detachable investment slip, please complete it in its entirety. If no slip is available, include a note specifying the fund name, the share class, your account number, and the name(s) in which the account is registered. ■ Deliver the check and your investment slip or note to your financial representative, or mail them to Signature Services (address below).
By exchange
■ Call your financial representative or Signature Services to request an exchange.	■ Log on to the website below to process exchanges between funds. ■ Call EASI-Line for account balance, fund inquiry, and transaction processing on some account types. ■ You may exchange Class R6 shares for other Class R6 shares or John Hancock Money Market Fund Class A shares. ■ Call your financial representative or Signature Services to request an exchange.
By wire
■ Deliver your completed application to your financial representative or mail it to Signature Services. ■ Obtain your account number by calling your financial representative or Signature Services. ■ Obtain wiring instructions by calling Signature Services. ■ Instruct your bank to wire the amount of your investment. Specify the fund name, the share class, your account number, and the name(s) in which the account is registered. Your bank may charge a fee to wire funds.	■ Obtain wiring instructions by calling Signature Services. ■ Instruct your bank to wire the amount of your investment. Specify the fund name, the share class, your account number, and the name(s) in which the account is registered. Your bank may charge a fee to wire funds.
By phone
■ See "By exchange" and "By wire."	■ Verify that your bank or credit union is a member of the Automated Clearing House (ACH) system. ■ Complete the "To purchase, exchange, or redeem shares via telephone" and "Bank information" sections on your account application. ■ Call EASI-Line for account balance, fund inquiry, and transaction processing on some account types. ■ Call your financial representative or call Signature Services between 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern time, on most business days.

Regular mail
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913 Express delivery
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
Suite 55913
30 Dan Road
Canton, MA 02021 Website
jhinvestments.com EASI-Line
(24/7 automated service)
800-597-1897 Signature Services, Inc.
888-972-8696

15

Your account

Selling shares

	To sell some or all of your shares
By letter
■ Sales of any amount	■ Write a letter of instruction or complete a stock power indicating the fund name, the share class, your account number, the name(s) in which the account is registered, and the dollar value or number of shares you wish to sell. ■ Include all signatures and any additional documents that may be required (see the next page). ■ Mail the materials to Signature Services (address below). ■ A check will be mailed to the name(s) and address in which the account is registered, or otherwise according to your letter of instruction. ■ Certain requests will require a Medallion signature guarantee. Please refer to "Selling shares in writing" on the next page.
By phone
Amounts up to $5 million: ■ Available to the following types of accounts: custodial accounts held by banks, trust companies, or broker-dealers; endowments and foundations; corporate accounts; and group retirement plans	■ Call EASI-Line for account balance, general fund inquiry, and transaction processing on some account types. ■ Redemption proceeds of up to $100,000 may be sent by wire or by check. A check will be mailed to the exact name(s) and address on the account. ■ To place your request with a representative at John Hancock, call Signature Services between 8:30 A.M. and 5:00 P.M., Eastern time, on most business days, or your financial representative. ■ Redemption proceeds exceeding $100,000 will be wired to your designated bank account, unless a Medallion signature guaranteed letter is provided requesting payment by check. Please refer to "Selling shares in writing."
By wire or electronic funds transfer (EFT)
■ Requests by letter to sell any amount ■ Qualified requests by phone to sell to $5 million (accounts with telephone redemption privileges)	■ To verify that the telephone redemption privilege is in place on an account, or to request the form to add it to an existing account, call Signature Services. ■ Amounts of $5 million or more will be sent by wire. ■ Amounts up to $100,000 may be sent by EFT or by check. Your bank may charge a fee for this service.
By exchange
■ Sales of any amount	■ Obtain a current prospectus for the fund into which you are exchanging by accessing the fund's website, or by calling your financial representative or Signature Services. ■ Call EASI-Line for account balance, general fund inquiry, and transaction processing on some account types. ■ You may only exchange Class R6 shares for other Class R6 shares or John Hancock Money Market Fund Class A shares. ■ Call your financial representative or Signature Services to request an exchange.

Regular mail
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913 Express delivery
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
Suite 55913
30 Dan Road
Canton, MA 02021 Website
jhinvestments.com EASI-Line
(24/7 automated service)
800-597-1897 Signature Services, Inc.
888-972-8696

16     

Selling shares in writing

In certain circumstances, you will need to make your request to sell shares in writing. You may need to include additional items with your request, unless they were previously provided to Signature Services and are still accurate. These items are shown in the table below. You may also need to include a signature guarantee, which protects you against fraudulent orders. You will need a signature guarantee if:

■

your address of record has changed within the past 30 days;

■

you are selling more than $100,000 worth of shares and are requesting payment by check (this requirement is waived for certain entities operating under a signed fax trading agreement with John Hancock);

■

you are selling more than $5 million worth of shares from the following types of accounts: custodial accounts held by banks, trust companies, or broker-dealers; endowments and foundations; corporate accounts; and group retirement plans; or

■

you are requesting payment other than by a check mailed to the address/bank of record and payable to the registered owner(s).

You will need to obtain your signature guarantee from a member of the Medallion Signature Guarantee Program. Most broker-dealers, banks, credit unions, and securities exchanges are members of this program. A notary public CANNOT provide a signature guarantee.

Seller	Requirements for written requests
Owners of individual, joint, or UGMA/UTMA accounts (custodial accounts for minors)	■ Letter of instruction ■ On the letter, the signatures and titles of all persons authorized to sign for the account, exactly as the account is registered ■ Medallion signature guarantee, if applicable (see above)
Owners of corporate, sole proprietorship, general partner, or association accounts	■ Letter of instruction ■ Corporate business/organization resolution, certified within the past 12 months, or a John Hancock business/organization certification form ■ On the letter and the resolution, the signature of the person(s) authorized to sign for the account ■ Medallion signature guarantee, if applicable (see above)
Owners or trustees of trust accounts	■ Letter of instruction ■ On the letter, the signature(s) of the trustee(s) ■ Copy of the trust document, certified within the past 12 months, or a John Hancock trust certification form ■ Medallion signature guarantee, if applicable (see above)
Joint tenancy shareholders with rights of survivorship with deceased co-tenant(s)	■ Letter of instruction signed by surviving tenant(s) ■ Copy of the death certificate ■ Medallion signature guarantee, if applicable (see above) ■ Inheritance tax waiver, if applicable
Executors of shareholder estates	■ Letter of instruction signed by the executor ■ Copy of the order appointing executor, certified within the past 12 months ■ Medallion signature guarantee, if applicable (see above) ■ Inheritance tax waiver, if applicable
Administrators, conservators, guardians, and other sellers, or account types not listed above	■ Call Signature Services for instructions

Regular mail
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913 Express delivery
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
Suite 55913
30 Dan Road
Canton, MA 02021 Website
jhinvestments.com EASI-Line
(24/7 automated service)
800-597-1897 Signature Services, Inc.
888-972-8696

17

Your account

Transaction policies

Valuation of shares

The net asset value (NAV) for each class of shares of the fund is normally determined once daily as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (typically 4:00 P.M., Eastern time, on each business day that the NYSE is open). In case of emergency or other disruption resulting in the NYSE not opening for trading or the NYSE closing at a time other than the regularly scheduled close, the NAV may be determined as of the regularly scheduled close of the NYSE pursuant to the fund's Valuation Policies and Procedures. The time at which shares and transactions are priced and until which orders are accepted may vary to the extent permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and applicable regulations. On holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated and the fund does not transact purchase or redemption requests. Trading of securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges may take place on weekends and U.S. business holidays on which the fund's NAV is not calculated. Consequently, the fund's portfolio securities may trade and the NAV of the fund's shares may be significantly affected on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem shares of the fund.

Each class of shares of the fund has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to each share class by the number of fund shares outstanding for that class. The current NAV of the fund is available on our website at jhinvestments.com.

Valuation of securities

Portfolio securities are valued by various methods that are generally described below. Portfolio securities also may be fair valued by the fund's Pricing Committee in certain instances pursuant to procedures established by the Trustees. Equity securities are generally valued at the last sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price as of the close of the relevant exchange. Securities not traded on a particular day are valued using last available bid prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is typically valued at the price on the exchange where the security was acquired or most likely will be sold. In certain instances, the Pricing Committee may determine to value equity securities using prices obtained from another exchange or market if trading on the exchange or market on which prices are typically obtained did not open for trading as scheduled, or if trading closed earlier than scheduled, and trading occurred as normal on another exchange or market. Debt obligations are valued based on evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing vendor. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies is converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate supplied by an independent pricing vendor. Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices. Futures contracts are typrically valued at settlement prices. If settlement prices are not available, futures contracts may be valued using last traded prices. Shares of other open-end investment companies that are not exchange-traded funds (underlying funds) are valued based on the NAVs of such underlying funds.

If market quotations or official closing prices are not readily available or are otherwise deemed unreliable because of market- or issuer-specific events, a security will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Trustees. The Trustees are assisted in their responsibility to fair value securities by the fund's Pricing Committee, and the actual calculation of a security's fair value may be made by the Pricing Committee acting pursuant to the procedures established by the Trustees. In certain instances, therefore, the Pricing Committee may determine that a reported valuation does not reflect fair value, based on additional information available or other factors, and may accordingly determine in good faith the fair value of the assets, which may differ from the reported valuation.

Fair value pricing of securities is intended to help ensure that a fund's NAV reflects the fair market value of the fund's portfolio securities as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (as opposed to a value that no longer reflects market value as of such close), thus limiting the opportunity for aggressive traders or market timers to purchase shares of the fund at deflated prices reflecting stale security valuations and promptly sell such shares at a gain, thereby diluting the interests of long-term shareholders. However, a security's valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value, and no assurance can be given that fair value pricing of securities will successfully eliminate all potential opportunities for such trading gains.

The use of fair value pricing has the effect of valuing a security based upon the price the fund might reasonably expect to receive if it sold that security in an orderly transaction between market participants, but does not guarantee that the security can be sold at the fair value price. Further, because of the inherent uncertainty and subjective nature of fair valuation, a fair valuation price may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a readily available market price for the investment existed and these differences could be material.

Regarding the fund's investment in an underlying fund that is not an ETF, which (as noted above) is valued at such underlying fund's NAV, the prospectus for such underlying fund explains the circumstances and effects of fair value pricing for that underlying fund.

Buy and sell prices

When you buy shares, you pay the NAV. When you sell shares, you receive the NAV.

Execution of requests

The fund is open on those days when the NYSE is open, typically Monday through Friday. Buy and sell requests are executed at the next NAV to be calculated after Signature Services receives your request in good order. In unusual circumstances, the fund has the right to redeem in kind.

At times of peak activity, it may be difficult to place requests by telephone. During these times, consider using EASI-Line, accessing jhinvestments.com, or sending your request in writing.

In unusual circumstances, the fund may temporarily suspend the processing of sell requests or may postpone payment of proceeds for up to three business days or longer, as allowed by federal securities laws.

Telephone transactions

For your protection, telephone requests may be recorded in order to verify their accuracy. Also for your protection, telephone redemption transactions are not permitted on accounts in which names or mailing addresses have changed within the past 30 days. Proceeds from telephone transactions can only be mailed to the address of record.

18     

Exchanges

You may exchange Class R6 shares of one John Hancock fund for Class R6 shares of any other John Hancock fund or for John Hancock Money Market Fund Class A shares.

The registration for both accounts involved must be identical.

Note: Once exchanged into John Hancock Money Market Fund Class A shares, shares may only be exchanged back to Class R6 shares.

In addition, (i) Trustees, (ii) employees of the advisor or its affiliates, and (iii) members of the fund's portfolio management team, may make a conversion of Class A shares also owned by the investor in the same fund to Class R6 shares of that fund. 

Conversion of Class A shares to Class R6 shares of the same fund in these particular circumstances does not cause the investor to recognize taxable gain or loss.  For further details, see "Additional information concerning taxes" in the SAI for information regarding taxation upon the redemption or exchange of shares of the fund (see the back cover of this prospectus).

The fund may change or cancel its exchange policies at any time, upon 60 days' written notice to its shareholders. For further details, see "Additional services and programs" in the SAI (see the back cover of this prospectus).

Excessive trading

The fund is intended for long-term investment purposes only and does not knowingly accept shareholders who engage in market timing or other types of excessive short-term trading. Short-term trading into and out of the fund can disrupt portfolio investment strategies and may increase fund expenses for all shareholders, including long-term shareholders who do not generate these costs.

Right to reject or restrict purchase and exchange orders

Purchases and exchanges should be made primarily for investment purposes. The fund reserves the right to restrict, reject, or cancel (with respect to cancellations within one day of the order), for any reason and without any prior notice, any purchase or exchange order, including transactions representing excessive trading and transactions accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary. For example, the fund may, in its discretion, restrict, reject, or cancel a purchase or exchange order even if the transaction is not subject to a specific limitation on exchange activity, as described below, if the fund or its agent determines that accepting the order could interfere with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio, or otherwise not be in the fund's best interest in light of unusual trading activity related to your account. In the event that the fund rejects or cancels an exchange request, neither the redemption nor the purchase side of the exchange will be processed. If you would like the redemption request to be processed even if the purchase order is rejected, you should submit separate redemption and purchase orders rather than placing an exchange order. The fund reserves the right to delay for up to one business day, consistent with applicable law, the processing of exchange requests in the event that, in the fund's judgment, such delay would be in the fund's best interest, in which case both the redemption and purchase side of the exchange will receive the fund's NAV at the conclusion of the delay period. The fund, through its agents in their sole discretion, may impose these remedial actions at the account holder level or the underlying shareholder level.

Exchange limitation policies

The Board of Trustees has adopted the following policies and procedures by which the fund, subject to the limitations described below, takes steps reasonably designed to curtail excessive trading practices.

Limitation on exchange activity

The fund or its agent may reject or cancel a purchase order, suspend or terminate the exchange privilege, or terminate the ability of an investor to invest in John Hancock funds if the fund or its agent determines that a proposed transaction involves market timing or disruptive trading that it believes is likely to be detrimental to the fund. The fund or its agent cannot ensure that it will be able to identify all cases of market timing or disruptive trading, although it attempts to have adequate procedures in place to do so. The fund or its agent may also reject or cancel any purchase order (including an exchange) from an investor or group of investors for any other reason. Decisions to reject or cancel purchase orders (including exchanges) in the fund are inherently subjective and will be made in a manner believed to be in the best interest of the fund's shareholders. The fund does not have any arrangement to permit market timing or disruptive trading.

Exchanges made on the same day in the same account are aggregated for purposes of counting the number and dollar amount of exchanges made by the account holder. The exchange limits referenced above will not be imposed or may be modified under certain circumstances. For example, these exchange limits may be modified for accounts held by certain retirement plans to conform to plan exchange limits, ERISA considerations, or U.S. Department of Labor regulations. Certain automated or preestablished exchange, asset allocation, and dollar-cost-averaging programs are not subject to these exchange limits. These programs are excluded from the exchange limitation since the fund believes that they are advantageous to shareholders and do not offer an effective means for market timing or excessive trading strategies. These investment tools involve regular and predetermined purchase or redemption requests made well in advance of any knowledge of events affecting the market on the date of the purchase or redemption.

These exchange limits are subject to the fund's ability to monitor exchange activity, as discussed under "Limitation on the ability to detect and curtail excessive trading practices" below. Depending upon the composition of the fund's shareholder accounts, and in light of the limitations on the ability of the fund to detect and curtail excessive trading practices, a significant percentage of the fund's shareholders may not be subject to the exchange limitation policy described above. In applying the exchange limitation policy, the fund considers information available to it at the time and reserves the right to consider trading activity in a single account or multiple accounts under common ownership, control, or influence.

Limitation on the ability to detect and curtail excessive trading practices

Shareholders seeking to engage in excessive trading practices sometimes deploy a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the fund to prevent excessive trading, there is no guarantee that the fund or its agent will be able to identify such shareholders or curtail their trading practices. The ability of the fund and its agent to detect and curtail excessive trading practices may also be limited by operational systems and technological limitations. Because the fund will not always be able to detect frequent trading activity, investors should not assume that the fund will be able to detect or prevent all frequent trading or other

19

practices that disadvantage the fund. For example, the ability of the fund to monitor trades that are placed by omnibus or other nominee accounts is severely limited in those instances in which the financial intermediary, including a financial advisor, broker, retirement plan administrator, or fee-based program sponsor, maintains the records of the fund's underlying beneficial owners. Omnibus or other nominee account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the fund, particularly among certain financial intermediaries, such as financial advisors, brokers, retirement plan administrators, or fee-based program sponsors. These arrangements often permit the financial intermediary to aggregate its clients' transactions and ownership positions and do not identify the particular underlying shareholder(s) to the fund. However, the fund will work with financial intermediaries as necessary to discourage shareholders from engaging in abusive trading practices and to impose restrictions on excessive trades. In this regard, the fund has entered into information-sharing agreements with financial intermediaries pursuant to which these intermediaries are required to provide to the fund, at the fund's request, certain information relating to their customers investing in the fund through omnibus or other nominee accounts. The fund will use this information to attempt to identify excessive trading practices. Financial intermediaries are contractually required to follow any instructions from the fund to restrict or prohibit future purchases from shareholders that are found to have engaged in excessive trading in violation of the fund's policies. The fund cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided to it from financial intermediaries and so cannot ensure that it will be able to detect abusive trading practices that occur through omnibus or other nominee accounts. As a consequence, the fund's ability to monitor and discourage excessive trading practices in these types of accounts may be limited.

Excessive trading risk

To the extent that the fund or its agent is unable to curtail excessive trading practices in the fund, these practices may interfere with the efficient management of the fund's portfolio and may result in the fund engaging in certain activities to a greater extent than it otherwise would, such as maintaining higher cash balances, using its line of credit, and engaging in increased portfolio transactions. Increased portfolio transactions and use of the line of credit would correspondingly increase the fund's operating costs and decrease the fund's investment performance. Maintenance of higher levels of cash balances would likewise result in lower fund investment performance during periods of rising markets.

While excessive trading can potentially occur in the fund, certain types of funds are more likely than others to be targets of excessive trading. For example:

■

A fund that invests a significant portion of its assets in small- or mid-capitalization stocks or securities in particular industries that may trade infrequently or are fair valued as discussed under "Valuation of securities" entails a greater risk of excessive trading, as investors may seek to trade fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of those types of securities (referred to as price arbitrage).

■

A fund that invests a material portion of its assets in securities of foreign issuers may be a potential target for excessive trading if investors seek to engage in price arbitrage based upon general trends in the securities markets that occur subsequent to the close of the primary market for such securities.

■

A fund that invests a significant portion of its assets in below-investment-grade (junk) bonds that may trade infrequently or are fair valued as discussed under "Valuation of securities" incurs a greater risk of excessive trading, as investors may seek to trade fund shares in an effort to benefit from their understanding of the value of those types of securities (referred to as price arbitrage).

Any frequent trading strategies may interfere with efficient management of a fund's portfolio and raise costs. A fund that invests in the types of securities discussed above may be exposed to this risk to a greater degree than a fund that invests in highly liquid securities. These risks would be less significant, for example, in a fund that primarily invests in U.S. government securities, money market instruments, investment-grade corporate issuers, or large-capitalization U.S. equity securities. Any successful price arbitrage may cause dilution in the value of the fund shares held by other shareholders.

Account information

The fund is required by law to obtain information for verifying an account holder's identity. For example, an individual will be required to supply his or her name, residential address, date of birth, and Social Security number. If you do not provide the required information, we may not be able to open your account. If verification is unsuccessful, the fund may close your account, redeem your shares at the next NAV, and take any other steps that it deems reasonable.

Certificated shares

The fund does not issue share certificates. Shares are electronically recorded.

Sales in advance of purchase payments

When you place a request to sell shares for which the purchase money has not yet been collected, the request will be executed in a timely fashion, but the fund will not release the proceeds to you until your purchase payment clears. This may take up to 10 business days after the purchase.

Portfolio securities are valued by various methods that are generally described below. Portfolio securities also may be fair valued by the fund's Pricing Committee in certain instances pursuant to procedures established by the Trustees. Equity securities are generally valued at the last sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price as of the close of the relevant exchange. Securities not traded on a particular day are valued using last available bid prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is typically valued at the price on the exchange where the security was acquired or most likely will be sold. In certain instances, the Pricing Committee may determine to value equity securities using prices obtained from another exchange or market if trading on the exchange or market on which prices are typically obtained did not open for trading as scheduled, or if trading closed earlier than scheduled, and trading occurred as normal on another exchange or market. Debt obligations are valued based on evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing vendor. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies is converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate supplied by an independent pricing vendor. Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices. Futures contracts are typrically valued at settlement prices. If settlement prices are not available, futures contracts may be valued using last traded prices. Shares of other open-end investment companies that are not exchange-traded funds (underlying funds) are valued based on the NAVs of such underlying funds.

If market quotations or official closing prices are not readily available or are otherwise deemed unreliable because of market- or issuer-specific events, a security will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Trustees. The Trustees are assisted in their responsibility to fair value securities

20     

by the fund's Pricing Committee, and the actual calculation of a security's fair value may be made by the Pricing Committee acting pursuant to the procedures established by the Trustees. In certain instances, therefore, the Pricing Committee may determine that a reported valuation does not reflect fair value, based on additional information available or other factors, and may accordingly determine in good faith the fair value of the assets, which may differ from the reported valuation.

Fair value pricing of securities is intended to help ensure that a fund's NAV reflects the fair market value of the fund's portfolio securities as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (as opposed to a value that no longer reflects market value as of such close), thus limiting the opportunity for aggressive traders or market timers to purchase shares of the fund at deflated prices reflecting stale security valuations and promptly sell such shares at a gain, thereby diluting the interests of long-term shareholders. However, a security's valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value, and no assurance can be given that fair value pricing of securities will successfully eliminate all potential opportunities for such trading gains.

The use of fair value pricing has the effect of valuing a security based upon the price the fund might reasonably expect to receive if it sold that security in an orderly transaction between market participants, but does not guarantee that the security can be sold at the fair value price. Further, because of the inherent uncertainty and subjective nature of fair valuation, a fair valuation price may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a readily available market price for the investment existed and these differences could be material.

Regarding the fund's investment in an underlying fund that is not an ETF, which (as noted above) is valued at such underlying fund's NAV, the prospectus for such underlying fund explains the circumstances and effects of fair value pricing for that underlying fund.

Dividends and account policies

Account statements

In general, you will receive account statements as follows:

■

after every transaction (except a dividend reinvestment) that affects your account balance

■

after any changes of name or address of the registered owner(s)

■

in all other circumstances, every quarter

Every year you should also receive, if applicable, a Form 1099 tax information statement, mailed by February 15.

Dividends

The fund typically declares and pays income dividends and capital gains, if any, at least annually.

Dividend reinvestments

Most investors have their dividends reinvested in additional shares of the same class of the same fund. If you choose this option, or if you do not indicate any choice, your dividends will be reinvested. Alternatively, you may choose to have your dividends and capital gains sent directly to your bank account or a check may be mailed if your combined dividend and capital gains amount is $10 or more. However, if the check is not deliverable or the combined dividend and capital gains amount is less than $10, your proceeds will be reinvested. If five or more of your dividend or capital gains checks remain uncashed after 180 days, all subsequent dividends and capital gains will be reinvested.

Taxability of dividends

For investors who are not exempt from federal income taxes, dividends you receive from the fund, whether reinvested or taken as cash, are generally considered taxable. Dividends from the fund's short-term capital gains are taxable as ordinary income. Dividends from the fund's long-term capital gains are taxable at a lower rate. Whether gains are short term or long term depends on the fund's holding period. Some dividends paid in January may be taxable as if they had been paid the previous December.

The Form 1099 that is mailed to you every February, if applicable, details your dividends and their federal tax category, although you should verify your tax liability with your tax professional.

Returns of capital

If the fund's distributions exceed its taxable income and capital gains realized during a taxable year, all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be recharacterized as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution will generally not be taxable, but will reduce each shareholder's cost basis in the fund and result in a higher reported capital gain or lower reported capital loss when those shares on which the distribution was received are sold.

Taxability of transactions

Any time you sell or exchange shares, it is considered a taxable event for you if you are not exempt from federal income taxes. Depending on the purchase price and the sale price of the shares you sell or exchange, you may have a gain or a loss on the transaction. You are responsible for any tax liabilities generated by your transactions.

Additional investor services

Disclosure of fund holdings

The following information for the fund is posted on the website, jhinvestments.com, generally on the fifth business day after month end: top 10 holdings; top 10 sector analysis; total return/yield; top 10 countries; average quality/maturity; beta/alpha; and top 10 portfolio composition. All of the holdings of the fund will be posted to the website no earlier than 15 days after each calendar month end, and will remain posted on the website for six months. All of the holdings of the fund are also disclosed quarterly to the SEC on Form N-Q as of the end of the first and third quarters of the fund's fiscal year and on Form N-CSR as of the end of the second and fourth quarters of the fund's fiscal year. A description of the fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

21

Your account

Appendix

[To Be Updated By Amendment]

Historical performance of the U.S. Small Cap Core Composite

John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund (the fund) commenced operations on December 20, 2013.  The fund is subadvised by John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC (John Hancock Asset Management). John Hancock Asset Management and its related investment advisor manage portfolios with an investment style, objectives, policies, and strategies substantially similar to those that are used to manage the fund. All such portfolios are included in a composite, the performance of which is presented in this Appendix (the Composite). The fund's performance is also included in the Composite. The portfolios are managed by entities that are subsidiaries of a single parent company and include all such portfolios managed by John Hancock Asset Management and its affiliates. The Composite is presented in U.S. dollars. The performance presented in the Composite has been generated on a performance asset-weighted basis and includes the reinvestment of dividends.

This Appendix presents historical performance information for the Composite as a whole. Because of the similarities between the fund and the Composite, this information may help provide an indication of the fund's risks by showing how a similar Composite has performed historically. The performance of the Composite, however, is not the performance of the fund, and you should not assume that the fund will have the same performance as the Composite. The performance of the fund may be greater or less than the performance of the Composite due to, among other things, the number of the holdings in and composition of the fund's portfolio, as well as the asset size and cash flow differences between the fund and Composite. The inception date of the Composite is March 31, 2004. The portfolios in the Composite are not subject to the investment limitations, diversification requirements, and other restrictions of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Internal Revenue Code, which, if they had applied, might have adversely affected the portfolios' performance results.

This Appendix includes an index for the purpose of comparing performance of the Composite. The Russell 2000 Index, the Composite's benchmark (the Benchmark), reflects the investment strategies and performance target of the accounts underlying the Composite.

This Appendix also presents standard deviation information relating to the Composite and the Benchmark. Standard deviation data is shown in order to provide you with supplemental information relating to John Hancock Asset Management's management of the Composite's strategy over time. Standard deviation is calculated as the amount by which individual returns differ or vary from the average returns over a specified period of time, and is used to measure the overall level of volatility of returns—or risk—of an investment portfolio. Generally, the higher the standard deviation, the greater the expected volatility of returns and potentially higher risk. These measures of past risk are not completely or necessarily representative of future risk and cannot predict the fund's performance. In addition, the volatility of the fund's returns compared to those of the Benchmark may be greater or less than that of the Composite due to, among other things, the number of holdings in and composition of the portfolio and John Hancock Asset Management's management of the fund.

Performance information—bar chart and table—is presented on the following page for the Composite as of December 31, 2016. The bar chart shows how the Composite's total return has varied over time, and the table shows the Composite's performance over the last year, three (3) years, five (5) years, and since inception as of December 31, 2016 (as compared with a broad-based market index for reference).  Net performance results reflect the application of the highest incremental rate of the standard investment advisory fee schedule to gross performance results. Actual fees may vary depending on, among other things, the applicable fee schedule and portfolio size. All figures assume dividend reinvestment.

The past performance of the Composite is no guarantee of future results in managing the fund. The information in this Appendix does not represent the performance of the fund or any predecessor to it and is no indication of how it would have performed in the past or future.

The past performance of the Composite has been calculated net of actual fees and expenses. The Composite's returns would be lower if it reflected the fees and expenses of the fund. Class A shares of the fund have front-end or deferred sales charges. The Composite does not have such charges. The other expenses of each share class of the fund, including any Rule 12b-1 fees, are higher than those of the Composite. The performance of the Composite would be lower if adjusted to reflect the sales charges of Class A or Class I shares of the fund, or the overall expenses of a class of shares.

An index is unmanaged and it is not possible to invest directly in an index. As such, year-by-year index figures do not account for any sales charges, fees, or fund expenses. As indicated above, past performance does not indicate future results.

22     

U.S. Small Cap Core Composite

Net assets of Composite as of December 31, 2016: $224.0 million

Calendar year total returns—Composite (%)

Year-to-date total return. The Composite's total return for the six months ended June 30, 2017, was [   ]%.

Best quarter: Q2 '09, 22.65%   Worst quarter: Q4 '08, –29.80%

U.S. Small Cap Core Composite annualized total returns  (%)	1 year	3 years	5 years	Since inception
For period ended 12/31/16				3/31/04
Composite	26.71	7.49	15.29	8.44
Russell 2000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	21.31	6.74	14.46	8.19

Annualized standard deviation	1 year	3 years	5 years	Since inception
For period ended 12/31/16				3/31/04
Composite	4.43	14.78	13.47	18.48
Russell 2000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)	5.06	15.76	14.49	18.96

Russell 2000 Index measures the performance of the 2,000 smallest companies in the Russell 3000 Index.

23

For more information

Two documents are available that offer further information on the fund:

Annual/semiannual reports to shareholders

Additional information about the fund's investments is available in the fund's annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In the fund's annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the fund's performance during its last fiscal year.

Statement of Additional Information (SAI)

The SAI contains more detailed information on all aspects of the fund and includes a summary of the fund's policy regarding disclosure of its portfolio holdings, as well as legal and regulatory matters. A current SAI has been filed with the SEC and is incorporated by reference into (and is legally a part of) this prospectus.

To obtain a free copy of these documents or request other information

There are several ways you can get a current annual/semiannual report, prospectus, or SAI from John Hancock, request other information, or make inquiries:

Online: jhinvestments.com

By mail:
John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
P.O. Box 55913
Boston, MA 02205-5913

By EASI-Line: 800-597-1897

By phone: 888-972-8696

By TTY: 800-554-6713

You can also view or obtain copies of these documents through the SEC:

Online: sec.gov  

By email (duplicating fee required): publicinfo@sec.gov  

By mail (duplicating fee required):
Public Reference Section
Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC 20549-1520

In person: at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC

For access to the Reference Room, call 202-551-8090.

© 2017 JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS, LLC 445R6PN [8/24/17] SEC file number: 811-03999

The information in this SAI is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This SAI is not an offer to sell these securities and is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

JOHN HANCOCK INVESTMENT TRUST

Statement of Additional Information

August [24], 2017

John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund Class R6 — [________]

This Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”) provides information about Class R6 shares of John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund (the “Fund”), a series of John Hancock Investment Trust, which is organized as a Massachusetts business trust (the “Trust”).

The information in this SAI is in addition to the information that is contained in the Fund’s current Class R6 prospectus dated August [24], 2017 (the “Prospectus”). The Fund offers other share classes that are described in separate prospectuses and separate SAIs.

This SAI is not a prospectus. It should be read in conjunction with the Prospectus. This SAI incorporates by reference: (a) the financial statements of the Fund’s other share classes for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, as well as the related opinion of the Fund’s independent registered public accounting firm, as included in the Fund’s most recent annual report to shareholders (the “Annual Report”); and (b) the unaudited financial statements of the Fund’s other share classes for the six months ended April 30, 2017 (the “Semiannual Report”). A copy of the Prospectus, Annual Report, or Semiannual Report can be obtained free of charge by contacting:

John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.

P. O. Box 55913

Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5913

800-225-5291

jhinvestments.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

	Page
ORGANIZATION OF THE TRUST	2
INVESTMENT POLICIES	2
OTHER INSTRUMENTS	8
ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT POLICIES	19
RISK FACTORS	26
REGULATION OF COMMODITY INTERESTS	42
HEDGING AND OTHER STRATEGIC TRANSACTIONS	43
INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS	57
PORTFOLIO TURNOVER	60
THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGEMENT	60
SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND	72
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES	72
DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS	77
NET ASSET VALUE	77
POLICY REGARDING DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS	79
SPECIAL REDEMPTIONS	81
ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS	82
PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS THROUGH THIRD PARTIES	83
DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S SHARES	84
SAMPLE CALCULATION OF MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE	86
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES	86
PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE	92
TRANSFER AGENT SERVICES	96
LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS	97
INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM	97
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS	97
CUSTODY OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES	97
CODES OF ETHICS	97
APPENDIX A	A-1
APPENDIX B	B-1
APPENDIX C	C-1

ORGANIZATION OF THE TRUST

The Trust was organized on December 21, 1984 as a Massachusetts business trust under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is an open-end management investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The Fund, which commenced operations on December 20, 2013, is a diversified series of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act, as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the “Advisor”) is the investment advisor to the Trust and the Fund. The Advisor is a Delaware limited liability company whose principal offices are located at 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. The Advisor is registered as an investment advisor under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”), and as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the “CEA”). The Advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.). John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) and its subsidiaries today offer 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 on the Internet at johnhancock.com. The ultimate controlling parent of the Advisor is Manulife Financial Corporation (“Manulife Financial” or “MFC”), a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Canada. MFC is the holding company of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and its subsidiaries, collectively known as Manulife Financial.

The Advisor has retained for the Fund a subadvisor that is responsible for providing investment advice to the Fund subject to the review of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (the “Board”) and the overall supervision of the Advisor.

Manulife Financial is 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, the Manulife Financial 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. Assets under management and administration by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$[___] billion (US $[___] billion) as of June 30, 2017.

Manulife Financial trades as “MFC” on the Toronto Stock Exchange, New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) and Philippine Stock Exchange, and under “945” on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

INVESTMENT POLICIES

The principal strategies and risks of investing in the Fund are described in the Prospectus. Unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus or this SAI, the investment objective and policies of the Fund may be changed without shareholder approval. The Fund may invest in the types of instruments described below, unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus or this SAI.

Conversion of Debt Securities

In the event debt securities held by the Fund are converted to or exchanged for equity securities, the Fund may continue to hold such equity securities, but only if and to the extent consistent with and permitted by its investment objective and policies.

2

Money Market Instruments

Money market instruments (and other securities as noted under the Fund description) may be purchased for temporary defensive purposes or for short-term investment purposes.

U.S. Government and Government Agency Obligations

U.S. Government Obligations. U.S. government obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury. These securities include treasury bills, notes, and bonds.

GNMA Obligations. GNMA obligations are mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), which guarantee is supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

U.S. Agency Obligations. U.S. government agency obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government pursuant to authority granted by Congress. U.S. government agency obligations include, but are not limited to:

• Student Loan Marketing Association (“SLMA”);

• Federal Home Loan Banks (“FHLBs”);

• Federal Intermediate Credit Banks (“FICBs”); and

• Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”).

U.S. Instrumentality Obligations. U.S. instrumentality obligations include, but are not limited to, those issued by the Export-Import Bank and Farmers Home Administration.

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury or the Federal Reserve Banks, such as those issued by FICBs. Others, such as those issued by Fannie Mae, FHLBs and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), are supported by discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the agency or instrumentality. In addition, other obligations such as those issued by SLMA are supported only by the credit of the agency or instrumentality. There also are separately traded interest components of securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury.

No assurance can be given that the U.S. government will provide financial support for the obligations of such U.S. government-sponsored agencies or instrumentalities in the future, since it is not obligated to do so by law. In this SAI, “U.S. government securities” refers not only to securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the U.S. Treasury but also to securities that are backed only by their own credit and not the full faith and credit of the U.S. government.

It is possible that the availability and the marketability (i.e., liquidity) of the securities discussed in this section could be adversely affected by actions of the U.S. government to tighten the availability of its credit. In 2008, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (the “FHFA”), an agency of the U.S. government, placed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship, a statutory process with the objective of returning the entities to normal business operations. The FHFA will act as the conservator to operate Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac until they are stabilized. It is unclear what effect this conservatorship will have on the securities issued or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.

Municipal Obligations

The two principal classifications of municipal obligations are general obligations and revenue obligations. General obligations are secured by the issuer’s pledge of its full faith, credit and taxing power for the payment of principal and interest. Revenue obligations are payable only from the revenues derived from a particular facility or class of facilities or in some cases from the proceeds of a special excise or other tax. For example, industrial development and pollution control bonds are in most cases revenue obligations since payment of principal and interest is dependent solely on the ability of the user of the facilities financed or the guarantor to meet its financial obligations, and in certain cases, the pledge of real and personal property as security for payment.

3

Issuers of municipal obligations are subject to the provisions of bankruptcy, insolvency and other laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors, such as the Federal Bankruptcy Act, and laws, if any, that may be enacted by Congress or state legislatures extending the time for payment of principal or interest or both, or imposing other constraints upon enforcement of such obligations. There also is the possibility that as a result of litigation or other conditions, the power or ability of any one or more issuers to pay when due the principal of and interest on their municipal obligations may be affected.

Municipal Bonds. Municipal bonds are issued to obtain funding for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as airports, highways, bridges, schools, hospitals, housing, mass transportation, streets and water and sewer works. Other public purposes for which municipal bonds may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities. In addition, certain types of industrial development bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds for many types of local, privately operated facilities. Such debt instruments are considered municipal obligations if the interest paid on them is exempt from federal income tax. The payment of principal and interest by issuers of certain obligations purchased may be guaranteed by a letter of credit, note repurchase agreement, insurance or other credit facility agreement offered by a bank or other financial institution. Such guarantees and the creditworthiness of guarantors will be considered by a subadvisor in determining whether a municipal obligation meets investment quality requirements. No assurance can be given that a municipality or guarantor will be able to satisfy the payment of principal or interest on a municipal obligation.

Federal tax legislation enacted in the 1980s placed substantial new restrictions on the issuance of the bonds described above and in some cases eliminated the ability of state or local governments to issue municipal obligations for some of the above purposes. Such restrictions do not affect the federal income tax treatment of municipal obligations issued prior to the effective dates of the provisions imposing such restrictions. The effect of these restrictions may be to reduce the volume of newly issued municipal obligations.

The yields or returns of municipal bonds depend on a variety of factors, including general market conditions, effective marginal tax rates, the financial condition of the issuer, general conditions of the municipal bond market, the size of a particular offering, the maturity of the obligation, and the rating (if any) of the issue. The ratings of Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”), Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), and Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) represent their opinions as to the quality of various municipal bonds that they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized, however, that ratings are not absolute standards of quality. For example, depending on market conditions, municipal bonds with the same maturity and stated interest rate, but with different ratings, may nevertheless have the same yield. See Appendix A for a description of ratings. Many issuers of securities choose not to have their obligations rated.

Although unrated securities eligible for purchase must be determined to be comparable in quality to securities having certain specified ratings, the market for unrated securities may not be as broad as for rated securities since many investors rely on rating organizations for credit appraisal. Yield disparities may occur for reasons not directly related to the investment quality of particular issues or the general movement of interest rates, due to such factors as changes in the overall demand or supply of various types of municipal bonds.

Municipal Bonds Issued by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Municipal obligations issued by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its agencies, or other U.S. territories generally are tax-exempt.

Adverse economic, market, political, or other conditions within Puerto Rico may negatively affect the value of the Fund's holdings in municipal obligations issued by the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and its agencies. The Puerto Rican economy is reliant on manufacturing, services, and tourism, and its economy and financial operations generally parallel the economic cycles of those in the United States. As a result, economic difficulties in the United States are likely to have an adverse impact on the overall economy of Puerto Rico. Moreover, like many other U.S. states and municipalities, Puerto Rico experienced a significant downturn during the most recent recession. Puerto Rico continues to face significant fiscal challenges, including persistent government budget deficits, underfunded public pension benefit obligations, underfunded government retirement systems, sizable debt service obligations and a high unemployment rate. Several rating organizations have downgraded a number of securities issued in Puerto Rico to below investment-grade or placed them on “negative watch.” Any further downgrades could place additional strain on the Puerto Rican economy. In addition, on August 3, 2015, Puerto Rico became the first U.S. commonwealth to default on its debt, missing most of a $58 million bond payment. On January 4, 2016, Puerto Rico defaulted on approximately $174 million in debt payments to some bondholders. On June 30, 2016, President Barack Obama signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (“PROMESA”), a law creating a federal oversight board that would negotiate the restructuring of Puerto Rico’s debt. PROMESA also puts a stay on default-related litigation, retroactive to December 2015. Shortly after President Obama signed the law, Puerto Rico’s governor, Alejandro Garcia Padilla, issued an executive order suspending payments on its general obligation debt one day before Puerto Rico was due to make $1.9 billion worth of debt payments on July 1, 2016, including $779 million of constitutionally-backed general obligation bonds. Future defaults may occur in the event that Puerto Rico does not have the ability to meet its upcoming obligations. Puerto Rican financial difficulties potentially could lead to less liquidity, wider yield spreads over benchmark U.S. government securities, and greater risk of default for Puerto Rican municipal securities, and consequently may increase the volatility of the Fund’s share price, and adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and its investment performance.

4

The Puerto Rican constitution prioritizes general obligation bonds over revenue bonds, so that all tax revenues, even those pledged to revenue bondholders, can be applied first to general obligation bonds and other Commonwealth-guaranteed debt if other revenues are insufficient to satisfy such obligations.

Municipal Notes. Municipal notes are short-term obligations of municipalities, generally with a maturity ranging from six months to three years. The principal types of such notes include tax, bond and revenue anticipation notes, project notes, and construction loan notes.

Municipal Commercial Paper. Municipal commercial paper is a short-term obligation of a municipality, generally issued at a discount with a maturity of less than one year. Such paper is likely to be issued to meet seasonal working capital needs of a municipality or interim construction financing. Municipal commercial paper is backed in many cases by letters of credit, lending agreements, note repurchase agreements or other credit facility agreements offered by banks and other institutions.

Canadian and Provincial Government and Crown Agency Obligations

Canadian Government Obligations. Canadian government obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the government of Canada pursuant to authority granted by the Parliament of Canada and approved by the Governor in Council, where necessary. These securities include treasury bills, notes, bonds, debentures and marketable government of Canada loans.

Canadian Crown Obligations. Canadian Crown agency obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed by a Crown corporation, company or agency (“Crown Agencies”) pursuant to authority granted by the Parliament of Canada and approved by the Governor in Council, where necessary. Certain Crown Agencies are by statute agents of Her Majesty in right of Canada, and their obligations, when properly authorized, constitute direct obligations of the government of Canada. These obligations include, but are not limited to, those issued or guaranteed by the:

• Export Development Corporation;

• Farm Credit Corporation;

• Federal Business Development Bank; and

• Canada Post Corporation.

In addition, certain Crown Agencies that are not, by law, agents of Her Majesty may issue obligations that, by statute, the Governor in Council may authorize the Minister of Finance to guarantee on behalf of the government of Canada. Other Crown Agencies that are not, by law, agents of Her Majesty may issue or guarantee obligations not entitled to be guaranteed by the government of Canada. No assurance can be given that the government of Canada will support the obligations of Crown Agencies that are not agents of Her Majesty, which it has not guaranteed, since it is not obligated to do so by law.

Provincial Government Obligations. Provincial Government obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed as to principal or interest by the government of any province of Canada pursuant to authority granted by the provincial Legislature and approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of such province, where necessary. These securities include treasury bills, notes, bonds, and debentures.

5

Provincial Crown Agency Obligations. Provincial Crown Agency obligations are debt securities issued or guaranteed by a provincial Crown corporation, company or agency (“Provincial Crown Agencies”) pursuant to authority granted by the provincial Legislature and approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council of such province, where necessary. Certain Provincial Crown Agencies are by statute agents of Her Majesty in right of a particular province of Canada, and their obligations, when properly authorized, constitute direct obligations of such province. Other Provincial Crown Agencies that are not, by law, agents of Her Majesty in right of a particular province of Canada may issue obligations that, by statute, the Lieutenant Governor in Council of such province may guarantee, or may authorize the Treasurer thereof to guarantee, on behalf of the government of such province. Finally, other Provincial Crown Agencies that are not, by law, agencies of Her Majesty may issue or guarantee obligations not entitled to be guaranteed by a provincial government. No assurance can be given that the government of any province of Canada will support the obligations of Provincial Crown Agencies that are not agents of Her Majesty and that it has not guaranteed, as it is not obligated to do so by law. Provincial Crown Agency obligations described above include, but are not limited to, those issued or guaranteed by a:

• provincial railway corporation;

• provincial hydroelectric or power commission or authority;

• provincial municipal financing corporation or agency; and

• provincial telephone commission or authority.

Certificates of Deposit, Time Deposits and Bankers’ Acceptances

Certificates of Deposit. Certificates of deposit are certificates issued against funds deposited in a bank or a savings and loan. They are issued for a definite period of time and earn a specified rate of return.

Time Deposits. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in banking institutions for specified periods of time at stated interest rates.

Bankers’ Acceptances. Bankers’ acceptances are short-term credit instruments evidencing the obligation of a bank to pay a draft which has been drawn on it by a customer. These instruments reflect the obligations both of the bank and of the drawer to pay the face amount of the instrument upon maturity. They are primarily used to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods. They are “accepted” when a bank guarantees their payment at maturity.

These obligations are not insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Commercial Paper

Commercial paper consists of unsecured promissory notes issued by corporations to finance short-term credit needs. Commercial paper is issued in bearer form with maturities generally not exceeding nine months.

Variable Amount Master Demand Notes. Commercial paper obligations may include variable amount master demand notes. Variable amount master demand notes are obligations that permit the investment of fluctuating amounts at varying rates of interest pursuant to direct arrangements between the Fund, as lender, and the borrower. These notes permit daily changes in the amounts borrowed. The investing (i.e., “lending”) Fund has the right to increase the amount under the note at any time up to the full amount provided by the note agreement, or to decrease the amount, and the borrower may prepay up to the full amount of the note without penalty. Because variable amount master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the lender and borrower, it is not generally contemplated that such instruments will be traded. There is no secondary market for these notes, although they are redeemable (and thus immediately repayable by the borrower) at face value, plus accrued interest, at any time.

6

The subadvisor will only invest in variable amount master demand notes issued by companies that, at the date of investment, have an outstanding debt issue rated “Aaa” or “Aa” by Moody’s or “AAA” or “AA” by S&P or Fitch and that the subadvisor has determined present minimal risk of loss. The subadvisor will look generally at the financial strength of the issuing company as “backing” for the note and not to any security interest or supplemental source, such as a bank letter of credit. A variable amount master demand note will be valued on each day a net asset value (“NAV”) is determined. The NAV generally will be equal to the face value of the note plus accrued interest unless the financial position of the issuer is such that its ability to repay the note when due is in question.

Corporate Obligations

Corporate obligations are bonds and notes issued by corporations to finance long-term credit needs.

Repurchase Agreements

Repurchase agreements are arrangements involving the purchase of an obligation and the simultaneous agreement to resell the same obligation on demand or at a specified future date and at an agreed-upon price. A repurchase agreement can be viewed as a loan made by the Fund to the seller of the obligation with such obligation serving as collateral for the seller’s agreement to repay the amount borrowed with interest. Repurchase agreements provide the opportunity to earn a return on cash that is only temporarily available. Repurchase agreements may be entered with banks, brokers or dealers. However, a repurchase agreement will only be entered with a broker or dealer if the broker or dealer agrees to deposit additional collateral should the value of the obligation purchased decrease below the resale price.

Generally, repurchase agreements are of a short duration, often less than one week but on occasion for longer periods. Securities subject to repurchase agreements will be valued every business day and additional collateral will be requested if necessary so that the value of the collateral is at least equal to the value of the repurchase obligation, including the interest accrued thereon.

The subadvisor shall engage in a repurchase agreement transaction only with those banks or broker-dealers who meet the subadvisor’s quantitative and qualitative criteria regarding creditworthiness, asset size and collateralization requirements. The Advisor also may engage in repurchase agreement transactions on behalf of the Fund. The counterparties to a repurchase agreement transaction are limited to a:

• Federal Reserve System member bank;

• primary government securities dealer reporting to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Market Reports Division; or

• broker-dealer that reports U.S. government securities positions to the Federal Reserve Board.

The Fund also may participate in repurchase agreement transactions utilizing the settlement services of clearing firms that meet the subadvisor’s creditworthiness requirements.

The Advisor and the subadvisor will continuously monitor repurchase agreement transactions to ensure that the collateral held with respect to a repurchase agreement equals or exceeds the amount of the obligation.

The risk of a repurchase agreement transaction is limited to the ability of the seller to pay the agreed-upon sum on the delivery date. In the event of bankruptcy or other default by the seller, the instrument purchased may decline in value, interest payable on the instrument may be lost and there may be possible difficulties and delays in obtaining collateral and delays and expense in liquidating the instrument. If an issuer of a repurchase agreement fails to repurchase the underlying obligation, the loss, if any, would be the difference between the repurchase price and the underlying obligation’s market value. The Fund also might incur certain costs in liquidating the underlying obligation. Moreover, if bankruptcy or other insolvency proceedings are commenced with respect to the seller, realization upon the underlying obligation might be delayed or limited.

7

Foreign Repurchase Agreements

Foreign repurchase agreements involve an agreement to purchase a foreign security and to sell that security back to the original seller at an agreed-upon price in either U.S. dollars or foreign currency. Unlike typical U.S. repurchase agreements, foreign repurchase agreements may not be fully collateralized at all times. The value of a security purchased may be more or less than the price at which the counterparty has agreed to repurchase the security. In the event of default by the counterparty, the Fund may suffer a loss if the value of the security purchased is less than the agreed-upon repurchase price, or if it is unable to successfully assert a claim to the collateral under foreign laws. As a result, foreign repurchase agreements may involve higher credit risks than repurchase agreements in U.S. markets, as well as risks associated with currency fluctuations. In addition, as with other emerging market investments, repurchase agreements with counterparties located in emerging markets, or relating to emerging markets, may involve issuers or counterparties with lower credit ratings than typical U.S. repurchase agreements.

