Investment objective & strategy
As of Feb. 25, 2026 · prospectusObjective. To seek long-term capital growth.
Strategy. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities of emerging-market issuers. The manager may consider, but is not limited to, the classifications by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, or the United Nations and its agencies in determining whether a country is an emerging- or a developed-market country. The fund seeks to invest in securities that the manager considers to be undervalued or otherwise offer good prospects for capital growth. The fund intends to invest in equity securities listed on bona fide securities exchanges or actively traded on over-the-counter markets. Equity and equity-related securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants, … Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity and equity-related securities of emerging-market issuers. The manager may consider, but is not limited to, the classifications by the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, or the United Nations and its agencies in determining whether a country is an emerging- or a developed-market country. The fund seeks to invest in securities that the manager considers to be undervalued or otherwise offer good prospects for capital growth. The fund intends to invest in equity securities listed on bona fide securities exchanges or actively traded on over-the-counter markets. Equity and equity-related securities include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, warrants, and other similar securities. The fund may also invest in other investment companies (including closed-end funds) and other pooled investment vehicles that are themselves dedicated to investment in developing or emerging market economies. Disciplined, fundamental-based, bottom-up stock selection lies at the heart of the managers investment process, which focuses on high quality companies within a diverse range of dynamic emerging economies. The manager seeks to invest in companies with strong assets that exhibit balance sheet strength, superior management, and high levels of free cash-flow to support a sustainable dividend payout. Although, there is no sector or geographical bias, the fund may focus its investments in a particular sector or sectors of the economy. The fund may invest in companies of any market capitalization. The manager considers environmental, social, and/or governance (ESG) factors, alongside other relevant factors, as part of its investment process. ESG factors may include, but are not limited to, matters regarding board diversity, climate change policies, and supply chain and human rights policies. The ESG characteristics utilized in the funds investment process may change over time and one or more characteristics may not be relevant with respect to all issuers that are eligible fund investments. Because ESG factors are considered alongside other relevant factors, the manager may determine that an investment is appropriate notwithstanding its relative ESG characteristics. Due to volatile conditions in emerging markets, the funds investment process may result in a higher-than-average portfolio turnover ratio, which could increase transaction costs. The fund may attempt to mitigate the risk of unintended currency fluctuations through the use of exchange-listed or over-the-counter financial derivatives instruments, including currency forwards, non-deliverable forwards, currency options, and index options. The fund may also enter into forward currency contracts to facilitate the settlement of foreign securities purchases, repatriation of foreign currency balances, or exchange of one currency to another. The fund may use derivatives such as futures contracts and options on futures contracts to gain market exposure on uninvested cash, pending investment in securities, or to maintain liquidity to pay redemptions.
Top holdings
As of Jan. 31, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTU COMMON STOCK TWD10.0 | 2330 TT | $170.97M | 13.23% |
| SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS PREF PREFERENCE | 005935 KS | $134.08M | 10.38% |
| TENCENT HOLDINGS LTD COMMON STOCK HKD.00002 | 700 HK | $106.25M | 8.22% |
| SK HYNIX INC COMMON STOCK KRW5000.0 | 000660 KS | $45.32M | 3.51% |
| ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LTD COMMON STOCK USD.000003125 | 9988 HK | $39.02M | 3.02% |
| MEDIATEK INC COMMON STOCK TWD10.0 | 2454 TT | $37.44M | 2.90% |
| ICICI BANK LTD COMMON STOCK INR2.0 | ICICIBC IN | $31.51M | 2.44% |
| PIRAEUS BANK SA COMMON STOCK EUR.93 | TPEIR GA | $29.53M | 2.28% |
| NARI TECHNOLOGY CO LTD COMMON STOCK CNY1.0 | 600406 C1 | $28.56M | 2.21% |
| CONTEMPORARY AMPEREX TECHNOLOG COMMON STOCK CNY1.0 | 300750 C2 | $28.06M | 2.17% |
Portfolio moves
Oct 31, 2025 → Jan 31, 2026How many positions this fund opened, exited, grew, trimmed, or left unchanged between its two most recent N-PORT snapshots — net changes between point-in-time reports, not a trade log.
Similar funds
Funds whose portfolios most overlap this one, by weight| Fund | Overlap | Net exp. |
|---|---|---|
| International Growth Fund · GOIGX, GONCX, GOGIX, GOIOX, JHIGX, JIGIX, JIGTX, JIGHX | 18% | 0.89% |
| John Hancock Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF · JHEM | 17% | 0.49% |
| International Dynamic Growth Fund · JIJIX, JIJRX, JIJAX, JIJCX | 16% | 0.81% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| John Hancock Investment Management LLC | Adviser |
| Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of February 25, 2026, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of January 31, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. As reported in the fund's prospectus performance bar chart.
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