International investing at John Hancock Investment Management

Investing outside the United States can help you expand portfolio opportunities while adding diversification potential. Trends now taking place in non-U.S. markets make the case for international investing even stronger.

International equity funds are designed to help:

Pursue capital appreciation
Expand portfolio opportunities beyond the United States
Provide diversification from U.S. equities

EXPLORE OUR FUNDS

International equity funds are designed to help:

Pursue capital appreciation
Expand portfolio opportunities beyond the United States
Provide diversification from U.S. equities

EXPLORE OUR FUNDS

The share of the global stock market represented by non-U.S. companies is large and growing. Yet many U.S. investors haven’t kept pace, resulting in portfolios that have a home country bias and leave nearly half the world’s equity opportunities on the table.

International equities are nearly half of the global market

MSCI AC World Index, as of 12/31/18

Data may not equal 100% due to rounding.

The MSCI All Country (AC) World Index tracks the performance of publicly traded large- and mid-cap stocks of companies in 23 developed markets and 24 emerging markets. Total returns are calculated gross of foreign withholding tax on dividends. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or eliminate the risk of a loss.

Yet most individual investors allocate only a small percentage to international stocks

Average international equity allocation for U.S. financial advisors' moderate risk portfolio models

Source: “Asset Allocation for Moderate Risk Investors Databank, 2017,” Cerulli Associates, in partnership with the Investments and Wealth Institute and The Financial Planning Association, 2018.

The growth outlook is stronger overseas, with China and India becoming economic powerhouses

Top 10 global economies in 2015 and projections of the top 10 in 2050, ranked by nominal GDP

2015, U.S. billions ($)

2050 projections, U.S. billions ($)

Source: “Long-term macroeconomic forecasts—Key trends to 2050,” The Economist Intelligence Unit, 2015.

The middle class is growing much faster overseas

Increases in number of middle-class adults by region and selected countries, 2000–2015 (%)

Source: Credit Suisse Global Wealth Databook, 2015, Credit Suisse Research Institute, October 2015. Middle class is defined as those with wealth between US$50,000 and US$500,000. Data is the latest available.

Did you know?
International markets account for nearly half of the world’s equity market capitalization and are home to:
■ 7 of the 10 largest energy companies ■ 6 of the 10 largest materials companies ■ 5 of the 10 largest banks

Source: S&P Dow Jones Indices, Morningstar, Inc., as of 12/31/18. Market capitalization is the value of a corporation determined by the market price of its issued and outstanding common stock.

International markets have periods of outperformance

Historically, non-U.S. stocks and U.S. stocks have alternated in cycles of performance, with one leading the other for an extended period of time before reversing.

Source: Bloomberg, FactSet, as of 12/31/18. International equities are represented by the MSCI Europe, Australasia, and Far East (EAFE) Index, which tracks the performance of publicly traded large- and mid-cap stocks of companies in those regions. U.S. equities are represented by the S&P 500 Index, which tracks the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. It is not possible to invest directly in an index. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Valuations and dividend yields are more attractive in developed and emerging markets

Forward price-to-earnings and price-to-book ratios and dividend yields of selected U.S. and international equity indexes, 6/30/19

Source: MSCI, Inc., S&P Dow Jones Indices, as of 6/30/19. The forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is a stock valuation measure comparing the current share price of a stock with the underlying company’s estimated earnings per share over the next 12 months. Price-to-book is the ratio of a stock’s price to its book value per share. Dividend yield is a financial ratio that shows how much a company pays out in annual dividends relative to its share price. The S&P 500 Index tracks the performance of 500 of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States. The MSCI Europe, Australasia, and Far East (EAFE) Index tracks the performance of publicly traded large- and mid-cap stocks of companies in those regions. The MSCI Emerging Markets (EM) Index tracks the performance of publicly traded large- and mid-cap emerging-market stocks. It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

Finding the best specialized manager for every fund we offer

Our multimanager approach puts us in a unique position to evaluate the skill sets, track records, and experience of today's portfolio managers, and our international lineup features a range of portfolios managed by some of the industry's best teams.

Explore our international equity funds

At John Hancock Investment Management, our international equity funds are designed to address a range of investor needs. We’ve offered international equity strategies to individual and institutional investors for more than 30 years, and today we oversee more than $27 billion in international equities across a range of strategies, managed by some of the best specialized portfolio teams from around the world.

TICKER	FUND NAME	MANAGED BY	MORNINGSTAR CATEGORY	USE FOR
JDVIX	Disciplined Value International Fund	Boston Partners	Foreign Large Value	Core international holding
JTQIX	ESG International Equity Fund	Boston Common Asset Management	Foreign Large Growth	Opportunistic international holding
JEMMX	Emerging Markets Equity Fund	Manulife Investment Management	Diversified Emerging Markets	International diversification
JEVIX	Emerging Markets Fund	Dimensional Fund Advisors	Diversified Emerging Markets	International diversification
JFGIX	Fundamental Global Franchise Fund	Manulife Investment Management	World Large Stock	Concentrated global holding
JGEFX	Global Equity Fund	Manulife Investment Management	World Large Stock	Concentrated global holding
JGYIX	Global Shareholder Yield Fund	Epoch Investment Partners	World Large Stock	Global dividend income
JTKIX	Global Thematic Opportunities Fund	Pictet Asset Management	World Large Stock	Unconstrained global holding
HEQ	Hedged Equity & Income Fund	Wellington Management	Closed-End World Large Stock	Diversifying sources of income
JIJIX	International Dynamic Growth Fund	Axiom Investors	Foreign Large Growth	International growth opportunities
GOGIX	International Growth Fund	Wellington Management	Foreign Large Growth	Core international holding
JSCIX	International Small Company Fund	Dimensional Fund Advisors	Foreign Small/Mid Blend	Growth opportunities and portfolio diversification
JHMD	Multifactor Developed International ETF	Dimensional Fund Advisors	Foreign Large Blend	Core international holding
JHEM	Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF	Dimensional Fund Advisors	Diversified Emerging Markets	Core international holding
HTY	Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund	Multiple managers	Closed-End World Large Stock	Global tax-sensitive dividend income

As of 4/30/19, John Hancock Greater China Opportunities Fund is closed to all investors and will liquidate on or about 5/17/19. As of 3/23/18, John Hancock International Growth Fund is closed to new investors.

Investing involves risks, including the potential loss of principal. These products carry many individual risks, including some that are unique to each fund. Please see each fund's prospectus to learn all of the risks associated with each investment. Diversification does not guarantee a profit or eliminate the risk of a loss.

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Financial advisors: See why an actively managed allocation to international equities is worth considering in today's market environment.

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Emerging-market winners in an age of disruption—companies, not countries

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