OTHER INSTRUMENTS

The following discussion provides an explanation of some of the other instruments in which the Fund may invest, but only if and to the extent that such investment is consistent with and permitted by its investment objective and policies.

Preferred Stocks

Preferred stock generally has a preference to dividends and, upon liquidation, over an issuer’s common stock but ranks junior to debt securities in an issuer’s capital structure. Preferred stock generally pays dividends in cash (or additional shares of preferred stock) at a defined rate but, unlike interest payments on debt securities, preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer’s board of directors. Dividends on preferred stock may be cumulative, meaning that, in the event the issuer fails to make one or more dividend payments on the preferred stock, no dividends may be paid on the issuer’s common stock until all unpaid preferred stock dividends have been paid. Preferred stock also may be subject to optional or mandatory redemption provisions.

Warrants

Warrants may trade independently of the underlying securities. Warrants are rights to purchase securities at specific prices and are valid for a specific period of time. Warrant prices do not necessarily move parallel to the prices of the underlying securities, and warrant holders receive no dividends and have no voting rights or rights with respect to the assets of an issuer. The price of a warrant may be more volatile than the price of its underlying security, and a warrant may offer greater potential for capital appreciation as well as capital loss. Warrants cease to have value if not exercised prior to the expiration date. These factors can make warrants more speculative than other types of investments.

Reverse Repurchase Agreements

Under a reverse repurchase agreement, the Fund sells a debt security and agrees to repurchase it at an agreed-upon time and at an agreed-upon price. The Fund retains record ownership of the security and the right to receive interest and principal payments thereon. At an agreed-upon future date, the Fund repurchases the security by remitting the proceeds previously received, plus interest. The difference between the amount the Fund receives for the security and the amount it pays on repurchase is payment of interest. In certain types of agreements, there is no agreed-upon repurchase date and interest payments are calculated daily, often based on the prevailing overnight repurchase rate. A reverse repurchase agreement may be considered a form of leveraging and may, therefore, increase fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV per share. The Fund will cover its repurchase agreement transactions by maintaining in a segregated custodial account cash, Treasury bills or other U.S. government securities having an aggregate value at least equal to the amount of such commitment to repurchase including accrued interest, until payment is made.

Investments in Creditors’ Claims

Creditors’ claims in bankruptcy (“Creditors’ Claims”) are rights to payment from a debtor under the U.S. bankruptcy laws. Creditors’ Claims may be secured or unsecured. A secured claim generally receives priority in payment over unsecured claims.

Sellers of Creditors’ Claims can either be: (i) creditors that have extended unsecured credit to the debtor company (most commonly trade suppliers of materials or services); or (ii) secured creditors (most commonly financial institutions) that have obtained collateral to secure an advance of credit to the debtor. Selling a Creditors’ Claim offers the creditor an opportunity to turn a claim that otherwise might not be satisfied for many years into liquid assets.

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A Creditors’ Claim may be purchased directly from a creditor although most are purchased through brokers. A Creditors’ Claim can be sold as a single claim or as part of a package of claims from several different bankruptcy filings. Purchasers of Creditors’ Claims may take an active role in the reorganization process of the bankrupt company and, in certain situations in which a Creditors’ Claim is not paid in full, the claim may be converted into stock of the reorganized debtor.

Although Creditors’ Claims can be sold to other investors, the market for Creditors’ Claims is not liquid and, as a result, a purchaser of a Creditors’ Claim may be unable to sell the claim or may have to sell it at a drastically reduced price. There is no guarantee that any payment will be received from a Creditors’ Claim, especially in the case of unsecured claims.

Convertible Securities

Convertible securities may include corporate notes or preferred securities. Investments in convertible securities are not subject to the rating criteria with respect to non-convertible debt obligations. As with all debt securities, the market value of convertible securities tends to decline as interest rates increase and, conversely, to increase as interest rates decline. The market value of convertible securities can also be heavily dependent upon the changing value of the equity securities into which such securities are convertible, depending on whether the market price of the underlying security exceeds the conversion price. Convertible securities generally rank senior to common stocks in an issuer’s capital structure and consequently entail less risk than the issuer’s common stock. However, the extent to which such risk is reduced depends upon the degree to which the convertible security sells above its value as a fixed-income security.

Mortgage Securities

Prepayment of Mortgages. Mortgage securities differ from conventional bonds in that principal is paid over the life of the securities rather than at maturity. As a result, when the Fund invests in mortgage securities, it receives monthly scheduled payments of principal and interest, and may receive unscheduled principal payments representing prepayments on the underlying mortgages. When the Fund reinvests the payments and any unscheduled prepayments of principal it receives, it may receive a rate of interest that is higher or lower than the rate on the existing mortgage securities. For this reason, mortgage securities may be less effective than other types of debt securities as a means of locking in long term interest rates.

In addition, because the underlying mortgage loans and assets may be prepaid at any time, if the Fund purchases mortgage securities at a premium, a prepayment rate that is faster than expected will reduce yield to maturity, while a prepayment rate that is slower than expected will increase yield to maturity. Conversely, if the Fund purchases these securities at a discount, faster than expected prepayments will increase yield to maturity, while slower than expected payments will reduce yield to maturity.

Adjustable Rate Mortgage Securities. Adjustable rate mortgage securities are similar to the fixed rate mortgage securities discussed above, except that unlike fixed rate mortgage securities, adjustable rate mortgage securities are collateralized by or represent interests in mortgage loans with variable rates of interest. These variable rates of interest reset periodically to align themselves with market rates. Most adjustable rate mortgage securities provide for an initial mortgage rate that is in effect for a fixed period, typically ranging from three to twelve months. Thereafter, the mortgage interest rate will reset periodically in accordance with movements in a specified published interest rate index. The amount of interest due to an adjustable rate mortgage holder is determined in accordance with movements in a specified published interest rate index by adding a pre-determined increment or “margin” to the specified interest rate index. Many adjustable rate mortgage securities reset their interest rates based on changes in:

• one-year, three-year and five-year constant maturity Treasury Bill rates;

• three-month or six-month Treasury Bill rates;

• 11th District Federal Home Loan Bank Cost of Funds;

• National Median Cost of Funds; or

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• one-month, three-month, six-month or one-year London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) and other market rates.

During periods of increasing rates, the Fund will not benefit from such increase to the extent that interest rates rise to the point where they cause the current coupon of adjustable rate mortgages held as investments to exceed any maximum allowable annual or lifetime reset limits or “cap rates” for a particular mortgage. In this event, the value of the mortgage securities held by the Fund would likely decrease. During periods of declining interest rates, income to the Fund derived from adjustable rate mortgages that remain in a mortgage pool may decrease in contrast to the income on fixed rate mortgages, which will remain constant. Adjustable rate mortgages also have less potential for appreciation in value as interest rates decline than do fixed rate investments. Also, the Fund’s NAV could vary to the extent that current yields on adjustable rate mortgage securities held as investments are different than market yields during interim periods between coupon reset dates.

Privately Issued Mortgage Securities. Privately issued mortgage securities provide for the monthly principal and interest payments made by individual borrowers to pass through to investors on a corporate basis, and in privately issued collateralized mortgage obligations, as further described below. Privately issued mortgage securities are issued by private originators of, or investors in, mortgage loans, including:

• mortgage bankers;

• commercial banks;

• investment banks;

• savings and loan associations; and

• special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing.

Since privately issued mortgage certificates are not guaranteed by an entity having the credit status of GNMA or Freddie Mac, such securities generally are structured with one or more types of credit enhancement. For a description of the types of credit enhancements that may accompany privately issued mortgage securities, see “Types of Credit Support” below. The Fund will not limit its investments in mortgage securities to those with credit enhancements.

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”). CMOs generally are bonds or certificates issued in multiple classes that are collateralized by or represent an interest in mortgages. CMOs may be issued by single-purpose, stand-alone finance subsidiaries or trusts of financial institutions, government agencies, investment banks or other similar institutions. Each class of CMOs, often referred to as a “tranche,” may be issued with a specific fixed coupon rate (which may be zero) or a floating coupon rate. Each class of CMOs also has a stated maturity or final distribution date. Principal prepayments on the underlying mortgages may cause the CMOs to be retired substantially earlier than their stated maturities or final distribution dates. Interest is paid or accrued on CMOs on a monthly, quarterly or semiannual basis.

The principal of and interest on the underlying mortgages may be allocated among the several classes of a series of a CMO in many ways. The general goal sought to be achieved in allocating cash flows on the underlying mortgages to the various classes of a series of CMOs is to create tranches on which the expected cash flows have a higher degree of predictability than the underlying mortgages. In creating such tranches, other tranches may be subordinated to the interests of these tranches and receive payments only after the obligations of the more senior tranches have been satisfied. As a general matter, the more predictable the cash flow is on a CMO tranche, the lower the anticipated yield will be on that tranche at the time of issuance. As part of the process of creating more predictable cash flows on most of the tranches in a series of CMOs, one or more tranches generally must be created that absorb most of the volatility in the cash flows on the underlying mortgages. The yields on these tranches are relatively higher than on tranches with more predictable cash flows. Because of the uncertainty of the cash flows on these tranches, and the sensitivity of these transactions to changes in prepayment rates on the underlying mortgages, the market prices of and yields on these tranches tend to be highly volatile. The market prices of and yields on tranches with longer terms to maturity also tend to be more volatile than tranches with shorter terms to maturity due to these same factors. To the extent the mortgages underlying a series of a CMO are so-called “subprime mortgages” (mortgages granted to borrowers whose credit history is not sufficient to obtain a conventional mortgage), the risk of default is higher, which increases the risk that one or more tranches of a CMO will not receive its predicted cash flows.

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CMOs purchased by the Fund may be:

(1) collateralized by pools of mortgages in which each mortgage is guaranteed as to payment of principal and interest by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government;

(2) collateralized by pools of mortgages in which payment of principal and interest is guaranteed by the issuer and the guarantee is collateralized by U.S. government securities; or

(3) securities for which the proceeds of the issuance are invested in mortgage securities and payment of the principal and interest is supported by the credit of an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government.

Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal of Securities (“STRIPS”). Separately traded interest components of securities may be issued or guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury. The interest components of selected securities are traded independently under the STRIPS program. Under the STRIPS program, the interest components are individually numbered and separately issued by the U.S. Treasury at the request of depository financial institutions, which then trade the component parts independently.

Stripped Mortgage Securities. Stripped mortgage securities are derivative multi-class mortgage securities. Stripped mortgage securities may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, or by private issuers, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. Stripped mortgage securities have greater volatility than other types of mortgage securities in which the Fund invests. Although stripped mortgage securities are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers, the market for such securities has not yet been fully developed. Accordingly, stripped mortgage securities may be illiquid and, together with any other illiquid investments, will not exceed the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

Stripped mortgage securities are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of stripped mortgage security will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the interest only or “IO” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the principal only or “PO” class). The yield to maturity on an IO class is extremely sensitive to changes in prevailing interest rates and the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets. A rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on an investing Fund’s yield to maturity. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the Fund may fail to fully recoup its initial investment in these securities, even if the securities are rated highly.

As interest rates rise and fall, the value of IOs tends to move in the same direction as interest rates. The value of the other mortgage securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI, like other debt instruments, will tend to move in the opposite direction to interest rates. Accordingly, investing in IOs, in conjunction with the other mortgage securities described in the Prospectus and this SAI, is expected to contribute to the relative stability of the Fund’s NAV.

Similar securities such as Super Principal Only (“SPO”) and Levered Interest Only (“LIO”) are more volatile than POs and IOs. Risks associated with instruments such as SPOs are similar in nature to those risks related to investments in POs. Risks associated with LIOs and IOettes (a.k.a. “high coupon bonds”) are similar in nature to those associated with IOs. Other similar instruments may develop in the future.

Under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), POs may generate taxable income from the current accrual of original issue discount, without a corresponding distribution of cash to the Fund.

Inverse Floaters. Inverse floaters may be issued by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government, or by private issuers, including savings and loan associations, mortgage banks, commercial banks, investment banks and special purpose subsidiaries of the foregoing. Inverse floaters have greater volatility than other types of mortgage securities in which the Fund invests (with the exception of stripped mortgage securities and there is a risk that the market value will vary from the amortized cost). Although inverse floaters are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers, the market for such securities has not yet been fully developed. Accordingly, inverse floaters may be illiquid. Any illiquid inverse floaters, together with any other illiquid investments, will not exceed the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

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Inverse floaters are derivative mortgage securities that are structured as a class of security that receives distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. Yields on inverse floaters move in the opposite direction of short-term interest rates and at an accelerated rate.

Types of Credit Support. Mortgage securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the impact of an obligor’s failure to make payments on underlying assets, mortgage securities may contain elements of credit support. A discussion of credit support is described below in “Asset-Backed Securities.”

Asset-Backed Securities

The securitization techniques used to develop mortgage securities also are being applied to a broad range of other assets. Through the use of trusts and special purpose corporations, automobile and credit card receivables are being securitized in pass-through structures similar to mortgage pass-through structures or in a pay-through structure similar to the CMO structure.

Generally, the issuers of asset-backed bonds, notes or pass-through certificates are special purpose entities and do not have any significant assets other than the receivables securing such obligations. In general, the collateral supporting asset-backed securities is of a shorter maturity than that of mortgage loans. As a result, investment in these securities should be subject to less volatility than mortgage securities. Instruments backed by pools of receivables are similar to mortgage-backed securities in that they are subject to unscheduled prepayments of principal prior to maturity. When the obligations are prepaid, the Fund must reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities with the prevailing interest rates at the time. Therefore, the Fund’s ability to maintain an investment including high-yielding asset-backed securities will be affected adversely to the extent that prepayments of principal must be reinvested in securities that have lower yields than the prepaid obligations. Moreover, prepayments of securities purchased at a premium could result in a realized loss. Unless otherwise stated in its Prospectus, the Fund will only invest in asset-backed securities rated, at the time of purchase, “AA” or better by S&P or Fitch or “Aa” or better by Moody’s.

As with mortgage securities, asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligation of a number of different parties and use similar credit enhancement techniques. For a description of the types of credit enhancement that may accompany asset-backed securities, see “Types of Credit Support” below. When the Fund invests in asset-backed securities, it will not limit its investments in asset-backed securities to those with credit enhancements. Although asset-backed securities are not generally traded on a national securities exchange, such securities are widely traded by brokers and dealers, and will not be considered illiquid securities for the purposes of the investment restriction on illiquid securities under “Additional Investment Policies.”

Types of Credit Support. To lessen the impact of an obligor’s failure to make payments on underlying assets, mortgage securities and asset-backed securities may contain elements of credit support. Such credit support falls into two categories:

• liquidity protection; and

• default protection.

Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that the pass-through of payments due on the underlying pool of assets occurs in a timely fashion. Default protection provides protection against losses resulting from ultimate default and enhances the likelihood of ultimate payment of the obligations on at least a portion of the assets in the pool. This protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of such approaches. The Fund will not pay any additional fees for such credit support, although the existence of credit support may increase the price of a security.

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Some examples of credit support include:

• “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes subordinate to other classes as to the payment of principal thereof and interest thereon, with the result that defaults on the underlying assets are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class);

• creation of “reserve funds” (where cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying assets, are held in reserve against future losses); and

• “over-collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying assets exceed those required to make payment on the securities and pay any servicing or other fees).

The ratings of mortgage securities and asset-backed securities for which third-party credit enhancement provides liquidity protection or default protection are generally dependent upon the continued creditworthiness of the provider of the credit enhancement. The ratings of these securities could be reduced in the event of deterioration in the creditworthiness of the credit enhancement provider even in cases where the delinquency and loss experienced on the underlying pool of assets is better than expected.

The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information concerning the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquency or loss greater than anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in mortgage securities or asset-backed securities.

Collateralized Debt Obligations. Collateralized bond obligations (“CBOs”), collateralized loan obligations (“CLOs”), other collateralized debt obligations, and other similarly structured securities (collectively, “CDOs”) are types of asset-backed securities. A CBO is a trust that is often backed by a diversified pool of high risk, below investment grade fixed-income securities. The collateral can be from many different types of fixed-income securities such as high yield debt, residential privately issued mortgage-related securities, commercial privately issued mortgage-related securities, trust preferred securities and emerging market debt. A CLO is a trust typically collateralized by a pool of loans, which may include, among others, domestic and foreign senior secured loans, senior unsecured loans, and subordinate corporate loans, including loans that may be rated below investment grade or equivalent unrated loans. Other CDOs are trusts backed by other types of assets representing obligations of various parties. CDOs may charge management fees and administrative expenses.

In a CDO structure, the cash flows from the trust are split into two or more portions, called tranches, varying in risk and yield. The riskiest portion is the “equity” tranche, which bears the bulk of defaults from the bonds or loans in the trust and serves to protect the other, more senior tranches from default in all but the most severe circumstances. Since it is partially protected from defaults, a senior tranche from a CDO trust typically has a higher rating and lower yield than its underlying securities, and can be rated investment grade. Despite the protection from the equity tranche, CDO tranches can experience substantial losses due to actual defaults, increased sensitivity to defaults due to collateral default and disappearance of protecting tranches, market anticipation of defaults, as well as aversion to CDO securities as a class. In the case of all CDO tranches, the market prices of and yields on tranches with longer terms to maturity tend to be more volatile than those of tranches with shorter terms to maturity due to the greater volatility and uncertainty of cash flows.

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the type of the collateral securities and the class of the CDO in which a fund invests. Normally, CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by a fund as illiquid; however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing a CDO to qualify for treatment as liquid under Rule 144A under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”). In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in the SAI and the Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry additional risks including, but not limited to the possibility that: (i) distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CDOs that are subordinate to other classes; and (iv) the complex structure of the security may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

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Zero Coupon Securities, Deferred Interest Bonds and Pay-In-Kind Bonds

The Fund may invest in zero coupon securities, deferred interest bonds and pay-in-kind bonds. Zero coupon securities, deferred interest bonds and pay-in-kind bonds involve special risk considerations. Zero coupon securities and deferred interest bonds are debt securities that pay no cash income but are sold at substantial discounts from their value at maturity. While zero coupon bonds do not require the periodic payment of interest, deferred interest bonds provide for a period of delay before the regular payment of interest begins. When a zero coupon security or a deferred interest bond is held to maturity, its entire return, which consists of the amortization of discount, comes from the difference between its purchase price and its maturity value. This difference is known at the time of purchase, so that investors holding these securities until maturity know at the time of their investment what the return on their investment will be. Pay-in-kind bonds are bonds that pay all or a portion of their interest in the form of debt or equity securities.

Zero coupon securities, deferred interest bonds and pay-in-kind bonds are subject to greater price fluctuations in response to changes in interest rates than ordinary interest-paying debt securities with similar maturities. The value of zero coupon securities and deferred interest bonds usually appreciates during periods of declining interest rates and usually depreciates during periods of rising interest rates.

Issuers of Zero Coupon Securities and Pay-In-Kind Bonds. Zero coupon securities and pay-in-kind bonds may be issued by a wide variety of corporate and governmental issuers. Although zero coupon securities and pay-in-kind bonds are generally not traded on a national securities exchange, these securities are widely traded by brokers and dealers and, to the extent they are widely traded, will not be considered illiquid for the purposes of the investment restriction under “Additional Investment Policies.”

Tax Considerations. Current federal income tax law requires the holder of a zero coupon security or certain pay-in-kind bonds to accrue income with respect to these securities prior to the receipt of cash payments. To maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company (“RIC”) under the Code and avoid liability for federal income and excise taxes, the Fund may be required to distribute income accrued with respect to these securities and may have to dispose of portfolio securities under disadvantageous circumstances in order to generate cash to satisfy these distribution requirements.

Loans and Other Direct Debt Instruments

Direct debt instruments are interests in amounts owed by a corporate, governmental, or other borrower to lenders or lending syndicates (loans and loan participations), to suppliers of goods or services (trade claims or other receivables), or to other parties. Direct debt instruments involve a risk of loss in case of default or insolvency of the borrower and may offer less legal protection to the purchaser in the event of fraud or misrepresentation, or there may be a requirement that the Fund supply additional cash to a borrower on demand. U.S. federal securities laws afford certain protections against fraud and misrepresentation in connection with the offering or sale of a security, as well as against manipulation of trading markets for securities. It is unclear whether these protections are available to investments in loans and other forms of direct indebtedness under certain circumstances, in which case such risks may be increased.

The Fund also may be in possession of material non-public information about a borrower as a result of owning a floating rate instrument issued by such borrower. Because of prohibitions on trading in securities of issuers while in possession of such information, the Fund might be unable to enter into a transaction in a publicly traded security issued by that borrower when it would otherwise be advantageous to do so.

High Yield (High Risk) Domestic Corporate Debt Securities

High yield U.S. corporate debt securities (also known as “junk bonds”) include bonds, debentures, notes, bank loans, credit-linked notes and commercial paper. Most of these debt securities will bear interest at fixed rates, except bank loans, which usually have floating rates. Bonds also may have variable rates of interest, and debt securities may involve equity features, such as equity warrants or convertible outright and participation features (i.e., interest or other payments, often in addition to a fixed rate of return, that are based on the borrower’s attainment of specified levels of revenues, sales or profits and thus enable the holder of the security to share in the potential success of the venture). Today, much high yield debt is used for general corporate purposes, such as financing capital needs or consolidating and paying down bank lines of credit.

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The secondary market for high yield U.S. corporate debt securities is concentrated in relatively few market makers and is dominated by institutional investors, including mutual funds, insurance companies and other financial institutions. Accordingly, the secondary market for such securities is not as liquid as, and is more volatile than, the secondary market for higher-rated securities. In addition, market trading volume for high yield U.S. corporate debt securities is generally lower and the secondary market for such securities could shrink or disappear suddenly and without warning as a result of adverse market or economic conditions, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer. The lack of sufficient market liquidity may cause the Fund to incur losses because it will be required to effect sales at a disadvantageous time and then only at a substantial drop in price. These factors may have an adverse effect on the market price and the Fund’s ability to dispose of particular portfolio investments. A less liquid secondary market also may make it more difficult for the Fund to obtain precise valuations of the high yield securities in its portfolio.

The Fund is not obligated to dispose of securities whose issuers subsequently are in default or that are downgraded below the rating requirements that the Fund imposes at the time of purchase.

Brady Bonds

Brady Bonds are debt securities issued under the framework of the “Brady Plan,” an initiative announced by former U.S. Treasury Secretary Nicholas F. Brady in 1989 as a mechanism for debtor nations to restructure their outstanding external commercial bank indebtedness. The Brady Plan framework, as it has developed, involves the exchange of external commercial bank debt for newly issued bonds (“Brady Bonds”). Brady Bonds also may be issued in respect of new money being advanced by existing lenders in connection with the debt restructuring. Brady Bonds issued to date generally have maturities between 15 and 30 years from the date of issuance and have traded at a deep discount from their face value. In addition to Brady Bonds, investments in emerging market governmental obligations issued as a result of debt restructuring agreements outside of the scope of the Brady Plan are available.

Agreements implemented under the Brady Plan to date are designed to achieve debt and debt-service reduction through specific options negotiated by a debtor nation with its creditors. As a result, the financial packages offered by each country differ. The types of options have included:

• the exchange of outstanding commercial bank debt for bonds issued at 100% of face value that carry a below-market stated rate of interest (generally known as par bonds);

• bonds issued at a discount from face value (generally known as discount bonds);

• bonds bearing an interest rate which increases over time; and

• bonds issued in exchange for the advancement of new money by existing lenders.

Discount bonds issued to date under the framework of the Brady Plan have generally borne interest computed semi-annually at a rate equal to 13/16th of one percent above current six-month LIBOR. Regardless of the stated face amount and interest rate of the various types of Brady Bonds, when investing in Brady Bonds, the Fund will purchase Brady Bonds in secondary markets in which the price and yield to the investor reflect market conditions at the time of purchase.

Certain sovereign bonds are entitled to “value recovery payments” in certain circumstances, which in effect constitute supplemental interest payments but generally are not collateralized. Certain Brady Bonds have been collateralized as to principal due at maturity (typically 15 to 30 years from the date of issuance) by U.S. Treasury zero coupon bonds with a maturity equal to the final maturity of such Brady Bonds, although the collateral is not available to investors until the final maturity of the Brady Bonds. Collateral purchases are financed by the International Monetary Fund (the “IMF”), the World Bank and the debtor nations’ reserves. In addition, interest payments on certain types of Brady Bonds may be collateralized by cash or high-grade securities in amounts that typically represent between 12 and 18 months of interest accruals on these instruments, with the balance of the interest accruals being uncollateralized.

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The Fund may purchase Brady Bonds with no or limited collateralization, and must rely for payment of interest and (except in the case of principal collateralized Brady Bonds) principal primarily on the willingness and ability of the foreign government to make payment in accordance with the terms of the Brady Bonds.

Brady Bonds issued to date are purchased and sold in secondary markets through U.S. securities dealers and other financial institutions and are generally maintained through European transactional securities depositories. A substantial portion of the Brady Bonds and other sovereign debt securities in which the Fund invests are likely to be acquired at a discount.

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, also may 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.

Indexed Securities

Indexed securities are instruments whose prices are indexed to the prices of other securities, securities indices, currencies, or other financial indicators. Indexed securities typically, but not always, are debt securities or deposits whose value at maturity or coupon rate is determined by reference to a specific instrument or statistic.

Currency-indexed securities typically are short-term to intermediate-term debt securities whose maturity values or interest rates are determined by reference to the values of one or more specified foreign currencies, and may offer higher yields than U.S. dollar-denominated securities. Currency-indexed securities may be positively or negatively indexed; that is, their maturity value may increase when the specified currency value increases, resulting in a security that performs similarly to a foreign denominated instrument, or their maturity value may decline when foreign currencies increase, resulting in a security whose price characteristics are similar to a put on the underlying currency. Currency-indexed securities also may have prices that depend on the values of a number of different foreign currencies relative to each other.

The performance of indexed securities depends to a great extent on the performance of the security, currency, or other instrument to which they are indexed, and also may be influenced by interest rate changes in the United States and abroad. Indexed securities may be more volatile than the underlying instruments. Indexed securities also are subject to the credit risks associated with the issuer of the security, and their values may decline substantially if the issuer’s creditworthiness deteriorates. Issuers of indexed securities have included banks, corporations, and certain U.S. government agencies. An indexed security may be leveraged to the extent that the magnitude of any change in the interest rate or principal payable on an indexed security is a multiple of the change in the reference price.

Hybrid Instruments

Hybrid instruments (a type of potentially high-risk derivative) combine the elements of futures contracts or options with those of debt, preferred equity or a depository instrument.

Characteristics of Hybrid Instruments. Generally, a hybrid instrument is a debt security, preferred stock, depository share, trust certificate, certificate of deposit or other evidence of indebtedness on which a portion of or all interest payments, and/or the principal or stated amount payable at maturity, redemption or retirement, is determined by reference to the following:

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• prices, changes in prices, or differences between prices of securities, currencies, intangibles, goods, articles or commodities (collectively, “underlying assets”); or

• an objective index, economic factor or other measure, such as interest rates, currency exchange rates, commodity indices, and securities indices (collectively, “benchmarks”).

Hybrid instruments may take a variety of forms, including, but not limited to:

• debt instruments with interest or principal payments or redemption terms determined by reference to the value of a currency or commodity or securities index at a future point in time;

• preferred stock with dividend rates determined by reference to the value of a currency; or

• convertible securities with the conversion terms related to a particular commodity.

Uses of Hybrid Instruments. Hybrid instruments provide an efficient means of creating exposure to a particular market, or segment of a market, with the objective of enhancing total return. For example, the Fund may wish to take advantage of expected declines in interest rates in several European countries, but avoid the transaction costs associated with buying and currency-hedging the foreign bond positions.

One approach is to purchase a U.S. dollar-denominated hybrid instrument whose redemption price is linked to the average three-year interest rate in a designated group of countries. The redemption price formula would provide for payoffs of greater than par if the average interest rate was lower than a specified level, and payoffs of less than par if rates were above the specified level. Furthermore, the investing Fund could limit the downside risk of the security by establishing a minimum redemption price so that the principal paid at maturity could not be below a predetermined minimum level if interest rates were to rise significantly.

The purpose of this type of arrangement, known as a structured security with an embedded put option, is to give the Fund the desired European bond exposure while avoiding currency risk, limiting downside market risk, and lowering transactions costs. Of course, there is no guarantee that such a strategy will be successful and the value of the Fund may decline if, for example, interest rates do not move as anticipated or credit problems develop with the issuer of the hybrid instrument.

Structured Notes. Structured notes include investments in an entity, such as a trust, organized and operated solely for the purpose of restructuring the investment characteristics of various securities. This type of restructuring involves the deposit or purchase of specified instruments and the issuance of one or more classes of securities backed by, or representing interests in the underlying instruments. The cash flow on the underlying instruments may be apportioned among the newly issued structured notes to create securities with different investment characteristics, such as varying maturities, payment priorities or interest rate provisions. The extent of the income paid by the structured notes is dependent on the cash flow of the underlying instruments.

Depositary Receipts

Securities of foreign issuers may include American Depositary Receipts, European Depositary Receipts, Global Depositary Receipts, International Depositary Receipts, and Non-Voting Depositary Receipts (“ADRs,” “EDRs,” “GDRs,” “IDRs,” and “NVDRs,” respectively, and collectively, “Depositary Receipts”). Depositary Receipts are certificates typically issued by a bank or trust company that give their holders the right to receive securities issued by a foreign or domestic corporation.

ADRs are U.S. dollar-denominated securities backed by foreign securities deposited in a U.S. securities depository. ADRs are created for trading in the U.S. markets. The value of an ADR will fluctuate with the value of the underlying security and will reflect any changes in exchange rates. An investment in ADRs involves risks associated with investing in foreign securities. Issuers of unsponsored ADRs are not contractually obligated to disclose material information in the United States, and, therefore, there may not be a correlation between that information and the market value of an unsponsored ADR.

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EDRs, GDRs, IDRs, and NVDRs are receipts evidencing an arrangement with a foreign bank or exchange affiliate similar to that for ADRs and are designed for use in foreign securities markets. EDRs, GDRs, IDRs, and NVDRs are not necessarily quoted in the same currency as the underlying security. NVDRs do not have voting rights.

Variable and Floating Rate Obligations

Investments in floating or variable rate securities normally will involve industrial development or revenue bonds, which provide that the rate of interest is set as a specific percentage of a designated base rate, such as rates of Treasury Bonds or Bills or the prime rate at a major commercial bank. In addition, a bondholder can demand payment of the obligations on behalf of the investing Fund on short notice at par plus accrued interest, which amount may be more or less than the amount the bondholder paid for them. The maturity of floating or variable rate obligations (including participation interests therein) is deemed to be the longer of (i) the notice period required before the Fund is entitled to receive payment of the obligation upon demand or (ii) the period remaining until the obligation’s next interest rate adjustment. If not redeemed by the investor through the demand feature, the obligations mature on a specified date, which may range up to thirty years from the date of issuance.

Exchange-Traded Funds (“ETFs”)

An ETF is a type of investment company shares of which are bought and sold on a securities exchange. An ETF generally represents a fixed portfolio of securities designed to track a particular market index or basket of securities. The Fund could purchase shares of an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or a foreign market while awaiting purchase of underlying securities. The risks of owning an ETF include the risks of owning the underlying securities it is designed to track. In addition, the lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile than the underlying securities and ETFs have management fees which increase their costs. Also, there is a risk that an ETF may fail to closely track the index or basket of securities that it is designed to replicate.

Exchange-Traded Notes (“ETNs”)

ETNs are senior, unsecured, unsubordinated debt securities the returns of which are linked to the performance of a particular market benchmark or strategy, minus applicable fees. ETNs are traded on an exchange (e.g., the NYSE) during normal trading hours; however, investors also can hold ETNs until they mature. At maturity, the issuer pays to the investor a cash amount equal to the principal amount, subject to the day’s market benchmark or strategy factor. ETNs do not make periodic coupon payments or provide principal protection. ETNs are subject to credit risk, including the credit risk of the issuer, and the value of the ETN may drop due to a downgrade in the issuer’s credit rating, despite the underlying market benchmark or strategy remaining unchanged. The value of an ETN also may be influenced by time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying assets, changes in the applicable interest rates, changes in the issuer’s credit rating, and economic, legal, political, or geographic events that affect the referenced underlying asset. When the Fund invests in ETNs, it will bear its proportionate share of any fees and expenses borne by the ETN. A decision by the Fund to sell ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. In addition, although an ETN may be listed on an exchange, the issuer may not be required to maintain the listing, and there can be no assurance that a secondary market will exist for an ETN.

ETNs also are subject to tax risk. No assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) will accept, or a court will uphold, how the Fund characterizes and treats ETNs for tax purposes.

An ETN that is tied to a specific market benchmark or strategy may not be able to replicate and maintain exactly the composition and relative weighting of securities, commodities or other components in the applicable market benchmark or strategy. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid, and thus they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Leveraged ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. The market value of ETNs may differ from their market benchmark or strategy. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETNs at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the securities, commodities or other components underlying the market benchmark or strategy that the ETN seeks to track. As a result, there may be times when an ETN trades at a premium or discount to its market benchmark or strategy.

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Yield Curve Notes

Inverse floating rate securities include, but are not limited to, an inverse floating rate class of a government agency-issued yield curve note. A yield curve note is a fixed-income security that bears interest at a floating rate that is reset periodically based on an interest rate benchmark. The interest rate resets on a yield curve note in the opposite direction from the interest rate benchmark.

ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT POLICIES

The following provides a more detailed explanation of some investment policies of the Fund, but only if and to the extent that such policies are consistent with and permitted by the Fund’s investment objective and policies.

Lending of Securities

The Fund may lend its securities so long as such loans do not represent more than 33⅓% of its total assets. As collateral for the loaned securities, the borrower gives the lending portfolio collateral equal to at least 100% of the value of the loaned securities. The collateral will consist of cash (including U.S. dollars and foreign currency), cash equivalents or securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities. The borrower also must agree to increase the collateral if the value of the loaned securities increases. If the market value of the loaned securities declines, the borrower may request that some collateral be returned.

During the existence of the loan, the Fund will receive from the borrower amounts equivalent to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, as well as interest on such amounts. If the Fund receives a payment in lieu of dividends (a “substitute payment”) with respect to securities on loan pursuant to a securities lending transaction, such income will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction (the “DRD”) for corporate shareholders. The DRD is discussed more fully in this SAI under “Additional Information Concerning Taxes.”

As with other extensions of credit, there are risks that collateral could be inadequate in the event of the borrower failing financially, which could result in actual financial loss, and risks that recovery of loaned securities could be delayed, which could result in interference with portfolio management decisions or exercise of ownership rights. The collateral is managed by an affiliate of the Advisor. The Fund will be responsible for the risks associated with the investment of cash collateral, including the risk that the Fund may lose money on the investment or may fail to earn sufficient income to meet its obligations to the borrower. In addition, the Fund may lose its right to vote its shares of the loaned securities at a shareholders meeting if the subadvisor does not recall or does not timely recall the loaned securities, or if the borrower fails to return the recalled securities in advance of the record date for the meeting.

The Fund has entered into an agreement with The Goldman Sachs Trust Company, doing business as Goldman Sachs Agency Lending (“Goldman Sachs”) or Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. (“Brown Brothers Harriman”) as their securities lending agent (each a “Securities Lending Agreement”). Under each Securities Lending Agreement, Goldman Sachs or Brown Brothers Harriman, as applicable, generally will bear the risk that a borrower may default on its obligation to return loaned securities.

Securities lending involves counterparty risk, including the risk that the loaned securities may not be returned or returned in a timely manner and/or a loss of rights in the collateral if the borrower or the lending agent defaults or fails financially. This risk is increased when the Fund’s loans are concentrated with a single or limited number of borrowers. There are no limits on the number of borrowers to which the Fund may lend securities and the Fund may lend securities to only one or a small group of borrowers. In addition, under the Securities Lending Agreement, loans may be made to affiliates of Goldman Sachs or Brown Brothers Harriman, as applicable, as identified in the Securities Lending Agreement.

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Cash collateral may be invested by the Fund in a privately offered registered investment company advised by John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC (“John Hancock Asset Management”) that is part of the same group of investment companies as the Fund and that is offered exclusively to funds in the same group of investment companies. Investment of cash collateral offers the opportunity for the Fund to profit from income earned by this collateral pool, but also the risk of loss, should the value of the Fund’s shares in the collateral pool decrease below their initial value.

Interfund Lending

Pursuant to an exemptive order issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), the Fund may lend money to, and borrow money from, other funds advised by the Advisor or any other investment advisor under common control with the Advisor, subject to the fundamental restrictions on borrowing and lending applicable to the Fund. The Fund is authorized to participate fully in this program.

The Fund will borrow through the program only when the costs are equal to or lower than the cost of bank loans, and the Fund that is authorized to lend through the program will do so only when the returns are higher than those available from an investment in overnight repurchase agreements. Interfund loans and borrowings normally extend overnight, but can have a maximum duration of seven days. Loans may be called on one day’s notice. The Fund may have to borrow from a bank at a higher interest rate if an interfund loan is called or not renewed. Any delay in repayment to a lending fund or from a borrowing fund could result in a lost investment opportunity or additional borrowing costs.

When-Issued/Delayed Delivery/Forward Commitment Securities

The Fund may purchase or sell debt or equity securities on a “when-issued,” “delayed-delivery,” or “forward commitment” basis. When-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward-commitment transactions involve a commitment to purchase or sell securities at a predetermined price or yield in which payment and delivery take place after the customary settlement for such securities (which is typically one month or more after trade date). When purchasing securities in one of these types of transactions, payment for the securities is not required until the delivery date, however, the purchaser assumes the rights and risks of ownership, including the risks of price and yield fluctuations and the risk that the security will not be delivered. When the Fund has sold securities pursuant to one of these transactions, it will not participate in further gains or losses with respect to that security. At the time of delivery, the value of when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment securities may be more or less than the transaction price, and the yields then available in the market may be higher or lower than those obtained in the transaction.

Under normal circumstances, when the Fund purchases securities on a when-issued or forward commitment basis, it will take delivery of the securities, but the Fund may, if deemed advisable, sell the securities before the settlement date. Forward contracts may settle in cash between the counterparty and the Fund or by physical settlement of the underlying securities, and the Fund may renegotiate or roll over a forward commitment transaction. In general, the Fund does not pay for the securities, or start earning interest on them, or deliver or take possession of securities until the obligations are scheduled to be settled. In such transactions, no cash changes hands on the trade date, however, if the transaction is collateralized, the exchange of margin may take place between the Fund and the counterparty according to an agreed-upon schedule. The Fund does, however, record the transaction and reflect the value each day of the securities in determining its NAV.

While awaiting settlement of the obligations purchased or sold on such basis, the Fund will maintain on its records liquid assets consisting of cash, liquid high quality debt obligations or other assets equal to the amount of the commitments to purchase or sell when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward commitment securities. The availability of liquid assets for this purpose and the effect of asset segregation on the Fund’s ability to meet its current obligations, to honor requests for redemption, and to otherwise manage its investment portfolio will limit the extent to which the Fund may purchase when-issued or forward commitment securities.

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Mortgage Dollar Rolls

Under a mortgage dollar roll, the Fund sells mortgage-backed securities for delivery in the future (generally within 30 days) and simultaneously contracts to repurchase substantially similar securities (of the same type, coupon and maturity) on a specified future date. During the roll period, the Fund forgoes principal and interest paid on the mortgage-backed securities. The Fund is compensated by the difference between the current sale price and the lower forward price for the future purchase (often referred to as the “drop”), as well as by the interest earned on the cash proceeds of the initial sale. The Fund also may be compensated by receipt of a commitment fee. The Fund may only enter into “covered rolls.” A covered roll is a specific type of dollar roll for which there is an offsetting cash or cash equivalent security position that matures on or before the forward settlement date of the dollar roll transaction or for which the Fund maintains on its records liquid assets having an aggregate value at least equal to the amount of such commitment to repurchase. Dollar roll transactions involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by the Fund may decline below the repurchase price of those securities. A mortgage dollar roll may be considered a form of leveraging, and may, therefore, increase fluctuations in the Fund’s NAV per share. Covered rolls are not treated as a borrowing or other senior security and will be excluded from the calculation of the Fund’s borrowing and other senior securities. For financial reporting and tax purposes, the Fund treats mortgage dollar rolls as two separate transactions; one involving the purchase of a security and a separate transaction involving a sale.

Illiquid Securities

The Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities that are not readily marketable (“illiquid securities”). Investment in illiquid securities involves the risk that, because of the lack of consistent market demand for such securities, the Fund may be forced to sell them at a discount from the last offer price.

Illiquid securities may include, but are not limited to: (a) securities (except for Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper, discussed below) that are not eligible for resale pursuant to Rule 144A under the 1933 Act; (b) repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days (except for those that can be terminated after a notice period of seven days or less); (c) IOs and POs of non-governmental issuers; (d) time deposits maturing in more than seven days (except for those that can be terminated after a notice period of seven days or less); (e) federal fund loans maturing in more than seven days; (f) bank loan participation interests; (g) foreign government loan participations; (h) municipal leases and participations therein; and (i) any other securities or other investments for which a liquid secondary market does not exist.

Commercial paper issued in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the 1933 Act (“Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper”) is restricted as to its disposition under federal securities law, and generally is sold to institutional investors, such as the Fund, who agree that they are purchasing the paper for investment purposes and not with a view to public distribution. Any resale by the purchaser must be made in an exempt transaction. Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper normally is resold to other institutional investors, like the Fund, through or with the assistance of the issuer or investment dealers who make a market in Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper, thus providing liquidity.

If the Board determines, based upon a continuing review of the trading markets for specific Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper or securities that are restricted as to resale but for which a ready market is available pursuant to an exemption provided by Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or other exemptions from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act, that such investments are liquid, they will not be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities. The Board has adopted procedures and delegated responsibility to the Advisor regarding oversight of the subadvisor’s compliance with the daily function of determining and monitoring the liquidity of restricted securities, including Rule 144A securities and Section 4(a)(2) Commercial Paper, as well as other investments. The Board, however, retains sufficient oversight and is ultimately responsible for such determinations. The Board carefully monitors the Fund’s investments in these securities, focusing on such important factors, among others, as valuation, liquidity and availability of information. This investment practice could have the effect of increasing the level of illiquidity in the Fund if qualified institutional buyers become for a time uninterested in purchasing these restricted securities.

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Short Sales

The Fund may make short sales of securities or maintain a short position in anticipation of the decline in the market value of that security (a “short sale”). The Fund may make short sales when the Fund owns an equal amount of such securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable, without payment of any further consideration, for an equal amount of the securities of the same issuer as the securities sold short (often referred to as a short sale “against-the-box”).

The Fund will incur a loss as a result of the short sale if the price of the security increases between the date of the short sale and the date on which the Fund replaced the borrowed security and theoretically the Fund’s loss could be unlimited. The Fund will realize a gain if the security declines in price between those dates. This result is the opposite of what one would expect from a cash purchase of a long position in a security. The amount of any gain will be decreased, and the amount of any loss increased, by the amount of any premium, dividends or interest the Fund may be required to pay in connection with a short sale. Short selling may amplify changes in the Fund’s NAV. Short selling also may produce higher than normal portfolio turnover, which may result in increased transaction costs to the Fund.

Investment in Other Investment Companies

The Fund may invest in other investment companies (including closed-end investment companies, unit investment trusts, open-end investment companies, investment companies exempted from registration under the 1940 Act pursuant to the Rules thereunder and other pooled vehicles) to the extent permitted by federal securities laws (including the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder) and to the extent permitted by exemptive relief obtained from the SEC by the custodian, the Advisor, or a subadvisor.

Investing in other investment companies involves substantially the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments, but the total return on such investments at the investment company-level may be reduced by the operating expenses and fees of such other investment companies, including advisory fees. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such investment companies’ portfolio securities when traded over-the-counter (“OTC”) or at discounts to their NAVs. Others are continuously offered at NAV, but also may be traded in the secondary market.

Fixed Income Securities

Investment grade bonds are rated at the time of purchase in the four highest rating categories by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (“NRSRO”), such as those rated “Aaa,” “Aa,” “A” and “Baa” by Moody’s or “AAA,” “AA,” “A” and “BBB” by S&P or Fitch. Obligations rated in the lowest of the top four rating categories (such as “Baa” by Moody’s or “BBB” by S&P or Fitch, as applicable) may have speculative characteristics and changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments, including a greater possibility of default or bankruptcy of the issuer, than is the case with higher grade bonds. Subsequent to its purchase by the Fund, an issue of securities may cease to be rated or its rating may be reduced below the minimum required for purchase by the Fund. In addition, it is possible that Moody’s, S&P, Fitch and other NRSROs, as applicable, might not timely change their ratings of a particular issue to reflect subsequent events. None of these events will require the sale of the securities by the Fund, although the subadvisor will consider these events in determining whether it should continue to hold the securities.

In general, the ratings of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch represent the opinions of these agencies as to the quality of the securities that they rate. It should be emphasized however, that ratings are relative and subjective and are not absolute standards of quality. These rating will be used by the Fund as initial criteria for the selection of portfolio securities. Among the factors that will be considered are the long-term ability of the issuer to pay principal and interest and general economic trends. Appendix A contains further information concerning the ratings of Moody’s, S&P and Fitch and their significance.

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Loan Participations and Assignments

Loan participations are loans or other direct debt instruments that are interests in amounts owned by a corporate, governmental or other borrower to another party. They may represent amounts owed to lenders or lending syndicates to suppliers of goods or services, or to other parties. The Fund will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and any fees to which it is entitled only from the lender selling the participation and only upon receipt by the lender of the payments from the borrower. In connection with purchasing participations, the Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the term of the loan agreement relating to loan, nor any rights of set-off against the borrower, and the Fund may not directly benefit from any collateral supporting the loan in which it has purchased the participation. As a result, the Fund will assume the credit risk of both the borrower and the lender that is selling the participation. In the event of the insolvency of the lender selling a participation, the Fund may be treated as a general creditor of the lender and may not benefit from any set-off between the lender and the borrower.

When the Fund purchases assignments from lenders it will acquire direct rights against the borrower on the loan. However, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and potential assignors, the rights and obligation acquired by the Fund as the purchaser of an assignment may differ from, and be more limited than, those held by the assigning lender. Investments in loan participations and assignments present the possibility that the Fund could be held liable as a co-lender under emerging legal theories of lender liability. In addition, if the loan is foreclosed, the Fund could be part owner of any collateral and could bear the costs and liabilities of owning and disposing of the collateral. It is anticipated that such securities could be sold only to a limited number of institutional investors. In addition, some loan participations and assignments may not be rated by major rating agencies and may not be protected by the securities laws.

Investments in loans and loan participations will subject the Fund to liquidity risk. Loans and loan participations may be transferable among financial institutions, but may not have the liquidity of conventional debt securities and are often subject to restrictions on resale thereby making them potentially illiquid. For example, the purchase or sale of loans requires, in many cases, the consent of either a third party (such as the lead or agent bank for the loan) or of the borrower, and although such consent is, in practice, infrequently withheld, the consent requirement can delay a purchase or hinder the Fund’s ability to dispose of its investments in loans in a timely fashion. In addition, in some cases, negotiations involved in disposing of indebtedness may require weeks to complete. Consequently, some indebtedness may be difficult or impossible to dispose of readily at what the subadvisor believes to be a fair price.

Corporate loans that the Fund may acquire, or in which the Fund may purchase a loan participation, are made generally to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs, leverage recapitalizations and other corporate activities. The highly leveraged capital structure of the borrowers in certain of these transactions may make such loans especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions and greater credit risk than other investments.

Certain of the loan participations or assignments acquired by the Fund may involve unfunded commitments of the lenders or revolving credit facilities under which a borrower may from time to time borrow and repay amounts up to the maximum amount of the facility. In such cases, the Fund would have an obligation to advance its portion of such additional borrowings upon the terms specified in the loan documentation. Such an obligation may have the effect of requiring the Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when it might not be desirable to do so (including at a time when the company’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid).

The borrower of a loan in which the Fund holds an interest (including through a loan participation) may, either at its own election or pursuant to the terms of the loan documentation, prepay amounts of the loan from time to time. The degree to which borrowers prepay loans, whether as a contractual requirement or at their election, may be affected by general business conditions, the financial condition of the borrower and competitive conditions among lenders, among other things. As such, prepayments cannot be predicted with accuracy. Upon a prepayment, either in part or in full, the actual outstanding debt on which the Fund derives interest income will be reduced. The effect of prepayments on the Fund’s performance may be mitigated by the receipt of prepayment fees, and the Fund’s ability to reinvest prepayments in other loans that have similar or identical yields. However, there is no assurance that the Fund will be able to reinvest the proceeds of any loan prepayment at the same interest rate or on the same terms as those of the prepaid loan.

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The Fund may invest in loans that pay interest at fixed rates and loans that pay interest at rates that float or reset periodically at a margin above a generally recognized base lending rate such as the Prime Rate (the interest rate that banks charge their most creditworthy customers), LIBOR or another generally recognized base lending rate. Most floating rate loans are senior in rank in the event of bankruptcy to most other securities of the borrower such as common stock or public bonds. In addition, floating rate loans also are normally secured by specific collateral or assets of the borrower so that the holders of the loans will have a priority claim on those assets in the event of default or bankruptcy of the issuer. While the seniority in rank and the security interest are helpful in reducing credit risk, such risk is not eliminated. Securities with floating interest rates can be less sensitive to interest rate changes, but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much as interest rates in general, or if interest rates decline. While, because of this interest rate reset feature, loans with resetting interest rates provide a considerable degree of protection against rising interest rates, there is still potential for interest rates on such loans to lag changes in interest rates in general for some period of time. In addition, changes in interest rates will affect the amount of interest income paid to the Fund as the floating rate instruments adjust to the new levels of interest rates. In a rising base rate environment, income generation generally will increase. Conversely, during periods when the base rate is declining, the income generating ability of the loan instruments will be adversely affected.

