Manulife Investment Management fortifies fixed-income capabilities with new head of municipal bond strategies

Names Adam Weigold, CFA, senior managing director, senior portfolio manager and head of the municipal fixed-income team

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BOSTON, Sept. 8, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Manulife Investment Management today announced the appointment of Adam A. Weigold, CFA, senior managing director, senior portfolio manager, and head of its municipal fixed-income team, effective today. Adam is an industry veteran with over 20 years of investment experience. He was most recently a vice president, senior portfolio manager, at Eaton Vance, where he was on the municipal bond team, managing more than US$5 billion in municipal bond assets.¹

As the lead member of the municipal fixed-income portfolio management team, Adam is responsible for investment decision-making and portfolio construction considerations across a range of municipal portfolios, including three John Hancock funds subadvised by Manulife Investment Management: High Yield Municipal Bond Fund, California Tax-Free Income Fund, and Tax-Free Bond Fund. The funds share a common fundamental approach, and there are no anticipated changes to the investment or risk management philosophies of the existing investment strategies. In this new role, Adam reports directly to John F. Addeo, CFA, chief investment officer, global fixed income, and is based in Boston.

"We're pleased to have Adam's expertise as we build out Manulife Investment Management's municipal bond team. Municipal bonds are a strategic piece of the U.S. fixed -income market, exceeding $1 trillion according to Morningstar, with strong net flows over the past several years," said Christopher P. Conkey, CFA, global head of public markets at Manulife Investment Management. "We believe this appointment improves our ability to develop product solutions in this large and rapidly growing asset class and can deliver long-term investment results for our clients."

Adam brings deep experience in municipal bond research and investing, including extensive experience in high-yield, taxable municipals, and ESG investing. He also has a history in new product idea generation, having created, marketed, and managed multiple municipal bond strategies throughout his career, including total return-oriented municipal bond funds. Adam earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. from Boston University, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

"We're excited to have Adam's experience and expertise in his approach to the municipal bond market. In his previous roles, he created and managed several funds, and his innovative approach to the market will be integral to strengthening our municipal fixed-income offering as we look to meet clients' evolving investment needs," John Addeo added.

1 Morningstar, $5.2 billion as of June 30, 2021.

About Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is 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 18 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.

As of June 30, 2021, Manulife Investment Management's assets under management and administration, including assets managed for Manulife's other segments, totaled CAD$1.0 trillion (US$834.0 billion). Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulifeim.com.

For the John Hancock funds
Fixed-income investments are subject to interest-rate and credit risk; their value will normally decline as interest rates rise or if an issuer is unable or unwilling to make principal or interest payments. Investments in higher-yielding, lower-rated securities include a higher risk of default. Municipal bond prices can decline due to fiscal mismanagement or tax shortfalls, or if related projects become unprofitable. Liquidity—the extent to which a security may be sold or a derivative position closed without negatively affecting its market value, if at all—may be impaired by reduced trading volume, heightened volatility, rising interest rates, and other market conditions. The use of hedging and derivatives could produce disproportionate gains or losses and may increase costs. Fund distributions generally depend on income from underlying investments and may vary or cease altogether in the future. Please see the fund prospectus for additional risks.

Request a prospectus or summary prospectus from your financial professional by visiting jhinvestments.com, or by calling us at 800-225-5291. The prospectus includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information that you should consider carefully before investing.

John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, Member FINRA, SIPC, 200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116, 800-225-5291, jhinvestments.com

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SOURCE Manulife Investment Management