John Hancock Closed-End Funds Announce Changes To Board Of Trustees Chairperson And Committee Composition

BOSTON, Jan. 3, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The ten John Hancock closed-end funds listed below announced today that the Board of Trustees of the funds appointed Hassell H. McClellan to serve as Chairperson of the Board, effective January 1, 2017. Mr. McClellan succeeds James M. Oates, who will continue to serve as a Trustee. In addition, the following changes to committee composition have been made: (i) Grace K. Fey has joined the Compliance Committee as Chairperson, succeeding Mr. McClellan, who is no longer a member of the Committee; (ii) Mr. Oates has joined the Contracts, Legal, & Risk Committee; and (iii) Mr. Oates has joined an Investment Sub-Committee as Chairperson, succeeding Ms. Fey. Each fund's proxy statement for the Joint Annual Meeting of Shareholders ("Annual Meeting") has been supplemented to reflect these changes. The Annual Meeting will be held on January 24, 2017, at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, at the offices of the funds, 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210.

John Hancock Closed-End Funds

• John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund (NYSE: BTO)
• John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ)
• John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE: JHS)
• John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI)
• John Hancock Preferred Income Fund (NYSE: HPI)
• John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (NYSE: HPF)
• John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (NYSE: HPS)
• John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE: PDT)
• John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund (NYSE: HTD)
• John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE: HTY)

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 a fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider each fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About John Hancock Investments
John Hancock Investments provides asset management services to individuals and institutions through a unique manager-of-managers approach.A wealth management business of John Hancock Financial, we managed more than $136 billion in assets as of September 30, 2016, across mutual funds, college savings plans, and retirement plans.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial
John Hancock Financial is a division of Manulife Financial, a leading Canada-based financial services group with principal operations in Asia, Canada and the United States. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were C$966 billion (US$736 billion) as of September 30, 2016. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at manulife.com.

The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers and administers a broad range of financial products, including life insurance, annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at johnhancock.com.

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SOURCEJohn Hancock Investments