Investments in many loans have additional risks that result from the use of agents and other interposed financial institutions. Many loans are structured and administered by a financial institution (e.g., a commercial bank) that acts as the agent of the lending syndicate. The agent typically administers and enforces the loan on behalf of the other lenders in the lending syndicate. In addition, an institution, typically but not always the agent, holds the collateral, if any, on behalf of the lenders. A financial institution’s employment as an agent might be terminated in the event that it fails to observe a requisite standard of care or becomes insolvent. A successor agent would generally be appointed to replace the terminated agent, and assets held by the agent under the loan agreement would likely remain available to holders of such indebtedness. However, if assets held by the agent for the benefit of the Fund were determined to be subject to the claims of the agent’s general creditors, the Fund might incur certain costs and delays in realizing payment on a loan or loan participation and could suffer a loss of principal and/or interest. In situations involving other interposed financial institutions (e.g., an insurance company or government agency) similar risks may arise.

Index-Related Securities (“Equity Equivalents”)

The Fund may invest in certain types of securities that enable investors to purchase or sell shares in a basket of securities that seeks to track the performance of an underlying index or a portion of an index. Such Equity Equivalents include, among others DIAMONDS (interests in a basket of securities that seeks to track the performance of the Dow Jones Industrial Average), SPDRs or S&P Depositary Receipts (an exchange-traded fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index). Such securities are similar to index funds, but they are traded on various stock exchanges or secondary markets. The value of these securities is dependent upon the performance of the underlying index on which they are based. Thus, these securities are subject to the same risks as their underlying indices as well as the securities that make up those indices. For example, if the securities comprising an index that an index-related security seeks to track perform poorly, the index-related security will lose value.

Equity Equivalents may be used for several purposes, including to simulate full investment in the underlying index while retaining a cash balance for portfolio management purposes, to facilitate trading, to reduce transaction costs or to seek higher investment returns where an Equity Equivalent is priced more attractively than securities in the underlying index. Because the expense associated with an investment in Equity Equivalents may be substantially lower than the expense of small investments directly in the securities comprising the indices they seek to track, investments in Equity Equivalents may provide a cost-effective means of diversifying the Fund’s assets across a broad range of securities.

To the extent that the Fund invests in securities of other investment companies, including Equity Equivalents, Fund shareholders would indirectly pay a portion of the operating costs of such companies in addition to the expenses of its own operations. These costs include management, brokerage, shareholder servicing and other operational expenses. Indirectly, if the Fund invests in Equity Equivalents, shareholders may pay higher operational costs than if they owned the underlying investment companies directly. Additionally, the Fund’s investments in such investment companies are subject to limitations under the 1940 Act and market availability.

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The prices of Equity Equivalents are derived and based upon the securities held by the particular investment company. Accordingly, the level of risk involved in the purchase or sale of an Equity Equivalent is similar to the risk involved in the purchase or sale of traditional common stock, with the exception that the pricing mechanism for such instruments is based on a basket of stocks. The market prices of Equity Equivalents are expected to fluctuate in accordance with both changes in the NAVs of their underlying indices and the supply and demand for the instruments on the exchanges on which they are traded. Substantial market or other disruptions affecting Equity Equivalents could adversely affect the liquidity and value of the shares of the Fund.

Market Capitalization Weighted Approach

The Fund’s structure may involve market capitalization weighting in determining individual security weights and, where applicable, country or region weights. Market capitalization weighting means each security is generally purchased based on the issuer’s relative market capitalization. Market capitalization weighting will be adjusted by the subadvisor, for a variety of factors. The Fund may deviate from market capitalization weighting to limit or fix the exposure to a particular country or issuer to a maximum portion of the assets of the Fund. Additionally, the subadvisor may consider such factors as free float, momentum, trading strategies, liquidity management, profitability and other factors determined to be appropriate by the subadvisor given market conditions. In assessing profitability, the subadvisor may consider different ratios, such as that of earnings or profits from operations relative to book value or assets. The subadvisor may exclude the eligible security of a company that meets applicable market capitalization criterion if it determines that the purchase of such security is inappropriate in light of other conditions. These adjustments will result in a deviation from traditional market capitalization weighting.

Adjustment for free float adjusts market capitalization weighting to exclude the share capital of a company that is not freely available for trading in the public equity markets by international investors. For example, the following types of shares may be excluded: (i) those held by strategic investors (such as governments, controlling shareholders and management); (ii) treasury shares; or (iii) shares subject to foreign ownership restrictions.

Deviation from market capitalization weighting also will occur because the subadvisor generally intends to purchase in round lots. Furthermore, the subadvisor may reduce the relative amount of any security held in order to retain sufficient portfolio liquidity. A portion, but generally not in excess of 20% of the Fund’s assets, may be invested in interest-bearing obligations, such as money market instruments, thereby causing further deviation from market capitalization weighting.

Block purchases of eligible securities may be made at opportune prices, even though such purchases exceed the number of shares that, at the time of purchase, would be purchased under a market capitalization weighted approach. Changes in the composition and relative ranking (in terms of market capitalization) of the stocks that are eligible for purchase take place with every trade when the securities markets are open for trading due, primarily, to price fluctuations of such securities. On at least a semi-annual basis, the subadvisor will prepare a list of companies whose stock is eligible for investment by the Fund. Additional investments generally will not be made in securities that have changed in value sufficiently to be excluded from the subadvisor’s then-current market capitalization requirement for eligible portfolio securities. This may result in further deviation from market capitalization weighting. This deviation could be substantial if a significant amount of holdings of the Fund change in value sufficiently to be excluded from the requirement for eligible securities but not by a sufficient amount to warrant their sale.

Country weights may be based on the total market capitalization of companies within each country. The calculation of country market capitalization may take into consideration the free float of companies within a country or whether these companies are eligible to be purchased for the particular strategy. In addition, to maintain a satisfactory level of diversification, the subadvisor may limit or adjust the exposure to a particular country or region to a maximum proportion of the assets of that vehicle. Country weights also may deviate from target weights due to general day-to-day trading patterns and price movements. As a result, the weighting of countries will likely vary from their weighting in published international indices.

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Short-Term Trading

Short-term trading means the purchase and subsequent sale of a security after it has been held for a relatively brief period of time. If and to the extent consistent with and permitted by its investment objective and policies, the Fund may engage in short-term trading in response to stock market conditions, changes in interest rates or other economic trends and developments, or to take advantage of yield disparities between various fixed-income securities in order to realize capital gains or improve income. Short-term trading may have the effect of increasing portfolio turnover rate. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or greater) involves correspondingly greater brokerage transaction expenses and may make it more difficult for the Fund to qualify as a RIC for federal income tax purposes (for additional information about qualification as a RIC under the Code, see “Additional Information Concerning Taxes” in this SAI). See “Portfolio Turnover.”

Funds of Funds Investments

The Fund may serve as an underlying investment for one or more John Hancock funds of funds (the “Portfolios”), which seek to achieve their investment objectives by investing in, among other things, other John Hancock funds. In an effort to be fully invested at all times and also to avoid temporary periods of under-investment, the Fund may buy securities and other instruments in anticipation of or with knowledge of future purchases of Fund shares resulting from a re-allocation of assets by the Portfolios to the Fund. Until such purchases of Fund shares by a Portfolio settle (normally between one and three days), the Fund may have investment exposure in excess of its net assets. Shareholders who transact with the Fund during the period beginning when the Fund first starts buying securities in anticipation of a purchase order from a Portfolio until such purchase order settles may incur more loss or realize more gain than they otherwise might have in the absence of the excess investment exposure.

RISK FACTORS

The risks of investing in certain types of securities are described below. Risks are applicable to the Fund only if and to the extent that corresponding investments are consistent with and permitted by the Fund’s investment objective and policies. The value of an individual security or a particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently than the value of the market as a whole.

Cash Holdings Risk

The Fund may be subject to delays in making investments when significant purchases or redemptions of Fund shares cause the Fund to have an unusually large cash position. When the Fund has a higher than normal cash position, it may incur “cash drag,” which is the opportunity cost of holding a significant cash position. This significant cash position might cause the Fund to miss investment opportunities it otherwise would have benefitted from if fully invested, or might cause the Fund to pay more for investments in a rising market, potentially reducing Fund performance.

Collateralized Debt Obligations

The risks of an investment in a CDO depend largely on the quality of the collateral securities and the class of the instrument in which the Fund invests. Normally, CDOs are privately offered and sold, and thus, are not registered under the securities laws. As a result, investments in CDOs may be characterized by the Fund as illiquid; however an active dealer market may exist for CDOs, allowing them to qualify for treatment as liquid under Rule 144A transactions. In addition to the normal risks associated with fixed-income securities discussed elsewhere in this SAI and the Prospectus (e.g., interest rate risk and default risk), CDOs carry risks including, but are not limited to the possibility that: (i) distributions from collateral securities will not be adequate to make interest or other payments; (ii) the quality of the collateral may decline in value or default; (iii) the Fund may invest in CDO classes that are subordinate to other classes of the CDO; and (iv) the complex structure of the CDO may not be fully understood at the time of investment and may produce disputes with the issuer or unexpected investment results.

Cybersecurity Risk

Cybersecurity breaches are either intentional or unintentional events that allow an unauthorized party to gain access to Fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause the Fund or Fund service provider to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Intentional cybersecurity incidents include: unauthorized access to systems, networks, or devices (such as through “hacking” activity); infection from computer viruses or other malicious software code; and attacks that shut down, disable, slow, or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, or website access or functionality. In addition, unintentional incidents can occur, such as the inadvertent release of confidential information.

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A cybersecurity breach could result in the loss or theft of customer data or funds, the inability to access electronic systems (“denial of services”), loss or theft of proprietary information or corporate data, physical damage to a computer or network system, or costs associated with system repairs, any of which could have a substantial impact on the Fund. For example, in a denial of service, Fund shareholders could lose access to their electronic accounts indefinitely, and employees of the Advisor, a subadvisor, or the Fund’s other service providers may not be able to access electronic systems to perform critical duties for the Fund, such as trading, NAV calculation, shareholder accounting, or fulfillment of Fund share purchases and redemptions. Cybersecurity incidents could cause the Fund, the Advisor, a subadvisor, or other service provider to incur regulatory penalties, reputational damage, compliance costs associated with corrective measures, or financial loss. They may also result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws. In addition, such incidents could affect issuers in which the Fund invests, thereby causing the Fund’s investments to lose value.

The Advisor, each subadvisor, and their affiliates have established risk management systems that seek to reduce cybersecurity risks, and business continuity plans in the event of a cybersecurity breach. However, there are inherent limitations in such plans, including that certain risks have not been identified, and there is no guarantee that such efforts will succeed, especially since none of the Advisor, the subadvisor, or their affiliates controls the cybersecurity systems of the Fund’s third-party service providers (including the Fund’s custodian), or those of the issuers of securities in which the Fund invests.

Equity Securities

Equity securities include common, preferred and convertible preferred stocks and securities the values of which are tied to the price of stocks, such as rights, warrants and convertible debt securities. Common and preferred stocks represent equity ownership in a company. Stock markets are volatile. The price of equity securities will fluctuate and can decline and reduce the value of the Fund’s investment in equities. The price of equity securities fluctuates based on changes in a company’s financial condition and overall market and economic conditions. The value of equity securities purchased by the Fund could decline if the financial condition of the issuers of these securities declines or if overall market and economic conditions deteriorate. Even funds that invest in high quality or “blue chip” equity securities or securities of established companies with large market capitalizations (which generally have strong financial characteristics) can be negatively impacted by poor overall market and economic conditions. Companies with large market capitalizations also may have less growth potential than smaller companies and may be able to react less quickly to change in the marketplace.

Investments in the stocks of privately held companies and newly public companies involve greater risks than investments in stocks of companies that have traded publicly on an exchange for extended time periods. Investments in such companies are less liquid and difficult to value, and there is significantly less information available about these companies’ business models, quality of management, earnings growth potential, and other criteria used to evaluate their investment prospects.

Fixed-Income Securities

Fixed-income securities generally are subject to two principal types of risks: (a) interest rate risk; and (b) credit quality risk. Fixed-income securities are also subject to liquidity risk.

Interest Rate Risk. Fixed-income securities are affected by changes in interest rates. When interest rates decline, the market value of the fixed-income securities generally can be expected to rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the market value of fixed-income securities generally can be expected to decline. Recent and potential future changes in government monetary policy may affect the level of interest rates.

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The longer a fixed-income security’s duration, the more sensitive it will be to changes in interest rates. Similarly, a fund with a longer average portfolio duration will be more sensitive to changes in interest rates than a fund with a shorter average portfolio duration. Duration is a measure used to determine the sensitivity of a security’s price to changes in interest rates that incorporates a security’s yield, coupon, final maturity, and call features, among other characteristics. All other things remaining equal, for each one percentage point increase in interest rates, the value of a portfolio of fixed-income investments would generally be expected to decline by one percent for every year of the portfolio’s average duration above zero. For example, the price of a bond fund with an average duration of eight years would be expected to fall approximately 8% if interest rates rose by one percentage point. The maturity of a security, another commonly used measure of price sensitivity, measures only the time until final payment is due, whereas duration takes into account the pattern of all payments of interest and principal on a security over time, including how these payments are affected by prepayments and by changes in interest rates, as well as the time until an interest rate is reset (in the case of variable-rate securities).

Credit Quality Risk. Fixed-income securities are subject to the risk that the issuer of the security will not repay all or a portion of the principal borrowed and will not make all interest payments. If the credit quality of a fixed-income security deteriorates after the Fund has purchased the security, the market value of the security may decrease and lead to a decrease in the value of the Fund’s investments. Funds that may invest in lower rated fixed-income securities are riskier than funds that may invest in higher rated fixed-income securities.

Liquidity Risk. Liquidity risk may result from the lack of an active market, the reduced number of traditional market participants, or the reduced capacity of traditional market participants to make a market in fixed-income securities. The capacity of traditional dealers to engage in fixed-income trading has not kept pace with the bond market’s growth. As a result, dealer inventories of corporate bonds, which indicate the ability to “make markets,” i.e., buy or sell a security at the quoted bid and ask price, respectively, are at or near historic lows relative to market size. Because market makers provide stability to fixed-income markets, the significant reduction in dealer inventories could lead to decreased liquidity and increased volatility, which may become exacerbated during periods of economic or political stress. In addition, liquidity risk may be magnified in a rising interest rate environment in which investor redemptions from fixed-income funds may be higher than normal; the selling of fixed-income securities to satisfy fund shareholder redemptions may result in an increased supply of such securities during periods of reduced investor demand due to a lack of buyers, thereby impairing the fund’s ability to sell such securities. The secondary market for certain tax-exempt securities tends to be less well-developed or liquid than many other securities markets, which may adversely affect the fund's ability to sell such securities at attractive prices.

Hybrid Instruments

The risks of investing in hybrid instruments are a combination of the risks of investing in securities, options, futures, swaps, and currencies. Therefore, an investment in a hybrid instrument may include significant risks not associated with a similar investment in a traditional debt instrument with a fixed principal amount, is denominated in U.S. dollars, or that bears interest either at a fixed rate or a floating rate determined by reference to a common, nationally published benchmark. The risks of a particular hybrid instrument will depend upon the terms of the instrument, but may include, without limitation, the possibility of significant changes in the benchmarks or the prices of underlying assets to which the instrument is linked. These risks generally depend upon factors unrelated to the operations or credit quality of the issuer of the hybrid instrument and that may not be readily foreseen by the purchaser. Such factors include economic and political events, the supply and demand for the underlying assets, and interest rate movements. In recent years, various benchmarks and prices for underlying assets have been highly volatile, and such volatility may be expected in the future. See “Hedging and Other Strategic Transactions” for a description of certain risks associated with investments in futures, options, swaps, and forward contracts.

Volatility. Hybrid instruments are potentially more volatile and carry greater market risks than traditional debt instruments. Depending on the structure of the particular hybrid instrument, changes in a benchmark may be magnified by the terms of the hybrid instrument and have an even more dramatic and substantial effect upon the value of the hybrid instrument. Also, the prices of the hybrid instrument and the benchmark or underlying asset may not move in the same direction or at the same time.

Leverage Risk. Hybrid instruments may bear interest or pay preferred dividends at below market (or even relatively nominal) rates. Alternatively, hybrid instruments may bear interest at above market rates, but bear an increased risk of principal loss (or gain). For example, an increased risk of principal loss (or gain) may result if “leverage” is used to structure a hybrid instrument. Leverage risk occurs when the hybrid instrument is structured so that a change in a benchmark or underlying asset is multiplied to produce a greater value change in the hybrid instrument, thereby magnifying the risk of loss, as well as the potential for gain.

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Liquidity Risk. Hybrid instruments also may carry liquidity risk since the instruments are often “customized” to meet the needs of a particular investor. Therefore, the number of investors that would be willing and able to buy such instruments in the secondary market may be smaller than for more traditional debt securities. In addition, because the purchase and sale of hybrid instruments could take place in an over-the-counter (“OTC”) market without the guarantee of a central clearing organization or in a transaction between the Fund and the issuer of the hybrid instrument, the creditworthiness of the counterparty or issuer of the hybrid instrument would be an additional risk factor, which the Fund would have to consider and monitor.

Lack of U.S. Regulation. Hybrid instruments may not be subject to regulation of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”), which generally regulates the trading of swaps and commodity futures by U.S. persons, the SEC, which regulates the offer and sale of securities by and to U.S. persons, or any other governmental regulatory authority.

Credit and Counterparty Risk. The issuer or guarantor of a hybrid instrument may be unable or unwilling to make timely principal, interest or settlement payments, or otherwise honor its obligations. Funds that invest in hybrid instruments are subject to varying degrees of risk that the issuers of the securities will have their credit rating downgraded or will default, potentially reducing the Fund’s share price and income level.

The various risks discussed above with respect to hybrid instruments, particularly the market risk of such instruments, may cause significant fluctuations in the NAV of the Fund to the extent that it invests in such instruments.

Investment Grade Fixed-Income Securities in the Lowest Rating Category

Investment grade fixed-income securities in the lowest rating category (i.e., rated “Baa” by Moody’s and “BBB” by S&P or Fitch, as applicable, and comparable unrated securities) involve a higher degree of risk than fixed-income securities in the higher rating categories. While such securities are considered investment grade quality and are deemed to have adequate capacity for payment of principal and interest, such securities lack outstanding investment characteristics and have speculative characteristics as well. For example, changes in economic conditions or other circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make principal and interest payments than is the case with higher grade securities.

Lower Rated Fixed-Income Securities

Lower rated fixed-income securities are defined as securities rated below investment grade (e.g., rated “Ba” and below by Moody’s, or “BB” and below by S&P). The principal risks of investing in these securities are as follows:

Risk to Principal and Income. Investing in lower rated fixed-income securities is considered speculative. While these securities generally provide greater income potential than investments in higher rated securities, there is a greater risk that principal and interest payments will not be made. Issuers of these securities may even go into default or become bankrupt.

Price Volatility. The price of lower rated fixed-income securities may be more volatile than securities in the higher rating categories. This volatility may increase during periods of economic uncertainty or change. The price of these securities is affected more than higher rated fixed-income securities by the market’s perception of their credit quality especially during times of adverse publicity. In the past, economic downturns or an increase in interest rates have, at times, caused more defaults by issuers of these securities and may do so in the future. Economic downturns and increases in interest rates have an even greater effect on highly leveraged issuers of these securities.

Liquidity. The market for lower rated fixed-income securities may have more limited trading than the market for investment grade fixed-income securities. Therefore, it may be more difficult to sell these securities and these securities may have to be sold at prices below their market value in order to meet redemption requests or to respond to changes in market conditions.

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Dependence on Subadvisor’s Own Credit Analysis. While a subadvisor to the Fund may rely on ratings by established credit rating agencies, it also will supplement such ratings with its own independent review of the credit quality of the issuer. Therefore, the assessment of the credit risk of lower rated fixed-income securities is more dependent on the subadvisor’s evaluation than the assessment of the credit risk of higher rated securities.

Additional Risks Regarding Lower Rated Corporate Fixed-Income Securities. Lower rated corporate debt securities (and comparable unrated securities) tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-rated corporate fixed-income securities.

Issuers of lower rated corporate debt securities also may be highly leveraged, increasing the risk that principal and income will not be repaid.

Additional Risks Regarding Lower Rated Foreign Government Fixed-Income Securities. Lower rated foreign government fixed-income securities are subject to the risks of investing in emerging market countries described under “Risk Factors – Foreign Securities.” In addition, the ability and willingness of a foreign government to make payments on debt when due may be affected by the prevailing economic and political conditions within the country. Emerging market countries may experience high inflation, interest rates and unemployment as well as exchange rate fluctuations that adversely affect trade, and political uncertainty or instability. These factors increase the risk that a foreign government will not make payments when due.

Market Events

Events in the financial sector have resulted, and may continue to result, in an unusually high degree of volatility in the financial markets, both domestic and foreign. These events have included, but are not limited to: bankruptcies, corporate restructurings, and other events related to the sub-prime mortgage crisis in 2008; financial distress in the U.S. auto industry; reports of credit and liquidity issues involving certain money market funds; governmental efforts to limit short selling and high frequency trading; measures to address U.S. federal and state budget deficits; social, political, and economic instability in Europe; S&P’s downgrade of U.S. long-term sovereign debt; economic stimulus by the Japanese central bank; steep declines in oil prices; dramatic changes in currency exchange rates; and China’s economic slowdown. Global economies and financial markets are becoming increasingly interconnected, which increases the possibility that conditions in one country or region might adversely impact issuers in a different country or region. Both domestic and foreign equity markets have experienced increased volatility and turmoil, with issuers that have exposure to the real estate, mortgage, and credit markets particularly affected, and it is uncertain when these conditions will recur. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates were to rise or economic conditions deteriorate.

In addition to financial market volatility, relatively high market volatility and reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets may adversely affect many issuers worldwide. Actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, such as decreases or increases in short-term interest rates, or interventions in currency markets, could cause high volatility in the equity and fixed-income markets. This reduced liquidity may result in less money being available to purchase raw materials, goods, and services from emerging markets, which may, in turn, bring down the prices of these economic staples. It may also result in emerging-market issuers having more difficulty obtaining financing, which may, in turn, cause a decline in their securities prices. These events and the possible resulting market volatility may have an adverse effect on the Fund.

Political turmoil within the United States and abroad may also impact the Fund. Although the U.S. government has honored its credit obligations, it remains possible that the United States could default on its obligations. While it is impossible to predict the consequences of such an unprecedented event, it is likely that a default by the United States would be highly disruptive to the U.S. and global securities markets and could significantly impair the value of the Fund’s investments. Similarly, political events within the United States at times have resulted, and may in the future result, in a shutdown of government services, which could negatively affect the U.S. economy, decrease the value of many Fund investments, and increase uncertainty in or impair the operation of the U.S. or other securities markets.

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Uncertainties surrounding the sovereign debt of a number of European Union (“EU”) countries and the viability of the EU have disrupted and may in the future disrupt markets in the United States and around the world. If one or more countries leave the EU or the EU dissolves, the world’s securities markets likely will be significantly disrupted. In June 2016, the United Kingdom approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit.” There is significant market uncertainty regarding Brexit’s ramifications, and the range and potential implications of possible political, regulatory, economic, and market outcomes are difficult to predict. Political and military events, including the military crises in Ukraine, Turkey, and the Middle East, and nationalist unrest in Europe, also may cause market disruptions.

In addition, there is a risk that the prices of goods and services in the United States and many foreign economies may decline over time, known as deflation. Deflation may have an adverse effect on stock prices and creditworthiness and may make defaults on debt more likely. If a country’s economy slips into a deflationary pattern, it could last for a prolonged period and may be difficult to reverse.

Small and Medium Size Companies

Survival of Small or Unseasoned Companies. Companies that are small or unseasoned (i.e., less than three years of operating history) are more likely than larger or established companies to fail or not to accomplish their goals. As a result, the value of their securities could decline significantly. These companies are less likely to survive since they are often dependent upon a small number of products and may have limited financial resources and a small management group.

Changes in Earnings and Business Prospects. Small or unseasoned companies often have a greater degree of change in earnings and business prospects than larger or established companies, resulting in more volatility in the price of their securities.

Liquidity. The securities of small or unseasoned companies may have limited marketability. This factor could cause the value of the Fund’s investments to decrease if it needs to sell such securities when there are few interested buyers.

Impact of Buying or Selling Shares. Small or unseasoned companies usually have fewer outstanding shares than larger or established companies. Therefore, it may be more difficult to buy or sell large amounts of these shares without unfavorably impacting the price of the security.

Publicly Available Information. There may be less publicly available information about small or unseasoned companies. Therefore, when making a decision to purchase a security for the Fund, a subadvisor may not be aware of problems associated with the company issuing the security.

Medium Size Companies. Investments in the securities of medium sized companies present risks similar to those associated with small or unseasoned companies although to a lesser degree due to the larger size of the companies.

Foreign Securities

Currency Fluctuations. Investments in foreign securities may cause the Fund to lose money when converting investments from foreign currencies into U.S. dollars. The Fund may attempt to lock in an exchange rate by purchasing a foreign currency exchange contract prior to the settlement of an investment in a foreign security. However, the Fund may not always be successful in doing so, and it could still lose money.

Political and Economic Conditions. Investments in foreign securities subject the Fund to the political or economic conditions of the foreign country. These conditions could cause the Fund’s investments to lose value if these conditions deteriorate for any reason. This risk increases in the case of emerging market countries which are more likely to be politically unstable. Political instability could cause the value of any investment in the securities of an issuer based in a foreign country to decrease or could prevent or delay the Fund from selling its investment and taking the money out of the country.

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Removal of Proceeds of Investments from a Foreign Country. Foreign countries, especially emerging market countries, often have currency controls or restrictions that may prevent or delay the Fund from taking money out of the country or may impose additional taxes on money removed from the country. Therefore, the Fund could lose money if it is not permitted to remove capital from the country or if there is a delay in taking the assets out of the country, since the value of the assets could decline during this period or the exchange rate to convert the assets into U.S. dollars could worsen.

Nationalization of Assets. Investments in foreign securities subject the Fund to the risk that the company issuing the security may be nationalized. If the company is nationalized, the value of the company’s securities could decrease in value or even become worthless.

Settlement of Sales. Foreign countries, especially emerging market countries, also may have problems associated with settlement of sales. Such problems could cause the Fund to suffer a loss if a security to be sold declines in value while settlement of the sale is delayed.

Investor Protection Standards. Foreign countries, especially emerging market countries, may have less stringent investor protection and disclosure standards than the U.S. Therefore, when making a decision to purchase a security for the Fund, the subadvisor may not be aware of problems associated with the company issuing the security and may not enjoy the same legal rights as those provided in the U.S.

European Risk

Countries in Europe may be significantly affected by fiscal and monetary controls implemented by the EU and European Economic and Monetary Union (“EMU”), which require member countries to comply with restrictions on inflation rates, deficits, interest rates, debt levels and fiscal and monetary controls. Decreasing imports or exports, changes in governmental or other regulations on trade, changes in the exchange rate of the Euro, the default or threat of default by one or more EU member countries on its sovereign debt, and/or an economic recession in one or more EU member countries may have a significant adverse effect on the economies of other EU member countries and major trading partners outside Europe.

In recent years, the European financial markets have experienced volatility and adverse trends due to concerns about economic downturns, rising government debt levels and the possible default of government debt in several European countries, including Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. Several countries, including Greece and Italy, have agreed to multi-year bailout loans from the European Central Bank, the IMF, and other institutions. A default or debt restructuring by any European country, such as the restructuring of Greece’s outstanding sovereign debt, can adversely impact holders of that country’s debt and sellers of credit default swaps linked to that country’s creditworthiness, which may be located in countries other than those listed above, and can affect exposures to other EU countries and their financial companies as well. The manner in which the EU and EMU responded to the global recession and sovereign debt issues raised questions about their ability to react quickly to rising borrowing costs and the potential default by Greece and other countries of their sovereign debt and revealed a lack of cohesion in dealing with the fiscal problems of member states. To address budget deficits and public debt concerns, a number of European countries have imposed strict austerity measures and comprehensive financial and labor market reforms, which could increase political or social instability. Many European countries continue to suffer from high unemployment rates.

Uncertainties regarding the viability of the EU have impacted and may continue to impact markets in the United States and around the world. If one or more countries leave the EU or the EU dissolves, securities markets would likely be significantly disrupted. In June 2016, the United Kingdom (the “UK”) approved a referendum to leave the EU, commonly referred to as “Brexit,” which sparked depreciation in the value of the British pound and heightened risk of continued worldwide economic volatility. Pursuant to Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon, the UK may give notice of its withdrawal from the EU and commence negotiations on the terms of withdrawal. If such notice is given, the negotiation period could last for two years or more, and during that period there would likely be considerable uncertainty as to the arrangements that would apply to the UK’s relationships with the EU and other countries following its anticipated withdrawal. This long-term uncertainty might affect other countries in the EU and elsewhere. It is also possible that the UK could initiate another referendum on the issue of Brexit, or that various countries within the UK, such as Scotland, could seek to separate and remain a part of the EU.

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The UK has one of the largest economies in Europe and is a major trading partner with the other EU countries and the United States. If implemented, Brexit might negatively affect The City of London’s economy, which is heavily dominated by financial services, as banks might be forced to move staff and comply with two separate sets of rules or lose business to banks in Continental Europe. In addition, Brexit would likely create additional economic stresses for the UK, including the potential for decreased trade, capital outflows, devaluation of the British pound, wider corporate bond spreads due to uncertainty, and declines in business and consumer spending as well as foreign direct investment. Further, the UK’s departure from the EU would potentially cause volatility within the EU, which could trigger prolonged economic downturns in certain European countries or spark additional member states to contemplate departing the EU (thereby exacerbating political instability in the region).

Investing in the securities of Eastern European issuers is highly speculative and involves risks not usually associated with investing in the more developed markets of Western Europe. Securities markets of Eastern European countries typically are less efficient and have lower trading volume, lower liquidity, and higher volatility than more developed markets. Eastern European economies also may be particularly susceptible to disruption in the international credit market due to their reliance on bank related inflows of capital.

To the extent that the Fund invests in European securities, it may be exposed to these risks through its direct investments in such securities, including sovereign debt, or indirectly through investments in money market funds and financial institutions with significant investments in such securities.

Negative Interest Rates.  Certain European countries have recently experienced negative interest rates on deposits and debt instruments have traded at negative yields.  A negative interest rate policy is an unconventional central bank monetary policy tool where nominal target interest rates are set with a negative value (i.e., below zero percent) intended to help create self-sustaining growth in the local economy. Negative interest rates may become more prevalent among non-U.S. issuers, and potentially within the U.S.  For example, if a bank charges negative interest, instead of receiving interest on deposits, a depositor must pay the bank fees to keep money with the bank.

These market conditions may increase the Fund’s exposures to interest rate risk. To the extent the Fund has a bank deposit or holds a debt instrument with a negative interest rate to maturity, the Fund would generate a negative return on that investment. While negative yields can be expected to reduce demand for fixed-income investments trading at a negative interest rate, investors may be willing to continue to purchase such investments for a number of reasons including, but not limited to, price insensitivity, arbitrage opportunities across fixed-income markets or rules-based investment strategies. If negative interest rates become more prevalent in the market, it is expected that investors will seek to reallocate assets to other income-producing assets such as investment grade and high-yield debt instruments, or equity investments that pay a dividend. This increased demand for higher yielding assets may cause the price of such instruments to rise while triggering a corresponding decrease in yield and the value of debt instruments over time.

Russian Securities Risk

The United States and the EU have imposed economic sanctions against companies in certain sectors of the Russian economy, including, but not limited to: financial services, energy, metals and mining, engineering, and defense and defense-related materials. These sanctions could impair the Fund’s ability to continue to invest in Russian issuers. For example, the Fund may be prohibited from investing in securities issued by companies subject to such sanctions. In addition, retaliatory measures by the Russian government in response to such sanctions may result in a freeze of Russian assets held by the Fund, thereby prohibiting the Fund from selling or otherwise transacting in these investments. In such circumstances, the Fund might be forced to liquidate non-restricted assets in order to satisfy shareholder redemptions. Such liquidation of Fund assets might also result in the Fund receiving substantially lower prices for its portfolio securities.

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Greater China Region Risk

Investments in the Greater China region are subject to special risks, such as less developed or less efficient trading markets, restrictions on monetary repatriation and possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of assets. Investments in Taiwan could be adversely affected by its political and economic relationship with China. In addition, the willingness of the Chinese government to support the Chinese and Hong Kong economies and markets is uncertain, and changes in government policy could significantly affect the markets in both Hong Kong and China. For example, a government may restrict investment in companies or industries considered important to national interests, or intervene in the financial markets, such as by imposing trading restrictions, or banning or curtailing short selling. A small number of companies and industries may represent a relatively large portion of the Greater China market. Consequently, the Fund may experience greater price volatility and significantly lower liquidity than a portfolio invested solely in equity securities of U.S. issuers. These companies and industries also may be subject to greater sensitivity to adverse political, economic or regulatory developments generally affecting the market (see “Risk Factors – Foreign Securities”).

Multinational Companies Risk

To the extent that the Fund invests in the securities of companies with foreign business operations, it may be riskier than funds that focus on companies with primarily U.S. operations. Multinational companies may face certain political and economic risks, such as foreign controls over currency exchange; restrictions on monetary repatriation; possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of assets; and political, economic or social instability. These risks are greater for companies with significant operations in developing countries.

Natural Disasters and Adverse Weather Conditions

Certain areas of the world historically have been prone to major natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, flooding, tidal waves, tsunamis, erupting volcanoes, wildfires or droughts, and have been economically sensitive to environmental events. Such disasters, and the resulting damage, could have a severe and negative impact on the Fund’s investment portfolio and, in the longer term, could impair the ability of issuers in which the Fund invests to conduct their businesses in the manner normally conducted. Adverse weather conditions also may have a particularly significant negative effect on issuers in the agricultural sector and on insurance companies that insure against the impact of natural disasters.

Gaming-Tribal Authority Investments

The value of the Fund’s investments in securities issued by gaming companies, including gaming facilities operated by Indian (Native American) tribal authorities, is subject to legislative or regulatory changes, adverse market conditions, and/or increased competition affecting the gaming sector. Securities of gaming companies may be considered speculative, and generally exhibit greater volatility than the overall market. The market value of gaming company securities may fluctuate widely due to unpredictable earnings, due in part to changing consumer tastes and intense competition, strong reaction to technological developments, and the threat of increased government regulation.

Securities issued by Indian tribal authorities are subject to particular risks. Indian tribes enjoy sovereign immunity, which is the legal privilege by which the United States federal, state, and tribal governments cannot be sued without their consent. In order to sue an Indian tribe (or an agency or instrumentality thereof), the tribe must have effectively waived its sovereign immunity with respect to the matter in dispute. Certain Indian tribal authorities have agreed to waive their sovereign immunity in connection with their outstanding debt obligations. Generally, waivers of sovereign immunity have been held to be enforceable against Indian tribes. Nevertheless, if a waiver of sovereign immunity is held to be ineffective, claimants, including investors in Indian tribal authority securities (such as the Fund), could be precluded from judicially enforcing their rights and remedies.

Further, in most commercial disputes with Indian tribes, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain federal court jurisdiction. A commercial dispute may not present a federal question, and an Indian tribe may not be considered a citizen of any state for purposes of establishing diversity jurisdiction. The U.S. Supreme Court has held that jurisdiction in a tribal court must be exhausted before any dispute can be heard in an appropriate federal court. In cases where the jurisdiction of the tribal forum is disputed, the tribal court first must rule as to the limits of its own jurisdiction. Such jurisdictional issues, as well as the general view that Indian tribes are not considered to be subject to ordinary bankruptcy proceedings, may be disadvantageous to holders of obligations issued by Indian tribal authorities, including the Fund.

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Investment Company Securities

The total return on investments in securities of other investment companies will be reduced by the operating expenses and fees of such other investment companies, including advisory fees. Investments in closed-end funds may involve the payment of substantial premiums above the value of such investment companies’ portfolio securities.

Stripped Securities

Stripped securities are the separate income or principal components of a debt security. The risks associated with stripped securities are similar to those of other debt securities, although stripped securities may be more volatile, and the value of certain types of stripped securities may move in the same direction as interest rates. U.S. Treasury securities that have been stripped by a Federal Reserve Bank are obligations issued by the U.S. Treasury.

Mortgage-Backed and Asset-Backed Securities

Mortgage-Backed Securities. Mortgage-backed securities represent participating interests in pools of residential mortgage loans that are guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. However, the guarantee of these types of securities relates to the principal and interest payments and not the market value of such securities. In addition, the guarantee only relates to the mortgage-backed securities held by the Fund and not the purchase of shares of the Fund.

Mortgage-backed securities are issued by lenders such as mortgage bankers, commercial banks, and savings and loan associations. Such securities differ from conventional debt securities, which provide for the periodic payment of interest in fixed amounts (usually semiannually) with principal payments at maturity or on specified dates. Mortgage-backed securities provide periodic payments that are, in effect, a “pass-through” of the interest and principal payments (including any prepayments) made by the individual borrowers on the pooled mortgage loans. A mortgage-backed security will mature when all the mortgages in the pool mature or are prepaid. Therefore, mortgage-backed securities do not have a fixed maturity, and their expected maturities may vary when interest rates rise or fall.

When interest rates fall, homeowners are more likely to prepay their mortgage loans. An increased rate of prepayments on the Fund’s mortgage-backed securities will result in an unforeseen loss of interest income to the Fund as the Fund may be required to reinvest assets at a lower interest rate. Because prepayments increase when interest rates fall, the prices of mortgage-backed securities do not increase as much as other fixed-income securities when interest rates fall.

When interest rates rise, homeowners are less likely to prepay their mortgage loans. A decreased rate of prepayments lengthens the expected maturity of a mortgage-backed security. Therefore, the prices of mortgage-backed securities may decrease more than prices of other fixed-income securities when interest rates rise.

The yield of mortgage-backed securities is based on the average life of the underlying pool of mortgage loans. The actual life of any particular pool may be shortened by unscheduled or early payments of principal and interest. Principal prepayments may result from the sale of the underlying property or the refinancing or foreclosure of underlying mortgages. The occurrence of prepayments is affected by a wide range of economic, demographic and social factors and, accordingly, it is not possible to accurately predict the average life of a particular pool. The actual prepayment experience of a pool of mortgage loans may cause the yield realized by the Fund to differ from the yield calculated on the basis of the average life of the pool. In addition, if the Fund purchases mortgage-backed securities at a premium, the premium may be lost in the event of early prepayment which may result in a loss to the Fund.

Prepayments tend to increase during periods of falling interest rates and decline during periods of rising interest rates. Monthly interest payments received by the Fund have a compounding effect, which will increase the yield to shareholders as compared to debt obligations that pay interest semiannually. Because of the reinvestment of prepayments of principal at current rates, mortgage-backed securities may be less effective than Treasury bonds of similar maturity at maintaining yields during periods of declining interest rates. Also, although the value of debt securities may increase as interest rates decline, the value of these pass-through type of securities may not increase as much due to their prepayment feature.

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Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMOs”). CMOs are mortgage-backed securities issued in separate classes with different stated maturities. As the mortgage pool experiences prepayments, the pool pays off investors in classes with shorter maturities first. By investing in CMOs, the Fund may manage the prepayment risk of mortgage-backed securities. However, prepayments may cause the actual maturity of a CMO to be substantially shorter than its stated maturity.

Asset-Backed Securities. Asset-backed securities include interests in pools of debt securities, commercial or consumer loans, or other receivables. The value of these securities depends on many factors, including changes in interest rates, the availability of information concerning the pool and its structure, the credit quality of the underlying assets, the market’s perception of the servicer of the pool, and any credit enhancement provided. In addition, asset-backed securities have prepayment risks similar to mortgage-backed securities.

Securities Linked to the Real Estate Market

Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry subjects the Fund to the risks associated with the direct ownership of real estate. These risks include, but are not limited to:

• declines in the value of real estate;

• risks related to general and local economic conditions;

• possible lack of availability of mortgage portfolios;

• overbuilding;

• extended vacancies of properties;

• increased competition;

• increases in property taxes and operating expenses;

• change in zoning laws;

• losses due to costs resulting from the clean-up of environmental problems;

• liability to third parties for damages resulting from environmental problems;

• casualty or condemnation losses;

• limitations on rents;

• changes in neighborhood values and the appeal of properties to tenants; and

• changes in interest rates.

Therefore, if the Fund invests a substantial amount of its assets in securities of companies in the real estate industry, the value of the Fund’s shares may change at different rates compared to the value of shares of a fund with investments in a mix of different industries.

Securities of companies in the real estate industry include real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), including equity REITs and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the trusts, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. Further, equity and mortgage REITs are dependent upon management skills and generally may not be diversified. Equity and mortgage REITs also are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidations. In addition, equity, mortgage, and hybrid REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code, or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act. The above factors also may adversely affect a borrower’s or a lessee’s ability to meet its obligations to a REIT. In the event of a default by a borrower or lessee, a REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

In addition, even the larger REITs in the industry tend to be small to medium-sized companies in relation to the equity markets as a whole. See “Small and Medium Size Companies” for a discussion of the risks associated with investments in these companies.

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Industry or Sector Investing

When the Fund invests a substantial portion of its assets in a particular industry or sector of the economy, the Fund’s investments are not as varied as the investments of most funds and are far less varied than the broad securities markets. As a result, the Fund’s performance tends to be more volatile than other funds, and the values of the Fund’s investments tend to go up and down more rapidly. In addition, the Fund that invests significantly in a particular industry or sector is particularly susceptible to the impact of market, economic, regulatory and others factors affecting that industry or sector.

Consumer Discretionary. The consumer discretionary sector may be affected by fluctuations in supply and demand and may also be adversely affected by changes in consumer spending as a result of world events, political and economic conditions, commodity price volatility, changes in exchange rates, imposition of import controls, increased competition, depletion of resources and labor relations.

Consumer Staples. Companies in the consumer staples sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, consumer confidence and spending, consumer preferences, interest rates, product cycles, marketing, competition, and government regulation. Other risks include changes in global economic, environmental and political events, and the depletion of resources. Companies in the consumer staples sector may also be negatively impacted by government regulations affecting their products. For example, government regulations may affect the permissibility of using various food additives and production methods of companies that make food products, which could affect company profitability. Tobacco companies, in particular, may be adversely affected by new laws, regulations and litigation. Companies in the consumer staples sector may also be subject to risks relating to the supply of, demand for, and prices of raw materials. The prices of raw materials fluctuate in response to a number of factors, including, changes in exchange rates, import and export controls, changes in international agricultural and trading policies, and seasonal and weather conditions, among others. In addition, the success of food, beverage, household and personal product companies, in particular, may be strongly affected by unpredictable factors, such as, demographics, consumer spending, and product trends.

Energy. Companies in the energy sector may be affected by energy prices, supply and demand fluctuations including in energy fuels, energy conservation, liabilities arising from government or civil actions, environmental and other government regulations, and geopolitical events including political instability and war. The market value of companies in the local energy sector is heavily impacted by the levels and stability of global energy prices, energy conservation efforts, the success of exploration projects, exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, tax and other government regulations, increased competition and technological advances, as well as other factors. Companies in this sector may be subject to extensive government regulation and contractual fixed pricing, which may increase the cost of doing business and limit these companies’ profits. A large part of the returns of these companies depends on few customers, including governmental entities and utilities. As a result, governmental budget constraints may have a significant negative effect on the stock prices of energy sector companies. Energy companies may also operate in, or engage in, transactions involving countries with less developed regulatory regimes or a history of expropriation, nationalization or other adverse policies. As a result, securities of companies in the energy field are subject to quick price and supply fluctuations caused by events relating to international politics. Other risks include liability from accidents resulting in injury or loss of life or property, pollution or other environmental problems, equipment malfunctions or mishandling of materials and a risk of loss from terrorism, political strife and natural disasters. Energy companies can also be heavily affected by the supply of, and demand for, their specific product or service and for energy products in general, and government subsidization. Energy companies may have high levels of debt and may be more likely to restructure their businesses if there are downturns in energy markets or the economy as a whole.

Financial Services. The Fund investing principally in securities of financial services companies is particularly vulnerable to events affecting that industry. Financial services companies include commercial and industrial banks, savings and loan associations and their holding companies, consumer and industrial finance companies, diversified financial services companies, investment banking, securities brokerage and investment advisory companies, leasing companies and insurance companies. These companies are all subject to extensive regulation, rapid business changes, volatile performance dependent upon the availability and cost of capital, prevailing interest rates and significant competition. General economic conditions significantly affect these companies. Credit and other losses resulting from the financial difficulty of borrowers or other third parties have a potentially adverse effect on companies in this industry. Investment banking, securities brokerage and investment advisory companies are particularly subject to government regulation and the risks inherent in securities trading and underwriting activities.

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Banking. Commercial banks (including “money center” regional and community banks), savings and loan associations and holding companies of the foregoing are especially subject to adverse effects of volatile interest rates, concentrations of loans in particular industries (such as real estate or energy) and significant competition. The profitability of these businesses is to a significant degree dependent upon the availability and cost of capital funds. Economic conditions in the real estate market may have a particularly strong effect on certain banks and savings associations. Commercial banks and savings associations are subject to extensive federal and, in many instances, state regulation. Neither such extensive regulation nor the federal insurance of deposits ensures the solvency or profitability of companies in this industry, and there is no assurance against losses in securities issued by such companies.

Insurance. Insurance companies are particularly subject to government regulation and rate setting, potential anti-trust and tax law changes, and industry-wide pricing and competition cycles. Property and casualty insurance companies also may be affected by weather and other catastrophes. Life and health insurance companies may be affected by mortality and morbidity rates, including the effects of epidemics. Individual insurance companies may be exposed to reserve inadequacies, problems in investment portfolios (for example, due to real estate or “junk” bond holdings) and failures of reinsurance carriers.

Health Sciences. Companies in this sector are subject to the additional risks of increased competition within the health care industry, changes in legislation or government regulations, reductions in government funding, product liability or other litigation and the obsolescence of popular products. The prices of the securities of health sciences companies may fluctuate widely due to government regulation and approval of their products and services, which may have a significant effect on their price and availability. In addition, the types of products or services produced or provided by these companies may quickly become obsolete. Moreover, liability for products that are later alleged to be harmful or unsafe may be substantial and may have a significant impact on a company’s market value or share price.

Industrials. Companies in the industrials sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and pricing, supply and demand fluctuations, environmental and other government regulations, geopolitical events, interest rates, insurance costs, technological developments, liabilities arising from governmental or civil actions, labor relations, import controls and government spending. The value of securities issued by companies in the industrials sector may also be adversely affected by supply and demand related to their specific products or services and industrials sector products in general, as well as liability for environmental damage and product liability claims and government regulations. For example, the products of manufacturing companies may face obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction. Certain companies within this sector, particularly aerospace and defense companies, may be heavily affected by government spending policies because companies involved in this industry rely, to a significant extent, on government demand for their products and services, and, therefore, the financial condition of, and investor interest in, these companies are significantly influenced by governmental defense spending policies, which are typically under pressure from efforts to control the U.S. (and other) government budgets. In addition, securities of industrials companies in transportation may be cyclical and have occasional sharp price movements which may result from economic changes, fuel prices, labor relations and insurance costs, and transportation companies in certain countries may also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight, which may adversely affect their businesses.

Internet-Related Investments. The value of companies engaged in Internet-related activities, which is a developing industry, is particularly vulnerable to: (a) rapidly changing technology; (b) extensive government regulation; and (c) relatively high risk of obsolescence caused by scientific and technological advances. In addition, companies engaged in Internet-related activities are difficult to value and many have high share prices relative to their earnings which they may not be able to maintain over the long-term. Moreover, many Internet companies are not yet profitable and will need additional financing to continue their operations. There is no guarantee that such financing will be available when needed. Since many Internet companies are start-up companies, the risks associated with investing in small companies are heightened for these companies. If the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in Internet-related companies, it should be considered extremely risky even as compared to other funds that invest primarily in small company securities.

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Materials. Companies in the materials sector may be affected by general economic conditions, commodity production and prices, consumer preferences, interest rates, exchange rates, product cycles, marketing, competition, resource depletion, and environmental, import/export and other government regulations. Other risks may include liabilities for environmental damage and general civil liabilities, and mandated expenditures for safety and pollution control. The materials sector may also be affected by economic cycles, technological progress, and labor relations. At times, worldwide production of industrial materials has been greater than demand as a result of over-building or economic downturns, leading to poor investment returns or losses. These risks are heightened for companies in the materials sector located in foreign markets.

Natural Resources. The Fund’s investments in natural resources companies are especially affected by variations in the commodities markets (which may be due to market events, regulatory developments or other factors that such Fund cannot control) and these companies may lack the resources and the broad business lines to weather hard times. Natural resources companies can be significantly affected by events relating to international political developments, energy conservation, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, and tax and government regulations.

Technology. Technology companies rely heavily on technological advances and face intense competition, both domestically and internationally, which may have an adverse effect on profit margins. Shortening of product cycle and manufacturing capacity increases may subject technology companies to aggressive pricing. Technology companies may have limited product lines, markets, financial resources or personnel. The products of technology companies may face product obsolescence due to rapid technological developments and frequent new product introduction, unpredictable changes in growth rates and competition for the services of qualified personnel. Technology companies may not successfully introduce new products, develop and maintain a loyal customer base or achieve general market acceptance for their products.

Stocks of technology companies, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Companies in the technology sector are also heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect the profitability of these companies. Technology companies engaged in manufacturing, such as semiconductor companies, often operate internationally which could expose them to risks associated with instability and changes in economic and political conditions, foreign currency fluctuations, changes in foreign regulations, competition from subsidized foreign competitors with lower production costs and other risks inherent to international business.

Telecommunications. Companies in the telecommunications sector are subject to the additional risks of rapid obsolescence, lack of standardization or compatibility with existing technologies, an unfavorable regulatory environment, and a dependency on patent and copyright protection. The prices of the securities of companies in the telecommunications sector may fluctuate widely due to both federal and state regulations governing rates of return and services that may be offered, fierce competition for market share, and competitive challenges in the U.S. from foreign competitors engaged in strategic joint ventures with U.S. companies, and in foreign markets from both U.S. and foreign competitors. In addition, recent industry consolidation trends may lead to increased regulation of telecommunications companies in their primary markets.

