BTO John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund

John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund Reports Second Quarter Earnings BOSTON, May 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund (NYSE:BTO), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Advisers, LLC, reported today that net investment income was $3,423,696 for the second quarter ended April 30, 2005. For the comparable period in 2003, net investment income was $2,541,789. As of April 30, 2005, the net asset value per share was $10.38 with total net assets of $875,991,809 and 84,400,000 shares outstanding. Comparable figures for April 30, 2004 reflect a net asset value per share of $10.25, total net assets of $865,142,744 and 84,400,000 shares outstanding. John Hancock is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and most of Asia, and primarily through John Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of financial protection products and wealth management services through its extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$350 billion (US$290 billion) as at March 31, 2005. Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at http://www.manulife.com/. The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including whole life, term life, variable life, and universal life insurance, as well as college savings products, fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance, mutual funds and various forms of business insurance. DATASOURCE: John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund CONTACT: Kimberley Dietrich +1-617-375-0311 or Investors: +1-800-843-0090 both of John Hancock Web site: http://www.manulife.com/

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