BOSTON, Sept. 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC, announced today that its Board of Trustees approved the following two modifications to the Fund's investment policies: (1) to permit the Fund to invest up to 30% of its total assets in securities that are denominated in foreign currencies; and (2) to permit the Fund to use forward foreign currency contracts to hedge the currency risk of these foreign currency-denominated securities.
These modifications to the Fund's investment policies will provide the portfolio management team with the flexibility to purchase both sovereign and corporate credits denominated in foreign currencies, which may yield more than domestic debt instruments of equivalent credit quality. In addition, the portfolio management team will have the ability to hedge the currency risk of these foreign currency-denominated securities. Additional information about these investment policies will be provided in the Fund's next annual shareholder report for the year ending October 31, 2011.
Risks Related to Investments in Foreign Currencies and Forward Foreign Currency Contracts:
The Fund's investment in foreign securities that are payable in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will subject the Fund to currency risk. Currency risk is the risk that fluctuations in exchange rates may adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of the Fund's investments. Currency risk includes both the risk that currencies in which the Fund's investments are traded, or currencies in which the 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, and intervention (or the failure to intervene) by U.S. or foreign governments or central banks, or by currency controls or political developments in the U.S. or abroad.
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
About John Hancock Funds
The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds, manages more than $71.6 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at June 30, 2011.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$481 billion (US$498 billion) at June 30, 2011.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.
SOURCE John Hancock Investors Trust