Utilities. Companies in the utilities sector may be affected by general economic conditions, supply and demand, financing and operating costs, rate caps, interest rates, liabilities arising from governmental or civil actions, consumer confidence and spending, competition, technological progress, energy prices, resource conservation and depletion, man-made or natural disasters, geopolitical events, and environmental and other government regulations. The value of securities issued by companies in the utilities sector may be negatively impacted by variations in exchange rates, domestic and international competition, energy conservation and governmental limitations on rates charged to customers. Although rate changes of a regulated utility usually vary in approximate correlation with financing costs, due to political and regulatory factors rate changes usually happen only after a delay after the changes in financing costs. Deregulation may subject utility companies to increased competition and can negatively affect their profitability as it permits utility companies to diversify outside of their original geographic regions and customary lines of business, causing them to engage in more uncertain ventures. Deregulation can also eliminate restrictions on the profits of certain utility companies, but can simultaneously expose these companies to an increased risk of loss. Although opportunities may permit certain utility companies to earn more than their traditional regulated rates of return, companies in the utilities industry may have difficulty obtaining an adequate return on invested capital, raising capital, or financing large construction projects during periods of inflation or unsettled capital markets. Utility companies may also be subject to increased costs because of the effects of man-made or natural disasters. Current and future regulations or legislation can make it more difficult for utility companies to operate profitably. Government regulators monitor and control utility revenues and costs, and thus may restrict utility profits. There is no assurance that regulatory authorities will grant rate increases in the future, or that those increases will be adequate to permit the payment of dividends on stocks issued by a utility company. Because utility companies are faced with the same obstacles, issues and regulatory burdens, their securities may react similarly and more in unison to these or other market conditions.

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Initial Public Offerings (“IPOs”)

IPOs may have a magnified impact on the performance of the Fund if it has a small asset base. The impact of IPOs on the Fund’s performance likely will decrease as the Fund’s asset size increases, which could reduce the Fund’s returns. IPOs may not be consistently available to the Fund for investment, particularly as the Fund’s asset base grows. IPO shares frequently are volatile in price due to the absence of a prior public market, the small number of shares available for trading and limited information about the issuer. Therefore, the Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time. This may increase the turnover of the Fund and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. In addition, IPO shares can experience an immediate drop in value if the demand for the securities does not continue to support the offering price.

U.S. Government Securities

U.S. government securities include securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or by an agency or instrumentality of the U.S. government. Not all U.S. government securities are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Some are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality, which depends entirely on its own resources to repay the debt. U.S. government securities that are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States include U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by GNMA. Securities that are only supported by the credit of the issuing agency or instrumentality include those issued by Fannie Mae, the FHLBs and Freddie Mac.

High Yield (High Risk) Securities

General. The Fund may invest in high yield (high risk) securities, consistent with its investment objectives and policies. High yield (high risk) securities (also known as “junk bonds”) are those rated below investment grade and comparable unrated securities. These securities offer yields that fluctuate over time, but generally are superior to the yields offered by higher-rated securities. However, securities rated below investment grade also have greater risks than higher-rated securities as described below.

Interest Rate Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in fixed-income securities, the NAV of the Fund’s shares can be expected to change as general levels of interest rates fluctuate. However, the market values of securities rated below investment grade (and comparable unrated securities) tend to react less to fluctuations in interest rate levels than do those of higher-rated securities. Except to the extent that values are affected independently by other factors (such as developments relating to a specific issuer) when interest rates decline, the value of a fixed-income fund generally rise. Conversely, when interest rates rise, the value of a fixed-income fund will decline.

Liquidity. The secondary markets for high yield corporate and sovereign debt securities are not as liquid as the secondary markets for investment grade securities. The secondary markets for high yield debt securities are concentrated in relatively few market makers and participants are mostly institutional investors. In addition, the trading volume for high yield debt securities is generally lower than for investment grade securities. Furthermore, the secondary markets could contract under adverse market or economic conditions independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer.

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These factors may have an adverse effect on the ability of Funds investing in high yield securities to dispose of particular portfolio investments. These factors also may limit Funds that invest in high yield securities from obtaining accurate market quotations to value securities and calculate NAV. If the Fund is not able to obtain precise or accurate market quotations for a particular high yield debt security, it will be more difficult for the subadvisor to value the Fund’s investments.

Less liquid secondary markets also may affect the Fund’s ability to sell securities at their fair value. The Fund may invest in illiquid securities, subject to certain restrictions (see “Additional Investment Policies – Illiquid Securities”). These securities may be more difficult to value and to sell at fair value. If the secondary markets for high yield debt securities are affected by adverse economic conditions, the proportion of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities may increase.

Below-Investment Grade Corporate Debt Securities. While the market values of securities rated below investment grade (and comparable unrated securities) tend to react less to fluctuations in interest rate levels than do those of higher-rated securities, the market values of below-investment grade corporate debt securities tend to be more sensitive to individual corporate developments and changes in economic conditions than higher-rated securities.

In addition, these securities generally present a higher degree of credit risk. Issuers of these securities are often highly leveraged and may not have more traditional methods of financing available to them. Therefore, their ability to service their debt obligations during an economic downturn or during sustained periods of rising interest rates may be impaired. The risk of loss due to default by such issuers is significantly greater than with investment grade securities because such securities generally are unsecured and frequently are subordinated to the prior payment of senior indebtedness.

Below-Investment Grade Foreign Sovereign Debt Securities. Investing in below-investment grade foreign sovereign debt securities will expose the Fund to the consequences of political, social or economic changes in the developing and emerging market countries that issue the securities. The ability and willingness of sovereign obligors in these countries to pay principal and interest on such debt when due may depend on general economic and political conditions within the relevant country. Developing and emerging market countries have historically experienced (and may continue to experience) high inflation and interest rates, exchange rate trade difficulties, extreme poverty and unemployment. Many of these countries also are characterized by political uncertainty or instability.

The ability of a foreign sovereign obligor to make timely payments on its external debt obligations also will be strongly influenced by:

• the obligor’s balance of payments, including export performance;

• the obligor’s access to international credits and investments;

• fluctuations in interest rates; and

• the extent of the obligor’s foreign reserves.

Obligor’s Balance of Payments. A country whose exports are concentrated in a few commodities or whose economy depends on certain strategic imports could be vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices of these commodities or imports. To the extent that a country receives payment for its exports in currencies other than dollars, its ability to make debt payments denominated in dollars could be adversely affected.

Obligor’s Access to International Credits and Investments. If a foreign sovereign obligor cannot generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade to service its external debt, it may need to depend on continuing loans and aid from foreign governments, commercial banks, and multilateral organizations, and inflows of foreign investment. The commitment on the part of these entities to make such disbursements may be conditioned on the government’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of its obligations. Failure in any of these efforts may result in the cancellation of these third parties’ lending commitments, thereby further impairing the obligor’s ability or willingness to service its debts on time.

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Obligor’s Fluctuations in Interest Rates. The cost of servicing external debt is generally adversely affected by rising international interest rates since many external debt obligations bear interest at rates that are adjusted based upon international interest rates.

Obligor’s Foreign Reserves. The ability to service external debt also will depend on the level of the relevant government’s international currency reserves and its access to foreign exchange. Currency devaluations may affect the ability of a sovereign obligor to obtain sufficient foreign exchange to service its external debt.

The Consequences of a Default. As a result of the previously listed factors, a governmental obligor may default on its obligations. If a default occurs, the Fund may have limited legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor of a foreign sovereign debt security. Remedies must, in some cases, be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of the foreign sovereign debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt will not contest payments to the holders of other foreign sovereign debt obligations in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements.

Sovereign obligors in developing and emerging countries are among the world’s largest debtors to commercial banks, other governments, international financial organizations and other financial institutions. These obligors have in the past experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations. This difficulty has led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things:

• reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady Bonds; and

• obtaining new credit to finance interest payments.

Holders of certain foreign sovereign debt securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that the Brady Bonds and other foreign sovereign debt securities in which the Fund may invest will not be subject to similar restructuring arrangements or to requests for new credit that may adversely affect the Fund’s holdings. Furthermore, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants.

Securities in the Lowest Rating Categories. Certain debt securities in which the Fund may invest may have (or be considered comparable to securities having) the lowest ratings for non-subordinated debt instruments (e.g., securities rated “Caa” or lower by Moody’s or “CCC” or lower by S&P). These securities are considered to have the following characteristics:

• extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing;

• current identifiable vulnerability to default;

• unlikely to have the capacity to pay interest and repay principal when due in the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions;

• are speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligations; and/or

• are in default or not current in the payment of interest or principal.

Accordingly, it is possible that these types of characteristics could, in certain instances, reduce the value of securities held by the Fund with a commensurate effect on the value of the Fund’s shares.

REGULATION OF COMMODITY INTERESTS

The CFTC has adopted regulations that subject registered investment companies and/or their investment advisors to regulation by the CFTC if the registered investment company invests more than a prescribed level of its NAV in commodity futures, options on commodities or commodity futures, swaps, or other financial instruments regulated under the CEA (“commodity interests”), or if the registered investment company markets itself as providing investment exposure to such commodity interests. The Advisor is registered as a CPO under the CEA and is a National Futures Association member firm; however, the Advisor does not act in the capacity of a registered CPO with respect to the Fund.

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Although the Advisor is a registered CPO, the Advisor has claimed an exclusion from CPO registration pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to the Fund. To remain eligible for this exclusion, the Fund must comply with certain limitations, including limits on trading in commodity interests, and restrictions on the manner in which such Fund markets its commodity interests trading activities. These limitations may restrict the Fund’s ability to pursue its investment strategy, increase the costs of implementing its strategy, increase its expenses and/or adversely affect its total return.

HEDGING AND OTHER STRATEGIC TRANSACTIONS

Hedging refers to protecting against possible changes in the market value of securities or other assets that the Fund already owns or plans to buy, or protecting unrealized gains in the Fund. These strategies also may be used to gain exposure to a particular market. The hedging and other strategic transactions that may be used by the Fund, but only if and to the extent such transactions are consistent with its investment objective and policies, are described below:

• exchange-listed and OTC put and call options on securities, equity indices, volatility indices, financial futures contracts, currencies, fixed-income indices and other financial instruments;

• financial futures contracts (including stock index futures);

• interest rate transactions;*

• currency transactions;**

• warrants and rights (including non-standard warrants and participatory risks);

• swaps (including interest rate, index, dividend, inflation, variance, equity, and volatility swaps, credit default swaps, swap options and currency swaps); and

• structured notes, including hybrid or “index” securities.

* The Fund’s interest rate transactions may take the form of swaps, caps, floors and collars.

** The Fund’s currency transactions may take the form of currency forward contracts, currency futures contracts, currency swaps and options on currencies or currency futures contracts.

Hedging and other strategic transactions may be used for the following purposes:

• to attempt to protect against possible changes in the market value of securities held or to be purchased by the Fund resulting from securities markets or currency exchange rate fluctuations;

• to protect the Fund’s unrealized gains in the value of its securities;

• to facilitate the sale of the Fund’s securities for investment purposes;

• to manage the effective maturity or duration of the Fund’s securities;

• to establish a position in the derivatives markets as a method of gaining exposure to a particular geographic region, market, industry, issuer, or security; or

• to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.

To the extent that the Fund uses a hedging or another strategic transaction to gain, shift or manage exposure to a particular geographic region, market, industry, issuer, security, currency, or other asset, the Fund will be exposed to the risks of investing in that asset as well as the risks inherent in the specific hedging or other strategic transaction used to gain such exposure.

For purposes of determining compliance with the Fund’s investment policies, strategies and restrictions, that Fund will generally consider the market value of derivative instruments, unless the nature of the derivative instrument warrants the use of the instrument’s notional value to more accurately reflect the economic exposure represented by the derivative position.

Because of the uncertainties under federal tax laws as to whether income from commodity-linked derivative instruments and certain other instruments would constitute “qualifying income” to a RIC, the Fund is not permitted to invest in such instruments unless the subadvisor obtains prior written approval from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (the “CCO”). The CCO, as a member of the Advisor’s Complex Securities Committee, evaluates with the committee the appropriateness of the investment.

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General Characteristics of Options

Put options and call options typically have similar structural characteristics and operational mechanics regardless of the underlying instrument on which they are purchased or sold. Many hedging and other strategic transactions involving options require segregation of portfolio assets in special accounts, as described under “Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts.”

Put Options. A put option gives the purchaser of the option, upon payment of a premium, the right to sell (and the writer the obligation to buy) the underlying security, commodity, index, currency or other instrument at the exercise price. The Fund’s purchase of a put option on a security, for example, might be designed to protect its holdings in the underlying instrument (or, in some cases, a similar instrument) against a substantial decline in the market value of such instrument by giving the Fund the right to sell the instrument at the option exercise price.

If, and to the extent authorized to do so, the Fund may, for various purposes, purchase and sell put options on securities (whether or not it holds the securities in its portfolio) and on securities indices, currencies, and futures contracts.

Risk of Selling Put Options. In selling put options, the Fund faces the risk that it may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price.

Call Options. A call option, upon payment of a premium, gives the purchaser of the option the right to buy (and the seller the obligation to sell) the underlying instrument at the exercise price. The Fund’s purchase of a call option on an underlying instrument might be intended to protect the Fund against an increase in the price of the underlying instrument that it intends to purchase in the future by fixing the price at which it may purchase the instrument. An “American” style put or call option may be exercised at any time during the option period, whereas a “European” style put or call option may be exercised only upon expiration or during a fixed period prior to expiration. If and to the extent authorized to do so, the Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities (whether or not it holds the securities).

Partial Hedge or Income to the Fund. If the Fund sells a call option, the premium that it receives may serve as a partial hedge, to the extent of the option premium, against a decrease in the value of the underlying securities or instruments held by the Fund or will increase the Fund’s income. Similarly, the sale of put options also can provide gains.

Covering of Options. All call options sold by the Fund must be “covered” (that is, the Fund must own the securities or futures contract subject to the call or must otherwise meet the asset segregation requirements described below for so long as the call is outstanding).

Risk of Selling Call Options. Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against loss, a call option sold by the Fund will expose it during the term of the option to possible loss of the opportunity to sell the underlying security or instrument with a gain.

Exchange-Listed Options. Exchange-listed options are issued by a regulated intermediary such as the Options Clearing Corporation (the “OCC”), which guarantees the performance of the obligations of the parties to the options. The discussion below uses the OCC as an example but also is applicable to other similar financial intermediaries.

OCC-issued and exchange-listed options, with certain exceptions, generally settle by physical delivery of the underlying security or currency, although in the future, cash settlement may become available. Index options and Eurodollar instruments (which are described below under “Eurodollar Instruments”) are cash settled for the net amount, if any, by which the option is “in-the-money” at the time the option is exercised. “In-the-money” means the amount by which the value of the underlying instrument exceeds, in the case of a call option, or is less than, in the case of a put option, the exercise price of the option. Frequently, rather than taking or making delivery of the underlying instrument through the process of exercising the option, listed options are closed by entering into offsetting purchase or sale transactions that do not result in ownership of the new option.

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The Fund’s ability to close out its position as a purchaser or seller of an OCC-issued or exchange-listed put or call option is dependent, in part, upon the liquidity of the particular option market. Among the possible reasons for the absence of a liquid option market on an exchange are:

• insufficient trading interest in certain options;

• restrictions on transactions imposed by an exchange;

• trading halts, suspensions or other restrictions imposed with respect to particular classes or series of options or underlying securities, including reaching daily price limits;

• interruption of the normal operations of the OCC or an exchange;

• inadequacy of the facilities of an exchange or the OCC to handle current trading volume; or

• a decision by one or more exchanges to discontinue the trading of options (or a particular class or series of options), in which event the relevant market for that option on that exchange would cease to exist, although any such outstanding options on that exchange would continue to be exercisable in accordance with their terms.

The hours of trading for listed options may not coincide with the hours during which the underlying financial instruments are traded. To the extent that the option markets close before the markets for the underlying financial instruments, significant price and rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that would not be reflected in the corresponding option markets.

OTC Options. OTC options are purchased from or sold to counterparties such as securities dealers or financial institutions through direct bilateral agreement with the counterparty. In contrast to exchange-listed options, which generally have standardized terms and performance mechanics, all of the terms of an OTC option, including such terms as method of settlement, term, exercise price, premium, guaranties and security, are determined by negotiation of the parties. It is anticipated that the Fund generally will only enter into OTC options that have cash settlement provisions, although it will not be required to do so.

Unless the parties provide for it, no central clearing or guaranty function is involved in an OTC option. As a result, if a counterparty fails to make or take delivery of the security, currency or other instrument underlying an OTC option it has entered into with the Fund or fails to make a cash settlement payment due in accordance with the terms of that option, the Fund will lose any premium it paid for the option as well as any anticipated benefit of the transaction. Thus, the subadvisor must assess the creditworthiness of each such counterparty or any guarantor or credit enhancement of the counterparty’s credit to determine the likelihood that the terms of the OTC option will be met. The Fund will enter into OTC option transactions only with U.S. government securities dealers recognized by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as “primary dealers,” or broker-dealers, domestic or foreign banks, or other financial institutions that are deemed creditworthy by the subadvisor. In the absence of a change in the current position of the SEC’s staff, OTC options purchased by the Fund and the amount of the Fund’s obligation pursuant to an OTC option sold by the Fund (the cost of the sell-back plus the in-the-money amount, if any) or the value of the assets held to cover such options will be deemed illiquid.

Types of Options That May Be Purchased. The Fund may purchase and sell call options on securities indices, currencies, and futures contracts, as well as on Eurodollar instruments that are traded on U.S. and foreign securities exchanges and in the OTC markets.

The Fund reserves the right to invest in options on instruments and indices that may be developed in the future to the extent consistent with applicable law, its investment objective and the restrictions set forth herein.

General Characteristics of Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts

The Fund may trade financial futures contracts (including stock index futures contracts which are described below) or purchase or sell put and call options on those contracts for the following purposes:

• as a hedge against anticipated interest rate, currency or market changes;

• for duration management;

• for risk management purposes; and

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• to gain exposure to a securities market.

Futures contracts are generally bought and sold on the commodities exchanges where they are listed with payment of initial and variation margin as described below. The sale of a futures contract creates a firm obligation by the Fund, as seller, to deliver to the buyer the specific type of financial instrument called for in the contract at a specific future time for a specified price (or, with respect to certain instruments, the net cash amount). Options on futures contracts are similar to options on securities except that an option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract and obligates the seller to deliver that position.

With respect to futures contracts that are not legally required to “cash settle,” the Fund may cover the open position by setting aside or earmarking liquid assets in an amount equal to the market value of the futures contract. With respect to futures that are required to “cash settle,” such as Eurodollar, UK 90 day and Euribor futures; however, the Fund is permitted to set aside or earmark liquid assets in an amount equal to the Fund’s daily marked to market (net) obligation, if any, (in other words, the Fund’s daily net liability, if any) rather than the market value of the futures contract. By setting aside assets equal to only its net obligation under cash-settled futures contracts, the Fund will have the ability to employ such futures contracts to a greater extent than if the Fund were required to segregate assets equal to the full market value of the futures contract.

The Fund will engage in transactions in futures contracts and related options only to the extent such transactions are consistent with the requirements of the Code in order to maintain its qualification as a RIC for federal income tax purposes.

Margin. Maintaining a futures contract or selling an option on a futures contract will typically require the Fund to deposit with a financial intermediary, as security for its obligations, an amount of cash or other specified assets (“initial margin”) that initially is from 1% to 10% of the face amount of the contract (but may be higher in some circumstances). Additional cash or assets (“variation margin”) may be required to be deposited thereafter daily as the mark-to-market value of the futures contract fluctuates. The purchase of an option on a financial futures contract involves payment of a premium for the option without any further obligation on the part of the Fund. If the Fund exercises an option on a futures contract it will be obligated to post initial margin (and potentially variation margin) for the resulting futures position just as it would for any futures position.

Settlement. Futures contracts and options thereon are generally settled by entering into an offsetting transaction, but no assurance can be given that a position can be offset prior to settlement or that delivery will occur.

Value of Futures Contracts Sold by the Fund. The value of all futures contracts sold by the Fund (adjusted for the historical volatility relationship between the Fund and the contracts) will not exceed the total market value of the Fund’s assets.

Stock Index Futures

Definition. A stock index futures contract (an “Index Future”) is a contract to buy a certain number of units of the relevant index at a specified future date at a price agreed upon when the contract is made. A unit is the value at a given time of the relevant index.

Uses of Index Futures. Below are some examples of how the Fund may use Index Futures:

• In connection with the Fund’s investment in equity securities, the Fund may invest in Index Futures while the subadvisor seeks favorable terms from brokers to effect transactions in equity securities selected for purchase.

• The Fund also may invest in Index Futures when the subadvisor believes that there are not enough attractive equity securities available to maintain the standards of diversity and liquidity set for the Fund’s pending investment in such equity securities when they do become available.

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• Through the use of Index Futures, the Fund may maintain a pool of assets with diversified risk without incurring the substantial brokerage costs that may be associated with investment in multiple issuers. This may permit the Fund to avoid potential market and liquidity problems (e.g., driving up or forcing down the price by quickly purchasing or selling shares of a portfolio security) that may result from increases or decreases in positions already held by the Fund.

• The Fund also may invest in Index Futures in order to hedge its equity positions.

Hedging and other strategic transactions involving futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swaps will be purchased, sold or entered into primarily for bona fide hedging, risk management (including duration management) or appropriate portfolio management purposes, including gaining exposure to a particular securities market.

Options on Securities Indices and Other Financial Indices (“Options on Financial Indices”)

The Fund may purchase and sell call and put options on securities indices and other financial indices (“Options on Financial Indices”). In so doing, the Fund may achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments.

Description of Options on Financial Indices. Options on Financial Indices are similar to options on a security or other instrument except that, rather than settling by physical delivery of the underlying instrument, Options on Financial Indices settle by cash settlement. Cash settlement means that the holder has the right to receive, upon exercise of the option, an amount of cash if the closing level of the index upon which the option is based exceeds, in the case of a call (or is less than, in the case of a put) the exercise price of the option. This amount of cash is equal to the excess of the closing price of the index over the exercise price of the option, which also may be multiplied by a formula value. The seller of the option is obligated to make delivery of this amount. The gain or loss on an option on an index depends on price movements in the instruments comprising the market or other composite on which the underlying index is based, rather than price movements in individual securities, as is the case for options on securities. In the case of an OTC option, physical delivery may be used instead of cash settlement. By purchasing or selling Options on Financial Indices, the Fund may achieve many of the same objectives it would achieve through the sale or purchase of options on individual securities or other instruments.

Yield Curve Options

The Fund also may enter into options on the “spread,” or yield differential, between two fixed-income securities, in transactions referred to as “yield curve” options. In contrast to other types of options, a yield curve option is based on the difference between the yields of designated securities, rather than the prices of the individual securities, and is settled through cash payments. Accordingly, a yield curve option is profitable to the holder if this differential widens (in the case of a call) or narrows (in the case of a put), regardless of whether the yields of the underlying securities increase or decrease.

Yield curve options may be used for the same purposes as other options on securities. Specifically, the Fund may purchase or write such options for hedging purposes. For example, the Fund may purchase a call option on the yield spread between two securities, if it owns one of the securities and anticipates purchasing the other security and wants to hedge against an adverse change in the yield spread between the two securities. The Fund also may purchase or write yield curve options for other than hedging purposes (e.g., in an effort to increase its current income) if, in the judgment of the subadvisor, the Fund will be able to profit from movements in the spread between the yields of the underlying securities. The trading of yield curve options is subject to all of the risks associated with the trading of other types of options. In addition, however, such options present risk of loss even if the yield of one of the underlying securities remains constant, if the spread moves in a direction or to an extent which was not anticipated. Yield curve options written by the Fund will be “covered.” A call (or put) option is covered if the Fund holds another call (or put) option on the spread between the same two securities and owns liquid and unencumbered assets sufficient to cover the Fund’s net liability under the two options. Therefore, the Fund’s liability for such a covered option is generally limited to the difference between the amounts of the Fund’s liability under the option written by the Fund less the value of the option held by it. Yield curve options also may be covered in such other manner as may be in accordance with the requirements of the counterparty with which the option is traded and applicable laws and regulations. Yield curve options are traded over-the-counter.

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Currency Transactions

The Fund may engage in currency transactions with counterparties to hedge the value of portfolio securities denominated in particular currencies against fluctuations in relative value, to gain exposure to a currency without purchasing securities denominated in that currency, to facilitate the settlement of equity trades or to exchange one currency for another. If the Fund enters into a currency hedging transaction, the Fund will comply with the asset segregation requirements described below under “Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts.” Currency transactions include:

• forward currency contracts;

• exchange-listed currency futures contracts and options thereon;

• exchange-listed and OTC options on currencies;

• currency swaps; and

• spot transactions (i.e., transactions on a cash basis based on prevailing market rates).

A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell (with delivery generally required) a specific currency at a future date at a price set at the time of the contract. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows based on the notional difference among two or more currencies and operates similarly to an interest rate swap, which is described under “Swap Agreements and Options on Swap Agreements.” The Fund may enter into currency transactions only with counterparties that are deemed creditworthy by the subadvisor. Nevertheless, engaging in currency transactions will expose the Fund to counterparty risk.

The Fund’s dealings in forward currency contracts and other currency transactions such as futures contracts, options, options on futures contracts and swaps may be used for hedging and similar purposes, possibly including transaction hedging, position hedging, cross hedging and proxy hedging. The Fund also may use foreign currency options and foreign currency forward contracts to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuation from one country to another or to facilitate the settlement of equity trades. The Fund may elect to hedge less than all of its foreign portfolio positions as deemed appropriate by the subadvisor.

The Fund also may engage in non-deliverable forward transactions to manage currency risk or to gain exposure to a currency without purchasing securities denominated in that currency. A non-deliverable forward is a transaction that represents an agreement between the Fund and a counterparty (usually a commercial bank) to buy or sell a specified (notional) amount of a particular currency at an agreed-upon foreign exchange rate on an agreed-upon future date. Unlike other currency transactions, there is no physical delivery of the currency on the settlement of a non-deliverable forward transaction. Rather, the Fund and the counterparty agree to net the settlement by making a payment in U.S. dollars or another fully convertible currency that represents any differential between the foreign exchange rate agreed upon at the inceptions of the non-deliverable forward agreement and the actual exchange rate on the agreed-upon future date. Thus, the actual gain or loss of a given non-deliverable forward transaction is calculated by multiplying the transaction’s notional amount by the difference between the agreed-upon forward exchange rate and the actual exchange rate when the transaction is completed.

When the Fund enters into a non-deliverable forward transaction, the Fund will segregate liquid assets in an amount not less than the value of the Fund’s net exposure to such non-deliverable forward transactions. If the additional segregated assets decline in value or the amount of the Fund’s commitment increases because of a change in currency rates, additional cash or securities will be segregated on a daily basis so that the value of the account will equal the amount of the Fund’s commitments under the non-deliverable forward agreement.

Since the Fund generally may only close out a non-deliverable forward with the particular counterparty, there is a risk that the counterparty will default on its obligation to pay under the agreement. If the counterparty defaults, the Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreement related to the transaction, but there is no assurance that contract counterparties will be able to meet their obligations pursuant to such agreements or that, in the event of a default, the Fund will succeed in pursuing contractual remedies. The Fund thus assumes the risk that it may be delayed or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it pursuant to non-deliverable forward transactions.

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In addition, where the currency exchange rates that are the subject of a given non-deliverable forward transaction do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, the Fund could sustain losses on the non-deliverable forward transaction. The Fund’s investment in a particular non-deliverable forward transaction will be affected favorably or unfavorably by factors that affect the subject currencies, including economic, political and legal developments that impact the applicable countries, as well as exchange control regulations of the applicable countries. These risks are heightened when a non-deliverable forward transaction involves currencies of emerging market countries because such currencies can be volatile and there is a greater risk that such currencies will be devalued against the U.S. dollar or other currencies.

Transaction Hedging. Transaction hedging involves entering into a currency transaction with respect to specific assets or liabilities of the Fund, which generally will arise in connection with the purchase or sale of portfolio securities or the receipt of income from them.

Position Hedging. Position hedging involves entering into a currency transaction with respect to portfolio securities positions denominated or generally quoted in that currency.

Cross Hedging. The Fund may cross-hedge currencies by entering into transactions to purchase or sell one or more currencies that are expected to increase or decline in value relative to other currencies to which the Fund has or in which the Fund expects to have exposure.

Proxy Hedging. To reduce the effect of currency fluctuations on the value of existing or anticipated holdings of its securities, the Fund also may engage in proxy hedging. Proxy hedging is often used when the currency to which the Fund’s holdings are exposed is generally difficult to hedge or specifically difficult to hedge against the dollar. Proxy hedging entails entering into a forward contract to sell a currency, the changes in the value of which are generally considered to be linked to a currency or currencies in which some or all of the Fund’s securities are or are expected to be denominated, and to buy dollars. The amount of the contract would not exceed the market value of the Fund’s securities denominated in linked currencies.

Combined Transactions

The Fund may enter into multiple transactions, including multiple options transactions, multiple futures transactions, multiple currency transactions (including forward currency contracts), multiple interest rate transactions and any combination of futures, options, currency and interest rate transactions. A combined transaction usually will contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions. Although the Fund normally will enter into combined transactions to reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase the risks or hinder achievement of the Fund’s investment objective.

Swap Agreements and Options on Swap Agreements

Among the hedging and other strategic transactions into which the Fund may be authorized to enter are swap transactions, including, but not limited to, swap agreements on interest rates, security or commodity indexes, specific securities and commodities, currency exchange rates, and credit and event-linked swaps. To the extent that the Fund may invest in foreign currency-denominated securities, it also may invest in currency exchange rate swap agreements.

The Fund may enter into swap transactions for any legal purpose consistent with its investment objective and policies, such as to attempt to obtain or preserve a particular return or spread at a lower cost than obtaining a return or spread through purchases and/or sales of instruments in other markets, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique, to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date, or to gain exposure to certain markets in the most economical way possible.

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OTC swap agreements are two-party contracts entered into primarily by institutional investors for periods ranging from a few weeks to one or more years. In a standard “swap” transaction, two parties agree to exchange the returns (or differentials in rates of return) earned or realized on particular predetermined investments or instruments, which may be adjusted for an interest factor. The gross returns to be exchanged or “swapped” between the parties are generally calculated with respect to a “notional amount,” i.e., the return on or increase in value of a particular dollar amount invested at a particular interest rate, in a particular foreign currency, or in a “basket” of securities or commodities representing a particular index. A “quanto” or “differential” swap combines both an interest rate and a currency transaction. Other forms of swap agreements include interest rate caps, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates exceed a specified rate, or “cap”; interest rate floors, under which, in return for a premium, one party agrees to make payments to the other to the extent that interest rates fall below a specified rate, or “floor”; and interest rate collars, under which a party sells a cap and purchases a floor or vice versa in an attempt to protect itself against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels. The Fund may invest in commodity swap agreements. For example, an investment in a commodity swap agreement may involve the exchange of floating-rate interest payments for the total return on a commodity index. In a total return commodity swap, the Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity index, a portion of the index, or a single commodity in exchange for paying an agreed-upon fee. If the commodity swap is for one period, the Fund may pay a fixed fee, established at the outset of the swap. However, if the term of the commodity swap is more than one period, with interim swap payments, the Fund may pay an adjustable or floating fee. With a “floating” rate, the fee may be pegged to a base rate, such as LIBOR, and is adjusted each period. Therefore, if interest rates increase over the term of the swap contract, the Fund may be required to pay a higher fee at each swap reset date.

The Fund may enter into options on swap agreements (“Swap Options”). A Swap Option is a contract that gives a counterparty the right (but not the obligation), in return for payment of a premium, to enter into a new swap agreement or to shorten, extend, cancel or otherwise modify an existing swap agreement, at some designated future time on specified terms. The Fund also may write (sell) and purchase put and call Swap Options.

Depending on the terms of the particular agreement, the Fund generally will incur a greater degree of risk when it writes a Swap Option than it will incur when it purchases a Swap Option. When the Fund purchases a swap option, it risks losing only the amount of the premium it has paid should it decide to let the option expire unexercised. However, when the Fund writes a Swap Option, upon exercise of the option the Fund will become obligated according to the terms of the underlying agreement. Most other types of swap agreements entered into by the Fund would calculate the obligations of the parties to the agreement on a “net basis.” Consequently, the Fund’s current obligations (or rights) under a swap agreement generally will be equal only to the net amount to be paid or received under the agreement based on the relative values of the positions held by each party to the agreement (the “net amount”). The Fund’s current obligations under a swap agreement will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owed to the Fund) and any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed to a swap counterparty will be covered by the segregation or “earmarking” of liquid assets, to avoid any potential leveraging of the Fund’s investments. Obligations under swap agreements so covered will not be construed to be “senior securities” for purposes of the Fund’s investment restriction concerning senior securities.

Whether the Fund’s use of swap agreements or Swap Options will be successful in furthering its investment objective will depend on the subadvisor’s ability to predict correctly whether certain types of investments are likely to produce greater returns than other investments. Because OTC swaps are two-party contracts, and because they may have terms of greater than seven days, they may be considered to be illiquid. Moreover, the Fund bears the risk of loss of the amount expected to be received under a swap agreement in the event of the default or bankruptcy of a swap agreement counterparty. The Fund will enter into swap agreements only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. Certain restrictions imposed on the Fund by the Code may limit its ability to use swap agreements. Current regulatory initiatives, described below, and potential future regulation could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to terminate existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such agreements. The Fund will not enter into a swap agreement with any single party if the net amount owed to the fund under existing contracts with that party would exceed 5% of the Fund’s total assets.

Swaps are highly specialized instruments that require investment techniques, risk analyses, and tax planning different from those associated with traditional investments. The use of a swap requires an understanding not only of the referenced asset, rate, or index but also of the swap itself, without the benefit of observing the performance of the swap under all possible market conditions. Swap agreements may be subject to liquidity risk, which exists when a particular swap is difficult to purchase or sell. If a swap transaction is particularly large or if the relevant market is illiquid (as is the case with many OTC swaps), it may not be possible to initiate a transaction or liquidate a position at an advantageous time or price, which may result in significant losses. In addition, a swap transaction may be subject to the Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid securities.

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Like most other investments, swap agreements are subject to the risk that the market value of the instrument will change in a way detrimental to the Fund’s interest. The Fund bears the risk that the subadvisor will not accurately forecast future market trends or the values of assets, reference rates, indexes, or other economic factors in establishing swap positions for it. If a subadvisor attempts to use a swap as a hedge against, or as a substitute for, an investment, the Fund will be exposed to the risk that the swap will have or will develop imperfect or no correlation with the investment. This could cause substantial losses for the Fund. While hedging strategies involving swap instruments can reduce the risk of loss, they also can reduce the opportunity for gain or even result in losses by offsetting favorable price movements in other investments.

The swaps market was largely unregulated prior to the enactment of federal legislation known as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), which was enacted in 2010 in response to turmoil in the financial markets and other market events. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act sets forth a new regulatory framework for certain OTC derivatives, such as swaps, in which the Fund may invest. The Dodd-Frank Act requires many swap transactions to be executed on registered exchanges or through swap execution facilities, cleared through a regulated clearinghouse and publicly reported. In addition, many market participants are now regulated as swap dealers or major swap participants and are, or will be, subject to certain minimum capital and margin requirements and business conduct standards. The statutory requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act are being implemented primarily through rules and regulations adopted by the SEC and/or the CFTC. There is a prescribed phase-in period during which most of the mandated rulemaking and regulations are being implemented, and temporary exemptions from certain rules and regulations have been granted so that current trading practices will not be unduly disrupted during the transition period.

As of the date of this SAI, central clearing is required only for certain market participants trading certain instruments, although central clearing for additional instruments is expected to be implemented by the CFTC until the majority of the swaps market is ultimately subject to central clearing. In addition, as described below, uncleared OTC swaps will be subject to regulatory collateral requirements that could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to enter into swaps in the OTC market. These developments could cause the Fund to terminate new or existing swap agreements or to realize amounts to be received under such instruments at an inopportune time. Until the mandated rulemaking and regulations are implemented completely, it will not be possible to determine the complete impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations on the Fund, and the establishment of a centralized exchange or market for swap transactions may not result in swaps being easier to value or trade. However, it is expected that swap dealers, major market participants and swap counterparties will experience other new and/or additional regulations, requirements, compliance burdens and associated costs. The legislation and rules to be promulgated may exert a negative effect on the Fund’s ability to meet its investment objective, either through limits or requirements imposed on the Fund or its counterparties. The swap market could be disrupted or limited as a result of the legislation, and the new requirements may increase the cost of the Fund’s investments and of doing business, which could adversely affect the Fund’s ability to buy or sell OTC derivatives. For example, in October 2015, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Farm Credit Administration, and the Federal Housing Financing Authority issued final rules that will require banks subject to their supervision to post and collect variation and initial margin in respect of their obligations arising under uncleared swap agreements. In addition, in December 2015, the CFTC issued similar rules that would apply to CFTC-registered swap dealers and major swap participants that are not banks. Such rules, which are not yet effective as of the date of this SAI, will generally require the Fund to segregate additional assets in order to meet the new variation and initial margin requirements when they enter into uncleared swap agreements.

Additional information about certain swap agreements that the Fund may be authorized to utilize is provided below.

Credit default swap agreements (“CDS”). CDS may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not currently held by the Fund. The protection “buyer” in a CDS is generally obligated to pay the protection “seller” an upfront or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the CDS provided that no credit event, such as a default, on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (full notional value) of the CDS in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the CDS, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the CDS is cash settled. The Fund may be authorized to be either the buyer or seller in the transaction. If the Fund is a buyer and no credit event occurs, the Fund may recover nothing if the CDS is held through its termination date. However, if a credit event occurs, the buyer generally may elect to receive the full notional value of the CDS in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity whose value may have significantly decreased. As a seller, the Fund generally receives an upfront payment or a fixed rate of income throughout the term of the CDS, provided that there is no credit event. As the seller, the Fund would effectively add leverage to the Fund because, in addition to its total net assets, the Fund would be subject to investment exposure on the notional amount of the CDS. If the Fund enters into a CDS, the Fund may be required to report the CDS as a “listed transaction” for tax shelter reporting purposes on the Fund’s federal income tax return. If the IRS were to determine that the CDS is a tax shelter, the Fund could be subject to penalties under the Code.

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CDS on index tranches give the Fund, as a seller of credit protection, the opportunity to take on exposures to specific segments of the CDS index default loss distribution. Each tranche has a different sensitivity to credit risk correlations among entities in the index. One of the main benefits of index tranches is higher liquidity. This has been achieved mainly through standardization, yet it is also due to the liquidity in the single-name CDS and CDS index markets. In contrast, possibly owing to the limited liquidity in the corporate bond market, securities referencing corporate bond indexes have not been traded actively.

CDS involve greater risks than if the Fund had invested in the reference obligation directly since, in addition to general market risks, CDS are subject to illiquidity risk, counterparty risk and credit risk. The Fund will enter into CDS only with counterparties that meet certain standards of creditworthiness. A buyer generally also will lose its investment and recover nothing should no credit event occur and the CDS is held to its termination date. If a credit event were to occur, the value of any deliverable obligation received by the seller, coupled with the upfront or periodic payments previously received, may be less than the full notional value it pays to the buyer, resulting in a loss of value to the seller. The Fund’s obligations under a CDS will be accrued daily (offset against any amounts owing to the Fund). In connection with CDS in which the Fund is the buyer, the Fund will segregate or “earmark” cash or liquid assets, or enter into certain offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the Fund’s exposure (any accrued but unpaid net amounts owed by the Fund to any counterparty), on a mark-to-market basis. In connection with CDS in which the Fund is the seller, the Fund will segregate or “earmark” cash or liquid assets, or enter into offsetting positions, with a value at least equal to the full notional amount of the CDS. Such segregation or “earmarking” will ensure that the Fund has assets available to satisfy its obligations with respect to the transaction and will limit any potential leveraging of the Fund’s investments. Such segregation or “earmarking” will not limit the Fund’s exposure to loss.

Dividend swap agreements. A dividend swap agreement is a financial instrument where two parties contract to exchange a set of future cash flows at set dates in the future. One party agrees to pay the other the future dividend flow on a stock or basket of stocks in an index, in return for which the other party gives the first call options. Dividend swaps generally are traded OTC rather than on an exchange.

Inflation swap agreements. An inflation swap agreement is a contract in which one party agrees to pay the cumulative percentage increase in a price index (e.g., the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) with respect to CPI swaps) over the term of the swap (with some lag on the inflation index), and the other pays a compounded fixed rate. Inflation swap agreements may be used to protect the Fund’s NAV against an unexpected change in the rate of inflation measured by an inflation index since the value of these agreements is expected to increase if unexpected inflation increases.

Interest rate swap agreements. An interest rate swap agreement involves the exchange of cash flows based on interest rate specifications and a specified principal amount, often a fixed payment for a floating payment that is linked to an interest rate. An interest rate lock specifies a future interest rate to be paid. In an interest rate cap, one party receives payments at the end of each period in which a specified interest rate on a specified principal amount exceeds an agreed-upon rate; conversely, in an interest rate floor, one party may receive payments if a specified interest rate on a specified principal amount falls below an agreed-upon rate. Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. Interest rate collars involve selling a cap and purchasing a floor, or vice versa, to protect the Fund against interest rate movements exceeding given minimum or maximum levels.

Total return swap agreements. A total return swap agreement is a contract whereby one party agrees to make a series of payments to another party based on the change in the market value of the assets underlying such contract (which can include a security, commodity, index or baskets thereof) during the specified period. In exchange, the other party to the contract agrees to make a series of payments calculated by reference to an interest rate and/or some other agreed-upon amount (including the change in market value of other underlying assets). The Fund may use total return swaps to gain exposure to an asset without owning it or taking physical custody of it. For example, by investing in total return commodity swaps, the Fund will receive the price appreciation of a commodity, commodity index or portion thereof in exchange for payment of an agreed-upon fee.

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Variance swap agreements. Variance swap agreements involve an agreement by two parties to exchange cash flows based on the measured variance (or square of volatility) of a specified underlying asset. One party agrees to exchange a “fixed rate” or strike price payment for the “floating rate” or realized price variance on the underlying asset with respect to the notional amount. At inception, the strike price chosen is generally fixed at a level such that the fair value of the swap is zero. As a result, no money changes hands at the initiation of the contract. At the expiration date, the amount paid by one party to the other is the difference between the realized price variance of the underlying asset and the strike price multiplied by the notional amount. A receiver of the realized price variance would receive a payment when the realized price variance of the underlying asset is greater than the strike price and would make a payment when that variance is less than the strike price. A payer of the realized price variance would make a payment when the realized price variance of the underlying asset is greater than the strike price and would receive a payment when that variance is less than the strike price. This type of agreement is essentially a forward contract on the future realized price variance of the underlying asset.

Eurodollar Instruments

Eurodollar instruments typically are dollar-denominated futures contracts or options on those contracts that are linked to LIBOR. In addition, foreign currency-denominated instruments are available from time to time. Eurodollar futures contracts enable purchasers to obtain a fixed rate for the lending of funds and sellers to obtain a fixed rate for borrowings. The Fund might use Eurodollar futures contracts and options thereon to hedge against changes in LIBOR, to which many interest rate swaps and fixed-income instruments are linked.

Warrants and Rights

Warrants and rights generally give the holder the right to receive, upon exercise and prior to the expiration date, a security of the issuer at a stated price. Funds typically use warrants and rights in a manner similar to their use of options on securities, as described in “General Characteristics of Options” above and elsewhere in this SAI. Risks associated with the use of warrants and rights are generally similar to risks associated with the use of options. Unlike most options, however, warrants and rights are issued in specific amounts, and warrants generally have longer terms than options. Warrants and rights are not likely to be as liquid as exchange-traded options backed by a recognized clearing agency. In addition, the terms of warrants or rights may limit the Fund’s ability to exercise the warrants or rights at such time, or in such quantities, as the Fund would otherwise wish.

Non-Standard Warrants and Participatory Notes. From time to time, the Fund may use non-standard warrants, including low exercise price warrants or low exercise price options (“LEPOs”), and participatory notes (“P-Notes”) to gain exposure to issuers in certain countries. LEPOs are different from standard warrants in that they do not give their holders the right to receive a security of the issuer upon exercise. Rather, LEPOs pay the holder the difference in price of the underlying security between the date the LEPO was purchased and the date it is sold. P-Notes are a type of equity-linked derivative that generally are traded over-the-counter and constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks, broker-dealers or other financial institutions that issue them. Generally, banks and broker-dealers associated with non-U.S.-based brokerage firms buy securities listed on certain foreign exchanges and then issue P-Notes that are designed to replicate the performance of certain issuers and markets. The performance results of P-Notes will not replicate exactly the performance of the issuers or markets that the notes seek to replicate due to transaction costs and other expenses. The return on a P-Note that is linked to a particular underlying security generally is increased to the extent of any dividends paid in connection with the underlying security. However, the holder of a P-Note typically does not receive voting or other rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying security, and P-Notes present similar risks to investing directly in the underlying security. Additionally, LEPOs and P-Notes entail the same risks as other over-the-counter derivatives. These include the risk that the counterparty or issuer of the LEPO or P-Note may not be able to fulfill its obligations, that the holder and counterparty or issuer may disagree as to the meaning or application of contractual terms, or that the instrument may not perform as expected. See “Principal risks—Counterparty risk” in the Prospectus and “Risk of Hedging and Other Strategic Transactions” below. Additionally, while LEPOs or P-Notes may be listed on an exchange, there is no guarantee that a liquid market will exist or that the counterparty or issuer of a LEPO or P-Note will be willing to repurchase such instrument when the Fund wishes to sell it.

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Risk of Hedging and Other Strategic Transactions

Hedging and other strategic transactions are subject to special risks, including:

• possible default by the counterparty to the transaction;

• markets for the securities used in these transactions could be illiquid; and

• to the extent the subadvisor’s assessment of market movements is incorrect, the risk that the use of the hedging and other strategic transactions could result in losses to the Fund.

Losses resulting from the use of hedging and other strategic transactions will reduce the Fund’s NAV, and possibly income. Losses can be greater than if hedging and other strategic transactions had not been used.

Options and Futures Transactions. Options transactions are subject to the following additional risks:

• option transactions could force the sale or purchase of portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices higher than current market values (in the case of put options) or lower than current market values (in the case of call options), or could cause the Fund to hold a security it might otherwise sell (in the case of a call option);

• calls written on securities that the Fund does not own are riskier than calls written on securities owned by the Fund because there is no underlying security held by the Fund that can act as a partial hedge, and there also is a risk, especially with less liquid securities, that the securities may not be available for purchase; and

• options markets could become illiquid in some circumstances and certain OTC options could have no markets. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses.

Futures transactions are subject to the following additional risks:

• the degree of correlation between price movements of futures contracts and price movements in the related securities position of the Fund could create the possibility that losses on the hedging instrument are greater than gains in the value of the Fund’s position; and

• futures markets could become illiquid. As a result, in certain markets, the Fund might not be able to close out a transaction without incurring substantial losses.

Although the Fund’s use of futures and options for hedging should tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged position, it will tend, at the same time, to limit the potential gain that might result from an increase in value.

Currency Hedging. In addition to the general risks of hedging and other strategic transactions described above, currency hedging transactions have the following risks:

• currency hedging can result in losses to the Fund if the currency being hedged fluctuates in value to a degree or direction that is not anticipated;

• proxy hedging involves determining the correlation between various currencies. If the subadvisor’s determination of this correlation is incorrect, the Fund’s losses could be greater than if the proxy hedging were not used; and

• foreign government exchange controls and restrictions on repatriation of currency can negatively affect currency transactions. These forms of governmental actions can result in losses to the Fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies to settle obligations. Such governmental actions also could cause hedges it has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs.

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Currency Futures Contracts and Options on Currency Futures Contracts. Currency futures contracts are subject to the same risks that apply to the use of futures contracts generally. In addition, settlement of a currency futures contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. Trading options on currency futures contracts is relatively new, and the ability to establish and close out positions on these options is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market that may not always be available.

Risk Associated with Specific Types of Derivative Debt Securities. Different types of derivative debt securities are subject to different combinations of prepayment, extension and/or interest rate risk. Conventional mortgage pass-through securities and sequential pay CMOs are subject to all of these risks, but typically are not leveraged. Thus, the magnitude of exposure may be less than for more leveraged mortgage-backed securities.

The risk of early prepayments is the primary risk associated with IOs, super floaters, other leveraged floating rate instruments and mortgage-backed securities purchased at a premium to their par value. In some instances, early prepayments may result in a complete loss of investment in certain of these securities. The primary risks associated with certain other derivative debt securities are the potential extension of average life and/or depreciation due to rising interest rates.

Derivative debt securities include floating rate securities based on the Cost of Funds Index (“COFI floaters”), other “lagging rate” floating rate securities, capped floaters, mortgage-backed securities purchased at a discount, leveraged inverse floating rate securities, POs, certain residual or support tranches of CMOs and index amortizing notes. Index amortizing notes are not mortgage-backed securities, but are subject to extension risk resulting from the issuer’s failure to exercise its option to call or redeem the notes before their stated maturity date. Leveraged inverse IOs combine several elements of the mortgage-backed securities described above and present an especially intense combination of prepayment, extension and interest rate risks.

Planned amortization class (“PAC”) and target amortization class (“TAC”) CMO bonds involve less exposure to prepayment, extension and interest rate risk than other mortgage-backed securities, provided that prepayment rates remain within expected prepayment ranges or “collars.” To the extent that prepayment rates remain within these prepayment ranges, the residual or support tranches of PAC and TAC CMOs assume the extra prepayment, extension and interest rate risk associated with the underlying mortgage assets.

