HEQ John Hancock Hedged Equity and Income Fund

BOSTON, March 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ - The five John Hancock closed-end funds listed below declared their quarterly distributions today as follows:

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund
Hedged Equity & Income Fund (the "Fund") declared its quarterly distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "HEQ Plan"). Under the HEQ Plan, the Fund makes quarterly distributions in a fixed amount of $0.2500 per share, which will be paid quarterly until further notice. Distributions under the HEQ Plan may consist of net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains, net realized short-term capital gains and, to the extent necessary, return of capital. The Fund may also make additional distributions (i) for purposes of not incurring federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gain of the Fund, if any, not included in such regular distributions and (ii) for purposes of not incurring federal excise tax on ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, not included in such regular quarterly distributions. The Board may amend the terms of the HEQ Plan or terminate the HEQ Plan at any time.

John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund
Financial Opportunities Fund (the "Fund") declared its quarterly distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "BTO Plan"). Under the BTO Plan, the Fund makes quarterly distributions in a fixed amount of $0.6500 per share, which will be paid quarterly until further notice. 

Distributions under the BTO Plan may consist of net investment income, net realized long-term capital gains, net realized short-term capital gains and, to the extent necessary, return of capital. The BTO Plan intends to fund each distribution, to the extent possible, in a tax-advantaged manner through the realization of long-term capital gains where the distribution amount exceeds net investment income. The Fund will seek to realize capital gains for this purpose in a manner which the advisor and subadvisor believe is consistent with prudent portfolio management and the investment objective, policies and restrictions of the Fund.

The Fund may also make additional distributions (i) for purposes of not incurring federal income tax on investment company taxable income and net capital gain of the Fund, if any, not included in such regular distributions and (ii) for purposes of not incurring federal excise tax on ordinary income and capital gain net income, if any, not included in such regular quarterly distributions. The Board may amend the terms of the BTO Plan or terminate the BTO Plan at any time.

A portion of a Fund's current distribution may include sources other than net investment income, including a return of capital. Investors should understand that a return of capital is not a distribution from income or gains of a Fund. As required under the Investment Company Act of 1940, a notice with the estimated components of the distribution will be mailed to shareholders at the time of payment if it does not consist solely of net investment income. At this time, one or more of the Funds anticipates that the notice accompanying the current distribution will include an estimate of return of capital. Such notice will also be posted to the Funds' website at www.jhinvestments.com. The notice should not be used to prepare tax returns as the estimates indicated in the notice may differ from the ultimate federal income tax characterization of distributions. After the end of each calendar year, investors will be sent a Form 1099-DIV informing them how to report distributions received during that year for federal income tax purposes.

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.

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

About John Hancock Investment Management
A company of Manulife Investment Management, we serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.

About Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is the global brand for the global wealth and asset management segment of Manulife Financial Corporation. We draw on more than a century of financial stewardship and the full resources of our parent company to serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Headquartered in Toronto, our leading capabilities in public and private markets are strengthened by an investment footprint that spans 18 geographies. We complement these capabilities by providing access to a network of unaffiliated asset managers from around the world. We're committed to investing responsibly across our businesses. We develop innovative global frameworks for sustainable investing, collaboratively engage with companies in our securities portfolios, and maintain a high standard of stewardship where we own and operate assets, and we believe in supporting financial well-being through our workplace retirement plans. Today, plan sponsors around the world rely on our retirement plan administration and investment expertise to help their employees plan for, save for, and live a better retirement. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

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SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management