Investment objective & strategy
As of Sept. 25, 2025 · prospectusObjective. To seek as high a level of interest income exempt from federal income tax as is consistent with preservation of capital.
Strategy. Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes, in tax-exempt bonds of any maturity. The fund primarily invests in bonds that are investment grade when purchased, but the fund may also invest up to 35% of its net assets in non-investment grade bonds rated BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings (S&P), Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch Ratings), or Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), or comparable rating by any nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (NRSRO) or unrated equivalents. The fund may invest in other fixed income securities which include bonds, debt securities and other similar instruments. The funds investment policies are based on credit ratings at the time of … Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus amounts borrowed for investment purposes, in tax-exempt bonds of any maturity. The fund primarily invests in bonds that are investment grade when purchased, but the fund may also invest up to 35% of its net assets in non-investment grade bonds rated BB or lower by S&P Global Ratings (S&P), Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch Ratings), or Moodys Investors Service, Inc. (Moodys), or comparable rating by any nationally recognized statistical ratings organization (NRSRO) or unrated equivalents. The fund may invest in other fixed income securities which include bonds, debt securities and other similar instruments. The funds investment policies are based on credit ratings at the time of purchase. The fund may invest in general obligation bonds, however, in general, the manager favors bonds backed by revenue from a specific public project or facility, such as a power plant (revenue bonds), as they tend to offer higher yields than general obligation bonds. The manager also favors bonds that have limitations on early payoff (call protection), which can help minimize the effect of falling interest rates on the funds yield. The manager may implement short-term trading strategies to take advantage of pricing imbalances within the municipal bond market. To the extent that the fund invests in bonds that are subject to the alternative minimum tax (AMT), the income paid by the fund may not be entirely tax-free to all investors. Investments in bonds subject to the AMT will not be counted toward the funds 80% investment policy. The fund may buy bonds of any maturity or duration. The fund may invest heavily in bonds from any given state or region, and may have substantial investments in obligations of certain states and their agencies, instrumentalities, and/or political subdivisions. The fund may engage in derivative transactions that include futures contracts on debt securities and debt securities indexes; options on futures, debt securities, and debt indexes; and inverse floating-rate securities, in each case, for the purposes of reducing risk and/or enhancing investment returns. The fund may also use tender option bond transactions to seek to enhance potential gains. The fund will look through to the underlying municipal bonds held by a tender option bond trust for purposes of the funds 80% policy. The fund may leverage its assets through the use of proceeds received as a result of tender option bond transactions. The fund may contribute up to 15% of its holdings in municipal securities to tender option bond transactions.
Top holdings
As of Feb. 28, 2026 · N-PORT| Security | Ticker | Value | % of fund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Belt Energy Gas District, Series 2025, RB | BBEUTL | $17.66M | 1.14% |
| CA CCEDEV 5 03/01/2036 | — | $16.35M | 1.05% |
| TX MUNI GAS ACQ VI | TGAUTL | $14.88M | 0.96% |
| SOUTHEAST ENERGY-E | SEEPWR | $14.44M | 0.93% |
| Main Street Energy, Inc., Series D | MSEPWR | $14.41M | 0.93% |
| TN TNSUTL 5 11/01/2034 | TNSUTL | $11.40M | 0.73% |
| NEW YORK ST DORM AUTH REVENUES REGD B/E 5.50000000 | — | $10.91M | 0.70% |
| Public Energy Authority of Kentucky, Gas Supply Revenue Bonds, Refunding Series 2024B | KYSPWR | $10.90M | 0.70% |
| MTRO WA DC ARPT 5% 10/1/2030 @ | METAPT | $10.42M | 0.67% |
| TEXAS WTR DEV BRD REVENUE | TXSWTR | $10.31M | 0.66% |
Portfolio moves
Nov 30, 2025 → Feb 28, 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. |
|---|---|---|
| John Hancock Dynamic Municipal Bond ETF · JHMU | 24% | 0.39% |
| Short Duration Municipal Opportunities Fund · JHSKX, JHSFX, JHSHX, JHSJX | 23% | 0.38% |
| AB Municipal Income Shares · MISHX | 9% | 0.15% |
Advisers
| Firm | Role |
|---|---|
| John Hancock Investment Management LLC | Adviser |
| Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC | Sub-adviser |
Footnotes
- Expense ratio as of September 25, 2025, from the fund's prospectus.
- Net assets and holdings count as of February 28, 2026, from the fund's N-PORT filing.
- Total return for calendar year 2025, before tax and after fund expenses. Computed by compounding the twelve monthly total returns the fund reported in its SEC N-PORT filings for 2025 (the latest prospectus does not yet chart this year).
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