Other types of floating rate derivative debt securities present more complex types of interest rate risks. For example, range floaters are subject to the risk that the coupon will be reduced to below market rates if a designated interest rate floats outside of a specified interest rate band or collar. Dual index or yield curve floaters are subject to depreciation in the event of an unfavorable change in the spread between two designated interest rates. X-reset floaters have a coupon that remains fixed for more than one accrual period. Thus, the type of risk involved in these securities depends on the terms of each individual X-reset floater.

Risks of Hedging and Other Strategic Transactions Outside the United States

When conducted outside the United States, hedging and other strategic transactions will not only be subject to the risks described above but also could be adversely affected by:

• foreign governmental actions affecting foreign securities, currencies or other instruments;

• less stringent regulation of these transactions in many countries as compared to the United States;

• the lack of clearing mechanisms and related guarantees in some countries for these transactions;

• more limited availability of data on which to make trading decisions than in the United States;

• delays in the Fund’s ability to act upon economic events occurring in foreign markets during non-business hours in the United States;

• the imposition of different exercise and settlement terms and procedures and margin requirements than in the United States; and

• lower trading volume and liquidity.

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Use of Segregated and Other Special Accounts

Use of extensive hedging and other strategic transactions by the Fund will require, among other things, that the Fund post collateral with counterparties or clearinghouses and/or segregate cash or other liquid assets with its custodian, or a designated subcustodian, to the extent that the Fund’s obligations are not otherwise “covered” through ownership of the underlying security, financial instrument or currency.

In general, either the full amount of any obligation by the Fund to pay or deliver securities or assets under a transaction or series of transactions must be covered at all times by (a) holding the securities, instruments or currency required to meet the Fund’s obligations under such transactions or series of transactions; or (b) subject to any regulatory restrictions, segregating an amount of cash or other liquid assets at least equal to the current amount of the obligation. The segregated assets cannot be sold or transferred unless equivalent assets are substituted in their place or it is no longer necessary to segregate them. Some examples of cover requirements are set forth below.

Call Options. A call option on securities written by the Fund will require the Fund to hold the securities subject to the call (or securities convertible into the needed securities without additional consideration) or to segregate cash or other liquid assets sufficient to purchase and deliver the securities if the call is exercised. A call option sold by the Fund on an index will require the Fund to own portfolio securities that correlate with the index or to segregate cash or other liquid assets equal to its obligations under the option.

Put Options. A put option on securities written by the Fund will require the Fund to segregate cash or other liquid assets equal to the exercise price.

OTC Options. OTC options entered into by the Fund, including those on securities, currency, financial instruments or indices, and OTC-issued and exchange-listed index options generally will provide for cash settlement, although the Fund will not be required to do so. As a result, when the Fund sells these instruments it will segregate an amount of cash or other liquid assets equal to its obligations under the options. OTC-issued and exchange-listed options sold by the Fund other than those described above generally settle with physical delivery, and the Fund will segregate an amount of cash or liquid high grade debt securities equal to the full value of the option. OTC options settling with physical delivery or with an election of either physical delivery or cash settlement will be treated the same as other options settling with physical delivery.

Currency Contracts. Except when the Fund enters into a forward contract in connection with the purchase or sale of a security denominated in a foreign currency or for other non-speculative purposes, which requires no segregation, a currency contract that obligates the Fund to buy or sell a foreign currency generally will require the Fund to hold an amount of that currency or liquid securities denominated in that currency equal to the Fund’s obligations or to segregate cash or other liquid assets equal to the amount of the Fund’s obligations.

Futures Contracts and Options on Futures Contracts. In the case of a futures contract or an option on a futures contract, the Fund must deposit initial margin and, in some instances, daily variation margin, in addition to segregating assets sufficient to meet its obligations under the contract. These assets may consist of cash, cash equivalents, liquid debt, equity securities or other acceptable assets.

Swaps. The Fund will calculate the net amount, if any, of its obligations relating to swaps on a daily basis and will segregate an amount of cash or other liquid assets having an aggregate value at least equal to this net amount.

Caps, Floors and Collars. Caps, floors and collars require segregation of assets with a value equal to the Fund’s net obligation, if any.

Hedging and other strategic transactions may be covered by means other than those described above when consistent with applicable regulatory policies. The Fund also may enter into offsetting transactions so that its combined position, coupled with any segregated assets, equals its net outstanding obligation. The Fund could purchase a put option, for example, if the exercise price of that option is the same or higher than the exercise price of a put option sold by the Fund. In addition, if it holds a futures contracts or forward contract, the Fund could, instead of segregating assets, purchase a put option on the same futures contract or forward contract with an exercise price as high as or higher than the price of the contract held. Other hedging and strategic transactions also may be offset in combinations. If the offsetting transaction terminates on or after the time the primary transaction terminates, no segregation is required, but if it terminates prior to that time, assets equal to any remaining obligation would need to be segregated.

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Risk of Potential Government Regulation of Derivatives

It is possible that additional government regulation of various types of derivative instruments, including futures, options on futures and swap agreements, may limit or prevent the Fund from using such instruments as part of its investment strategy, which could negatively impact the Fund. While many provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act have yet to be implemented through rulemaking, and any regulatory or legislative activity may not necessarily have a direct, immediate effect upon the Fund, it is possible that, upon implementation of these measures or any future measures, they could potentially limit or completely restrict the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as a part of its investment strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments or make them less effective. Likewise, the SEC has proposed regulations that, if adopted, would significantly change the manner in which the Fund must segregate assets to cover its future obligations. The proposed regulations would restrict the Fund’s ability to enter into derivative transactions for speculative or hedging purposes and would require the Board to adopt a derivative risk management and governance framework. These regulations could also limit the ability of the Fund to use these instruments as part of its investment management strategy, increase the costs of using these instruments, or make them less effective. Limits or restrictions applicable to the counterparties with which the Fund engages in derivative transactions also could prevent the Fund from using these instruments, or affect the pricing or other factors relating to these instruments, or may change the availability of certain investments.

Other Limitations

The Fund will not maintain open short positions in futures contracts, call options written on futures contracts, and call options written on securities indices if, in the aggregate, the current market value of the open positions exceeds the current market value of that portion of its securities portfolio being hedged by those futures and options, plus or minus the unrealized gain or loss on those open positions. The gain or loss on these open positions will be adjusted for the historical volatility relationship between that portion of the Fund and the contracts (e.g., the Beta volatility factor). In the alternative, however, the Fund could maintain sufficient liquid assets in a segregated account equal at all times to the current market value of the open short position in futures contracts, call options written on futures contracts and call options written on securities indices, subject to any other applicable investment restrictions.

For purposes of this limitation, to the extent the Fund has written call options on specific securities in that portion of its portfolio, the value of those securities will be deducted from the current market value of that portion of the securities portfolio. If this limitation should be exceeded at any time, the Fund will take prompt action to close out the appropriate number of open short positions to bring its open futures and options positions within this limitation.

INVESTMENT RESTRICTIONS

There are two classes of investment restrictions to which the Fund is subject in implementing its investment policies: (a) fundamental and (b) non-fundamental. Fundamental restrictions may only be changed by a vote of the lesser of: (i) 67% or more of the shares represented at a meeting at which more than 50% of the outstanding shares are represented; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding shares. Non-fundamental restrictions are subject to change by the Board without shareholder approval.

When submitting an investment restriction change to the holders of the Fund’s outstanding voting securities, the matter shall be deemed to have been effectively acted upon if a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund votes for the approval of the matter, notwithstanding: (1) that the matter has not been approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of any other series of the Trust affected by the matter, and (2) that the matter has not been approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust as a whole.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions

(1) Concentration. The Fund will not concentrate its investments in a particular industry, as that term is used in the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

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(2) Borrowing. The Fund will not borrow money, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

(3) Underwriting. The Fund will not engage in the business of underwriting securities issued by others, except to the extent that the Fund may be deemed to be an underwriter in connection with the disposition of portfolio securities.

(4) Real Estate. The Fund will not purchase or sell real estate, which term does not include securities of companies which deal in real estate or mortgages or investments secured by real estate or interests therein, except that the Fund reserves freedom of action to hold and to sell real estate acquired as a result of the Fund’s ownership of securities.

(5) Commodities. The Fund will not purchase or sell commodities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

(6) Loans. The Fund will not make loans except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

(7) Senior Securities. The Fund will not issue senior securities, except as permitted under the 1940 Act, as amended, and as interpreted or modified by regulatory authority having jurisdiction, from time to time.

For purposes of fundamental restriction No. 7, purchasing securities on a when-issued, forward commitment or delayed delivery basis and engaging in hedging and other strategic transactions will not be deemed to constitute the issuance of a senior security.

Non-Fundamental Investment Restrictions

The Fund will not:

(8) Knowingly invest more than 15% of the value of its net assets in securities or other investments, including repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days but excluding master demand notes, which are not readily marketable.

(9) Make short sales of securities or maintain a short position, if, when added together, more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s net assets would be: (i) deposited as collateral for the obligation to replace securities borrowed to effect short sales; and (ii) allocated to segregated accounts in connection with short sales, except that it may obtain such short-term credits as may be required to clear transactions. For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to hedging and other strategic transactions will not be deemed to involve the use of margin. Short sales “against-the-box” are not subject to this limitation.

(10) Pledge, hypothecate, mortgage or transfer (except as provided in restriction (7)) as security for indebtedness any securities held by the Fund, except in an amount of not more than 10% of the value of the Fund’s total assets and then only to secure borrowings permitted by restrictions (2) and (9). For purposes of this restriction, collateral arrangements with respect to hedging and other strategic transactions will not be deemed to involve a pledge of assets.

For purposes of restriction (10), “other strategic transactions” can include short sales and derivative transactions intended for non-hedging purposes.

Additional Information Regarding Fundamental Restrictions

Concentration. While the 1940 Act does not define what constitutes “concentration” in an industry, the staff of the SEC takes the position that any fund that invests more than 25% of its total assets in a particular industry (excluding the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities) is deemed to be “concentrated” in that industry. With respect to the Fund's investment in loan participations, if any, the Fund treats both the borrower and the financial intermediary under a loan participation as issuers for purposes of determining whether the Fund has concentrated in a particular industry.

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Borrowing. The 1940 Act permits a fund to borrow money in amounts of up to one-third of its total assets, at the time of borrowing, from banks for any purpose (a fund’s total assets include the amounts being borrowed). To limit the risks attendant to borrowing, the 1940 Act requires a fund to maintain at all times an “asset coverage” of at least 300% of the amount of its borrowings, not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets. “Asset coverage” means the ratio that the value of a fund’s total assets (including amounts borrowed), minus liabilities other than borrowings, bears to the aggregate amount of all borrowings.

Commodities. Under the federal securities and commodities laws, certain financial instruments such as futures contracts and options thereon, including currency futures, stock index futures or interest rate futures, and certain swaps, including currency swaps, interest rate swaps, swaps on broad-based securities indices and certain credit default swaps, may, under certain circumstances, also be considered to be commodities. Nevertheless, the 1940 Act does not prohibit investments in physical commodities or contracts related to physical commodities. Funds typically invest in futures contracts and related options on these and other types of commodity contracts for hedging purposes, to implement tax or cash management strategies, or to enhance returns.

Diversification. A diversified fund, as to at least 75% of the value of its total assets, generally may not, except with respect to government securities and securities of other investment companies, invest more than 5% of its total assets in the securities, or own more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, of any one issuer. In determining the issuer of a municipal security, each state, each political subdivision, agency, and instrumentality of each state and each multi-state agency of which such state is a member is considered a separate issuer. In the event that securities are backed only by assets and revenues of a particular instrumentality, facility or subdivision, such entity is considered the issuer.

Loans. Although the 1940 Act does not prohibit a fund from making loans, SEC staff interpretations currently prohibit funds from lending more than one-third of their total assets, except through the purchase of debt obligations or the use of repurchase agreements. A repurchase agreement is an agreement to purchase a security, coupled with an agreement to sell that security back to the original seller on an agreed-upon date at a price that reflects current interest rates. The SEC frequently treats repurchase agreements as loans.

Senior Securities. “Senior securities” are defined as fund obligations that have a priority over the fund’s shares with respect to the payment of dividends or the distribution of fund assets. The 1940 Act prohibits a fund from issuing any class of senior securities or selling any senior securities of which it is the issuer, except that the fund is permitted to borrow from a bank so long as, immediately after such borrowings, there is an asset coverage of at least 300% for all borrowings of the fund (not including borrowings for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of the fund’s total assets). In the event that such asset coverage falls below this percentage, a fund must reduce the amount of its borrowings within three days (not including Sundays and holidays) so that the asset coverage is restored to at least 300%. The fundamental investment restriction regarding senior securities will be interpreted so as to permit collateral arrangements with respect to swaps, options, forward or futures contracts or other derivatives, or the posting of initial or variation margin.

Except with respect to the fundamental investment restriction on borrowing, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in the investment’s percentage of the value of the Fund’s total assets resulting from a change in such values or assets will not constitute a violation of the percentage restriction. Any subsequent change in a rating assigned by any rating service to a security (or, if unrated, any change in the subadvisor’s assessment of the security), or change in the percentage of portfolio assets invested in certain securities or other instruments, or change in the average duration of the Fund’s investment portfolio, resulting from market fluctuations or other changes in the Fund’s total assets will not require the Fund to dispose of an investment until the subadvisor determines that it is practicable to sell or close out the investment without undue market or tax consequences to the Fund. In the event that rating services assign different ratings to the same security, the subadvisor will determine which rating it believes best reflects the security’s quality and risk at that time, which may be the higher of the several assigned ratings.

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Investment Policies that May Be Changed Only on 60 Days’ Notice to Shareholders

In order to comply with Rule 35d-1 under the 1940 Act, the Fund’s 80% investment policy is subject to change only upon 60 days’ prior notice to shareholders. Refer to the Prospectus for the Fund’s “Principal investment strategies.”

PORTFOLIO TURNOVER

The annual rate of portfolio turnover may vary from year to year as well as within a year. A high rate of portfolio turnover (100% or more) generally involves correspondingly greater brokerage commission expenses, which must be borne directly by the Fund. Portfolio turnover is calculated by dividing the lesser of purchases or sales of portfolio securities during the fiscal year by the monthly average of the value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. (Excluded from the computation are all securities, including options, with maturities at the time of acquisition of one year or less). Portfolio turnover rates can change from year to year due to various factors, including, among others, portfolio adjustments made in response to market conditions.

The portfolio turnover rates for the Fund for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2015 and October 31, 2016 were as follows:

Fund	2015			2016
Small Cap Core Fund		68	%		59	%

THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGEMENT

The business of the Trust, an open-end management investment company, is managed by the Board, including certain Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust (the “Independent Trustees”). The Trustees elect officers who are responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund and who execute policies formulated by the Trustees. Several of the Trustees and officers of the Trust also are officers or directors of the Advisor, or officers or directors of the principal distributor to the Fund, John Hancock Funds, LLC (the “Distributor”). Each Trustee oversees the Fund and other funds in the John Hancock Fund Complex (as defined below).

The tables below present certain information regarding the Trustees and officers of the Trust, including their principal occupations which, unless specific dates are shown, are of at least five years’ duration. In addition, the table includes information concerning other directorships held by each Trustee in other registered investment companies or publicly traded companies. Information is listed separately for each Trustee who is an “interested person” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust (each a “Non-Independent Trustee”) and the Independent Trustees. As of May 31, 2017, the John Hancock Fund Complex consisted of 225 funds (including separate series of series mutual funds): John Hancock Collateral Trust (“JHCT”) (one fund); John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (“JHVIT”) (70 funds); John Hancock Funds II (“JHF II”) (96 funds); John Hancock Funds III (“JHF III”) (7 funds); John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (12 funds); and 39 other John Hancock funds consisting of 28 series of other John Hancock trusts and 10 closed-end funds. Each Trustee, other than Andrew G. Arnott and James R. Boyle, was most recently elected to serve on the Board at a shareholder meeting held on November 15, 2012. The Board appointed Mr. Boyle to serve as a Non-Independent Trustee on March 10, 2015. The address of each Trustee and officer of the Trust is 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

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Non-Independent Trustees
Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) and Other  Directorships During the Past 5 Years	Number of Funds in John Hancock Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Andrew G. Arnott(2) (1971)	Trustee (since 2017); President (since 2014); Executive Vice President (2007-2014, including prior positions)	Executive Vice President, John Hancock Financial Services (since 2009, including prior positions); Director and Executive Vice President, John Hancock Advisers, LLC (since 2005, including prior positions); Director and Executive Vice President, John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (since 2006, including prior positions); President, John Hancock Funds, LLC (since 2004, including prior positions); President, John Hancock retail funds(3), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2007, including prior positions); President, John Hancock Collateral Trust (since 2015); President, John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2014). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust, John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust, John Hancock retail funds(3), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust, and John Hancock Funds II (since 2017).	225
James R. Boyle(2) (1959)	Trustee (since 2015)	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Zillion Group, Inc. (formerly HealthFleet, Inc.) (healthcare) (since 2014); Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Life Insurance Division of Genworth Financial, Inc. (insurance) (January 2014-July 2014); Senior Executive Vice President, Manulife Financial, President and Chief Executive Officer, John Hancock (1999-2012); Chairman and Director, John Hancock Advisers, LLC, John Hancock Funds, LLC, and John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (2005-2010). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (2005–2010; 2012-2014; and since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and Trustee, John Hancock Funds II (2005-2014; since 2015).	225
Warren A. Thomson (2) (1955)	Trustee (since 2012)	Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer, Manulife Financial Corporation and The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (since 2009); Chairman, Manulife Asset Management (since 2001, including prior positions); Director and Chairman, Manulife Asset Management Limited (since 2006); Director and Chairman, Hancock Natural Resources Group, Inc. (since 2013). Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).	225

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Independent Trustees
Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) and Other  Directorships During the Past 5 Years	Number of Funds in John Hancock Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Charles L. Bardelis (1941)	Trustee (since 2012)	Director, Island Commuter Corp. (marine transport). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Funds III (2005-2006 and since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (since 1988); Trustee, John Hancock Funds II (since 2005).	225
Peter S. Burgess (1942)	Trustee (since 2012)	Consultant (financial, accounting, and auditing matters) (since 1999); Certified Public Accountant; Partner, Arthur Andersen (independent public accounting firm) (prior to 1999); Director, Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (since 2004); Director, Symetra Financial Corporation (2010-2016); Director, PMA Capital Corporation (2004-2010). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Funds III (2005-2006 and since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2005).	225
William H. Cunningham (1944)	Trustee (since 1986)	Professor, University of Texas, Austin, Texas (since 1971); former Chancellor, University of Texas System and former President of the University of Texas, Austin, Texas; Chairman (since 2009) and Director (since 2006), Lincoln National Corporation (insurance); Director, Southwest Airlines (since 2000); former Director, LIN Television (2009-2014). Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 1986); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Funds II (2005-2006 and since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).	225
Grace K. Fey (1946)	Trustee (since 2012)	Chief Executive Officer, Grace Fey Advisors (since 2007); Director and Executive Vice President, Frontier Capital Management Company (1988-2007); Director, Fiduciary Trust (since 2009). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2008).	225

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Independent Trustees
Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) and Other  Directorships During the Past 5 Years	Number of Funds in John Hancock Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Theron S. Hoffman (1947)	Trustee (since 2012)	Chief Executive Officer, T. Hoffman Associates, LLC (consulting firm) (since 2003); Director, The Todd Organization ( consulting firm) (2003–2010); President, Westport Resources Management (investment management consulting firm) (2006–2008); Senior Managing Director, Partner, and Operating Head, Putnam Investments (2000–2003); Executive Vice President, The Thomson Corp. (financial and legal information publishing) (1997–2000). Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015); Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2008).	225
Deborah C. Jackson (1952)	Trustee (since 2008)	President, Cambridge College, Cambridge, Massachusetts (since 2011); Board of Directors, National Association of Corporate Directors/New England (since 2015); Board of Directors, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts (since 2014); Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay (2002–2011); Board of Directors of Eastern Bank Corporation (since 2001); Board of Directors of Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation (since 2001); Board of Directors of American Student Assistance Corporation (1996–2009); Board of Directors of Boston Stock Exchange (2002–2008); Board of Directors of Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare (health benefits company) (2007–2011). Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2008); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).	225
Hassell H. McClellan (1945)	Trustee (since 2012) and Chairperson of the Board (since 2017)	Trustee, Virtus Variable Insurance Trust (formerly Phoenix Edge Series Funds) (since 2008); Director, The Barnes Group (since 2010); Associate Professor, The Wallace E. Carroll School of Management, Boston College (retired 2013). Trustee (since 2015) and Chairperson of the Board (since 2017), John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust; Trustee (since 2012) and Chairperson of the Board (since 2017), John Hancock retail funds(3); Trustee (2005-2006 and since 2012) and Chairperson of the Board (since 2017), John Hancock Funds III; Trustee (since 2005) and Chairperson of the Board (since 2017), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II.	225

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Independent Trustees
Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) and Other  Directorships During the Past 5 Years	Number of Funds in John Hancock Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
James M. Oates (1946)	Trustee (since 2012)	Managing Director, Wydown Group (financial consulting firm) (since 1994); Chairman and Director, Emerson Investment Management, Inc. (2000–2015); Independent Chairman, Hudson Castle Group, Inc. (formerly IBEX Capital Markets, Inc.) (financial services company) (1997–2011); Director, Stifel Financial (since 1996); Director, Investor Financial Services Corporation (1995–2007); Director, Connecticut River Bancorp (1998-2014); Director, Virtus Funds (formerly Phoenix Mutual Funds) (since 1988). Trustee (since 2015) and Chairperson of the Board (2015–2016), John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust; Trustee (since 2012) and Chairperson of the Board (2012–2016), John Hancock retail funds(3); Trustee (2005-2006 and since 2012) and Chairperson of the Board (2012–2016), John Hancock Funds III; Trustee (since 2004) and Chairperson of the Board (2005–2016), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust; Trustee (since 2005) and Chairperson of the Board (2005–2016) John Hancock Funds II.	225
Steven R. Pruchansky (1944)	Trustee (since 1994); Vice Chairperson of the Board (since 2012)	Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Greenscapes of Southwest Florida, Inc. (since 2000); Director and President, Greenscapes of Southwest Florida, Inc. (until 2000); Member, Board of Advisors, First American Bank (until 2010); Managing Director, Jon James, LLC (real estate) (since 2000); Partner, Right Funding, LLC (since 2014); Director, First Signature Bank & Trust Company (until 1991); Director, Mast Realty Trust (until 1994); President, Maxwell Building Corp. (until 1991). Trustee (since 1992) and Chairperson of the Board (2011-2012), John Hancock retail funds(3); Trustee and Vice Chairperson of the Board, John Hancock retail funds, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2012); Trustee, and Vice Chairperson of the Board, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).	225

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Independent Trustees
Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) and Other  Directorships During the Past 5 Years	Number of Funds in John Hancock Fund Complex Overseen by Trustee
Gregory A. Russo (1949)	Trustee (since 2009)	Director and Audit Committee Chairman (since 2012), and Member, Audit Committee and Finance Committee (since 2011), NCH Healthcare System, Inc. (holding company for multi-entity healthcare system); Director and Member (since 2012), and Finance Committee Chairman (since 2014), The Moorings, Inc. (nonprofit continuing care community); Vice Chairman, Risk & Regulatory Matters, KPMG LLP (KPMG) (2002–2006); Vice Chairman, Industrial Markets, KPMG (1998–2002); Chairman and Treasurer, Westchester County, New York, Chamber of Commerce (1986–1992); Director, Treasurer and Chairman of Audit and Finance Committees, Putnam Hospital Center (1989–1995); Director and Chairman of Fundraising Campaign, United Way of Westchester and Putnam Counties, New York (1990–1995). Trustee, John Hancock retail funds(3) (since 2008); Trustee, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2012); Trustee, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).	225

(1) Because the Trust does not hold regular annual shareholder meetings, each Trustee holds office for an indefinite term until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until he or she dies, retires, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified. Trustees may be removed from a Trust (provided the aggregate number of Trustees after such removal shall not be less than one) with cause or without cause, by the action of two-thirds of the remaining Trustees or by action of two-thirds of the outstanding shares of the Trust.

(2) The Trustee is a Non-Independent Trustee due to current or former positions with the Advisor and certain of its affiliates.

(3) “John Hancock retail funds” is currently composed of John Hancock Funds III and 39 other John Hancock funds consisting of 29 series of other John Hancock trusts and 10 closed-end funds. The information for the John Hancock retail funds category relates to service as a Trustee of any of these funds for the stated period.

Principal Officers who are not Trustees

The following table presents information regarding the current principal officers of the Trust who are not Trustees, including their principal occupations which, unless specific dates are shown, are of at least five years’ duration. Each of the officers is an affiliated person of the Advisor. All of the officers listed are officers or employees of the Advisor or its affiliates. All of the officers also are officers of all of the other funds for which the Advisor serves as investment advisor.

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Name (Birth Year)	Position(s) with the Trust(1)	Principal Occupation(s) During Past 5 Years
John J. Danello (1955)	Senior Vice President (since 2006, including prior positions), Secretary and Chief Legal Officer (since 2014)	Vice President and Chief Counsel, John Hancock Wealth Management (since 2005); Senior Vice President (since 2007) and Chief Legal Counsel (2007-2010), John Hancock Funds, LLC and The Berkeley Financial Group, LLC; Senior Vice President (since 2006, including prior positions) and Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (since 2014), John Hancock retail funds(2), John Hancock Funds II, and John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust; Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary (since 2015), John Hancock Collateral Trust; Vice President, John Hancock Life & Health Insurance Company (since 2009); Vice President, John Hancock Life Insurance Company (USA) and John Hancock Life Insurance Company of New York (since 2010); and Senior Vice President, Secretary, and Chief Legal Counsel (2007-2014, including prior positions) of John Hancock Advisers, LLC and John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC; Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer, John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).
Francis V. Knox, Jr. (1947)	Chief Compliance Officer (since 2005)	Vice President, John Hancock Financial Services (since 2005); Chief Compliance Officer, John Hancock retail funds(2), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust, John Hancock Funds II, John Hancock Advisers, LLC, and John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (since 2005); Chief Compliance Officer, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).
Charles A. Rizzo (1957)	Chief Financial Officer (since 2007)	Vice President, John Hancock Financial Services (since 2008); Senior Vice President, John Hancock Advisers, LLC and John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (since 2008); Chief Financial Officer, John Hancock retail funds(2), John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (since 2007); Chief Financial Officer, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).
Salvatore Schiavone (1965)	Treasurer (since 2010)	Assistant Vice President, John Hancock Financial Services (since 2007); Vice President, John Hancock Advisers, LLC and John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (since 2007); Treasurer, John Hancock retail funds(2) (since 2007, including prior positions); Treasurer, John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust and John Hancock Funds II (2007–2009 and since 2010, including prior positions); Treasurer, John Hancock Collateral Trust and John Hancock Exchange-Traded Fund Trust (since 2015).

(1) Each officer holds office for an indefinite term until his or her successor is duly elected and qualified or until he or she dies, retires, resigns, is removed or becomes disqualified.

(2) “John Hancock retail funds” is currently composed of John Hancock Funds III and 36 other John Hancock funds consisting of 26 series of other John Hancock trusts and 10 closed-end funds. The information for the John Hancock retail funds category relates to service as an officer of any of these funds for the stated period.

Additional Information about the Trustees

In addition to the description of each Trustee’s Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships set forth above, the following provides further information about each Trustee’s specific experience, qualifications, attributes or skills with respect to the Trust. The information in this section should not be understood to mean that any of the Trustees is an “expert” within the meaning of the federal securities laws.

There are no specific required qualifications for Board membership. The Board believes that the different perspectives, viewpoints, professional experience, education, and individual qualities of each Trustee represent a diversity of experiences and a variety of complementary skills. Each Trustee has experience as a Trustee of the Trust as well as experience as a Trustee of other John Hancock funds. It is the Trustees’ belief that this allows the Board, as a whole, to oversee the business of the Fund and the other John Hancock funds (collectively in this section, the “Funds”) in a manner consistent with the best interests of the Funds’ shareholders. When considering potential nominees to fill vacancies on the Board, and as part of its annual self-evaluation, the Board reviews the mix of skills and other relevant experiences of the Trustees.

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Andrew G. Arnott — Through his positions as Executive Vice President of John Hancock Financial Services; Director and Executive Vice President of the Advisor and an affiliated investment advisor, John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC; President of the Distributor; and President of the John Hancock Fund Complex, Mr. Arnott has experience in the management of investments, registered investment companies, variable annuities and retirement products, enabling him to provide management input to the Board.

Charles L. Bardelis — As a director and former chief executive of an operating company, Mr. Bardelis has experience with a variety of financial, staffing, regulatory and operational issues. He also has experience as a director of publicly traded companies.

James R. Boyle — Through his former positions as chairman and director of the Advisor, position as a senior executive of MFC, the Advisor’s parent company, and positions with other affiliates of the Advisor, Mr. Boyle has experience in the development and management of registered investment companies, variable annuities and retirement products, enabling him to provide management input to the Board. He also has experience as a senior executive of healthcare and insurance companies.

Peter S. Burgess — As a financial consultant and certified public accountant, and a former partner in a major international public accounting firm, Mr. Burgess has experience in the auditing of financial services companies and mutual funds. He also has experience as a director of publicly traded operating companies.

William H. Cunningham — Mr. Cunningham has management and operational oversight experience as a former Chancellor and President of a major university. Mr. Cunningham regularly teaches a graduate course in corporate governance at the law school and the Red McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. He also has oversight and corporate governance experience as a current and former director of a number of operating companies, including an insurance company.

Grace K. Fey — As a consultant to nonprofit and corporate boards, and as a former director and executive of an investment management firm, Ms. Fey has experience in the investment management industry. She also has experience as a director of an operating company.

Theron S. Hoffman — As a consultant and as a former senior executive and director of several large public and private companies, including a global reinsurance company and a large investment management firm, Mr. Hoffman has extensive experience in corporate governance, business operations and new product development. In addition, his prior service as chair of corporate pension trusts has given him experience in the oversight of investment managers.

Deborah C. Jackson — Ms. Jackson has management and operational oversight experience as the president of a college and as the former chief executive officer of a major charitable organization. She also has oversight and corporate governance experience as a current and former director of various corporate organizations, including a bank, an insurance company and a regional stock exchange, and nonprofit entities.

Hassell H. McClellan — As a former professor of finance and policy in the graduate management department of a major university, a current director of a public company, and as a former director of several privately held companies, Mr. McClellan has experience in corporate and financial matters. He also has experience as a director of other investment companies not affiliated with the Trust.

James M. Oates — As a senior officer and director of investment management companies, Mr. Oates has experience in investment management. Mr. Oates previously served as chief executive officer of one bank and president and chief operating officer of another bank. He also has experience as a director of publicly traded companies and investment companies not affiliated with the Trust.

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Steven R. Pruchansky — Mr. Pruchansky has entrepreneurial, executive and financial experience as a chief executive officer of an operating services company and a current and former director of real estate and banking companies.

Gregory A. Russo — As a certified public accountant and former partner in a major independent registered public accounting firm, Mr. Russo has accounting and executive experience. He also has experience as a current and former director of various operating entities.

Warren A. Thomson — Through his positions as Chairman of Manulife Asset Management and Chief Investment Officer of MFC, the Advisor’s parent company, Mr. Thomson has experience in the management of investments, registered investment companies, variable annuities and retirement products, enabling him to provide management input to the Board.

Duties of Trustees; Committee Structure

The Trust is organized as a Massachusetts business trust. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees are responsible for managing the affairs of the Trust, including the appointment of advisors and subadvisors. Each Trustee has the experience, skills, attributes or qualifications described above (see “Principal Occupation(s) and Other Directorships” and “Additional Information about the Trustees” above). The Board appoints officers who assist in managing the day-to-day affairs of the Trust. The Board met six times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

The Board has appointed an Independent Trustee as Chairperson. The Chairperson presides at meetings of the Trustees, and may call meetings of the Board and any Board committee whenever he deems it necessary. The Chairperson participates in the preparation of the agenda for meetings of the Board and the identification of information to be presented to the Board with respect to matters to be acted upon by the Board. The Chairperson also acts as a liaison with the Funds’ management, officers, attorneys, and other Trustees generally between meetings. The Chairperson may perform such other functions as may be requested by the Board from time to time. The Board also has designated a Vice Chairperson to serve in the absence of the Chairperson. Except for any duties specified in this SAI or pursuant to the Trust’s Declaration of Trust or By-laws, or as assigned by the Board, the designation of a Trustee as Chairperson or Vice Chairperson does not impose on that Trustee any duties, obligations or liability that are greater than the duties, obligations or liability imposed on any other Trustee, generally. The Board has designated a number of standing committees as further described below, each of which has a Chairperson. The Board also may designate working groups or ad hoc committees as it deems appropriate.

The Board believes that this leadership structure is appropriate because it allows the Board to exercise informed and independent judgment over matters under its purview, and it allocates areas of responsibility among committees or working groups of Trustees and the full Board in a manner that enhances effective oversight. The Board considers leadership by an Independent Trustee as Chairperson to be integral to promoting effective independent oversight of the Funds’ operations and meaningful representation of the shareholders’ interests, given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Funds. The Board also believes that having a super-majority of Independent Trustees is appropriate and in the best interest of the Funds’ shareholders. Nevertheless, the Board also believes that having interested persons serve on the Board brings corporate and financial viewpoints that are, in the Board’s view, helpful elements in its decision-making process. In addition, the Board believes that Messrs. Arnott, Boyle, and Thomson, as current or former senior executives of the Advisor and the Distributor (or of its parent company, MFC), and of other affiliates of the Advisor and the Distributor, provide the Board with the perspective of the Advisor and the Distributor in managing and sponsoring all of the Trust’s series. The leadership structure of the Board may be changed, at any time and in the discretion of the Board, including in response to changes in circumstances or the characteristics of the Trust.

Board Committees

The Board has established an Audit Committee; Compliance Committee; Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee; Nominating and Governance Committee; and Investment Committee. The current membership of each committee is set forth below.

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Audit Committee. The Board has a standing Audit Committee composed solely of Independent Trustees (Messrs. Bardelis, Burgess and Hoffman). Mr. Burgess serves as Chairperson of this Committee. This Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016 to review the internal and external accounting and auditing procedures of the Trust and, among other things, to consider the selection of an independent registered public accounting firm for such Trust, to approve all significant services proposed to be performed by its independent registered public accounting firm and to consider the possible effect of such services on its independence.

Compliance Committee. The Board also has a standing Compliance Committee (Mses. Fey and Jackson and Mr. Cunningham). This Committee reviews and makes recommendations to the full Board regarding certain compliance matters relating to the Trust. Ms. Fey serves as Chairperson of this Committee. This Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee. The Board also has a standing Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee (Messrs. Oates, Pruchansky and Russo). This Committee met four times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016. This Committee oversees the initiation, operation, and renewal of the various contracts between the Trust and other entities. These contracts include advisory and subadvisory agreements, custodial and transfer agency agreements and arrangements with other service providers. The Committee also reviews the significant legal affairs of the Funds, as well as any significant regulatory and legislative actions or proposals affecting or relating to the Funds or their service providers. The Committee also assists the Board in its oversight role with respect to the processes pursuant to which the Advisor and the subadvisors identify, manage and report the various risks that affect or could affect the Funds. Mr. Russo serves as Chairperson of this Committee.

Nominating and Governance Committee. The Board also has a Nominating and Governance Committee composed of all of the Independent Trustees. This Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016. This Committee will consider nominees recommended by Trust shareholders. Nominations should be forwarded to the attention of the Secretary of the Trust at 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Any shareholder nomination must be submitted in compliance with all of the pertinent provisions of Rule 14a-8 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), in order to be considered by this Committee.

Investment Committee. The Board also has an Investment Committee composed of all of the Trustees. The Investment Committee has five subcommittees with the Trustees divided among the five subcommittees (each an “Investment Sub-Committee”). Each Investment Sub-Committee reviews investment matters relating to a particular group of funds and coordinates with the full Board regarding investment matters. Ms. Jackson and Messrs. Bardelis, Cunningham, Hoffman, and Oates serve as Chairpersons of the Investment Sub-Committees. The Investment Committee met five times during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

Annually, the Board evaluates its performance and that of its Committees, including the effectiveness of the Board’s Committee structure.

Risk Oversight

As registered investment companies, the Funds are subject to a variety of risks, including investment risks (such as, among others, market risk, credit risk and interest rate risk), financial risks (such as, among others, settlement risk, liquidity risk and valuation risk), compliance risks, and operational risks. As a part of its overall activities, the Board oversees the Funds’ risk management activities that are implemented by the Advisor, the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) and other service providers to the Funds. The Advisor has primary responsibility for the Funds’ risk management on a day-to-day basis as a part of its overall responsibilities. The Funds’ subadvisors, subject to oversight of the Advisor, are primarily responsible for managing investment and financial risks as a part of their day-to-day investment responsibilities, as well as operational and compliance risks at their firms. The Advisor and the CCO also assist the Board in overseeing compliance with investment policies of the Funds and regulatory requirements, and monitor the implementation of the various compliance policies and procedures approved by the Board as a part of its oversight responsibilities.

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The Advisor identifies to the Board the risks that it believes may affect the Funds and develops processes and controls regarding such risks. However, risk management is a complex and dynamic undertaking and it is not always possible to comprehensively identify and/or mitigate all such risks at all times since risks are at times impacted by external events. In discharging its oversight responsibilities, the Board considers risk management issues throughout the year with the assistance of its various Committees as described below. Each Committee meets at least quarterly and presents reports to the Board, which may prompt further discussion of issues concerning the oversight of the Funds’ risk management. The Board as a whole also reviews written reports or presentations on a variety of risk issues as needed and may discuss particular risks that are not addressed in the Committee process.

The Board has established an Investment Committee, which consists of five Investment Sub-Committees. Each Investment Sub-Committee assists the Board in overseeing the significant investment policies of the relevant Funds and the performance of their subadvisors. The Advisor monitors these policies and subadvisor activities and may recommend changes in connection with the Funds to each relevant Investment Sub-Committee in response to subadvisor requests or other circumstances. On at least a quarterly basis, each Investment Sub-Committee reviews reports from the Advisor regarding the relevant Funds’ investment performance, which include information about investment and financial risks and how they are managed, and from the CCO or his/her designee regarding subadvisor compliance matters. In addition, each Investment Sub-Committee meets periodically with the portfolio managers of the Funds’ subadvisors to receive reports regarding management of the Funds, including with respect to risk management processes.

The Audit Committee assists the Board in reviewing with the independent auditors, at various times throughout the year, matters relating to the Funds’ financial reporting. In addition, this Committee oversees the process of the Fund’s valuation of its portfolio securities, assisted by the Funds’ Pricing Committee (composed of officers of the Trust), which calculates fair value determinations pursuant to procedures adopted by the Board.

The Compliance Committee assists the Board in overseeing the activities of the Trust’s CCO with respect to the compliance programs of the Funds, the Advisor, the subadvisors, and certain of the Funds’ other service providers (the Distributor and transfer agent). This Committee and the Board receive and consider periodic reports from the CCO throughout the year, including the CCO’s annual written report, which, among other things, summarizes material compliance issues that arose during the previous year and any remedial action taken to address these issues, as well as any material changes to the compliance programs.

The Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee assists the Board in its oversight role with respect to the processes pursuant to which the Advisor and the subadvisors identify, assess, manage and report the various risks that affect or could affect the Funds. This Committee reviews reports from the Funds’ Advisor on a periodic basis regarding the risks facing the Funds, and makes recommendations to the Board concerning risks and risk oversight matters as the Committee deems appropriate. This Committee also coordinates with the other Board Committees regarding risks relevant to the other Committees, as appropriate.

In addressing issues regarding the Funds’ risk management between meetings, appropriate representatives of the Advisor communicate with the Chairperson of the Board, the relevant Committee Chair, or the Trust’s CCO, who is directly accountable to the Board. As appropriate, the Chairperson of the Board, the Committee Chairs and the Trustees confer among themselves, with the Trust’s CCO, the Advisor, other service providers, external fund counsel, and counsel to the Independent Trustees, to identify and review risk management issues that may be placed on the full Board’s agenda and/or that of an appropriate Committee for review and discussion.

In addition, in its annual review of the Funds’ advisory, subadvisory and distribution agreements, the Board reviews information provided by the Advisor, the subadvisors and the Distributor relating to their operational capabilities, financial condition, risk management processes and resources.

The Board may, at any time and in its discretion, change the manner in which it conducts its risk oversight role.

The Advisor also has its own, independent interest in risk management. In this regard, the Advisor has appointed a Risk and Investment Operations Committee, consisting of senior personnel from each of the Advisor’s functional departments. This Committee reports periodically to the Board and the Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee on risk management matters. The Advisor’s risk management program is part of the overall risk management program of John Hancock, the Advisor’s parent company. John Hancock’s Chief Risk Officer supports the Advisor’s risk management program, and at the Board’s request will report on risk management matters.

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Compensation of Trustees and Officers

Trustees are reimbursed for travel and other out-of-pocket expenses. Each Independent Trustee and Mr. Boyle receives in the aggregate from the Trust and the other open-end funds in the John Hancock Fund Complex an annual retainer of $210,000, a fee of $21,000 for each regular meeting of the Trustees that he or she attends in person and a fee of $2,500 for each special meeting of the Trustees that he or she attends in person. The Chairperson of the Board receives an additional retainer of $160,000. The Vice Chairperson of the Board receives an additional retainer of $20,000. The Chairperson of each of the Audit Committee, Compliance Committee and Contracts, Legal & Risk Committee receives an additional $40,000 retainer. The Chairperson of each Investment Sub-Committee receives an additional $20,000 retainer.

The following table provides information regarding the compensation paid by the Trust and the other investment companies in the John Hancock Fund Complex to the Independent Trustees and Mr. Boyle for their services during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016.

Compensation Table⁽¹⁾

Name of Trustee	Total Compensation from the Trust		Total Compensation from the Trust and the John Hancock Fund Complex (2)
Independent Trustees
Charles L. Bardelis	$	9,343	$	367,000
Peter S. Burgess	$	9,923	$	387,000
William H. Cunningham	$	9,343	$	367,000
Grace K. Fey	$	9,343	$	367,000
Theron S. Hoffman	$	9,343	$	367,000
Deborah C. Jackson	$	9,343	$	367,000
Hassell H. McClellan	$	9,346	$	367,000
James M. Oates(3)	$	13,407	$	507,000
Steven R. Pruchansky	$	9,343	$	367,000
Gregory A. Russo	$	9,923	$	387,000
Non-Independent Trustees
Andrew G. Arnott(4)		N/A		N/A
James R. Boyle	$	8,762	$	347,000
Craig Bromley(5)	$	0	$	0
Warren A. Thomson	$	0	$	0

(1) The Trust does not have a pension or retirement plan for any of its Trustees or officers.

(2) There were approximately 227 series in the John Hancock Fund Complex as of October 31, 2016.

(3) Mr. Oates served as Chairperson of the Board for the period shown in the table.

(4) Appointed to serve as Trustee effective June 20, 2017.

(5) Served as Trustee through June 15, 2017.

Trustee Ownership of Shares of the Fund

The table below sets forth the dollar range of the value of the shares of the Fund, and the dollar range of the aggregate value of the shares of all funds in the John Hancock Fund Complex overseen by a Trustee, owned beneficially by the Trustees as of December 31, 2016. For purposes of this table, beneficial ownership is defined to mean a direct or indirect pecuniary interest. Trustees may own shares beneficially through group annuity contracts. Exact dollar amounts of securities held are not listed in the table, rather the ranges are identified.

Trustees	Small Cap Core Fund	Total – John Hancock Fund Complex
Independent Trustees
Charles L. Bardelis	none	over $100,000

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Trustees	Small Cap Core Fund	Total – John Hancock Fund Complex
Peter S. Burgess	none	over $100,000
William H. Cunningham	none	over $100,000
Grace K. Fey	none	over $100,000
Theron S. Hoffman	none	over $100,000
Deborah C. Jackson	none	over $100,000
Hassell H. McClellan	none	over $100,000
James M. Oates	none	over $100,000
Steven R. Pruchansky	none	over $100,000
Gregory A. Russo	none	over $100,000
Non-Independent Trustees
Andrew G. Arnott(1)	N/A	N/A
James R. Boyle	none	over $100,000
Warren A. Thomson	none	over $100,000

⁽¹⁾ Appointed to serve as Trustee effective June 20, 2017.

SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND

To the best knowledge of the Trust, as of July [___], 2017, the Trustees and officers of the Trust, in the aggregate, beneficially owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each class of shares of the Fund.

Class R6 shares of the Fund are expected to commence operations on or after the date of this SAI.

To the best knowledge of the Trust, as of July [___], 2017, the following shareholders owned beneficially or of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund’s share classes stated below. A shareholder who owns beneficially more than 25% of any class of the Fund is deemed to control that class.

[TO BE ADDED BY AMENDMENT]

SHARE CLASS NAME AND ADDRESS RECORD OR BENEFICIAL PERCENT

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS AND OTHER SERVICES

The Advisory Agreement

Pursuant to an advisory agreement between the Trust and the Advisor dated July 1, 2009 (the “Advisory Agreement”), and subject to general oversight by the Board, the Advisor manages and supervises the investment operations and business affairs of the Fund. The Advisor provides the Fund with all necessary office facilities and equipment and any personnel necessary for the oversight and/or conduct of the investment operations of the Fund. The Advisor also coordinates and oversees the services provided to the Fund under other agreements, including custodial, administrative and transfer agency services. Additionally, the Advisor provides certain administrative and other non-advisory services to the Fund pursuant to a separate Service Agreement, as discussed below.

The Advisor is responsible for overseeing and implementing the Fund’s investment program and provides a variety of advisory oversight and investment research services, including: (i) monitoring Fund portfolio compositions and risk profiles; and (ii) evaluating Fund investment characteristics, such as investment strategies, and recommending to the Board potential enhancements to such characteristics. The Advisor provides management and transition services associated with certain fund events (e.g., strategy, portfolio manager or subadvisor changes).

The Advisor has the responsibility to oversee the subadvisors and recommend to the Board: (i) the hiring, termination, and replacement of a subadvisor (in certain cases, subject to shareholder approval); and (ii) the allocation and reallocation of the Fund’s assets among multiple subadvisors, when appropriate. In this capacity, the Advisor negotiates with potential subadvisors and, once retained, among other things: (i) monitors the compliance of the subadvisor with the investment objectives and related policies of the Fund; (ii) reviews the performance of the subadvisor; and (iii) reports periodically on such performance to the Board. The Advisor utilizes the expertise of a team of over 165 investment professionals in manager research and oversight who provide these research and monitoring services.

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The Advisor is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Advisory Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from its reckless disregard of its obligations and duties under the Agreement.

Under the Advisory Agreement, the Fund may use the name “John Hancock” or any name derived from or similar to it only for so long as the Advisory Agreement or any extension, renewal or amendment thereof remains in effect. If the Agreement is no longer in effect, the Fund (to the extent that it lawfully can) will cease to use such name or any other name indicating that it is advised by or otherwise connected with the Advisor. In addition, the Advisor or The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Manulife Financial (the “Life Company”), may grant the nonexclusive right to use the name “John Hancock” or any similar name to any other corporation or entity, including but not limited to any investment company of which the Life Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof or any successor to the business of any subsidiary or affiliate thereof shall be the investment advisor.

The continuation of the Advisory Agreement and the Distribution Agreement (discussed below) were each approved by all Trustees. The Advisory Agreement and the Distribution Agreement will continue in effect from year to year, provided that each Agreement’s continuance is approved annually both: (i) by the holders of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust or by the Trustees; and (ii) by a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Agreement, or “interested persons” of any such parties. Each of these Agreements may be terminated on 60 days’ written notice by any party or by a vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund and will terminate automatically if assigned.

The Fund bears all costs of its organization and operation, including but not limited to expenses of preparing, printing and mailing all shareholders’ reports, notices, prospectuses, proxy statements and reports to regulatory agencies; expenses relating to the issuance, registration and qualification of shares; government fees; interest charges; expenses of furnishing to shareholders their account statements; taxes; expenses of redeeming shares; brokerage and other expenses connected with the execution of portfolio securities transactions; expenses pursuant to the Fund’s plan of distribution; fees and expenses of custodians including those for keeping books and accounts, maintaining a committed line of credit and calculating the NAV of shares; fees and expenses of transfer agents and dividend disbursing agents; legal, accounting, financial, management, tax and auditing fees and expenses of the Fund (including an allocable portion of the cost of the Advisor’s employees rendering such services to the Fund); the compensation and expenses of officers and Trustees (other than persons serving as President or Trustee who are otherwise affiliated with the Fund, the Advisor or any of their affiliates); expenses of Trustees’ and shareholders’ meetings; trade association memberships; insurance premiums; and any extraordinary expenses.

Securities held by the Fund also may be held by other funds or investment advisory clients for which the Advisor, subadvisor or their respective affiliates provide investment advice. Because of different investment objectives or other factors, a particular security may be bought for one or more funds or clients when one or more are selling the same security. If opportunities for purchase or sale of securities by the Advisor or subadvisor for the Fund or for other funds or clients for which the Advisor or subadvisor renders investment advice arise for consideration at or about the same time, transactions in such securities will be made, insofar as feasible, for the respective funds or clients in a manner deemed equitable to all of them. To the extent that transactions on behalf of more than one client of the Advisor or subadvisor or their respective affiliates may increase the demand for securities being purchased or the supply of securities being sold, there may be an adverse effect on price.

Advisor Compensation. As compensation for its advisory services under each Advisory Agreement, the Advisor receives a fee from the Trust computed separately for the Fund. The amount of the advisory fee is determined by applying the daily equivalent of an annual fee rate to the net assets of the Fund. The Fund pays the advisory fee daily. The management fees the Fund currently is obligated to pay the Advisor are as set forth in the Fund’s Prospectus.

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From time to time, the Advisor may reduce its fee or make other arrangements to limit the Fund’s expenses to a specified percentage of average daily net assets. The Advisor retains the right to re-impose a fee and recover any other payments to the extent that, at the end of any fiscal year, the Fund’s annual expenses fall below this limit.

