BTO John Hancock Financial Opportunities Fund

BOSTON, April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At an adjourned session of their annual meeting today, shareholders of each of John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund (NYSE:BTO), John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE:JHI) and John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE:JHS), three John Hancock closed-end funds, voted to further adjourn all business at the meeting until 2 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009 to permit the continued solicitation of additional votes. The adjourned annual meeting will be held at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 18, 2009, at the offices of John Hancock Funds, 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210-2805. At the adjourned meeting, shareholders of these John Hancock closed-end funds will consider and vote on the proposals described in the notice and proxy statement for the applicable fund previously delivered to shareholders of record on January 23, 2009. About John Hancock Funds The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $38.8 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at December 31, 2008. About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as 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$405 billion (US$330 billion) at December 31, 2008. 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 life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at http://www.johnhancock.com/. DATASOURCE: John Hancock Funds CONTACT: Media, Jay Aronowitz, +1-617-663-2702, Investors, +1-800-843-0090 Web Site: http://www.johnhancock.com/

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