Manulife Investment Management launches new Smart ETFs bringing additional equity options and geographical diversification to investors

C$ unless otherwise stated                                            TSX/NYSE/PSE: MFC     SEHK: 945

TORONTO, Nov. 9, 2022 /CNW/ - Manulife Investment Management is announcing new actively managed Manulife Smart Dividend and Smart Defensive Equity Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs). The new ETFs bring potential international income and downside protection to investors' portfolios. Also being announced today are new USD units for the existing Manulife Smart U.S. Dividend ETF and Manulife Smart U.S. Defensive Equity ETF (U.S. equity ETFs). The new ETFs and the U.S. equity ETFs have closed their initial offering of units and of USD units, respectively, and will begin trading today on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

ETF	Ticker	CISFC Category
Manulife Smart International Dividend ETF	IDIV.B (unhedged)	International Equity
Manulife Smart International Defensive Equity ETF	IDEF.B (unhedged)	International Equity
Manulife Smart U.S. Dividend ETF	UDIV.U (USD)	U.S. Equity
Manulife Smart U.S. Defensive Equity ETF	UDEF.U (USD)	U.S. Equity

Manulife Smart International Dividend ETF seeks a steady flow of income and long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of international dividend paying securities. Manulife Smart International Defensive Equity ETF seeks long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of international equity securities while seeking to reduce overall market sensitivity.

The USD units of Manulife Smart U.S. Dividend ETF and Manulife Smart U.S. Defensive Equity ETF are available as a convenience to investors who wish to buy and sell Canadian-listed U.S. equity ETFs in U.S. dollars.

The new ETFs build on Manulife Investment Management's existing ETF suite of funds and the expertise of the firm's systematic equity team - Geoffrey Kelley, CFA, senior portfolio manager, global head of systematic equity, multi-asset solutions team; Boncana Maiga, CFA, CIM, managing director and portfolio manager; and Ashikhusein Shahpurwala, CFA, PRM, managing director and portfolio manager. 

Commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with exchange traded funds (ETFs). Please read the ETF Facts and prospectus before investing. ETFs are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated. Manulife ETFs are managed by Manulife Investment Management. Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of Manulife Investment Management Limited.

 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 19 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.

About Manulife

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong.

Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

SOURCE Manulife Investment Management

Media contact, Elizabeth Bartlett, [email protected]