The following table shows the advisory fees that the Fund incurred and paid to the Advisor for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2016, October 31, 2015, and October 31, 2014:

	Advisory Fee Paid in Fiscal Period Ended October 31
Fund	2016			2015			2014
Small Cap Core Fund
Gross Fees	$	1,307,704		$	1,230,736		$	1,230,736
Waivers	$	(10,771	)	$	(9,376	)	$	(9,376	)
Net Fees	$	1,296,933		$	1,221,360		$	1,221,360

Service Agreement. Pursuant to a Service Agreement with the Trust, the Advisor is responsible for providing, at the expense of the Trust, certain financial, accounting and administrative services such as legal services, tax, accounting, valuation, financial reporting and performance, compliance and service oversight. Pursuant to the Service Agreement, the Advisor shall determine, subject to Board approval, the expenses to be reimbursed by the Fund, including an overhead allocation. The payments under the Service Agreement are not intended to provide a profit to the Advisor. Instead, the Advisor provides the services under this Agreement because it also provides advisory services under the Advisory Agreement. Pursuant to the Agreement, the reimbursement shall be calculated and paid monthly in arrears.

The Advisor is not liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Fund in connection with the matters to which the Service Agreement relates, except losses resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence by the Advisor in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by the Advisor of its obligations under the Agreement.

The Service Agreement had an initial term of two years, and continues so long as such continuance is specifically approved at least annually by a majority of the Board and a majority of the Independent Trustees. The Trust, on behalf of the Fund, or the Advisor may terminate the Agreement at any time without penalty on 60 days’ written notice to the other party. The Agreement may be amended by mutual written agreement of the parties, without obtaining shareholder approval.

The following table shows the fees that the Fund incurred and paid to the Advisor for non-advisory services under the Service Agreement for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2016, October 31, 2015, and October 31, 2014.

	Service Fee Paid in Fiscal Period Ended October 31
Fund	2016		2015		2014
Small Cap Core Fund	$	29,932	$	31,458	$	23,355

The Subadvisory Agreement

John Hancock Asset Management serves as the Fund’s subadvisor.

Duties of the Subadvisor. Under the terms of the current subadvisory agreement (the “Subadvisory Agreement”), the subadvisor manages the investment and reinvestment of the assets of the Fund, subject to the supervision of the Board and the Advisor. The subadvisor formulates a continuous investment program for the Fund consistent with its investment objectives and policies outlined in the Prospectus. The subadvisor implements such programs by purchases and sales of securities and regularly reports to the Advisor and the Board with respect to the implementation of such programs. The subadvisor, at its expense, furnishes all necessary investment and management facilities, including salaries of personnel required for it to execute its duties, as well as administrative facilities, including bookkeeping, clerical personnel, and equipment necessary for the conduct of the investment affairs of the assigned Funds. Additional information about the Fund’s portfolio manager, including other accounts managed, ownership of Fund shares, and compensation structure, can be found at Appendix B to this SAI.

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The Advisor has delegated to the subadvisor of the Fund the responsibility to vote all proxies relating to securities held by the Fund in accordance with the subadvisor’s proxy voting policies and procedures. Each subadvisor has a duty to vote or not vote such proxies in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders and to avoid the influence of conflicts of interest.

Subadvisory Fees. As compensation for their services, the subadvisor receives fees from the Advisor.

Affiliated Subadvisors. The Advisor, John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC (“JHIMS”) (the advisor to certain other John Hancock funds) and the following subadvisors are controlled by Manulife Financial:

John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC; and

John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (North America) Limited

(collectively, “Affiliated Subadvisors”).

Advisory arrangements involving Affiliated Subadvisors may present certain potential conflicts of interest. For each John Hancock fund subadvised by an Affiliated Subadvisor, Manulife Financial will benefit not only from the net advisory fee retained by the Advisor or JHIMS, as applicable, but also from the subadvisory fee paid by the Advisor or JHIMS, as applicable, to the Affiliated Subadvisor. Consequently, Manulife Financial may be viewed as benefiting financially from (i) the appointment of or continued service of Affiliated Subadvisors to manage certain John Hancock funds; and (ii) the allocation of the assets of funds of funds to underlying funds having Affiliated Subadvisors. However, the Advisor or JHIMS, as applicable, in recommending to the Board the appointment or continued service of Affiliated Subadvisors, and the Affiliated Subadvisors, has a fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of the applicable John Hancock funds and their shareholders. In addition, each John Hancock fund is required to obtain shareholder approval of any subadvisory agreement appointing an Affiliated Subadvisor as the subadvisor to the fund (in the case of a new fund, the initial sole shareholder of the fund, an affiliate of the Advisor or JHIMS, as applicable, and Manulife Financial may provide this approval). The Independent Trustees are aware of and monitor these potential conflicts of interest.

Additional Information Applicable to the Subadvisory Agreement

Term of the Subadvisory Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement will initially continue in effect as to the Fund for a period no more than two years from the date of its execution (or the execution of an amendment making the agreement applicable to the Fund) and thereafter if such continuance is specifically approved at least annually either: (a) by the Trustees; or (b) by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund. In either event, such continuance also shall be approved by the vote of the majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons of any party to the Agreement.

Any required shareholder approval of any continuance of the Subadvisory Agreement shall be effective with respect to the Fund if a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund votes to approve such continuance even if such continuance may not have been approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of: (a) any other series of the Trust affected by the Agreement; or (b) all of the series of the Trust.

Failure of Shareholders to Approve Continuance of the Subadvisory Agreement. If the outstanding voting securities of the Fund fail to approve any continuance of the Subadvisory Agreement, the party may continue to act as investment subadvisor with respect to the Fund pending the required approval of the continuance of the Agreement or a new agreement with either that party or a different subadvisor, or other definitive action.

Termination of the Subadvisory Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be terminated at any time without the payment of any penalty on 60 days’ written notice to the other party or parties to the Agreement, and also to the Fund. The following parties may terminate the Subadvisory Agreement:

• the Board;

• with respect to the Fund, a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund;

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• the Advisor; and

• the subadvisor.

The Subadvisory Agreement will automatically terminate in the event of its assignment or upon termination of the Advisory Agreement.

Amendments to the Subadvisory Agreement. The Subadvisory Agreement may be amended by the parties to the agreement, provided that the amendment is approved by the vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund (except as noted below) and by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees.

The required shareholder approval of any amendment to the Subadvisory Agreement shall be effective with respect to the Fund if a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Fund votes to approve the amendment, even if the amendment may not have been approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of: (a) any other series of the Trust affected by the amendment; or (b) all the series of the Trust.

As noted under “Who’s who — Investment advisor” in the Prospectus, an SEC order permits the Advisor, subject to approval by the Board and a majority of the Independent Trustees, to appoint a subadvisor (other than an Affiliated Subadvisor) or change a subadvisory fee or otherwise amend a subadvisory agreement (other than with an Affiliated Subadvisor) pursuant to an agreement that is not approved by shareholders.

Other Services

Proxy Voting. Based on the terms of the current subadvisory agreements, the Trust’s proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Trust Procedures”) delegate to the subadvisors of each of its series the responsibility to vote all proxies relating to securities held by that Fund in accordance with the subadvisor’s proxy voting policies and procedures. The subadvisor has a duty to vote or not vote such proxies in the best interests of the Fund it subadvises and its shareholders, and to avoid the influence of conflicts of interest. In the event that the Advisor assumes day-to-day management responsibilities for the Fund, the Trust Procedures delegate proxy voting responsibilities to the Advisor. Complete descriptions of the Trust Procedures and the proxy voting procedures of the Advisor and each of the subadvisor are set forth in Appendix C to this SAI.

It is possible that conflicts of interest could arise for a subadvisor when voting proxies. Such conflicts could arise, for example, when the subadvisor or its affiliate has an existing business relationship with the issuer of the security being voted or with a third party that has an interest in the vote. A conflict of interest also could arise when the Fund, its Advisor or principal underwriter or any of their affiliates has an interest in the vote.

In the event that the subadvisor becomes aware of a material conflict of interest, the Trust Procedures generally require the subadvisor to follow any conflicts procedures that may be included in the subadvisor’s proxy voting procedures. Although conflicts procedures will vary among subadvisors, they generally include one or more of the following:

(a) voting pursuant to the recommendation of a third party voting service;

(b) voting pursuant to pre-determined voting guidelines; or

(c) referring voting to a special compliance or oversight committee.

The specific conflicts procedures of the subadvisor are set forth in its proxy voting procedures included in Appendix C. While these conflicts procedures may reduce the influence of conflicts of interest on proxy voting, such influence will not necessarily be eliminated.

Although the subadvisor may have a duty to vote all proxies on behalf of the Fund that it subadvises, it is possible that the subadvisor may not be able to vote proxies under certain circumstances. For example, it may be impracticable to translate in a timely manner voting materials that are written in a foreign language or to travel to a foreign country when voting in person rather than by proxy is required. In addition, if the voting of proxies for shares of a security prohibits the subadvisor from trading the shares in the marketplace for a period of time, the subadvisor may determine that it is not in the best interests of the Fund to vote the proxies. In addition, consistent with its duty to vote proxies in the best interests of the Fund’s shareholders, the subadvisor may refrain from voting one or more of the Fund’s proxies if the subadvisor believes that the costs of voting such proxies may outweigh the potential benefits. For example, the subadvisor may choose not to recall securities where the subadvisor believes the costs of voting may outweigh the potential benefit of voting. The subadvisor also may choose not to recall securities that have been loaned in order to vote proxies for shares of the security since the Fund would lose security lending income if the securities were recalled.

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Information regarding how the Trust voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30^th is available (1) without charge upon request, by calling 800-344-1029 (attention: Secretary) and (2) on the SEC’s website at sec.gov.

DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENTS

The Trust has a Distribution Agreement with John Hancock Funds, LLC, an affiliate of the Advisor (the “Distributor”), located at 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Under the Distribution Agreements, the Distributor is obligated to use its best efforts to sell shares of each class of the Fund. Shares of the Fund also are sold by selected broker-dealers, banks and registered investment advisors (“Selling Firms”) that have entered into selling agreements with the Distributor. These Selling Firms are authorized to designate other intermediaries to receive purchase and redemption orders on behalf of the Fund. The Distributor accepts orders for the purchase of the shares of the Fund that are continually offered at the NAV next determined, plus any applicable sales charge. Class R6 shares of the Fund are offered without a front-end sales load or contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”). Neither the Distributor nor the Selling Firms receive any compensation with respect to the sale of Class R6 shares of the Fund.

With respect to share classes other than Class R6, the Distributor may make, either from Rule 12b-1 distribution fees, if applicable, or out of its own resources, additional payments to financial intermediaries (firms), such as broker-dealers, banks, registered investment advisors, independent financial planners, and retirement plan administrators. These payments are sometimes referred to as “revenue sharing.” No such payments are made with respect to the Fund’s Class R6 shares.

The Fund does not issue share certificates. Shares are electronically recorded. The Trustees reserve the right to change or waive the Fund’s minimum investment requirements and to reject any order to purchase shares (including purchase by exchange) when in the judgment of the Advisor such rejection is in the Fund’s best interest.

Class R6 shares of the Fund are not subject to any Rule 12b-1 Plan. Expenses associated with the obligation of the Distributor to use its best efforts to sell Class R6 shares will be paid by the Advisor or by the Distributor and will not be paid from the fees paid under the Rule 12b-1 Plan for any other class of shares.

Amounts paid to the Distributor by any class of shares of the Fund will not be used to pay the expenses incurred with respect to any other class of shares of the Fund; provided, however, that expenses attributable to the Fund as a whole will be allocated, to the extent permitted by law, according to a formula based upon gross sales dollars and/or average daily net assets of each such class, as may be approved from time to time by vote of a majority of the Trustees. From time to time, the Fund may participate in joint distribution activities with other mutual funds and the costs of those activities will be borne by the Fund in proportion to the relative NAVs of the Fund and the other funds.

NET ASSET VALUE

The net asset value (NAV) for each class of shares of the Fund is normally determined once daily as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) (typically 4:00 P.M., Eastern time, on each business day that the NYSE is open). In case of emergency or other disruption resulting in the NYSE not opening for trading or the NYSE closing at a time other than the regularly scheduled close, the NAV may be determined as of the regularly scheduled close of the NYSE pursuant to the Fund’s Valuation Policies and Procedures. The time at which shares and transactions are priced and until which orders are accepted may vary to the extent permitted by the SEC and applicable regulations. On holidays or other days when the NYSE is closed, the NAV is not calculated and the Fund does not transact purchase or redemption requests. Trading of securities that are primarily listed on foreign exchanges may take place on weekends and U.S. business holidays on which the Fund’s NAV is not calculated. Consequently, the Fund’s portfolio securities may trade and the NAV of the Fund’s shares may be significantly affected on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem shares of the Fund.

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Each class of shares of the Fund has its own NAV, which is computed by dividing the total assets, minus liabilities, allocated to each share class by the number of Fund shares outstanding for that class. The current NAV of the Fund is available on our website at jhinvestments.com.

Portfolio securities are valued by various methods that are generally described below. Portfolio securities also may be fair valued by the Fund’s Pricing Committee in certain instances pursuant to procedures established by the Trustees. Equity securities are generally valued at the last sale price or, for certain markets, the official closing price as of the close of the relevant exchange. Securities not traded on a particular day are valued using last available bid prices. A security that is listed or traded on more than one exchange is typically valued at the price on the exchange where the security was acquired or most likely will be sold. In certain instances, the Pricing Committee may determine to value equity securities using prices obtained from another exchange or market if trading on the exchange or market on which prices are typically obtained did not open for trading as scheduled, or if trading closed earlier than scheduled, and trading occurred as normal on another exchange or market. Equity securities traded principally in foreign markets are typically valued using the last sale price or official closing price in the relevant exchange or market, as adjusted by an independent pricing vendor to reflect fair value. On any day a foreign market is closed and the NYSE is open, any foreign securities will typically be valued using the last price or official closing price obtained from the relevant exchange on the prior business day adjusted based on information provided by an independent pricing vendor to reflect fair value. Debt obligations are valued based on evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing vendor. The value of securities denominated in foreign currencies is converted into U.S. dollars at the exchange rate supplied by an independent pricing vendor. Exchange-traded options are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and ask prices. Futures contracts are typically valued at settlement prices. If settlement prices are not available, futures contracts may be valued using last traded prices. Shares of other open end investment companies that are not ETFs (underlying funds) are valued based on the NAVs of such underlying funds.

Pricing vendors may use matrix pricing or valuation models that utilize certain inputs and assumptions to derive values, including transaction data, credit quality information, general market conditions, news, and other factors and assumptions. Special valuation considerations may apply with respect to the Fund’s “odd-lot” positions, as the Fund may receive different prices when it sells such positions than it would receive for sales of institutional round lot positions. Pricing vendors generally value securities assuming orderly transactions of institutional round lot sizes, but the Fund may hold or transact in such securities in smaller, odd lot sizes. 

The Pricing Committee engages in oversight activities with respect to the Fund’s pricing vendors, which includes, among other things, monitoring significant or unusual price fluctuations above predetermined tolerance levels from the prior day, back-testing of pricing vendor prices against actual trades, conducting periodic due diligence meetings and reviews, and periodically reviewing the inputs, assumptions and methodologies used by these vendors. 

If market quotations, official closing prices, or information furnished by a pricing vendor are not readily available or are otherwise deemed unreliable or not representative of the fair value of such security because of market- or issuer-specific events, a security will be valued at its fair value as determined in good faith by the Trustees. The Trustees are assisted in their responsibility to fair value securities by the Fund’s Pricing Committee, and the actual calculation of a security’s fair value may be made by the Pricing Committee acting pursuant to the procedures established by the Trustees. In certain instances, therefore, the Pricing Committee may determine that a reported valuation does not reflect fair value, based on additional information available or other factors, and may accordingly determine in good faith the fair value of the assets, which may differ from the reported valuation.

Fair value pricing of securities is intended to help ensure that the Fund’s NAV reflects the fair market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE (as opposed to a value that no longer reflects market value as of such close), thus limiting the opportunity for aggressive traders or market timers to purchase shares of the Fund at deflated prices reflecting stale security valuations and promptly sell such shares at a gain, thereby diluting the interests of long term shareholders. However, a security’s valuation may differ depending on the method used for determining value, and no assurance can be given that fair value pricing of securities will successfully eliminate all potential opportunities for such trading gains.

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The use of fair value pricing has the effect of valuing a security based upon the price the Fund might reasonably expect to receive if it sold that security in an orderly transaction between market participants, but does not guarantee that the security can be sold at the fair value price. Further, because of the inherent uncertainty and subjective nature of fair valuation, a fair valuation price may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a readily available market price for the investment existed and these differences could be material.

Regarding the Fund’s investment in an underlying fund that is not an ETF, which (as noted above) is valued at such underlying fund’s NAV, the prospectus for such underlying fund explains the circumstances and effects of fair value pricing for that underlying fund.

POLICY REGARDING DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS

The Board has adopted a Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings, to protect the interests of the shareholders of the Fund and to address potential conflicts of interest that could arise between the interests of shareholders and the interests of the Advisor, or the interests of the Fund’s subadvisor, principal underwriter or affiliated persons of the Advisor, subadvisor or principal underwriter. The Trust’s general policy with respect to the release of the Fund’s portfolio holdings to unaffiliated persons is to do so only in limited circumstances and only to provide nonpublic information regarding portfolio holdings to any person, including affiliated persons, on a “need to know” basis and, when released, to release such information only as consistent with applicable legal requirements and the fiduciary duties owed to shareholders. The Trust applies its policy uniformly to all potential recipients of such information, including individual and institutional investors, intermediaries, affiliated persons of the Fund, and all third party service providers and rating agencies.

The Trust posts to its website at jhinvestments.com complete portfolio holdings a number of days after each calendar month end as described in the Prospectus. The Fund also discloses its complete portfolio holdings information quarterly to the SEC using Form N-Q within 60 days of the end of the first and third quarters of the Trust’s fiscal year and on Form N-CSR after the second and fourth quarter ends of the Trust’s fiscal year. Form N-Q is not required to be mailed to shareholders, but is made public through the SEC electronic filings. Shareholders receive either complete portfolio holdings information or summaries of the Fund’s portfolio holdings with their annual and semi-annual reports.

Portfolio holdings information for the Fund that is not publicly available will be released only pursuant to the exceptions described in the Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. The Fund’s material nonpublic holdings information may be provided to the following unaffiliated persons as part of the investment activities of the Fund: entities that, by explicit agreement, are required to maintain the confidentiality of the information disclosed; rating organizations, such as Moody’s, S&P, Fitch, Morningstar and Lipper, Vestek (Thomson Financial) or other entities for the purpose of compiling reports and preparing data; proxy voting services for the purpose of voting proxies; entities providing computer software; courts (including bankruptcy courts) or regulators with jurisdiction over the Trust and its affiliates; and institutional traders to assist in research and trade execution. Exceptions to the portfolio holdings release policy can be approved only by the Trust’s CCO or the CCO’s duly authorized delegate after considering: (a) the purpose of providing such information; (b) the procedures that will be used to ensure that such information remains confidential and is not traded upon; and (c) whether such disclosure is in the best interest of the shareholders.

As of February 3, 2017, the entities that may receive information described in the preceding paragraph, and the purpose for which such information is disclosed, are as presented in the table below. Portfolio holdings information is provided as frequently as daily with a one-day lag.

Entity Receiving Portfolio Information	Disclosure Purpose
Abel / Noser Corp	Trade Execution Analysis
Advent	Cash & Securities Recon
Ashland Partners	GIPS Verifier
BBH	Securities Lending
Bloomberg	Order Management, Pricing, Portfolio Analytics

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Entity Receiving Portfolio Information	Disclosure Purpose
BNP Paribas	Leverage Provider, Pledging
BNY Mellon	Back Office Functions
Broadridge Financial Solutions	Proxy Voting
Brown Brothers Harriman	Back Office Functions
Capital Institutional Services (CAPIS)	Rebalancing Strategy, Broker Dealer/Transition Services
Chicago Clearing Corporation	Class Actions
Citibank	Collateral
Confluence Technologies	Consulting
Deutsche Bank	Securities Lending
Electra Information Systems	Reconciliation
Ernst & Young	Passive Foreign Income Company (PFIC)
FactSet	Analytics, Data Gathering, Research Reports, Performance, Portfolio Analytics
Failstation	Matched/Unmatched Trades Reporting
Financial Tracking	Compliance
GainsKeeper	Audit Services, Tax Reporting, Wash Sales / REIT Data
Glass Lewis	Proxy Voting
Goldman Sachs	Securities Lending
Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS)	Proxy Voting
Interactive Data	Pricing
Investment Technology	Analytics
KPMG	Audit Services
Lipper	Ratings / Survey Service
Markit	Back Office Functions
Morningstar	Ratings / Survey Service
[_______]	Audit Services
Riordan Consulting	GIPS Performance Composites
Riskmetrics	Class Action Services
RR Donnelley	Printing, Financial Reporting
SJ Levinson	Trade Execution Analysis
State Street Investment Management Solutions	Back Office Functions
SunGard	Securities Lending
Thomson Financial	Pricing

The CCO is required to pre-approve the disclosure of nonpublic information regarding the Fund’s portfolio holdings to any affiliated persons of the Trust. The CCO will use the same three considerations stated above before approving disclosure of the Fund’s nonpublic information to affiliated persons.

The CCO shall report to the Board whenever additional disclosures of the Fund’s portfolio holdings are approved. The CCO’s report shall be at the Board meeting following such approval.

When the CCO believes that the disclosure of the Fund’s nonpublic information to an unaffiliated person presents a potential conflict of interest between the interest of the shareholders and the interest of affiliated persons of the Trust, the CCO shall refer the potential conflict to the Board. The Board shall then permit such disclosure of the Fund’s nonpublic information only if in its reasonable business judgment it concludes that such disclosure will be in the best interests of the Trust’s shareholders.

The receipt of compensation by the Fund, the Advisor, a subadvisor or an affiliate as consideration for disclosing the Fund’s nonpublic portfolio holdings information is not deemed a legitimate business purpose and is strictly forbidden.

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Registered investment companies and separate accounts that are advised or subadvised by the Fund’s subadvisor may have investment objectives and strategies and, therefore, portfolio holdings, that potentially are similar to those of the Fund. Neither such registered investment companies and separate accounts nor the Fund’s subadvisor are subject to the Trust’s Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings, and may be subject to different portfolio holdings disclosure policies. The Fund’s subadvisor may not, and the Trust’s Board cannot, exercise control over policies applicable to separate subadvised funds and accounts.

In addition, the Advisor or the Fund’s subadvisor may receive compensation for furnishing to separate account clients (including sponsors of wrap accounts) model portfolios, the composition of which may be similar to those of a particular Fund. Such clients have access to their portfolio holdings and are not subject to the Trust’s Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings. In general, the provision of portfolio management services and/or model portfolio information to wrap program sponsors is subject to contractual confidentiality provisions that the sponsor will only use such information in connection with the program, although there can be no assurance that this would be the case in an agreement between any particular Fund subadvisor that is not affiliated with the Advisor and a wrap account sponsor. Finally, the Advisor or the Fund’s subadvisor may distribute to investment advisory clients analytical information concerning a model portfolio, which information may correspond substantially to the characteristics of the Fund’s portfolio, provided that the Fund is not identified in any manner as being the model portfolio.

The potential provision of information in the various ways discussed in the preceding paragraph is not subject to the Trust’s Policy Regarding Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings, as discussed above, and is not deemed to be the disclosure of the Fund’s nonpublic portfolio holdings information.

As a result of the Fund’s inability to control the disclosure of information as noted above, there can be no guarantee that this information would not be used in a way that adversely impacts the Fund. Nonetheless, the Fund has oversight processes in place to attempt to minimize this risk.

SPECIAL REDEMPTIONS

Although it would not normally do so, the Fund has the right to pay the redemption price of shares of the Fund in whole or in part in Fund securities as prescribed by the Trustees. When a shareholder sells any securities received in a redemption of Fund shares, the shareholder will incur a brokerage charge. Any such securities would be valued for the purposes of fulfilling such a redemption request in the same manner as they are in computing the Fund’s NAV. The Fund has, however, elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act. Under that rule, the Fund must redeem its shares for cash except to the extent to that the redemption payments to any shareholder during any 90-day period would exceed the lesser of $250,000 or 1% of the Fund’s NAV at the beginning of such period.

The Trust has adopted Procedures Regarding Redemptions in Kind by Affiliates (the “Procedures”) to facilitate the efficient and cost effective movement of assets of the Fund and other funds managed by the Advisor or its affiliates (“Affiliated Funds”) in connection with certain investment and marketing strategies. It is the position of the SEC that the 1940 Act prohibits an investment company such as the Fund from satisfying a redemption request from a shareholder that is affiliated with the investment company by means of an in-kind distribution of portfolio securities. However, under a no-action letter issued by the SEC staff, a redemption in kind to an affiliated shareholder is permissible provided certain conditions are met. The Procedures, which are intended to conform to the requirements of this no-action letter, allow for in-kind redemptions by Fund and Affiliated Fund shareholders subject to specified conditions, including that:

· the distribution is effected through a pro rata distribution of securities of the distributing Fund or Affiliated Fund;

· the distributed securities are valued in the same manner as they are in computing the Fund’s or Affiliated Fund’s NAV;

· neither the affiliated shareholder nor any other party with the ability and the pecuniary incentive to influence the redemption in kind may select or influence the selection of the distributed securities; and

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· the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, must determine on a quarterly basis that any redemptions in kind to affiliated shareholders made during the prior quarter were effected in accordance with the Procedures, did not favor the affiliated shareholder to the detriment of any other shareholder, and were in the best interests of the Fund and the Affiliated Fund.

Potential Adverse Effects of Large Shareholder Transactions

The Fund may from time to time sell to one or more investors, including other funds advised by the Advisor or third parties, a substantial amount of its shares, and may thereafter be required to satisfy redemption requests by such shareholders. Such sales and redemptions may be very substantial relative to the size of the Fund. While it is not possible to predict the overall effect of such sales and redemptions over time, such transactions may adversely affect the Fund’s performance to the extent that the Fund is required to invest cash received in connection with a sale or to sell portfolio securities to facilitate a redemption at, in either case, a time when the Fund otherwise would not invest or sell. As a result, the Fund may have greater or lesser market exposure than would otherwise be the case. Such transactions also may increase the Fund’s transaction costs, which would detract from Fund performance.

Large shareholder redemptions may negatively impact the Fund’s net asset value and liquidity. If the Fund is forced to sell portfolio securities that have appreciated in value, such sales may accelerate the realization of taxable income to shareholders if such sales of investments result in gains. If the Fund has difficulty selling portfolio securities in a timely manner to meet a large redemption request, the Fund may have to borrow money to do so. In such an instance, the Fund’s remaining shareholders would bear the costs of such borrowings, and such costs could reduce the Fund’s returns. In addition, a large redemption could result in the Fund’s current expenses being allocated over a smaller asset base, leading to an increase in the Fund’s expense ratio and possibly resulting in the Fund’s becoming too small to be economically viable.

ADDITIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS

Exchange Privilege. The Trust permits exchanges of shares of any class of the Fund for shares of the same class in any other fund within the John Hancock Fund Complex offering that same class at the time of the exchange. Class R6 shareholders also may exchange their shares for Class A shares of the Money Market Fund. If a shareholder exchanges into Class A shares of the Money Market Fund, any future exchanges out of Money Market Fund Class A shares must be to the same share class from which they were originally exchanged. The registration for both accounts involved must be identical. Identical registration is determined by having the same beneficial owner on both accounts involved in the exchange. Exchanges between Funds and other funds are based on their respective NAVs.

The Fund reserves the right to require that previously exchanged shares (and reinvested dividends) be in the Fund for 90 days before a shareholder is permitted a new exchange.

An exchange of shares is treated as a redemption of shares of one fund and the purchase of shares of another for federal income tax purposes. An exchange may result in a taxable gain or loss. See “Additional Information Concerning Taxes.”

Conversion Privilege. Trustees; employees of the Advisor or its affiliates; and members of a fund’s portfolio management team, may make a conversion of Class A shares also owned by the investor in the same fund to Class R6 shares or, if Class R6 shares are unavailable, Class I shares of that fund.

Conversion of Class A shares to Class I shares or Class R6 shares, as applicable, of the same fund in the particular circumstances described above, should not cause the investor to realize taxable gain or loss. For further details, see “Additional Information Concerning Taxes” for information regarding the tax treatment of such conversions.

Systematic Withdrawal Plan. The Trust permits the establishment of a Systematic Withdrawal Plan. Payments under this plan represent proceeds arising from the redemption of shares of the Fund. Since the redemption price of Fund shares may be more or less than the shareholder’s cost, depending upon the market value of the securities owned by the Fund at the time of redemption, the distribution of cash pursuant to this plan may result in realization of gain or loss for purposes of federal, state and local income taxes. The Fund reserves the right to modify or discontinue the Systematic Withdrawal Plan of any shareholder on 30 days’ prior written notice to such shareholder, or to discontinue the availability of such plan in the future. The shareholder may terminate the plan at any time by giving proper notice to Signature Services.

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Section 403(b)(7) Accounts:

Section 403(b)(7) of the Code permits public school employers and employers of certain types of tax-exempt organizations to establish for their eligible employees custodial accounts for the purpose of providing for retirement income for such employees. Treasury regulations impose certain conditions on exchanges between one custodial account intended to qualify under Section 403(b)(7) (the “exchanged account”) and another contract or custodial account intended to qualify under Section 403(b) (the “replacing account”) under the same employer plan (a “Section 403(b) Plan”). Specifically, the replacing account agreement must include distribution restrictions that are no less stringent than those imposed under the exchanged account agreement, and the employer must enter into an agreement with the custodian (or other issuer) of the replacing account under which the employer and the custodian (or other issuer) of the replacing account will from time to time in the future provide each other with certain information.

Due to Treasury regulations:

1) The Fund does not accept requests to establish new John Hancock custodial 403(b)(7) accounts intended to qualify as a Section 403(b) Plan.

2) The Fund does not accept requests for exchanges or transfers into your John Hancock custodial 403(b)(7) accounts (i.e., where the investor holds the replacing account).

· The Fund requires certain signed disclosure documentation in the event:

· A shareholder established a John Hancock custodial 403(b)(7) account with the Fund prior to September 24, 2007; and

· A shareholder directs the Fund to exchange or transfer some or all of the John Hancock custodial 403(b)(7) account assets to another custodial 403(b) contract or account (i.e., where the exchanged account is with the Fund).

· The Funds do not accept salary deferrals into custodial 403(b)(7) accounts.

In the event that the Fund does not receive the required documentation, and the Fund is nonetheless directed to proceed with the transfer, the transfer may be treated as a taxable transaction.

PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS THROUGH THIRD PARTIES

Shares of the Fund may be purchased or redeemed through certain Selling Firms. Selling Firms may charge the investor additional fees for their services. The Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized Selling Firm, or if applicable, a Selling Firm’s authorized designee, receives the order. Orders may be processed at the NAV next calculated after the Selling Firm receives the order. The Selling Firm must segregate any orders it receives after the close of regular trading on the NYSE and transmit those orders to the Fund for execution at the NAV next determined. Some Selling Firms that maintain network/omnibus/nominee accounts with the Fund for their clients charge an annual fee on the average net assets held in such accounts for accounting, servicing, and distribution services they provide with respect to the underlying Fund shares. This fee is paid by the Advisor, the Fund and/or the Distributor.

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Certain accounts held on the Fund’s books, known as omnibus accounts, contain the investments of multiple underlying clients that are invested in shares of the Fund. These underlying client accounts are maintained by entities such as financial intermediaries. Indirect investments in a John Hancock fund through a financial intermediary such as, but not limited to: a broker-dealer, a bank (including a bank trust department), an investment advisor, a record keeper or trustee of a retirement plan or qualified tuition plan or a sponsor of a fee-based program that maintains an omnibus account with the Fund for trading on behalf of its customers, may be subject to guidelines, conditions, services and restrictions that are different from those discussed in the Prospectus. These differences may include, but are not limited to: (i) eligibility standards to purchase, exchange, and sell shares depending on that intermediary’s policies; (ii) availability of sales charge waivers and fees; (iii) minimum and maximum initial and subsequent purchase amounts; and (iv) unavailability of Letter of Intention privileges. Additional conditions may apply to an investment in the Fund, and the investment professional or intermediary may charge a transaction-based, administrative or other fee for its services. These conditions and fees are in addition to those imposed by the Fund and its affiliates.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FUND’S SHARES

The Trustees are responsible for the management and supervision of the Fund. The Declaration of Trust permits the Trustees to issue an unlimited number of full and fractional shares of beneficial interest of the Fund or other series of the Trust without par value. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the authority to create and classify shares of beneficial interest in separate series and classes without further action by shareholders. As of the date of this SAI, the Trustees have authorized shares of 12 series of the Trust. Additional series may be added in the future. The Trustees have also authorized the issuance of four classes of shares of the Fund, designated as Class A, Class NAV, Class R6, and Class I. Additional classes of shares may be authorized in the future.

Each share of each class of the Fund represents an equal proportionate interest in the aggregate net assets attributable to that class of the Fund. Holders of each class of shares have certain exclusive voting rights on matters relating to their respective distribution plan, if any. The different classes of the Fund may bear different expenses relating to the cost of holding shareholder meetings necessitated by the exclusive voting rights of any class of shares.

Dividends paid by the Fund, if any, with respect to each class of shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same day and will be in the same amount, except for differences resulting from the fact that: (i) the distribution and service fees, if any, relating to each class of shares will be borne exclusively by that class, and (ii) each class of shares will bear any class expenses properly allocable to that class of shares. Similarly, the NAV per share may vary depending on which class of shares is purchased. No interest will be paid on uncashed dividend or redemption checks.

In the event of liquidation, shareholders of each class are entitled to share pro rata in the net assets of the Fund that are available for distribution to these shareholders. Shares entitle their holders to one vote per share (and fractional votes for fractional shares), are freely transferable and have no preemptive, subscription or conversion rights. When issued, shares are fully paid and non-assessable, except as set forth below.

Unless otherwise required by the 1940 Act or the Declaration of Trust, the Fund has no intention of holding annual meetings of shareholders. Fund shareholders may remove a Trustee by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the Trust’s outstanding shares and the Trustees shall promptly call a meeting for such purpose when requested to do so in writing by the record holders of not less than 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. Shareholders may, under certain circumstances, communicate with other shareholders in connection with a request for a special meeting of shareholders. However, at any time that less than a majority of the Trustees holding office were elected by the shareholders, the Trustees will call a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose of electing Trustees.

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Under Massachusetts law, shareholders of a Massachusetts business trust could, under certain circumstances, be held personally liable for acts or obligations of such trust or a series thereof. However, each Declaration of Trust contains an express disclaimer of shareholder liability for acts, obligations or affairs of the Trust. The Declaration of Trust also provides for indemnification out of the Trust’s assets for all losses and expenses of any shareholder held personally liable by reason of being or having been a shareholder. The Declaration of Trust also provides that no series of the Trust shall be liable for the liabilities of any other series. Furthermore, no series of the Trust shall be liable for the liabilities of any other fund within the John Hancock Fund Complex. Liability is therefore limited to circumstances in which the Trust itself would be unable to meet its obligations, and the possibility of this occurrence is remote.

The Fund reserves the right to reject any application that conflicts with the Fund’s internal policies or the policies of any regulatory authority. The Distributor does not accept starter, credit card or third party checks. All checks returned by the post office as undeliverable will be reinvested at NAV in the fund or funds from which a redemption was made or dividend paid. Information provided on the account application may be used by the Fund to verify the accuracy of the information or for background or financial history purposes. A joint account will be administered as a joint tenancy with right of survivorship, unless the joint owners notify Signature Services of a different intent. A shareholder’s account is governed by the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. For telephone transactions, the transfer agent will take measures to verify the identity of the caller, such as asking for name, account number, Social Security or other taxpayer ID number and other relevant information. If appropriate measures are taken, the transfer agent is not responsible for any losses that may occur to any account due to an unauthorized telephone call. Also, for shareholders’ protection, telephone redemptions are not permitted on accounts whose names or addresses have changed within the past 30 days. Proceeds from telephone transactions can be mailed only to the address of record.

Except as otherwise provided, shares of the Fund generally may be sold only to U.S. citizens, U.S. residents, and U.S. domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts or estates. For purposes of this policy, U.S. citizens and U.S. residents must reside in the U.S. and U.S. domestic corporations, partnerships, trusts, and estates must have a U.S. address of record.

The Declaration of Trust of Investment Trust also provides that the Board may approve the merger of the Fund with an affiliated mutual fund without shareholder approval, in accordance with the 1940 Act. This provision will permit mergers of affiliated funds without shareholder approval in certain circumstances to reduce the incurring the expense of soliciting proxies when a combination does not raise significant issues for shareholders. For example, this provision would permit the combination of two small funds having the same portfolio managers, the same investment objectives and the same fee structure in order to achieve economies of scale and thereby reduce fund expenses borne by shareholders. Such a merger will still require each fund’s board (including a majority of the independent trustees) to determine that the merger is in the best interests of the combining funds and will not dilute the interest of existing shareholders. The Trustees will evaluate any and all information reasonably necessary to make their determination and consider and give appropriate weight to all pertinent factors in fulfilling the overall duty of care owed to shareholders.

Shareholders of an acquired fund will still be required to approve a combination that would result in a change in a fundamental investment policy, a material change to the terms of an advisory agreement, the institution of or an increase in Rule 12b-1 fees or when the board of the surviving fund does not have a majority of independent trustees who were elected by its shareholders. Under Massachusetts law, shareholder approval is not required for fund mergers, consolidation or sales of assets. Shareholder approval nevertheless will be obtained for combinations of affiliated funds when required by the 1940 Act. Shareholder approval also will be obtained for combinations with unaffiliated funds when deemed appropriate by the Trustees.

Effective January 22, 2016, the Board amended and restated in its entirety the Trust’s Declaration of Trust. The amendments to the Declaration of Trust include, among other changes, provisions that: (i) clarify certain duties, responsibilities, and powers of the Trustees; (ii) clarify that, other than as provided under federal securities laws, the shareholders may only bring actions involving the Fund derivatively; (iii) provide that any action brought by a shareholder related to the Fund will be brought in Massachusetts state or federal court, and that, if a claim is brought in a different jurisdiction and subsequently changed to a Massachusetts venue, the shareholder will be required to reimburse the Fund for such expenses; and (iv) clarify that shareholders are not intended to be third-party beneficiaries of Fund contracts. The foregoing description of the Trust’s Declaration of Trust is qualified in its entirety by the full text of the Declaration of Trust, effective as of January 22, 2016, which is available by writing to the Secretary of the Fund at 601 Congress Street, 11th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, and also on the SEC’s and Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ websites.

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SAMPLE CALCULATION OF MAXIMUM OFFERING PRICE

Class R6 shares are sold at NAV without any initial sales charges or CDSCs.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONCERNING TAXES

The following discussion is a general and abbreviated summary of certain tax considerations affecting the Fund and its shareholders. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of all federal, state, local and foreign tax concerns, and the discussions set forth here and in the Prospectus do not constitute tax advice. Investors are urged to consult their own tax advisors with specific questions relating to federal, state, local or foreign taxes.

The Fund is treated as a separate entity for accounting and tax purposes, has qualified and elected to be treated as a RIC under Subchapter M of the Code, and intends to continue to so qualify for each taxable year. As such and by complying with the applicable provisions of the Code regarding the sources of its income, the timing of its distributions and the diversification of its assets, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on its taxable income (including net realized capital gains) that is distributed to shareholders in accordance with the timing requirements of the Code.

To qualify as a RIC for income tax purposes, the Fund must derive at least 90% of its annual gross income from dividends, interest, payments with respect to securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to its business of investing in stock, securities and currencies, and net income derived from an interest in a qualified publicly traded partnership.

To qualify as a RIC, the Fund must also satisfy certain requirements with respect to the diversification of its assets. The Fund must have, at the close of each quarter of the taxable year, at least 50% of the value of its total assets represented by cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities that, in respect of any one issuer, do not represent more than 5% of the value of the assets of the Fund nor more than 10% of the voting securities of that issuer. In addition, at those times not more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s assets may be invested in securities (other than United States government securities or the securities of other RICs) (i) of any one issuer, or (ii) of two or more issuers, that the Fund controls and that are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or (iii) of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships.

If the Fund fails to meet the annual gross income test described above, the Fund will nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the test if (i) (a) such failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and (b) the Fund reports the failure, and (ii) the Fund pays an excise tax equal to the excess non-qualifying income. If the Fund fails to meet the asset diversification test described above with respect to any quarter, the Fund will nevertheless be considered to have satisfied the requirements for such quarter if the Fund cures such failure within 6 months and either (i) such failure is de minimis or (ii) (a) such failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and (b) the Fund reports the failure and pays an excise tax.

As a RIC, the Fund generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on its investment company taxable income (as that term is defined in the Code, but without regard to the deductions for dividends paid) and net capital gain (the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss), if any, that it distributes in each taxable year to its shareholders; provided that it distributes at least the sum of 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such taxable year. The Fund intends to distribute to its shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its investment company taxable income, net tax-exempt interest income and net capital gain.

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If the Fund failed to meet the annual gross income test or asset diversification test as described above or fails to satisfy the 90% distribution requirement described above for any taxable year, the Fund would incur regular corporate income tax on its taxable income for that year, it would lose its deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and it would be subject to certain gain recognition and distribution requirements upon requalification. Further distributions of income by the Fund to its shareholders would be treated as dividend income, although such dividend income would constitute qualified dividend income subject to reduced federal income tax rates if the shareholder satisfies certain holding period requirements with respect to its shares in the Fund. Compliance with the RIC 90% qualifying income test and with the asset diversification requirements is carefully monitored by the Advisor and the Subadvisor and it is intended that the Fund will comply with the requirements for qualification as a RIC.

In order to avoid incurring a federal excise tax obligation, the Code requires that the Fund distribute (or be deemed to have distributed) by December 31 of each calendar year (i) at least 98% of its ordinary income (not including tax-exempt income) for such year, (ii) at least 98.2% of its capital gain net income (which is the excess of its realized capital gains over its realized capital losses), generally computed on the basis of the one-year period ending on October 31 of such year, after reduction by any available capital loss carryforwards and (iii) 100% of any income and capital gains from the prior year (as previously computed) that was not paid out during such year and on which the Fund paid no federal income tax. If the Fund fails to meet these requirements it will be subject to a nondeductible 4% excise tax on the undistributed amounts. The Fund intends under normal circumstances to seek to avoid or minimize liability for such tax by satisfying such distribution requirements.

Distributions from the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits (“E&P”) will be taxable under the Code for investors who are subject to tax. If these distributions are paid from the Fund’s “investment company taxable income,” they will be taxable as ordinary income unless such distributions are reported as “qualified dividend income,” in which event such reported dividends will be taxable at lower rates applying to long-term capital gain. If distributions are paid from the Fund’s “net capital gain,” they will be taxable as long-term capital gain. Net capital gain is the excess (if any) of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss, and investment company taxable income is all taxable income and capital gains, other than those gains and losses included in computing net capital gain, after reduction by deductible expenses. Some distributions may be paid in January but may be taxable to shareholders as if they had been received on December 31 of the previous year. The tax treatment described above will apply without regard to whether distributions are received in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund.

Distributions, if any, in excess of E&P will constitute a return of capital, which will first reduce an investor’s federal tax basis in the Fund’s shares and then, to the extent such basis is exceeded, generally will give rise to capital gains. Shareholders who have chosen automatic reinvestment of their distributions will have a federal tax basis in each share received pursuant to such a reinvestment equal to the amount of cash they would have received had they elected to receive the distribution in cash, divided by the number of shares received in the reinvestment.

If the Fund invests in stock (including an option to acquire stock such as is inherent in a convertible bond) in certain foreign corporations that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties or capital gain) or hold at least 50% of their assets in investments producing such passive income (“passive foreign investment companies”), the Fund could be subject to federal income tax and additional interest charges on “excess distributions” received from such companies or gain from the sale of stock in such companies, even if all income or gain actually received by the Fund is timely distributed to its shareholders. The Fund would not be able to pass through to its shareholders any credit or deduction for such a tax. An election may be available to ameliorate these adverse tax consequences, but could require the Fund to recognize taxable income or gain without the concurrent receipt of cash. These investments could also result in the treatment of associated capital gains as ordinary income. The Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in passive foreign investment companies or make an available election to minimize its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.

Foreign exchange gains and losses realized by the Fund in connection with certain transactions involving foreign currency-denominated debt securities, certain foreign currency options, foreign currency forward contracts, foreign currencies, or payables or receivables denominated in foreign currency are subject to Section 988 of the Code, which generally causes such gains and losses to be treated as ordinary income and losses and may affect the amount, timing and character of distributions to shareholders. Transactions in foreign currencies that are not directly related to the Fund’s investment in stock or securities, including speculative currency positions, could under future Treasury regulations produce income not among the types of “qualifying income” from which the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from each taxable year. If the net foreign exchange loss for a year treated as ordinary loss under Section 988 were to exceed the Fund’s investment company taxable income computed without regard to such loss the resulting overall ordinary loss for such year would not be deductible by the Fund or its shareholders in future years. Under such circumstances, distributions paid by the Fund could include a return of capital.

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Certain options, futures, and forward foreign currency contracts undertaken by the Fund could cause the Fund to recognize gains or losses from marking to market even though its positions have not been sold or terminated and affect the character as long-term or short-term (or, in the case of foreign currency contracts, as ordinary income or loss) and timing of some capital gains and losses realized by the Fund. Additionally, the Fund may be required to recognize gain, but not loss, if an option, short sale or other transaction is treated as a constructive sale of an appreciated financial position in the Fund’s portfolio. Also, certain of the Fund’s losses on its transactions involving options, futures or forward contracts and/or offsetting or successor portfolio positions may be deferred rather than being taken into account currently in calculating the Fund’s taxable income or gains. Certain of such transactions also may cause the Fund to dispose of investments sooner than would otherwise have occurred. These transactions may therefore affect the amount, timing and character of the Fund’s distributions to shareholders. The Fund will take into account the special tax rules (including consideration of available elections) applicable to options, futures and forward contracts in order to seek to minimize any potential adverse tax consequences.

The Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries with respect to its investments in foreign securities. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes. Investors may be entitled to claim U.S. foreign tax credits or deductions with respect to foreign income taxes, or certain other foreign taxes (“qualified foreign taxes”), paid by the Fund, subject to certain provisions and limitations contained in the Code, if the Fund so elects. If more than 50% of the value of the Fund’s total assets at the close of any taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, the Fund may file an election with the IRS pursuant to which shareholders of the Fund will be required to (i) include in ordinary gross income (in addition to taxable dividends and distributions actually received) their pro rata shares of qualified foreign taxes paid by the Fund even though not actually received by them, and (ii) treat such respective pro rata portions as foreign taxes paid by them

If the Fund makes this election, shareholders may then deduct such pro rata portions of foreign income taxes in computing their taxable income, or alternatively, use them as foreign tax credits, subject to applicable limitations, against their U.S. federal income taxes. Shareholders who do not itemize deductions for federal income tax purposes will not, however, be able to deduct their pro rata portion of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund, although such shareholders will be required to include their share of such taxes in gross income. Shareholders who claim a foreign tax credit for such foreign taxes may be required to treat a portion of dividends received from the Fund as a separate category of income for purposes of computing the limitations on the foreign tax credit. Tax-exempt shareholders will ordinarily not benefit from this election. Each year that the Fund files the election described above, its shareholders will be notified of the amount of (i) each shareholder’s pro rata share of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund and (ii) the portion of Fund dividends that represents income from each foreign country. If the Fund cannot or does not make this election, the Fund will deduct the foreign taxes it pays in determining the amount it has available for distribution to shareholders, and shareholders will not include these foreign taxes in their income, nor will they be entitled to any tax deductions or credits with respect to such taxes.

The amount of the Fund’s net realized capital gains, if any, in any given year will vary depending upon the Subadvisor’s current investment strategy and whether the Subadvisor believes it to be in the best interest of the Fund, including for tax purposes, to dispose of portfolio securities and/or engage in options transactions that will generate capital gains. At the time of an investor’s purchase of shares of the Fund, a portion of the purchase price is often attributable to realized or unrealized appreciation in the Fund’s portfolio or undistributed taxable income of the Fund. Consequently, subsequent distributions on these shares from such appreciation or income may be taxable to such investor even if the NAV of the investor’s shares is, as a result of the distributions, reduced below the investor’s cost for such shares and the distributions in reality represent a return of a portion of the purchase price.

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Upon a redemption or other disposition of shares of the Fund (including by exercise of the exchange privilege) in a transaction that is treated as a sale for tax purposes, a shareholder will ordinarily realize a taxable gain or loss depending upon the amount of the proceeds and the shareholder’s basis in his shares. Such gain or loss will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder’s hands and will be long-term or short-term, depending upon the shareholder’s tax holding period for the shares and subject to the special rules described below. A sales charge paid in purchasing shares of the Fund cannot be taken into account for purposes of determining gain or loss on the redemption or exchange of such shares within 90 days after their purchase to the extent shares of the Fund or another John Hancock fund are subsequently acquired, on or before January 31 of the year following the calendar year that includes the date of such redemption or exchange, without payment of a sales charge pursuant to the reinvestment or exchange privilege. This disregarded charge will result in an increase in the shareholder’s tax basis in the shares subsequently acquired. Also, any loss realized on a redemption or exchange of shares of the Fund may be disallowed to the extent the shares disposed of are replaced with other shares of the same Fund, such as pursuant to automatic dividend reinvestments, within a period of 61 days beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the date on which the initial shares are disposed of. In such a case, the basis of the shares acquired will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss. Any loss realized upon the redemption of shares with a tax holding period of six months or less will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions of long-term capital gain with respect to such shares. Shareholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding their particular circumstances to determine whether a disposition of Fund shares is properly treated as a sale for tax purposes, as is assumed in the foregoing discussion.

