John Hancock Funds has broadened its product menu with the rollout of the John Hancock Strategic Income Opportunities Fund, which is sub-advised by MFC Global Investment Management.

The new offering comes with net fund operating expenses of 117 basis points for A shares and 187 bps for C shares.

"This is an unconstrained version of the Strategic Income Fund," said Keith Hartstein, president and CEO of Hancock Funds, in an interview. The older fund has has operated in its current form since 1992.

Compared with its older sibling, the Strategic Income Opportunities Fund is more focused on the foreign aspect. It has the ability of take on greater exposure to foreign currencies and is expected to have an increased exposure to foreign bonds.

"Fixed income is selling extremely well in the U.S., but as you look at the next year or two, the prospect of rising interest rates is pretty significant," Harstein noted. Being more foreign-oriented, the new product can enable investors to "meet their income demands without potentially being as exposed to rising interest rates," he said. 

Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE