BTO John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund

BOSTON, Dec. 19 /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 $3,036,969 for the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2005. For the comparable period in 2004, net investment income was $2,778,504. As of October 31, 2005, the net asset value per share was $10.52 with total net assets of $887,638,794 and 84,400,000 shares outstanding. Comparable figures for October 31, 2004 reflect a net asset value per share of $11.17, total net assets of $943,046,866 and 84,400,000 shares outstanding. John Hancock Funds manages more than $34.0 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors as of September 30, 2005. Additional information about the company can be found on the website: http://www.jhfunds.com/. John Hancock Funds is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation. Founded in 1862, John Hancock Financial Services and its subsidiaries today offer a broad range of financial products and services, including whole, term, variable, and universal life insurance, as well as college savings products, mutual funds, fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance and various forms of business insurance. Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and 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$360 billion (US$310 billion) as of September 30, 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/. Website: http://www.jhfunds.com http://www.manulife.com DATASOURCE: John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund CONTACT: Media Contact: Kimberley Dietrich, +1-617-663-4217, or Investor Contact: +1-800-843-0090, both of John Hancock

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