Although the Fund’s present intention is to distribute, at least annually, all net capital gain, if any, the Fund reserves the right to retain and reinvest all or any portion of the excess, as computed for federal income tax purposes, of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss in any year. To the extent such gain was retained and not exhausted by the carryforward of prior years’ capital losses, it would be subject to federal income tax in the hands of the Fund. Upon proper reporting of this amount by the Fund, each shareholder would be treated for federal income tax purposes as if the Fund had distributed to him on the last day of its taxable year his pro rata share of such excess, and he had paid his pro rata share of the taxes paid by the Fund and reinvested the remainder in the Fund. Accordingly, each shareholder would (a) include his pro rata share of such excess as long-term capital gain in his return for his taxable year in that the last day of the Fund’s taxable year falls, (b) be entitled either to a tax credit on his return for, or to a refund of, his pro rata share of the taxes paid by the Fund, and (c) be entitled to increase the adjusted tax basis for his shares by the difference between his pro rata share of such excess and his pro rata share of such taxes. The Fund will not in any event distribute net capital gain realized in any year to the extent that a capital loss is carried forward from prior years against such gain.

For federal income tax purposes, the Fund is permitted to carry forward a net capital loss in any year to offset net capital gains, if any, during its taxable years following the year of the loss. Capital losses carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses. To the extent subsequent net capital gains are offset by such losses, they would not result in federal income tax liability to the Fund and, as noted above, would not be distributed as such to shareholders.

Below are the capital loss carryforwards available to the Fund as of October 31, 2016 to the extent provided by regulations, to offset future net realized capital gains:

Fund	Short-Term Losses		Long-Term Losses		Total
Small Cap Core Fund	$	667,020	$	346,507	$	1,013,527

For United States federal income tax purposes, distributions paid out of the Fund’s current or accumulated earnings and profits will, except in the case of distributions of qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends described below, be taxable as ordinary dividend income. Certain income distributions paid by the Fund (whether paid in cash or reinvested in additional Fund shares) to individual taxpayers are taxed at rates applicable to net long-term capital gains (currently 20%, 15% or 0%, depending on an individual’s tax bracket). This tax treatment applies only if certain holding period requirements and other requirements are satisfied by the shareholder and the dividends are attributable to qualified dividend income received by the Fund itself. There can be no assurance as to what portion of the Fund’s dividend distributions will qualify as qualified dividend income. Dividends paid by Funds that primarily invest in bonds and other debt securities generally will not qualify for the reduced tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income and will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction.

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Qualified dividend income received by an individual will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. In order for some portion of the dividends received by a shareholder to be qualified dividend income, the Fund must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to some portion of the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio and the shareholder must meet holding period and other requirements with respect to the Fund’s shares. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income (at either the Fund or shareholder level): (1) if the dividend is received with respect to any share of stock held for fewer than 61 days during the 121-day period beginning on the date that is 60 days before the date on which such share becomes ex-dividend with respect to such dividend (or, in the case of certain preferred stock, 91 days during the 181-day period beginning 90 days before such date); (2) to the extent that the recipient is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to positions in substantially similar or related property; (3) if the recipient elects to have the dividend income treated as investment income for purposes of being able to deduct investment interest; or (4) if the dividend is received from a foreign corporation that is: (a) not eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty with the United States (with the exception of dividends paid on stock of such a foreign corporation readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States) or (b) treated as a passive foreign investment company.

In general, distributions of investment income reported by the Fund as derived from qualified dividend income will be treated as qualified dividend income by a shareholder taxed as an individual provided the shareholder meets the holding period and other requirements described above with respect to the Fund’s shares. In any event, if the qualified dividend income received by the Fund during any taxable year is 95% or more of its gross income, then 100% of the Fund’s dividends (other than properly-reported capital gain dividends) will be eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income. For this purpose, the only gain included in the term “gross income” is the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss.

If the Fund should have dividend income that qualifies for the reduced tax rate applicable to qualified dividend income, the maximum amount allowable will be reported by the Fund. This amount will be reflected on Form 1099-DIV for the applicable calendar year.

If the Fund should have dividend income that qualifies for the dividends-received deduction for corporations, it will be subject to the limitations applicable under the Code. The qualifying portion is limited to distributions attributed to dividend income (if any) reported in a written statement to shareholders that the Fund receives from certain stock in U.S. domestic corporations and the deduction is subject to holding period requirements and debt-financing limitations under the Code.

For purposes of the dividends received deduction available to corporations, dividends received by the Fund, if any, from U.S. domestic corporations in respect of the stock of such corporations held by the Fund, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, for at least 46 days (91 days in the case of certain preferred stock) during a prescribed period extending before and after each such dividend and distributed and reported by the Fund may be treated as qualifying dividends. Corporate shareholders must meet the holding period requirement stated above with respect to their shares of the Fund for each dividend in order to qualify for the deduction and, if they have any debt that is deemed under the Code directly attributable to such shares, may be denied a portion of the dividends received deduction. The entire qualifying dividend, including the otherwise deductible amount, will be included in determining the excess (if any) of a corporate shareholder’s adjusted current earnings over its alternative minimum taxable income, that may increase its alternative minimum tax liability, if any. Additionally, any corporate shareholder should consult its tax advisor regarding the possibility that its basis in its shares may be reduced, for federal income tax purposes, by reason of “extraordinary dividends” received with respect to the shares, and, to the extent such basis would be reduced below zero, that current recognition of income would be required.

Selling shareholders will generally recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares sold and the sale proceeds. If the shares are held as a capital asset, the gain or loss will be a capital gain or loss. The maximum tax rate applicable to net capital gains recognized by individuals and other non-corporate taxpayers is: (i) the same as the maximum ordinary income tax rate for gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held for one year or less; or (ii) 20% for gains recognized on the sale of capital assets held for more than one year (as well as certain capital gain distributions) (15% or 0% for individuals in certain tax brackets).

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An investor should be aware that the benefits of the reduced tax rate applicable to long-term capital gains and qualified dividend income may be impacted by the application of the alternative minimum tax to individual shareholders.

Investment in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default presents special tax issues for the Fund. Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as when the Fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount, or market discount, when and to what extent deductions may be taken for bad debts or worthless securities, how payments received on obligations in default should be allocated between principal and income, and whether exchanges of debt obligations in a workout context are taxable. These and other issues will be addressed by the Fund, in the event it acquires or holds any such obligations, in order to reduce the risk of distributing insufficient income to preserve its status as a RIC and seeks to avoid becoming subject to federal income or excise tax.

The Fund is required to accrue income on any debt securities that have more than a de minimis amount of original issue discount (or debt securities acquired at a market discount, if such Fund elects to include market discount in income currently) prior to the receipt of the corresponding cash payments. The mark to market or constructive sales rules applicable to certain options, futures, forward contracts, short sales or other transactions also may require the Fund to recognize income or gain without a concurrent receipt of cash.

The Fund may be required to account for its transactions in forward rolls or swaps, caps, floors and collars in a manner that, under certain circumstances, may limit the extent of its participation in such transactions. Additionally, the Fund may be required to recognize gain, but not loss, if a swap or other transaction is treated as a constructive sale of an appreciated financial position in the Fund’s portfolio.

Certain net investment income received by an individual having modified adjusted gross income in excess of $200,000 (or $250,000 for married individuals filing jointly) will be subject to a tax of 3.8%. Undistributed net investment income of trusts and estates in excess of a specified amount also will be subject to this tax. Dividends paid by the Fund will constitute investment income of the type subject to this tax.

The Fund will be required to report to the IRS all taxable distributions to shareholders, as well as gross proceeds from the redemption or exchange of such Fund’s shares, except in the case of certain exempt recipients, i.e., corporations and certain other investors distributions to that are exempt from the information reporting provisions of the Code. All such reportable distributions and proceeds may be subject to backup withholding of federal income tax in the case of non-exempt shareholders who fail to furnish the Fund with their correct taxpayer identification number and certain certifications required by the IRS or if the IRS or a broker notifies the Fund that the number furnished by the shareholder is incorrect or that the shareholder is subject to backup withholding as a result of failure to report interest or dividend income. The Fund may refuse to accept an application that does not contain any required taxpayer identification number or certification that the number provided is correct. If the backup withholding provisions are applicable, any such distributions and proceeds, whether taken in cash or reinvested in shares, will be reduced by the amounts required to be withheld. Any amounts withheld may be credited against a shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. Investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of the backup withholding provisions.

The Funds are not subject to Massachusetts corporate excise or franchise taxes. The Fund anticipates that, provided that the Fund qualifies as a RIC under the Code, the Fund also will not be required to pay any Massachusetts income tax.

If a shareholder realizes a loss on disposition of Fund shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder, the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance, shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. Future guidance may extend the current exception from this reporting requirement to shareholders of most or all RICs.

Different tax treatment, including penalties on certain excess contributions and deferrals, certain pre-retirement and post-retirement distributions and certain prohibited transactions, is accorded to accounts maintained as qualified retirement plans. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors for more information.

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Legislation passed by Congress in 2008 requires the Fund (or is administrative agent) to report to the IRS and furnish to shareholders the cost basis information and holding period for the Fund’s shares purchased on or after January 1, 2012, and repurchased by the Fund on or after that date. The Fund will permit shareholders to elect from among several permitted cost basis methods. In the absence of an election, the Fund will use average cost as its default cost basis method. The cost basis method that a shareholder elects may not be changed with respect to a repurchase of shares after the settlement date of the repurchase. Shareholders should consult with their tax advisors to determine the best permitted cost basis method for their tax situation and to obtain more information about how the new cost basis reporting rules apply to them.

The foregoing is a general and abbreviated summary of the applicable provisions of the Code and Treasury Regulations currently in effect. It is not intended to be a complete explanation or a substitute for consultation with individual tax advisors. For the complete provisions, reference should be made to the pertinent Code sections and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. The Code and Treasury Regulations are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.

Non-U.S. investors not engaged in a U.S. trade or business with which their investment in the Fund is effectively connected will be subject to U.S. federal income tax treatment that is different from that described above. These investors may be subject to withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower rate under an applicable tax treaty) on amounts treated as ordinary dividends from the Fund and, unless an effective IRS Form W-8BEN or other authorized withholding certificate is on file, to backup withholding on certain other payments from the Fund.

Properly-reported dividends generally are exempt from U.S. federal withholding tax where they are (i) “interest-related dividends” paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified net interest income” (generally, the Fund’s U.S. source interest income, other than certain contingent interest and interest from obligations of a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is at least a 10% shareholder, reduced by expenses that are allocable to such income) or (ii) “short-term capital gain dividends” paid in respect of the Fund’s “qualified short-term gains” (generally, the excess of the Fund’s net short-term capital gain over the Fund’s long-term capital loss for such taxable year). Depending on its circumstances, the Fund may designate all, some or none of its potentially eligible dividends as such interest-related dividends or as short-term capital gain dividends and/or treat such dividends, in whole or in part, as ineligible for this exemption from withholding. The Fund’s capital gain distributions are also exempt from such withholding.

Under recent legislation known as FATCA, beginning in July 2014, a 30% U.S. withholding tax may apply to any U.S.-source “withholdable payments” made to a non-U.S. entity unless the non-U.S. entity enters into an agreement with the IRS or a governmental authority in its own country, as applicable, to collect and provide substantial information regarding the entity’s owners, including “specified United States persons” and “United States owned foreign entities,” or such non-U.S. entity otherwise demonstrates compliance with or exemption from FATCA. The term “withholdable payment” would include dividends and capital gain distributions by the Fund and the gross proceeds from the sale of Fund shares. The withholding tax regime went into effect on July 1, 2014 with respect to U.S.-source income, and is scheduled to begin in 2019 with respect to U.S.-source investment sale proceeds. A specified United States person is essentially any U.S. person, other than publicly traded corporations, their affiliates, tax-exempt organizations, governments, banks, real estate investment trusts, RICs, and common trust funds. A United States owned foreign entity is a foreign entity with one or more “substantial United States owners,” generally defined as United States person owning a greater than 10% interest. Non-U.S. investors should consult their own tax advisors regarding the impact of this recent legislation on their investment in the Fund.

PORTFOLIO BROKERAGE

Pursuant to the Subadvisory Agreement, the subadvisor is responsible for placing all orders for the purchase and sale of portfolio securities of the Fund. The subadvisor has no formula for the distribution of the Fund’s brokerage business; rather it places orders for the purchase and sale of securities with the primary objective of obtaining the most favorable overall results for the Fund. The cost of securities transactions for the Fund will consist primarily of brokerage commissions or dealer or underwriter spreads. Fixed-income securities and money market instruments are generally traded on a net basis and do not normally involve either brokerage commissions or transfer taxes.

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Occasionally, securities may be purchased directly from the issuer. For securities traded primarily in the OTC market, the subadvisor will, where possible, deal directly with dealers who make a market in the securities unless better prices and execution are available elsewhere. Such dealers usually act as principals for their own account.

Selection of Brokers or Dealers to Effect Trades. In selecting brokers or dealers to implement transactions, the subadvisor will give consideration to a number of factors, including:

• price, dealer spread or commission, if any;

• the reliability, integrity and financial condition of the broker-dealer;

• size of the transaction;

• difficulty of execution;

• brokerage and research services provided; and

• confidentiality and anonymity.

Consideration of these factors by a subadvisor, either in terms of a particular transaction or the subadvisor’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and any other accounts managed by the subadvisor, could result in the Fund paying a commission or spread on a transaction that is in excess of the amount of commission or spread another broker-dealer might have charged for executing the same transaction.

Securities of Regular Broker-Dealers. As of October 31, 2016, the Fund held no securities of the Fund’s regular broker-dealers⁽¹⁾ (or the parent of the regular broker-dealers).

(1) “Regular Broker-Dealers” are defined by the SEC as: (a) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that received the greatest dollar amount of brokerage commissions by virtue of direct or indirect participation in the company’s portfolio transactions during the company’s most recent fiscal year; (b) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that engaged as principal in the largest dollar amount of portfolio transactions of the investment company during the company’s most recent fiscal year; or (c) one of the 10 brokers or dealers that sold the largest dollar amount of securities of the investment company during the company’s most recent fiscal year.

Soft Dollar Considerations. In selecting brokers and dealers, the subadvisor will give consideration to the value and quality of any research, statistical, quotation, brokerage or valuation services provided by the broker or dealer to the subadvisor. In placing a purchase or sale order, the subadvisor may use a broker whose commission in effecting the transaction is higher than that of some other broker if the subadvisor determines in good faith that the amount of the higher commission is reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided by such broker, viewed in terms of either the particular transaction or the subadvisor’s overall responsibilities with respect to the Fund and any other accounts managed by the subadvisor. In addition to statistical, quotation, brokerage or valuation services, a subadvisor may receive from brokers or dealers products or research that are used for both research and other purposes, such as administration or marketing. In such case, the subadvisor will make a good faith determination as to the portion attributable to research. Only the portion attributable to research will be paid through portfolio brokerage. The portion not attributable to research will be paid by the subadvisor. Research products and services may be acquired or received either directly from executing brokers or indirectly through other brokers in step-out transactions. A “step-out” is an arrangement by which a subadvisor executes a trade through one broker-dealer but instructs that entity to step-out all or a portion of the trade to another broker-dealer. This second broker-dealer will clear and settle, and receive commissions for, the stepped-out portion. The second broker-dealer may or may not have a trading desk of its own.

The subadvisor also may receive research or research credits from brokers that are generated from underwriting commissions when purchasing new issues of fixed-income securities or other assets for the Fund. These services, which in some cases also may be purchased for cash, include such matters as general economic and security market reviews, industry and company reviews, evaluations of securities and recommendations as to the purchase and sale of securities. Some of these services are of value to the subadvisor in advising several of its clients (including the Fund), although not all of these services are necessarily useful and of value in managing the Fund. The management fee paid by the Fund is not reduced because a subadvisor and its affiliates receive such services.

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As noted above, a subadvisor may purchase new issues of securities for the Fund in underwritten fixed price offerings. In these situations, the underwriter or selling group member may provide the subadvisor with research in addition to selling the securities (at the fixed public offering price) to the Fund or other advisory clients. Because the offerings are conducted at a fixed price, the ability to obtain research from a broker-dealer in this situation provides knowledge that may benefit the Fund, other subadvisor clients, and the subadvisor without incurring additional costs. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor in Section 28(e) of the Exchange Act, because the broker-dealer is considered to be acting in a principal capacity in underwritten transactions. However, FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting broker-dealers to provide bona fide research to advisors in connection with fixed price offerings under certain circumstances. As a general matter in these situations, the underwriter or selling group member will provide research credits at a rate that is higher than that which is available for secondary market transactions.

Brokerage and research services provided by brokers and dealers include advice, either directly or through publications or writings, as to:

• the value of securities;

• the advisability of purchasing or selling securities;

• the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; and

• analyses and reports concerning: (a) issuers; (b) industries; (c) securities; (d) economic, political and legal factors and trends; and (e) portfolio strategy.

Research services are received primarily in the form of written reports, computer generated services, telephone contacts and personal meetings with security analysts. In addition, such services may be provided in the form of meetings arranged with corporate and industry spokespersons, economists, academicians and government representatives. In some cases, research services are generated by third parties but are provided to the subadvisor by or through a broker.

To the extent research services are used by the subadvisor, such services would tend to reduce such party’s expenses. However, the subadvisor does not believe that an exact dollar value can be assigned to these services. Research services received by the subadvisor from brokers or dealers executing transactions for series of the Trust, which may not be used in connection with the Fund, also will be available for the benefit of other funds managed by the subadvisor.

Allocation of Trades by the Subadvisor. The subadvisor manages a number of accounts other than the Fund. Although investment determinations for the Fund will be made by the subadvisor independently from the investment determinations it makes for any other account, investments deemed appropriate for the Fund by a subadvisor also may be deemed appropriate by it for other accounts. Therefore, the same security may be purchased or sold at or about the same time for both the Fund and other accounts. In such circumstances, the subadvisor may determine that orders for the purchase or sale of the same security for the Fund and one or more other accounts should be combined. In this event the transactions will be priced and allocated in a manner deemed by the subadvisor to be equitable and in the best interests of the Fund and such other accounts. While in some instances combined orders could adversely affect the price or volume of a security, the Fund believes that its participation in such transactions on balance will produce better overall results for the Fund.

For purchases of equity securities, when a complete order is not filled, a partial allocation will be made to each participating account pro rata based on the order size. For high demand issues (for example, initial public offerings), shares will be allocated pro rata by account size as well as on the basis of account objective, account size (a small account’s allocation may be increased to provide it with a meaningful position), and the account’s other holdings. In addition, an account’s allocation may be increased if that account’s portfolio manager was responsible for generating the investment idea or the portfolio manager intends to buy more shares in the secondary market. For fixed-income accounts, generally securities will be allocated when appropriate among accounts based on account size, except if the accounts have different objectives or if an account is too small to receive a meaningful allocation. For new issues, when a complete order is not filled, a partial allocation will be made to each account pro rata based on the order size. However, if a partial allocation is too small to be meaningful, it may be reallocated based on such factors as account objectives, strategies, duration benchmarks and credit and sector exposure. For example, value funds will likely not participate in initial public offerings as frequently as growth funds. In some instances, this investment procedure may adversely affect the price paid or received by the Fund or the size of the position obtainable for it. On the other hand, to the extent permitted by law, the subadvisor may aggregate securities to be sold or purchased for the Fund with those to be sold or purchased for other clients that it manages in order to obtain best execution.

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Affiliated Underwriting Transactions by a Subadvisor. The Trust has approved procedures in conformity with Rule 10f-3 under the 1940 Act whereby the Fund may purchase securities that are offered in underwritings in which an affiliate of the subadvisor participates. These procedures prohibit the Fund from directly or indirectly benefiting a subadvisor affiliate in connection with such underwritings. In addition, for underwritings where a subadvisor affiliate participates as a principal underwriter, certain restrictions may apply that could, among other things, limit the amount of securities that the Fund could purchase.

Brokerage Commissions Paid. For the last three fiscal years, the Fund paid brokerage commissions in connection with portfolio transactions. Any material differences from year to year reflect an increase or decrease in trading activity by the broker.

The total brokerage commissions paid by the Fund for the fiscal years ended October 31, 2016, October 31, 2015, and October 31, 2014 are set forth in the table below:

Fund	2016		2015		2014
Small Cap Core Fund	$	307,747	$	348,488	$	223,668

Affiliated Brokerage. Pursuant to procedures determined by the Trustees and consistent with the above policy of obtaining best net results, the Fund may execute portfolio transactions with or through brokers affiliated with the Advisor or subadvisor (“Affiliated Brokers”). Affiliated Brokers may act as broker for the Fund on exchange transactions, subject, however, to the general policy set forth above and the procedures adopted by the Trustees pursuant to the 1940 Act. Commissions paid to an Affiliated Broker must be at least as favorable as those that the Trustees believe to be contemporaneously charged by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold. A transaction would not be placed with an Affiliated Broker if the Fund would have to pay a commission rate less favorable than the Affiliated Broker’s contemporaneous charges for comparable transactions for its other most favored, but unaffiliated, customers, except for accounts for which the Affiliated Broker acts as clearing broker for another brokerage firm, and any customers of the Affiliated Broker not comparable to the Fund, as determined by a majority of the Trustees who are not “interested persons” (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Fund, the Advisor, the subadvisor or the Affiliated Broker. Because the Advisor or subadvisor that is affiliated with the Affiliated Broker has, as an investment advisor to the Fund, the obligation to provide investment management services, which includes elements of research and related investment skills such research and related skills will not be used by the Affiliated Broker as a basis for negotiating commissions at a rate higher than that determined in accordance with the above criteria.

The Advisor’s indirect parent, Manulife Financial, is the indirect sole shareholder of Signator Investors, Inc., a broker-dealer (“Signator”). The Advisor’s indirect parent, Manulife Financial, is the parent of another broker-dealer, John Hancock Distributors, LLC (“JH Distributors”). Each of Signator and JH Distributors is considered an Affiliated Broker.

Brokerage Commissions Paid to Affiliated Broker. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, the Fund did not pay any brokerage commissions to affiliated brokers.

Commission Recapture Program. The Board has approved the Fund’s participation in a commission recapture program. Commission recapture is a form of institutional discount brokerage that returns commission dollars directly to a fund. It provides a way to gain control over the commission expenses incurred by a subadvisor, which can be significant over time and thereby reduces expenses, improves cash flow and conserves assets. The Fund can derive commission recapture dollars from both equity trading commissions and fixed-income (commission equivalent) spreads. From time to time, the Board reviews whether participation in the recapture program is in the best interests of the Fund.

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TRANSFER AGENT SERVICES

John Hancock Signature Services, Inc., P.O. Box 55913, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5913, a wholly owned indirect subsidiary of MFC, is the transfer and dividend paying agent for the Class A, Class I, and Class R6 shares of the Fund.

The fees paid to Signature Services are determined based on the cost to Signature Services of providing services to the Fund and to all other John Hancock affiliated funds for which Signature Services serves as transfer agent (“Signature Services Cost”). Signature Services Cost includes: (i) an allocable portion of John Hancock corporate overhead; and (ii) out-of-pocket expenses, including payments made by Signature Services to intermediaries and other third-parties (“Subtransfer Agency Fees”) whose clients and/or customers invest in one or more funds for sub-transfer agency and administrative services provided to those clients/customers. Signature Services Cost is calculated monthly and allocated by Signature Services among four different categories as described below based generally on the Signature Services Cost associated with providing services to each category in the aggregate. Within each category, Signature Services Cost is allocated across all of the John Hancock affiliated funds and/or classes for which Signature Services provides transfer agent services, on the basis of relative average net assets.

Retail Share and Institutional Classes of Non-Municipal Bond Funds. An amount equal to the total Signature Services Cost associated with providing services to Class A, Class B, Class C, Class ADV, Class I, and Class I2 shares of all non-municipal series of the Trust and of all other John Hancock affiliated funds for which it serves as transfer agent, excluding out-of-pocket expenses for Subtransfer Agency Fees, is allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all Class A, Class B, Class C, Class ADV, Class I, and Class I2 shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund or class. Out-of-pocket expenses for Subtransfer Agency Fees attributable to Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class ADV shares are borne solely by those share classes and are allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class ADV shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund or class. Out-of-pocket expenses for Subtransfer Agency Fees attributable to Class I and Class I2 shares are borne solely by those share classes and are allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all Class I and Class I2 shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund or class. The Fund does not offer Class B, Class C, Class I2, or Class ADV shares.

Class R6 Shares. An amount equal to the total Signature Services Cost associated with providing services to Class R6 shares of the Trust and all other John Hancock affiliated funds for which it serves as transfer agent, is allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all such shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund.

Retirement Share Classes. An amount equal to the total Signature Services Cost associated with providing services to Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4 and Class R5 shares of the Trust and all other John Hancock affiliated funds for which it serves as transfer agent is allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all such shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund or class. In addition, payments made to intermediaries and/or record keepers under Class R Service plans will be made by each relevant fund on a fund- and class- specific basis pursuant to the applicable plan. The Fund does not offer Class R1, Class R2, Class R3, Class R4, or Class R5 shares.

Municipal Bond Funds. An amount equal to the total Signature Services Cost associated with providing services to Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class I shares of all John Hancock affiliated municipal bond funds for which it serves as transfer agent, including out-of-pocket expenses for Subtransfer Agency Fees, is allocated pro-rata based upon assets of all such shares in the aggregate, without regard to fund or class. John Hancock municipal bond funds currently only offer Class A, Class B, and Class C, and Class I shares. The Trust currently does not offer any municipal bond funds.

In applying the foregoing methodology, Signature Services seeks to operate its aggregate transfer agency operations on an “at cost” or “break even” basis. The allocation of aggregate transfer agency costs to categories of funds and/or classes assets seeks to ensure that shareholders of each class within each category will pay the same or a very similar level of transfer agency fees for the delivery of similar services. Under this methodology, the actual costs associated with providing particular services to a particular fund and/or share classes during a period of time, including payments to intermediaries for sub-transfer agency services to clients or customers whose assets are invested in a particular fund or share class, are not charged to and borne by that particular fund or share classes during that period. Instead, they are included in Signature Services Cost, which is then allocated to the applicable aggregate asset category described above and then allocated to all assets in that category based on relative net assets. Applying this methodology could result in some funds and/or classes having higher or lower transfer agency fees than they would have had if they bore only fund- or class-specific costs directly or indirectly attributable to them.

96

LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS

There are no legal proceedings to which the Trust, the Advisor, or the Distributor is a party that are likely to have a material adverse effect on the Fund or the ability of either the Advisor or the Distributor to perform its contract with the Fund.

INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The financial statements of the Fund’s other share classes for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, including the related financial highlights that appear in the Prospectus, have been audited by [_______________], independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their report with respect thereto, and are incorporated herein by reference in reliance upon said report given on the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing. [___________] has offices at [__________________________].

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The financial statements of the Fund for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2016, and the unaudited financial statements of the Fund for the six months ended April 30, 2017, are incorporated herein by reference from the Fund’s most recent Annual Report and Semiannual Report, respectively, filed with the SEC on Form N-CSR pursuant to Rule 30b2-1 under the 1940 Act.

CUSTODY OF PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

State Street Bank and Trust Company (“State Street”), State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, currently acts as custodian and bookkeeping agent of the Fund’s assets. State Street has selected various banks and trust companies in foreign countries to maintain custody of certain foreign securities. The Funds also may use special purpose custodian banks from time to time for certain assets. State Street is authorized to use the facilities of the Depository Trust Company, the Participants Trust Company and the book-entry system of the Federal Reserve Banks.

CODES OF ETHICS

The Trust, the Advisor, the Distributor, and the subadvisor to the Fund have adopted Codes of Ethics that comply with Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. Each Code of Ethics permits personnel subject to the Code of Ethics to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Fund.

97

APPENDIX A

DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS

DESCRIPTIONS OF CREDIT RATING SYMBOLS AND DEFINITIONS

The ratings of Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”), Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services (“S&P”) and Fitch Ratings (“Fitch”) represent their respective opinions as of the date they are expressed and not statements of fact as to the quality of various long-term and short-term debt instruments they undertake to rate. It should be emphasized that ratings are general and are not absolute standards of quality. Consequently, debt instruments with the same maturity, coupon and rating may have different yields while debt instruments of the same maturity and coupon with different ratings may have the same yield.

Ratings do not constitute recommendations to buy, sell, or hold any security, nor do they comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of any payments of any security.

I. IN GENERAL

A. Moody’s. Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities.

Note that the content of this Appendix A, to the extent that it relates to the ratings determined by Moody’s, is derived directly from Moody’s electronic publication of “Ratings Symbols and Definitions” which is available at: https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx? docid=PBC_79004.

B. S&P. An S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P’s view of the obligor’s capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issue ratings are an assessment of default risk, but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect the lower priority in bankruptcy.

Note that the content of this Appendix A, to the extent that it relates to the ratings determined by S&P, is derived directly from S&P’s electronic publication of “Standard & Poor’s Ratings Definitions” which is available at .http://www.standardandpoors.com/en_US/web/guest/article/-/view/sourceId/504352.

C. Fitch. Fitch’s opinions are forward looking and include analysts’ views of future performance. In many cases, these views on future performance may include forecasts, which may in turn (i) be informed by non-disclosable management projections, (ii) be based on a trend (sector or wider economic cycle) at a certain stage in the cycle, or (iii) be based on historical performance. As a result, while ratings may include cyclical considerations and typically attempt to assess the likelihood of repayment at “ultimate/final maturity”, material changes in economic conditions and expectations (for a particular issuer) may result in a rating change.

A-1

The terms “investment grade” and “speculative grade” have established themselves over time as shorthand to describe the categories ‘AAA’ to ‘BBB’ (investment grade) and ‘BB’ to ‘D’ (speculative grade). The terms “investment grade” and “speculative grade” are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. “Investment grade” categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the “speculative” categories either signal a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred. A designation of “Not Rated” or “NR” is used to denote securities not rated by Fitch where Fitch has rated some, but not all, securities comprising a capital structure.

Note that the content of this Appendix A, to the extent that it relates to the ratings determined by Fitch, is derived directly from Fitch’s electronic publication of “Definitions of Ratings and Other Forms of Opinion” which is available at .:

https://www.fitchratings.com/web_content/ratings/fitch_ratings_definitions_and_scales.pdf.

GENERAL PURPOSE RATINGS

II. LONG-TERM ISSUE RATINGS

A. MOODY’S GLOBAL LONG-TERM RATING SCALE

Long-termratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflectboth on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial losssuffered in the event of default.

Aaa: Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

Aa: Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

A: Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

Baa: Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

Ba: Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

B: Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

Caa: Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

Ca: Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

C: Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

Note: Moody’s appends numerical modifiers 1, 2 and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

A-2

B. S&P LONG-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS

AAA: An obligation rated ‘AAA’ has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.

AA: An obligation rated ‘AA’ differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.

A: An obligation rated ‘A’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is still strong.

BBB: An obligation rated ‘BBB’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

BB, B, CCC, CC and C: Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’ ‘CC’ and ‘C’ are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the least degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposures to adverse conditions.

BB: An obligation rated ‘BB’ is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: An obligation rated ‘B’ is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated ‘BB’, but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor’s capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CCC: An obligation rated ‘CCC’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

CC: An obligation rated ‘CC’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a default has not yet occurred, but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

C: An obligation rated ‘C’ is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared to obligations that are rated higher.

D: An obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

NR: This indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular obligation as a matter of policy.

A-3

Note: The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories.

Dual Ratings – Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, ‘AAA/A-1+’ or ‘A-1+/A-1’). With U. S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating(for example, ‘SP-1+/A-1+’).

C. FITCH CORPORATE FINANCE OBLIGATIONS – LONG-TERM RATING SCALES

Ratings of individual securities or financial obligations of a corporate issuer address relative vulnerability to default on an ordinal scale. In addition, for financial obligations in corporate finance, a measure of recovery given default on that liability is also included in the rating assessment. This notably applies to covered bond ratings, which incorporate both an indication of the probability of default and of the recovery given a default of this debt instrument.

AAA: Highest credit quality. ‘AAA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

AA: Very high credit quality. ‘AA’ ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

A: High credit quality. ‘A’ ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

BBB: Good credit quality. ‘BBB’ ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

BB: Speculative. ‘BB’ ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

B: Highly speculative. ‘B’ ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

CCC: Substantial credit risk. “CCC” ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

CC: Very high levels of credit risk. “CC” ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

C: Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. “C” indicates exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned ‘RD’ or ‘D’ ratings, but are instead rated in the ‘B’ to ‘C’ rating categories, depending upon their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

A-4

Note: Addition of a Plus (+) or minus (-) sign: Fitch ratings may be appended by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to denote relative status within major rating categories. Such suffixes are not added to the ‘AAA’ obligation rating category, or to corporate finance obligation ratings in the categories below ‘CCC’.

The subscript ‘emr’ is appended to a rating to denote embedded market risk which is beyond the scope of the rating. The designation is intended to make clear that the rating solely addresses the counterparty risk of the issuing bank. It is not meant to indicate any limitation in the analysis of the counterparty risk, which in all other respects follows published Fitch criteria for analyzing the issuing financial institution. Fitch does not rate these instruments where the principal is to any degree subject to market risk.

CORPORATE AND TAX-EXEMPT COMMERCIAL PAPER RATINGS

III. SHORT-TERM ISSUE RATINGS

A. MOODY’S GLOBAL SHORT-TERM RATING SCALE

Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default on contractually promised payments and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default.

Moody’s employs the following designations to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:

P-1: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-2: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

P-3: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

NP: Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

The following table indicates the long-term ratings consistent with different short-term ratings when such long-term ratings exist. (Note: Structured finance short-term ratings are usually based either on the short-term rating of a support provider or on an assessment of cash flows available to retire the financial obligation).

LONG-TERM RATING SHORT-TERM RATING

Aaa

Aa1

Aa2

Aa3

A1

A2

A3

Baa1

Baa2

Baa3

A-5

Ba1, Ba2, Ba3

B1, B2, B3

Caa1, Caa2, Caa3

Ca, C

B. S&P’S SHORT-TERM ISSUE CREDIT RATINGS

S&P’s short-term ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market. In the U.S., for example, that means obligations with an original maturity of no more than 365 days – including commercial paper. Short-term ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. Medium term notes are assigned long-term ratings. Ratings are graded into several categories, ranging from ‘A’ for the highest-quality obligations to ‘D’ for the lowest. These categories are as follows:

A-1: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-1’ is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.

A-2: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-2’ is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.

A-3: A short-term obligation rated ‘A-3’ exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

B: A short-term obligation rated ‘B’ is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

C: A short-term obligation rated ‘C’ is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.

D: A short-term obligation rated ‘D’ is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The ‘D’ rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. An obligation’s rating is lowered to ‘D’ if it is subject to a distressed exchange offer.

Dual Ratings - Dual ratings may be assigned to debt issues that have a put option or demand feature. The first component of the rating addresses the likelihood of repayment of principal and interest as due, and the second component of the rating addresses only the demand feature. The first component of the rating can relate to either a short-term or long-term transaction and accordingly use either short-term or long-term rating symbols. The second component of the rating relates to the put option and is assigned a short-term rating symbol (for example, ‘AAA/A-1+’ or ‘A-1+/A-1’). With U. S. municipal short-term demand debt, the U.S. municipal short-term note rating symbols are used for the first component of the rating(for example, ‘SP-1+/A-1+’).

A-6

C. FITCH’S SHORT-TERM ISSUER OR OBLIGATION RATINGS

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity or security stream and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as “short term” based on market convention. Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations, and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

F1: Highest short-term credit quality.

Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added (“+”) to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

F2: Good short-term credit quality.

Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

F3: Fair short-term credit quality.

The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

B: Speculative short-term credit quality.

Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

C: High short-term default risk.

Default is a real possibility.

RD: Restricted default.

Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Applicable to entity ratings only.

D: Default.

Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

IV. TAX-EXEMPT NOTE RATINGS

A. MOODY’S U.S. MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM DEBT RATINGS

While the global short-term ‘prime’ rating scale is applied to US municipal tax-exempt commercial paper, these programs are typically backed by external letters of credit or liquidity facilities and their short-term prime ratings usually map to the long-term rating of the enhancing bank or financial institution and not to the municipality’s rating. Other short-term municipal obligations, which generally have different funding sources for repayment, are rated using an additional short-term rating scale (i.e., the MIG scale discussed below).

The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bond anticipation notes of up to three years maturity. Municipal notes rated on the MIG scale may be secured by either pledged revenues or proceeds of a take-out financing received prior to note maturity. MIG ratings expire at the maturity of the obligation, and the issuer’s long-term rating is only one consideration in assigning the MIG rating. MIG ratings are divided into three levels—MIG 1 through MIG 3—while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.

MIG 1: This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

A-7

MIG 2: This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

MIG 3: This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

SG: This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

B. S&P’S MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS

An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P’s opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P’s analysis will review the following considerations:

· Amortization schedule – the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as note; and

· Source of payment – the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

Note rating symbols are as follows:

SP-1: Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

SP-2: Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

SP-3: Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

C. FITCH PUBLIC FINANCE RATINGS

See FITCH SHORT-TERM ISSUER OR OBLIGATIONS RATINGS above.

A-8

APPENDIX B

PORTFOLIO MANAGER INFORMATION

JOHN HANCOCK ASSET MANAGEMENT A DIVISION OF MANULIFE ASSET

MANAGEMENT (US) LLC

Small Cap Core Fund

Portfolio Manager and Other Accounts Managed

Bill Talbot, CFA is the portfolio manager at JHAM (US) who is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund’s portfolio.

The following table provides information regarding other accounts for which Mr. Talbot has day-to-day management responsibilities. Accounts are grouped into three categories: (i) other investment companies (and series thereof); (ii) other pooled investment vehicles; and (iii) other accounts. To the extent that any of these accounts pays advisory fees that are based on account performance (“performance-based fees”), information on those accounts is specifically broken out. In addition, any assets denominated in foreign currencies have been converted into U.S. dollars using the exchange rates as of the applicable date. Also shown below the table is Mr. Talbot’s investment in the Fund.

The following table provides information as of March 31, 2017:

	Other Registered Investment Companies				Other Pooled Investment Vehicles				Other Accounts
Portfolio Manager	Number of Accounts		Assets (in millions)		Number of Accounts		Assets (in millions)		Number of Accounts		Assets (in millions)
Bill Talbot		1	$	48		2	$	39		0	$	0

Performance-Based Fees for Other Accounts Managed. The Subadvisor does not receive a fee based on investment performance of any of the accounts in the table listed above.

Share Ownership by Portfolio Manager. As of March 31, 2017, Mr. Talbot beneficially owned Fund shares with a value of $[   ] to $[   ].

POTENTIAL CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

When a portfolio manager is responsible for the management of more than one account, the potential arises for the portfolio manager to favor one account over another. The principal types of potential conflicts of interest that may arise are discussed below. For the reasons outlined below, the Funds do not believe that any material conflicts are likely to arise out of a portfolio manager’s responsibility for the management of the Funds as well as one or more other accounts. The Advisor and Subadvisor have adopted procedures that are intended to monitor compliance with the policies referred to in the following paragraphs. Generally, the risks of such conflicts of interests are increased to the extent that a portfolio manager has a financial incentive to favor one account over another. The Advisor and Subadvisor have structured their compensation arrangements in a manner that is intended to limit such potential for conflicts of interests. See “Compensation” below.

· A portfolio manager could favor one account over another in allocating new investment opportunities that have limited supply, such as initial public offerings and private placements. If, for example, an initial public offering that was expected to appreciate in value significantly shortly after the offering was allocated to a single account, that account may be expected to have better investment performance than other accounts that did not receive an allocation on the initial public offering. The Subadvisor has policies that require a portfolio manager to allocate such investment opportunities in an equitable manner and generally to allocate such investments proportionately among all accounts with similar investment objectives.

B-1

· A portfolio manager could favor one account over another in the order in which trades for the accounts are placed. If a portfolio manager determines to purchase a security for more than one account in an aggregate amount that may influence the market price of the security, accounts that purchased or sold the security first may receive a more favorable price than accounts that made subsequent transactions. The less liquid the market for the security or the greater the percentage that the proposed aggregate purchases or sales represent of average daily trading volume, the greater the potential for accounts that make subsequent purchases or sales to receive a less favorable price. When a portfolio manager intends to trade the same security for more than one account, the policies of the Subadvisor generally require that such trades be “bunched,” which means that the trades for the individual accounts are aggregated and each account receives the same price. There are some types of accounts as to which bunching may not be possible for contractual reasons (such as directed brokerage arrangements). Circumstances may also arise where the trader believes that bunching the orders may not result in the best possible price. Where those accounts or circumstances are involved, the Subadvisor will place the order in a manner intended to result in as favorable a price as possible for such client.

· A portfolio manager could favor an account if the portfolio manager’s compensation is tied to the performance of that account rather than all accounts managed by the portfolio manager. If, for example, the portfolio manager receives a bonus based upon the performance of certain accounts relative to a benchmark while other accounts are disregarded for this purpose, the portfolio manager will have a financial incentive to seek to have the accounts that determine the portfolio manager’s bonus achieve the best possible performance to the possible detriment of other accounts. Similarly, if the Subadvisor receives a performance-based advisory fee, the portfolio manager may favor that account, whether or not the performance of that account directly determines the portfolio manager’s compensation. The investment performance on specific accounts is not a factor in determining the portfolio manager’s compensation. See “Compensation” below. Neither the Advisor nor the Subadvisor receives a performance-based fee with respect to any of the accounts managed by the portfolio managers.

· A portfolio manager could favor an account if the portfolio manager has a beneficial interest in the account, in order to benefit a large client or to compensate a client that had poor returns. For example, if the portfolio manager held an interest in an investment partnership that was one of the accounts managed by the portfolio manager, the portfolio manager would have an economic incentive to favor the account in which the portfolio manager held an interest. The Subadvisor imposes certain trading restrictions and reporting requirements for accounts in which a portfolio manager or certain family members have a personal interest in order to confirm that such accounts are not favored over other accounts.

· If the different accounts have materially and potentially conflicting investment objectives or strategies, a conflict of interest may arise. For example, if a portfolio manager purchases a security for one account and sells the same security short for another account, such trading pattern could disadvantage either the account that is long or short. In making portfolio manager assignments, the Subadvisor seeks to avoid such potentially conflicting situations. However, where a portfolio manager is responsible for accounts with differing investment objectives and policies, it is possible that the portfolio manager will conclude that it is in the best interest of one account to sell a portfolio security while another account continues to hold or increase the holding in such security.

COMPENSATION

The Subadvisor has adopted a system of compensation for portfolio managers and others involved in the investment process that is applied systematically among investment professionals. At the Subadvisor, the structure of compensation of investment professionals is currently composed of the following basic components: base salary and an annual investment bonus plan as well as customary benefits that are offered generally to all full-time employees of the Subadvisor. A limited number of senior investment professionals, who serve as officers of both the Subadvisor and its parent company, may also receive options or restricted stock grants of common shares of Manulife Financial. The following describes each component of the compensation package for the individuals identified as a portfolio manager for the Funds.

B-2

· Base salary. Base compensation is fixed and normally reevaluated on an annual basis. The Subadvisor seeks to set compensation at market rates, taking into account the experience and responsibilities of the investment professional.

· Investment Bonus Plan. Only investment professionals are eligible to participate in the Investment Bonus Plan. Under the plan, investment professionals are eligible for an annual bonus. The plan is intended to provide a competitive level of annual bonus compensation that is tied to the investment professional achieving superior investment performance and aligns the financial incentives of the Subadvisor and the investment professional. Any bonus under the plan is completely discretionary, with a maximum annual bonus that may be well in excess of base salary. Payout of a portion of this bonus may be deferred for up to five years. While the amount of any bonus is discretionary, the following factors are generally used in determining bonuses under the plan:

· Investment Performance: The investment performance of all accounts managed by the investment professional over one- and three-year periods are considered. The pre-tax performance of each account is measured relative to an appropriate peer group benchmark identified in the table below (for example a Morningstar large cap growth peer group if the fund invests primarily in large cap stocks with a growth strategy). With respect to fixed income accounts, relative yields are also used to measure performance.

· The Profitability of the Subadvisor: The profitability of the Subadvisor and its parent company are also considered in determining bonus awards.

· Non-Investment Performance: To a lesser extent, intangible contributions, including the investment professional’s support of client service and sales activities, new fund/strategy idea generation, professional growth and development, and management, where applicable, are also evaluated when determining bonus awards.

· Options and Stock Grants. A limited number of senior investment professionals may receive options to purchase shares of Manulife Financial stock. Generally, such option would permit the investment professional to purchase a set amount of stock at the market price on the date of grant. The option can be exercised for a set period (normally a number of years or until termination of employment) and the investment professional would exercise the option if the market value of Manulife Financial stock increases. Some investment professionals may receive restricted stock grants, where the investment professional is entitle to receive the stock at no or nominal cost, provided that the stock is forgone if the investment professional’s employment is terminated prior to a vesting date.

The Subadvisor also permits investment professionals to participate on a voluntary basis in a deferred compensation plan, under which the investment professional may elect on an annual basis to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation until retirement. Participation in the plan is voluntary.

Fund	Benchmark Index for Incentive Period
Small Cap Core Fund	eA US Small Cap Core Equity

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APPENDIX C

JOHN HANCOCK FUNDS

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

(Updated September 2015)

POLICY:

General

The Majority of the Independent Board of Trustees (the “Board”) of each registered investment company of the Trusts, has adopted these proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Trust Proxy Policy”).

Each fund of the Trust or any other registered investment company (or series thereof) (each, a “fund”) is required to disclose its proxy voting policies and procedures in its registration statement and, pursuant to Rule 30b1-4 under the 1940 Act, file annually with the Securities and Exchange Commission and make available to shareholders its actual proxy voting record. In this regard, the Trust Policy is set forth below.

Delegation of Proxy Voting Responsibilities

It is the policy of the Trust to delegate the responsibility for voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by a fund to the fund’s investment adviser (“adviser”) or, if the fund’s adviser has delegated portfolio management responsibilities to one or more investment sub-adviser(s), to the fund’s sub-adviser(s), subject to the Board’s continued oversight. The sub-adviser for each fund shall vote all proxies relating to securities held by each fund and in that connection, and subject to any further policies and procedures contained herein, shall use proxy voting policies and procedures adopted by each sub-adviser in conformance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended (the “Advisers Act”).

Except as noted below under Material Conflicts of Interest, the Trust Proxy Policy with respect to a Fund shall incorporate that adopted by the Fund’s sub-adviser with respect to voting proxies held by its clients (the “Sub-adviser Proxy Policy”). Each Sub-adviser Policy, as it may be amended from time to time, is hereby incorporated by reference into the Trust Proxy Policy. Each sub-adviser to a Fund is directed to comply with these policies and procedures in voting proxies relating to portfolio securities held by a fund, subject to oversight by the Fund’s adviser and by the Board. Each Adviser to a Fund retains the responsibility, and is directed, to oversee each sub-adviser’s compliance with these policies and procedures, and to adopt and implement such additional policies and procedures as it deems necessary or appropriate to discharge its oversight responsibility. Additionally, the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (“CCO”) shall conduct such monitoring and supervisory activities as the CCO or the Board deems necessary or appropriate in order to appropriately discharge the CCO’s role in overseeing the sub-advisers’ compliance with these policies and procedures.

The delegation by the Board of the authority to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities of the funds is entirely voluntary and may be revoked by the Board, in whole or in part, at any time.

Voting Proxies of Underlying Funds of a Fund of Funds

A. Where the Fund of Funds is not the Sole Shareholder of the Underlying Fund

With respect to voting proxies relating to the shares of an underlying fund (an “Underlying Fund”) held by a Fund of the Trust operating as a fund of funds (a “Fund of Funds”) in reliance on Section 12(d)(1)(G) of the 1940 Act where the Underlying Fund has shareholders other than the Fund of Funds which are not other Fund of Funds, the Fund of Funds will vote proxies relating to shares of the Underlying Fund in the same proportion as the vote of all other holders of such Underlying Fund shares.

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B. Where the Fund of Funds is the Sole Shareholder of the Underlying Fund

In the event that one or more Funds of Funds are the sole shareholders of an Underlying Fund, the Adviser to the Fund of Funds or the Trusts will vote proxies relating to the shares of the Underlying Fund as set forth below unless the Board elects to have the Fund of Funds seek voting instructions from the shareholders of the Funds of Funds in which case the Fund of Funds will vote proxies relating to shares of the Underlying Fund in the same proportion as the instructions timely received from such shareholders.

1. Where Both the Underlying Fund and the Fund of Funds are Voting on Substantially Identical Proposals

In the event that the Underlying Fund and the Fund of Funds are voting on substantially identical proposals (the “Substantially Identical Proposal”), then the Adviser or the Fund of Funds will vote proxies relating to shares of the Underlying Fund in the same proportion as the vote of the shareholders of the Fund of Funds on the Substantially Identical Proposal.

2. Where the Underlying Fund is Voting on a Proposal that is Not Being Voted on by the Fund of Funds

(a) Where there is No Material Conflict of Interest Between the Interests of the Shareholders of the Underlying Fund and the Adviser Relating to the Proposal

In the event that the Fund of Funds is voting on a proposal of the Underlying Fund and the Fund of Funds is not also voting on a substantially identical proposal and there is no material conflict of interest between the interests of the shareholders of the Underlying Fund and the Adviser relating to the Proposal, then the Adviser will vote proxies relating to the shares of the Underlying Fund pursuant to its Proxy Voting Procedures.

(b) Where there is a Material Conflict of Interest Between the Interests of the Shareholders of the Underlying Fund and the Adviser Relating to the Proposal

In the event that the Fund of Funds is voting on a proposal of the Underlying Fund and the Fund of Funds is not also voting on a substantially identical proposal and there is a material conflict of interest between the interests of the shareholders of the Underlying Fund and the Adviser relating to the Proposal, then the Fund of Funds will seek voting instructions from the shareholders of the Fund of Funds on the proposal and will vote proxies relating to shares of the Underlying Fund in the same proportion as the instructions timely received from such shareholders. A material conflict is generally defined as a proposal involving a matter in which the Adviser or one of its affiliates has a material economic interest.

Material Conflicts of Interest

If (1) a sub-adviser to a Fund becomes aware that a vote presents a material conflict between the interests of (a) shareholders of the Fund; and (b) the Fund’s Adviser, sub-adviser, principal underwriter, or any of their affiliated persons, and (2) the sub-adviser does not propose to vote on the particular issue in the manner prescribed by its Sub-adviser Proxy Policy or the material conflict of interest procedures set forth in its Sub-adviser Proxy Policy are otherwise triggered, then the sub-adviser will follow the material conflict of interest procedures set forth in its Sub-adviser Proxy Policy when voting such proxies.

If a Sub-adviser Proxy Policy provides that in the case of a material conflict of interest between Fund shareholders and another party, the sub-adviser will ask the Board to provide voting instructions, the sub-adviser shall vote the proxies, in its discretion, as recommended by an independent third party, in the manner prescribed by its Sub-adviser Proxy Policy or abstain from voting the proxies.

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Securities Lending Program

Certain of the Funds participate in a securities lending program with the Trusts through an agent lender. When a Fund’s securities are out on loan, they are transferred into the borrower’s name and are voted by the borrower, in its discretion. Where a sub-adviser determines, however, that a proxy vote (or other shareholder action) is materially important to the client’s account, the sub-adviser should request that the agent recall the security prior to the record date to allow the sub-adviser to vote the securities.

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures in the Trust’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”)

The Trust shall include in its SAI a summary of the Trust Proxy Policy and of the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy included therein. (In lieu of including a summary of these policies and procedures, the Trust may include each full Trust Proxy Policy and Sub-adviser Proxy Policy in the SAI.)

Disclosure of Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures in Annual and Semi-Annual Shareholder Reports

The Trusts shall disclose in annual and semi-annual shareholder reports that a description of the Trust Proxy Policy, including the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy, and the Trusts’ proxy voting record for the most recent 12 months ended June 30 are available on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) website, and without charge, upon request, by calling a specified toll-free telephone number. The Trusts will send these documents within three business days of receipt of a request, by first-class mail or other means designed to ensure equally prompt delivery. The Fund Administration Department is responsible for preparing appropriate disclosure regarding proxy voting for inclusion in shareholder reports and distributing reports. The Legal Department supporting the Trusts is responsible for reviewing such disclosure once it is prepared by the Fund Administration Department.

Filing of Proxy Voting Record on Form N-PX

The Trusts will annually file their complete proxy voting record with the SEC on Form N-PX. The Form N-PX shall be filed for the twelve months ended June 30 no later than August 31 of that year. The Fund Administration department, supported by the Legal Department supporting the Trusts, is responsible for the annual filing.

Procedure

Review of Sub-advisers’ Proxy Voting

The Trusts have delegated proxy voting authority with respect to Fund portfolio securities in accordance with the Trust Policy, as set forth above.

Consistent with this delegation, each sub-adviser is responsible for the following:

1. Implementing written policies and procedures, in compliance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act, reasonably designed to ensure that the sub-adviser votes portfolio securities in the best interest of shareholders of the Trusts.

2. Providing the Advisers with a copy and description of the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy prior to being approved by the Board as a sub-adviser, accompanied by a certification that represents that the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy has been adopted in conformance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act. Thereafter, providing the Advisers with notice of any amendment or revision to that Sub-adviser Proxy Policy or with a description thereof. The Advisers are required to report all material changes to a Sub-adviser Proxy Policy quarterly to the Board. The CCO’s annual written compliance report to the Board will contain a summary of the material changes to each Sub-adviser Proxy Policy during the period covered by the report.

3. Providing the Adviser with a quarterly certification indicating that the sub-adviser did vote proxies of the funds and that the proxy votes were executed in a manner consistent with the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy. If the sub-adviser voted any proxies in a manner inconsistent with the Sub-adviser Proxy Policy, the sub-adviser will provide the Adviser with a report detailing the exceptions.

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Adviser Responsibilities

The Trusts have retained a proxy voting service to coordinate, collect, and maintain all proxy-related information, and to prepare and file the Trust’s reports on Form N-PX with the SEC.

The Advisers, in accordance with their general oversight responsibilities, will periodically review the voting records maintained by the proxy voting service in accordance with the following procedures:

1. Receive a file with the proxy voting information directly from each sub-adviser on a quarterly basis.

2. Select a sample of proxy votes from the files submitted by the sub-advisers and compare them against the proxy voting service files for accuracy of the votes.

3. Deliver instructions to shareholders on how to access proxy voting information via the Trust’s semi-annual and annual shareholder reports.

The Fund Administration Department, in conjunction with the Legal Department supporting the Trusts, is responsible for the foregoing procedures.

Proxy Voting Service Responsibilities

Proxy voting services retained by the Trusts are required to undertake the following procedures:

· Aggregation of Votes:

The proxy voting service’s proxy disclosure system will collect fund-specific and/or account-level voting records, including votes cast by multiple sub-advisers or third party voting services.

· Reporting:

The proxy voting service’s proxy disclosure system will provide the following reporting features:

1. multiple report export options;

2. report customization by fund-account, portfolio manager, security, etc.; and

3. account details available for vote auditing.

· Form N-PX Preparation and Filing:

The Advisers will be responsible for oversight and completion of the filing of the Trusts’ reports on Form N-PX with the SEC. The proxy voting service will prepare the EDGAR version of Form N-PX and will submit it to the adviser for review and approval prior to filing with the SEC. The proxy voting service will file Form N-PX for each twelve-month period ending on June 30. The filing must be submitted to the SEC on or before August 31 of each year. The Fund Administration Department, in conjunction with the Legal Department supporting the Trusts, is responsible for the foregoing procedures.

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JOHN HANCOCK INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES, LLC

&

JOHN HANCOCK ADVISERS, LLC

PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

(Updated September 2015)

General

The Advisers are registered investment advisers under Advisers Act and serve as the investment advisers to the Funds. The Advisers generally retain one or more sub-advisers to manage the assets of the Funds, including voting proxies with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities. From time to time, however, the Advisers may elect to manage directly the assets of a Fund, including voting proxies with respect to such Fund’s portfolio securities, or a Fund’s Board may otherwise delegate to the Advisers authority to vote such proxies. Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act requires that a registered investment adviser adopt and implement written policies and procedures reasonably designed to ensure that it votes proxies with respect to a client’s securities in the best interest of the client. Pursuant thereto, the Advisers have adopted and implemented these proxy voting policies and procedures (the “Proxy Procedures”).

Procedure

Fiduciary Duty

The Advisers have a fiduciary duty to vote proxies on behalf of a Fund in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders.

Voting of Proxies

The Advisers will vote proxies with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities when authorized to do so by the Fund and subject to the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures and any further direction or delegation of authority by the Fund’s Board. The decision on how to vote a proxy will be made by the person(s) to whom the Advisers have from time to time delegated such responsibility (the “Designated Person”). The Designated Person may include the Fund’s portfolio manager(s) and a Proxy Voting Committee, as described below.

When voting proxies with respect to a Fund’s portfolio securities, the following standards will apply:

· The Designated Person will vote based on what it believes is in the best interest of the Fund and its shareholders and in accordance with the Fund’s investment guidelines.

· Each voting decision will be made independently. To assist with the analysis of voting issues and/or to carry out the actual voting process the Designated Person may enlist the services of (1)reputable professionals (who may include persons employed by or otherwise associated with the Advisers or any of its affiliated persons) or (2) independent proxy evaluation services such as Institutional Shareholder Services. However, the ultimate decision as to how to vote a proxy will remain the responsibility of the Designated Person.

· The Advisers believe that a good management team of a company will generally act in the best interests of the company. Therefore, the Designated Person will take into consideration as a key factor in voting proxies with respect to securities of a company that are held by the Fund the quality of the company’s management. In general, the Designated Person will vote as recommended by company management except in situations where the Designated Person believes such recommended vote is not in the best interests of the Fund and its shareholders.

· As a general principle, voting with respect to the same portfolio securities held by more than one Fund should be consistent among those Funds having substantially the same investment mandates.

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· The Advisers will provide the Fund, from time to time in accordance with the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures and any applicable laws and regulations, a record of the Advisers’ voting of proxies with respect to the Fund’s portfolio securities.

Material Conflicts of Interest

In carrying out its proxy voting responsibilities, the Advisers will monitor and resolve potential material conflicts (“Material Conflicts”) between the interests of (a) a Fund and (b) the Advisers or any of its affiliated persons. Affiliates of the Advisers include Manulife Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries. Material Conflicts may arise, for example, if a proxy vote relates to matters involving any of these companies or other issuers in which the Advisers or any of their affiliates has a substantial equity or other interest.

If the Advisers or a Designated Person become aware that a proxy voting issue may present a potential Material Conflict, the issue will be referred to the Advisers’ Legal Department and/or the Office of the CCO. If the Legal Department and/or the Office of the CCO, as applicable determines that a potential Material Conflict does exist, a Proxy Voting Committee will be appointed to consider and resolve the issue. The Proxy Voting Committee may make any determination that it considers reasonable and may, if it chooses, request the advice of an independent, third-party proxy service on how to vote the proxy.

Voting Proxies of Underlying Funds of a Fund of Funds

The Advisers or the Designated Person will vote proxies with respect to the shares of a Fund that are held by another Fund that operates as a Fund of Funds”)in the manner provided in the proxy voting policies and procedures of the Fund of Funds (including such policies and procedures relating to material conflicts of interest) or as otherwise directed by the board of trustees or directors of the Fund of Funds.

Proxy Voting Committee(s)

The Advisers will from time to time, and on such temporary or longer term basis as they deem appropriate, establish one or more Proxy Voting Committees. A Proxy Voting Committee shall include the Advisers’ CCO and may include legal counsel. The terms of reference and the procedures under which a Proxy Voting Committee will operate will be reviewed from time to time by the Legal and Compliance Department. Records of the deliberations and proxy voting recommendations of a Proxy Voting Committee will be maintained in accordance with applicable law, if any, and these Proxy Procedures.

Records Retention

The Advisers will retain (or arrange for the retention by a third party of) such records relating to proxy voting pursuant to these Proxy Procedures as may be required from time to time by applicable law and regulations, including the following:

1. These Proxy Procedures and all amendments hereto;

2. All proxy statements received regarding Fund portfolio securities;

3. Records of all votes cast on behalf of a Fund;

4. Records of all Fund requests for proxy voting information;

5. Any documents prepared by the Designated Person or a Proxy Voting Committee that were material to or memorialized the basis for a voting decision;

6. All records relating to communications with the Funds regarding Conflicts; and

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7. All minutes of meetings of Proxy Voting Committees.

The Fund Administration Department Investment Compliance group is responsible for maintaining the documents set forth above. Such documents will be maintained in the Fund Administration Department Investment Compliance group for the period set forth in the Records Retention Schedule.

Reporting to Fund Boards

The CCO of the Advisers will provide the Board with a copy of these Proxy Procedures, accompanied by a certification that represents that the Proxy Procedures have been adopted by the Advisers in conformance with Rule 206(4)-6 under the Advisers Act. Thereafter, the Advisers will provide the Board with notice and a copy of any amendments or revisions to the Procedures and will report quarterly to the Board all material changes to these Proxy Procedures.

The CCO’s annual written compliance report to the Board will contain a summary of material changes to the Proxy Procedures during the period covered by the report.

If the Advisers vote any proxies in a manner inconsistent with either these Proxy Procedures or a Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, the CCO will provide the Board with a report detailing such exceptions.

In the case of proxies voted by a sub-adviser to a Fund pursuant to the Fund’s proxy voting procedures, the Advisers will request the sub-adviser to certify to the Advisers that the sub-adviser has voted the Fund’s proxies as required by the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures and that such proxy votes were executed in a manner consistent with these Proxy Procedures and to provide the Advisers with a report detailing any instances where the sub-adviser voted any proxies in a manner inconsistent with the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures. The COO of the Advisers will then report to the Board on a quarterly basis regarding the sub-adviser certification and report to the Board any instance where the sub-adviser voted any proxies in a manner inconsistent with the Fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures.

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Proxy Voting Policy

Background

Manulife Asset Management (“MAM” or the “Firm”)* represents investment advisors registered in certain countries as appropriate to support the broader Manulife Asset Management discretionary advisory business.

Applicable rules may require an investment advisor to (i) adopt proxy policies reasonably designed to seek to ensure that the advisor votes proxies in the best interests of its clients, including addressing material conflicts of interest; (ii) disclose to clients information about its proxy policies; and (iii) maintain certain records relating to proxy voting. These requirements are designed to minimize conflicts of interest and to seek to ensure greater transparency in the voting of proxies.

MAM has adopted a proxy voting policy and procedures to seek to ensure proxies are voted in the best interests of its’ clients and its proxy voting activities adhere to the requirements of all applicable rules and general fiduciary principles. Where MAM is granted and accepts responsibility for voting proxies for client accounts, it will take reasonable steps to seek to ensure proxies are received and voted in the best interest of the client with a view to enhance the value of the shares of equity securities held in client accounts.

MAM has contracted with the RiskMetrics Group (RiskMetrics), an independent third party service provider, to vote clients’ proxies. The Firm has adopted RiskMetrics proxy voting recommendations and established corresponding Firm Proxy Voting guidelines. Proxies will be voted in accordance with the voting recommendations contained in the applicable domestic or global RiskMetrics Proxy Voting Manual, as in effect from time to time. Except in instances where a MAM’s client retains voting authority, MAM will instruct custodians of client accounts to forward all proxy statements and materials received in respect of client accounts to RiskMetrics.

MAM has engaged RiskMetrics as its proxy voting agent to:

1. research and make voting recommendations or, for matters for which Manulife Asset Management has so delegated, to make the voting determinations;

2. ensure proxies are voted and submitted in a timely manner;

3. handle other administrative functions of proxy voting;

4. maintain records of proxy statements received in connection with proxy votes and provide copies of such proxy statements promptly upon request;

5. maintain records of votes cast; and

6. provide recommendations with respect to proxy voting matters in general.

* Refer to Appendix of Affiliated MAM entities that have adopted this policy

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Policy Administration, Oversight and Governance

MAM’s Proxy Operations group is responsible for administering and implementing the Proxy Voting Policy, including the proper oversight of RiskMetrics and any other service providers hired by the Firm to assist it in the proxy voting process.

Proxy Operations are responsible for administering the proxy voting process, including:

1. Implementing and updating the applicable domestic and global RiskMetrics proxy voting guidelines;

2. Coordinating and overseeing the proxy voting process performed by RiskMetrics; and

3. Providing periodic reports to the Brokerage Practices Committee (BPC), Senior Investment Policy Committee (SIPC), the Chief Compliance Officer, Advisory Clients or any other persons/committee as deemed appropriate.

Proper oversight of the vendor will include periodic due diligence of the vendor including its’ industry reputation, risk, compliance and technology infrastructure and the vendor’s ability to meet the Firm’s requirements relative to reporting and other service requirements including; assessing the adequacy and quality of the proxy advisory firm’s staffing and personnel; and assessing whether the proxy advisory firm has robust policies and procedures that enable it to make proxy voting recommendations based on current and accurate information and to identify and address conflicts of interest relating to its voting recommendations.

All proxies received on behalf of Clients are forwarded to RiskMetrics. Any MAM employee that receives a client’s proxy statement should therefore notify Proxy Operations and arrange for immediate delivery to RiskMetrics.

In addition to voting proxies, MAM:

1. describes its proxy voting procedures to its clients in the relevant or required disclosure document;

2. provides clients with a copy of the Proxy Voting Policy, upon request;

3. discloses to its clients how they may obtain information on how MAM voted the client’s proxies;

4. generally applies its Proxy Voting Policy consistently;

5. documents the reason(s) for voting for all non- routine items; and

6. keeps records of such proxy voting through RiskMetrics available for inspection by the Client or governmental agencies.

Oversight and Governance

Oversight of the proxy voting process is the responsibility of the Firm’s Brokerage Practices Committee (“BPC”) which reports up to the Firm’s Senior Investment Policy Committee (“SIPC”). However the SIPC is responsible for reviewing and approving amendments to the Proxy Voting Policy. The BPC or its’ designee should be provided a periodic evaluation of vendor due diligence and service activity including a summary of vendor proxy voting activity on behalf the Firm’s clients. Reporting should include trends relative to non-routine items, conflict of interest situations, voting outside of Proxy guidelines and the rationale and other material matters.

On a quarterly basis, Proxy Operations should provide the BPC with summary of instances where MAM has (i) voted proxies in a manner inconsistent with the recommendation of RiskMetrics, and (ii) voted proxies in circumstances in which a material conflict of interest may exist as set forth in the Conflicts section.

Material proxy voting issues identified by the Proxy Operations group are to be escalated to the Firm’s Chief Compliance Officer. As appropriate, the BPC (or their designee) will be informed of material matters and related actions taken by the responsible parties.

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The Chief Compliance Officer makes an annual risk- based assessment of the Firm’s compliance program, which may include proxy voting activities, and may conduct a review of the Procedures to determine that such Procedures are reasonably designed to achieve their purpose. The Chief Compliance Officer makes periodic reports to MAM SIPC that includes a summary of issues identified in the review of activities as part of the compliance program.

General Principles

Scope

This Policy permits Clients to:

1. delegate to MAM the responsibility and authority to vote proxies on their behalf according to MAM’s Proxy Voting Policy and guidelines; or

2. delegate to MAM the responsibility and authority to vote proxies on their behalf according to the particular Client’s own proxy voting policies and guidelines, subject to acceptance by the Firm, as mutually agreed upon between the Firm and the Client.

MAM seeks to vote proxies in the best economic interests of all of its Clients for whom the Firm has proxy voting authority and responsibilities. In the ordinary course, this entails voting proxies in a manner which the Firm believes will maximize the economic value of client security holdings.

The Firm believes its Proxy Voting Policy is reasonably designed to ensure proxy matters are conducted in the best interest of Clients, and in accordance with MAM’s fiduciary duties and applicable rules.

General Standards on Voting

The following are examples of general standards the Firm has established relative to its’ proxy voting obligations:

MAM does not engage in the practice of “empty voting” (a term embracing a variety of factual circumstances that result in a partial or total separation of the right to vote at a shareholders meeting from beneficial ownership of the shares on the meeting date). MAM prohibits investment managers from creating large hedge positions solely to gain the vote while avoiding economic exposure to the market. MAM will not knowingly vote borrowed shares (for example, shares borrowed for short sales and hedging transactions) that the lender of the shares is also voting.

· MAM reviews various criteria to determine whether the costs associated with voting the proxy exceed the expected benefit to Clients and may conduct a cost-benefit analysis in determining whether it is in the best economic interest to vote client proxies. Given the outcome of the cost-benefit analysis, the Firm may refrain from voting a proxy on behalf of the Clients’ accounts.

· Except as otherwise required by law, MAM has a general policy of not disclosing to any issuer or third-party how MAM or its voting delegate voted a Client’s proxy.

· MAM endeavors to show sensitivity to local market practices when voting proxies of non-domestic issuers.

· MAM votes in all markets where it is feasible to do so.

· MAM may refrain from voting a proxy due to logistical considerations that may have a detrimental effect on the Firm’s ability to vote such a proxy. These issues may include, but are not limited to:

1. proxy statements and ballots being written in a foreign language;

2. underlying securities have been lent out pursuant to a Client’s securities lending program;

3. untimely notice of a shareholder meeting;

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4. requirements to vote proxies in person;

5. restrictions on foreigner’s ability to exercise votes;

6. restrictions on the sale of securities for a period of time in proximity to the shareholder meeting (“share blocking and re-registration”);

7. requirements to provide local agents with power of attorney to facilitate the voting instructions (such proxies are voted on a best-efforts basis); or

8. inability of a Client’s custodian to forward and process proxies electronically.

· From time to time, proxy votes will be solicited which involve special circumstances and require additional research and discussion or (ii) are not directly addressed by RiskMetrics. These proxies are identified through a number of methods, including, but not limited to, notification from RiskMetrics, concerns of clients, concerns raised by the Firm’s investment professionals and questions from consultants.

· In such instances of special circumstances or issues not directly addressed by RiskMetrics, a sub-committee of the BPC (“Proxy Committee”) will be consulted for a determination of the proxy vote. The Proxy Committee comprises of no fewer than three members of the BPC. Although the Firm anticipates that such instances will be rare, The Proxy Committee’s first determination is whether there is a material conflict of interest between the interests of a Client and those of MAM. If the Proxy Committee determines there is a material conflict, the process detailed under “Conflicts of Interest” below is followed. If there is no material conflict, the Proxy Committee examines each of the issuer’s proposals in detail in seeking to determine what vote would be in the best interests of Clients. At this point, the Proxy Committee will make a voting decision based on maximizing the economic value of all portfolios’ holdings for the issuer in question.

· There may be circumstances under which a portfolio manager or other MAM investment professional (“Manulife Asset Management Investment Professional”) believes it is in the best interest of a Client or Clients to vote proxies in a manner inconsistent with the recommendation of RiskMetrics. In such an event, as feasible, the Manulife Asset Management Investment Professional shall inform the Proxy Operations group of his or her decision to vote such proxy in a manner inconsistent with the recommendation of RiskMetrics and the rationale for such decision. Proxy Operations will report to the BPC no less than quarterly any instance where a Manulife Asset Management Investment Professional has decided to vote a proxy on behalf of a Client in such a manner.

Conflicts of Interest

From time to time, proxy voting proposals may raise conflicts between the interests of the Firm’s clients and the interests of the Firm and its affiliates or employees. For example, MAM or its affiliates may provide services to a company whose management is soliciting proxies, or to another entity which is a proponent of a particular proxy proposal. Another example could arise when MAM or its affiliates has business or other relationships with participants involved in proxy contests, such as a candidate for a corporate directorship. More specifically, if MAM is aware that one of the following conditions exists with respect to a proxy, MAM shall consider such event a potential material conflict of interest:

1. MAM has a business relationship or potential relationship with the issuer;

2. MAM has a business relationship with the proponent of the proxy proposal; or

3. MAM members, employees or consultants have a personal or other business relationship with the participants in the proxy contest, such as corporate directors or director candidates.

MAM’s goal in addressing any such potential conflict is to ensure proxy votes are cast in the advisory clients’ best interests and are not affected by MAM’s potential conflict. In those instances, there are a number of courses MAM may take. The final decision as to which course to follow shall be made by the BPC or its designee.

C-11

In the event of a potential material conflict of interest, the BPC or its designee will either (i) vote such proxy according to the specific recommendation of RiskMetrics; (ii) abstain; or (iii) request the Client vote such proxy. All such instances shall be reported to the BPC and the Chief Compliance Officer at least quarterly.

In other cases, where the matter presents a potential material conflict and is not clearly within one of the RiskMetrics’ enumerated recommendations, or is of such a nature the BPC believes more active involvement is necessary, the BPC shall make a decision as to the voting of the proxy. The basis for the voting decision, including the basis for the determination the decision is in the best interests of the Client, shall be formalized in writing as a part of the minutes of the BPC.

Recordkeeping

In accordance with applicable law, MAM shall retain the following documents for not less than five years from the end of the year in which the proxies were voted, the first two years in MAM’s office:

· the MAM Proxy Voting Policy and any additional procedures created pursuant to that policy;

· a copy of each proxy statement MAM receives regarding securities held by Clients (this requirement will be satisfied by RiskMetrics who has agreed in writing to do so or by obtaining a copy of the proxy statement from the EDGAR database);

· a record of each vote cast by MAM (this requirement will be satisfied by RiskMetrics who has agreed in writing to do so) on behalf of Clients;

· a copy of any document created by MAM that was material in making its voting decision or that memorializes the basis for such decision; and

· a copy of each written request from a client, and response to the client, for information on how MAM clients’ proxies were voted.

C-12

Appendix of Affiliated MAM Entities

Declaration Management & Research LLC

Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC

Manulife Asset Management (North America) Limited

Manulife Asset Management Limited+

Manulife Asset Management (Europe) Limited

Manulife Asset Management Trust Company

+Investment management business only.

Policy Edition: August 2015

C-13

JOHN HANCOCK INVESTMENT TRUST

PART C

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28. Exhibits.

99.(a)	Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust dated January 22, 2016– previously filed as exhibit 99.(a) to post-effective amendment no. 154 filed on February 25, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-007639.
99.(b)	Amended and Restated By-Laws dated March 8, 2005. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(b) to post-effective amendment no. 98 filed on May 2, 2005, accession number 0001010521-05-000151.
99.(b).1	Amendment dated March 11, 2008 to the Amended and Restated By-Laws dated March 8, 2005. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(b).1 to post-effective amendment no. 111 filed on February 27, 2009, accession number 0000950135-09-001332.
99.(b).2	Amendment dated June 9, 2009 to the Amended and Restated By-Laws dated March 8, 2005. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(b).2 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(b).3	Amendment dated August 31, 2010 to the Amended and Restated By-Laws dated March 8, 2005. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(b).4 to post-effective amendment no. 115 filed on February 25, 2011, accession number 0000950123-11-017991.
99.(b).4	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to the Amended and Restated By-Laws dated March 8, 2005. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(B).4 to post-effective amendment no. 156 filed on March 14, 2016 accession number No. 0001133228-16-008195.

99.(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Securities Holders. See exhibits 99.(a) and 99.(b).

99.(d)	Investment Advisory Contracts. Investment Management Contract dated December 22, 1994 (the “Investment Management Contract”) between the Registrant and John Hancock Advisers, LLC (formerly, John Hancock Advisers, Inc.) relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(5).(a) to post-effective amendment no. 73 filed on May 10, 1995, accession number 0000950135-95-001122.
99.(d).1	Amendment dated July 1, 2005 to Investment Management Contract. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).4 to post-effective amendment no. 99 filed on March 1, 2006, accession number 0001010521-06-000157.
99.(d).2	Advisory Agreement dated July 1, 2009 (“Advisory Agreement”) between the Registrant and John Hancock Advisers, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund, John Hancock Small Cap Intrinsic Value Fund and John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).2 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.

99.(d).3	Amendment dated December 18, 2013 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund, John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly, John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund) and John Hancock Seaport Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).3 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(d).4	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).6 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(d).5	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).7 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(d).6	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).8 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(d).7	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).7 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(d).8	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).8 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(d).9	Amendment dated July 1, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).9 to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.
99.(d).10	Amendment dated October 1, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).10 to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.

99.(d).11	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to the Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).11 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(d).12	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 31, 2005 (“JHAM Sub-Advisory Agreement”) among the Registrant, John Hancock Advisers, LLC, and Sovereign Asset Management LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Intrinsic Value Fund), John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund), John Hancock Small Cap Intrinsic Value Fund and John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).8 to post-effective amendment no. 100 filed on February 14, 2007, accession number 0001010521-07-000179.
99.(d).13	Amendment dated May 17, 2013 to the JHAM Sub-Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund, John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund), John Hancock Small Cap Intrinsic Value Fund and John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).9 to post-effective amendment no. 126 filed on February 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-000824.
99.(d).14	Amendment dated December 18, 2013 to the JHAM Sub-Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).6 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(d).15	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 18, 2013 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington Sub-Advisory Agreement”) relating to John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly, John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund) and John Hancock Seaport Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).7 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(d).16	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 25, 2014 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC relating to John Hancock Value Equity Fund - previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).14 to post-effective amendment no. 135 filed on December 23, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-004945.
99.(d).17	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 25, 2014 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Robeco Investment Management, Inc. (“Robeco Sub-Advisory Agreement”) relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund - previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).15 to post-effective amendment no. 135 filed on December 23, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-004945.

99.(d).18	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to the JHAM Sub-Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund– previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).17 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(d).19	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated June 25, 2015 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Limited relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).20 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(d).20	Amendment to Sub-Advisory Agreement dated March 10, 2016 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Limited dated June 25, 2015 relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).17 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(d).21	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated May 31, 2016 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Trillium Asset Management, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).21 to post-effective amendment no. 171 filed on February 28, 2017, accession number 0001133228-17-001091.
99.(d).22	Amendment dated July 1, 2016 to the Wellington Sub-Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).22 to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.
99.(d).23	Amendment dated October 1, 2016 to the Robeco Sub-Advisory Agreement relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund. –  previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).23 to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.
99.(d).24	Sub-Advisory Agreement dated December 8, 2016 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and Boston Common Asset Management, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(d).24 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(e)	Underwriting Contracts. Distribution Agreement dated December 22, 1994 (“Distribution Agreement”) between John Hancock Broker Distribution Services, Inc. (currently known as John Hancock Funds, LLC) and the Registrant. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e) to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.

99.(e).2	Amendment dated December 18, 2013 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund, John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund) and John Hancock Seaport Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).4 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(e).3	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).5 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(e).4	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).16 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(e).5	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).7 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(e).6	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).6 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(e).7	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).7 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(e).8	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Distribution Agreement between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(e).8 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(f)	Not Applicable.
99.(g)	Custodian Agreement. Master Custodian Agreement dated September 10, 2008 among John Hancock Mutual Funds and State Street Bank and Trust Company. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(g).1 to post-effective amendment no. 111 filed on February 27, 2009, accession number 0000950135-09-001332.

99.(g).1	Master Global Custodial Services Agreement dated March 3, 2014 among John Hancock Mutual Funds and Citibank. N.A. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(g).1 to post-effective amendment no. 142 filed on June 15, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-002717.
99.(g).2	Amendment dated June 10, 2015 to Master Global Custodial Services Agreement dated March 3, 2014 among John Hancock Mutual Funds and Citibank. N.A. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(g).2 to post-effective amendment no. 150 filed on December 24, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-006566.
99.(g).3	Amendment dated October 1, 2015 to Master Custodian Agreement dated September 26, 2008 between John Hancock Mutual Funds and State Street Bank and Trust Company– previously filed as exhibit 99.(g).3 to post-effective amendment no. 150 filed on December 24, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-006566.
99.(h)	Other Material Contracts. Accounting and Legal Services Agreement dated January 1, 1996 between John Hancock Mutual Funds and John Hancock Advisers, LLC relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).6 to post-effective amendment no. 99 filed on March 1, 2006, accession number 0001010521-06-000157.
99.(h).1	Class A Service Agreement dated February 1, 2000 among Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., the Distributor, and John Hancock Signature Services, Inc. relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Value Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).2 to post-effective amendment no. 87 filed on December 22, 2000, accession number 0001010521-00-000496.
99.(h).2	Amendment dated March 8, 2005 to Accounting and Legal Services Agreement dated January 1, 1996 relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).7 to post-effective amendment no. 99 filed on March 1, 2006, accession number 0001010521-06-000157.
99.(h).3	Amended and Restated Transfer Agency and Service Agreement dated July 1, 2013 (“Restated Transfer Agency Agreement”) between John Hancock Mutual Funds advised by John Hancock Advisers, LLC and John Hancock Signature Services, Inc.  – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).5 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(h).4	Amendment dated October 1, 2013 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).6 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.

99.(h).5	Amendment dated December 18, 2013 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund, John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund). and John Hancock Seaport Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).7 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(h).6	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).6 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(h).7	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).7 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(h).8	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).8 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(h).9	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).9 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(h).10	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).10 to post-effective amendment no. 165 filed on September 23, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-012910.
99.(h).11	Amendment dated December 14, 2016 to the Restated Transfer Agency Agreement relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).11 to post-effective amendment no. 169 filed on February 7, 2017, accession number 0001133228-17-000497.
99.(h).12	Service Agreement dated June 25, 2014 between John Hancock Advisers, LLC and John Hancock Mutual Funds. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).7 to post-effective amendment no. 139 filed on February 25, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-000548.
99.(h).13	Services Agreement dated March 3, 2014 among John Hancock Mutual Funds and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).9 to post-effective amendment no. 142 filed on June 15, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-002717.

99.(h).14	Amendment dated February 1, 2015 to Services Agreement dated March 3, 2014 among John Hancock Mutual Funds and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).10 to post-effective amendment no. 142 filed on June 15, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-002717.
99.(h).15	Amendment dated June 15, 2015 to Services Agreement dated March 3, 2014, as amended, among John Hancock Mutual Funds and Citi Fund Services Ohio, Inc. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).13 to post-effective amendment no. 150 filed on December 24, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-006566.
99.(h).16	Expense Limitation Agreement and Voluntary Expense Limitation Notice dated December 8, 2016 by and between the Registrant and John Hancock Advisers, LLC – previously filed as exhibit 99.(h).16 to post-effective amendment no. 171 filed on February 28, 2017, accession number 0001133228-17-001091.
99.(i)	Legal Opinion — to be filed by amendment.
99.(j)	Consent of Independent Registered Accounting Firm – to be filed by amendment.
99.(k)	Not Applicable.
99.(l)	Not Applicable.
99.(m)	Plans of Distribution pursuant to Rule 12b-1. Class A Distribution Plan dated December 22, 1994 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.15A to post-effective amendment no. 73, filed on May 10, 1995, accession number 0000950135-95-001122.
99.(m).1	Class B Distribution Plan dated December 22, 1994 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.15B to post-effective amendment no. 73, filed on May 10, 1995, accession number 0000950135-95-001122.
99.(m).2	Class B Distribution Plan dated December 2, 1996 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund. – previous filed as exhibit 99.B15.5 to post-effective amendment no. 78, filed on February 27, 1997, accession number 0001010521-97-000228.
99.(m).3	Class C Distribution Plan dated May 1, 1998 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 129 filed on March 28, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001269.

99.(m).4	Class C Distribution Plan dated May 1, 1999 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 82, filed on July 15, 1998, accession number 0001010521-98-000292.
99.(m).5	Class R1 Service Plan dated May 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(m).6	Class R3 Service Plan dated May 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(m).7	Class R4 Service Plan dated May 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(m).8	Class R5 Service Plan dated May 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).3 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(m).9	Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund and John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).4 to post-effective amendment no. 113 filed on December 17, 2009, accession number 0000950123-09-071584.
99.(m).10	Amendment dated December 18, 2013 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Small Cap Core Fund, John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund), and John Hancock Seaport Fund. –  previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).4 to post-effective amendment no. 124 filed on December 19, 2013, accession number 0001133228-13-005026.
99.(m).11	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).17 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.

99.(m).12	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).18 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(m).13	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).19 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(m).14	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).14 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(m).15	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).15 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(m).16	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Class A Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).16 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(m).17	Amendment dated March 13, 2014 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Enduring Assets Fund (formerly John Hancock Enduring Equity Fund) and John Hancock Seaport Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(a).20 to post-effective amendment no. 131 filed on May 12, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001677.
99.(m).18	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).21 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).19	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).23 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.

99.(m).20	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).26 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(m).21	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).20 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(m).22	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).21 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(m).23	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Class C Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).23 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(m).24	Class R1 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund), and John Hancock Sovereign Investors Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).21 to post-effective amendment no. 129 filed on March 28, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001269.
99.(m).25	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R1 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).23 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).26	Class R3 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund and John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).23 to post-effective amendment no. 129 filed on March 28, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001269.

99.(m).27	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R3 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).25 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).28	Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund and John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).25 to post-effective amendment no. 129 filed on March 28, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001269.
99.(m).29	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).27 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).30	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).30 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(m).31	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).35 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(m).32	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).30 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(m).33	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).31 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(m).34	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Class R4 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).34 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.

99.(m).35	Class R5 Distribution Plan dated July 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund and John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).27 to post-effective amendment no. 129 filed on March 28, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-001269.
99.(m).36	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R5 Distribution Plan dated May 1, 2009 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).29 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).37	Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund and John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).7 to post-effective amendment no. 119 filed on February 28, 2012, accession number 0000950123-12-003596.
99.(m).38	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).31 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m).39	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).35 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(m).40	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).42 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(m).41	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).38 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.

99.(m).42	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).39 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.
99.(m).43	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Class R2 Distribution Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).43 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(m).44	Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Balanced Fund, John Hancock Global Opportunities Fund and John Hancock Fundamental Large Cap Core Fund (formerly, John Hancock Large Cap Equity Fund). – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).8 to post-effective amendment no. 119 filed on February 28, 2012, accession number 0000950123-12-003596.
99.(m).45	Amendment dated June 25, 2014 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock Disciplined Value International Fund and John Hancock Value Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(a).33 to post-effective amendment no. 133 filed on June 26, 2014, accession number 0001133228-14-002058.
99.(m)46	Amendment dated March 12, 2015 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Emerging Markets Equity Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).38 to post-effective amendment no. 141 filed on March 31, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-001519.
99.(m).47	Amendment dated June 25, 2015 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Global Real Estate Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).47 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(m).48	Amendment dated March 10, 2016 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating John Hancock Global Focused Strategies Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).44 to post-effective amendment no. 159 filed on April 8, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-008820.
99.(m).49	Amendment dated May 31, 2016 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG All Cap Core Fund and John Hancock ESG Large Cap Core Fund. - previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).45 to post-effective amendment no. 163 filed on June 2, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-010046.

99.(m).50	Amendment dated December 8, 2016 to Class R2 Service Plan dated December 6, 2011 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC relating to John Hancock ESG International Equity Fund. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).50 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(m).51	Rule 12b-1 Fee Waiver Letter Agreement dated December 8, 2016 between the Registrant and John Hancock Funds, LLC. — previously filed as exhibit 99.(m).51 to post-effective amendment no. 171 filed on February 28, 2017, accession number 0001133228-17-001091.
99.(n)	Rule 18f-3 Plan. Amended and Restated Multiple Class Plan pursuant to Rule 18f-3 dated December 17, 2014, as amended December 8, 2016 (“18f-3 Plan”), for certain John Hancock Mutual Funds advised by John Hancock Advisers, LLC. – previously filed as exhibit 99.(n) to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(o)	Not Applicable.
99.(p)	Codes of Ethics. Code of Ethics dated January 1, 2008 (as revised March 8, 2016) of John Hancock Advisers, LLC, John Hancock Investment Management Services, LLC, John Hancock Funds, LLC, John Hancock Distributors, LLC, and each open-end and closed-end fund advised by a John Hancock advisor – previously filed as exhibit 99.(p) to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(p).1	Code of Ethics dated September 1, 2013 for Declaration Management & Research LLC, John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC and John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (North America) LLC – previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).1 to post-effective amendment no. 139 filed on February 25, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-000548.
99.(p).2	Code of Ethics dated July 1, 2016 of Wellington Management Company LLP. — previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).2 to post-effective amendment no. 171 filed on February 28, 2017, accession number 0001133228-17-001091.
99.(p).3	Code of Ethics, dated November 28, 1983, and was last amended on December 31, 2015, of Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC –  previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).3 to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.
99.(p).4	Code of Ethics of Robeco Investment Management, Inc., doing business as Boston Partners — previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).4 to post-effective amendment no. 150 filed on December 24, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-006566.

99.(p).5	Personal Account Dealing Procedure dated November 20, 2014 of Standard Life Investments - previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).5 to post-effective amendment no. 146 filed on September 21, 2015, accession number 0001133228-15-004801.
99.(p).6	Code of Ethics, dated November 28, 2005, and was last amended on January 20, 2015, of Trillium Asset Management, LLC. — previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).6 to post-effective amendment no. 156 filed on March 14, 2016, accession number No. 0001133228-16-008195.
99.(p).7	Code of Ethics, dated 2016 of Boston Common Asset Management, LLC. — previously filed as exhibit 99.(p).7 to post-effective amendment no. 167 filed on December 14, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014606.
99.(q)	Power of Attorney dated December 8, 2016. — previously filed as exhibit 99.(q) to post-effective amendment no. 166 filed on December 9, 2016, accession number 0001133228-16-014354.

Item 29. Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with the Registrant.

John Hancock Advisers, LLC is the Advisor to the Registrant. The Advisor is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.), which in turn is a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation (“MFC”), a publicly traded company based in Toronto, Canada. A corporate organization list is set forth below.

Item 30. Indemnification.

Indemnification provisions relating to Registrant’s Trustees, officers, employees and agents are set forth in Article IV of Registrant’s Declaration of Trust included as Exhibit (a) herein.

Under Section 12 of the Distribution Agreement, John Hancock Funds, LLC has agreed to indemnify Registrant and its Trustees, officers and controlling persons against claims arising out of certain acts and statements of John Hancock Funds.

Section 9(a) of the By-Laws of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (USA) (the “Insurance Company”) provides, in effect, that the Insurance Company will, subject to limitations of law, indemnify each present and former director, officer and employee of the Insurance Company who serves as a Trustee or officer of Registrant at the direction or request of the Insurance Company against litigation expenses and liabilities incurred while acting as such, except that such indemnification does not cover any expense or liability incurred or imposed in connection with any matter as to which such person shall be finally adjudicated not to have acted in good faith in the reasonable belief that his action was in the best interests of the Insurance Company. In addition, no such person will be indemnified by the Insurance Company in respect of any final adjudication unless such settlement shall have been approved as in the best interests of the Insurance Company either by vote of the Board of Directors at a meeting composed of directors who have no interest in the outcome of such vote, or by vote of the policyholders. The Insurance Company may pay expenses incurred in defending an action or claim in advance of its final disposition, but only upon receipt of an undertaking by the person indemnified to repay such payment if he should be determined not to be entitled to indemnification.

Article V of the Limited Liability Company Agreement of John Hancock Advisers, LLC provides as follows:

“Section 5.06. Indemnity and Exculpation.

(a) No Indemnitee, and no shareholder, director, officer, member, manager, partner, agent, representative, employee or Affiliate of an Indemnitee, shall have any liability to the Company or to any Member for any loss suffered by the Company (or the Corporation) which arises out of any action or inaction by such Indemnitee with respect to the Company (or the Corporation) if such Indemnitee so acted or omitted to act (i) in the good faith (A) belief that such course of conduct was in, or was not opposed to, the best interests of the Company (or the Corporation), or (B) reliance on the provisions of this Agreement, and (ii) such course of conduct did not constitute gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee.

(b) The Company shall, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, indemnify each person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative, by reason of the fact that he is or was, or has agreed to become, a Director or Officer, or is or was serving, or has agreed to serve, at the request of the Company (or previously at the request of the Corporation), as a director, officer, manager or trustee of, or in a similar capacity with, another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust or other enterprise (including any employee benefit plan) (all such persons being referred to hereafter as an “Indemnitee”), or by reason of any action alleged to have been taken or omitted in such capacity, against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by or on behalf of an Indemnitee in connection with such action, suitor proceeding and any appeal therefrom.

(c) As a condition precedent to his right to be indemnified, the Indemnitee must notify the Company in writing as soon as practicable of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving him for which indemnity hereunder will or could be sought. With respect to any action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Company is so notified, the Company will be entitled to participate therein at its own expense and/or to assume the defense thereof at its own expense, with legal counsel reasonably acceptable to the Indemnitee.

(d) In the event that the Company does not assume the defense of any action, suit, proceeding or investigation of which the Company receives notice under this Section 5.06, the Company shall pay in advance of the final disposition of such matter any expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by an Indemnitee in defending a civil or criminal action, suit, proceeding or investigation or any appeal therefrom; provided, however, that the payment of such expenses incurred by an Indemnitee in advance of the final disposition of such matter shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay all amounts so advanced in the event that it shall ultimately be determined that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company as authorized in this Section 5.06, which undertaking shall be accepted without reference to the financial ability of the Indemnitee to make such repayment; and further provided that no such advancement of expenses shall be made if it is determined that (i) the Indemnitee did not act in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in, or not opposed to, the best interests of the Company, or (ii) with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, the Indemnitee had reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful.

(e) The Company shall not indemnify an Indemnitee seeking indemnification in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such Indemnitee unless the initiation thereof was approved by the Board of Directors. In addition, the Company shall not indemnify an Indemnitee to the extent such Indemnitee is reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, and in the event the Company makes any indemnification payments to an Indemnitee and such Indemnitee is subsequently reimbursed from the proceeds of insurance, such Indemnitee shall promptly refund such indemnification payments to the Company to the extent of such insurance reimbursement.

(f) All determinations hereunder as to the entitlement of an Indemnitee to indemnification or advancement of expenses shall be made in each instance by (a) a majority vote of the Directors consisting of persons who are not at that time parties to the action, suit or proceeding in question (“Disinterested Directors”), whether or not a quorum, (b) a majority vote of a quorum of the outstanding Common Shares, which quorum shall consist of Members who are not at that time parties to the action, suit or proceeding in question, (c) independent legal counsel (who may, to the extent permitted by law, be regular legal counsel to the Company), or (d) a court of competent jurisdiction.

(g) The indemnification rights provided in this Section 5.06 (i) shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which an Indemnitee may be entitled under any law, agreement or vote of Members or Disinterested Directors or otherwise, and (ii) shall inure to the benefit of the heirs, executors and administrators of the Indemnitees. The Company may, to the extent authorized from time to time by its Board of Directors, grant indemnification rights to other employees or agents of the Company or other persons serving the Company and such rights may be equivalent to, or greater or less than, those set forth in this Section 5.06. Any indemnification to be provided hereunder may be provided although the person to be indemnified is no longer a Director or Officer.”

Item 31. Business and Other Connections of Investment Advisors.

See “Fund Details” in the Prospectuses and “Investment Advisory and Other Services” in the Statement of Additional Information for information regarding the business of Registrant’s investment advisor, John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the “Advisor”), and the subadvisors to Registrant’s series listed in the table below (collectively, the “Subadvisors”). For information as to the business, profession, vocation or employment of a substantial nature of each director, officer or partner of the Advisor and Subadvisors, reference is made to the respective Form ADV, as amended, filed under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 (the “Advisers Act), each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The following table lists the Advisor’s and each Subadvisor’s Advisers Act file number.

Advisor	Advisers Act File Number
John Hancock Advisers, LLC	801-8124
Subadvisors
Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC	801-31237
Boston Common Asset Management, LLC	801-61564
John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC	801-42033
Robeco Investment Management, Inc., doing business as Boston Partners	801-61786
Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Limited	801-70095
Trillium Asset Management, LLC	801-17958
Wellington Management Company LLP	801-15908

Item 32. Principal Underwriters.

(a) John Hancock Funds, LLC acts as principal underwriter for Registrant and also serves as principal underwriter or distributor of shares for John Hancock Bond Trust, John Hancock California Tax-Free Income Fund, John Hancock Capital Series, John Hancock Current Interest, John Hancock Funds II, John Hancock Funds III, John Hancock Investment Trust II, John Hancock Investment Trust III, John Hancock Municipal Securities Trust, John Hancock Sovereign Bond Fund, and John Hancock Strategic Series.

(b) The following table presents certain information with respect to each director and officer of John Hancock Funds, LLC. The principal business address of each director or officer is 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02110.

NAME	POSTIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE UNDERWRITER	POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE REGISTRANT
Andrew G. Arnott	Director, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer	President

NAME	POSTIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE UNDERWRITER	POSITIONS AND OFFICES WITH THE REGISTRANT
Leo Zerilli	Director	Senior Vice President, Investments
John J. Danello	Senior Vice President	Senior Vice President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer
Steven B. Sunnerberg	Secretary and Chief Legal Counsel	Assistant Secretary
Jeffrey H. Long	Chief Financial Officer	None
Jeff Duckworth	Director and Senior Vice President	None
Michael Mahoney	Chief Compliance Officer	None
Melvyn D’Souza	Vice President, Treasury	None
Kelly A. Conway	Assistant Treasurer	None
Tracy K. Lannigan	Assistant Secretary	None

(c) None.

Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records.

All applicable accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by Registrant by Section 31(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Rules promulgated thereunder are in the possession and custody of Registrant’s custodians, State Street Bank and Trust Company, State Street Financial Center, One Lincoln Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02111 and Citibank, N.A., 388 Greenwich St, New York, New York 10013, and its transfer agent, John Hancock Signature Services, Inc., P.O. Box 55913, Boston, Massachusetts 02205-5913, with the exception of certain corporate documents and portfolio trading documents that are in the possession and custody of John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the “Advisor”), 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, 197 Clarendon Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02116, Wellington Management Company LLP, 280 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210, Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC, 2200 Ross Avenue, 31st Floor, Dallas, Texas 76201, Robeco Investment Management, Inc., doing business as Boston Partners, One Beacon Street, 30^th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108, Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Limited, One Beacon Street, 34th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02108-3106, Trillium Asset Management, LLC, Two Financial Center, 60 South Street, Suite 1100, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, and Boston Common Asset Management, LLC, 84 State Street, #84, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109 (the “Subadvisors”). Registrant is informed that all applicable accounts, books and documents required to be maintained by registered investment advisors are in the custody and possession of the Advisor and the Subadvisors.

Item 34. Management Services.

Not Applicable.

Item 35. Undertakings.

Not Applicable.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant has duly caused this Amendment to the Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, duly authorized, in the City of Boston and The Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the 23rd day of June, 2017.

	John Hancock Investment Trust
By:	/s/ Andrew G. Arnott
	Name: Andrew G. Arnott
	Title: President and Trustee

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this amendment to the Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the date(s) indicated.

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Andrew G. Arnott	President and Trustee	June 23, 2017
Andrew G. Arnott
/s/ Charles A. Rizzo	Chief Financial Officer	June 23, 2017
Charles A. Rizzo	(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ Charles L. Bardelis *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Charles L. Bardelis
/s/ James R. Boyle *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
James R. Boyle
/s/ Peter S. Burgess *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Peter S. Burgess
/s/ William H. Cunningham *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
William H. Cunningham
/s/ Grace K. Fey *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Grace K. Fey
/s/ Theron S. Hoffman *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Theron S. Hoffman
/s/ Deborah C. Jackson *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Deborah C. Jackson
/s/ Hassell H. McClellan *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Hassell H. McClellan
/s/ James M. Oates *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
James M. Oates

Signature	Title	Date
/s/ Steven R. Pruchansky *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Steven R. Pruchansky
/s/ Gregory A. Russo *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Gregory A. Russo
/s/ Warren A. Thomson *	Trustee	June 23, 2017
Warren A. Thomson

*By:	Power of Attorney
	/s/ Sarah Coutu
	Sarah Coutu
	Attorney-In-Fact
	*Pursuant to Power of Attorney previously filed with Post-Effective Amendment No. 166 to the Trust’s Registration Statement on December 9, 2016