John Hancock Funds II

11/29/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 11/29/2024 08:43

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company - Form 497K

John Hancock Funds II
 
December 1, 2024
Summary prospectus
John Hancock Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund
Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus and other information about the fund, including the Statement of Additional Information and most recent reports, online at www.jhinvestments.com/prospectuses. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-225-5291 (Class A and Class C) or 888-972-8696 (Class I, Class R2, and Class R6) or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated December 1, 2024, as may be supplemented, and most recent financial highlights information included in the shareholder report, dated July 31, 2024, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. 
Tickers
A: JHAAX
C: JHACX
I: JHAIX
R2: JHARX
R6: JHASX
Investment objective
To seek long term total return.
Fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the John Hancock family of funds. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) waivers (See Appendix 1 - Intermediary sales charge waivers, which includes information about specific sales charge waivers applicable to the intermediaries identified therein). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and beginning on page 23 of the prospectus under "Sales charge reductions and waivers" or page 79 of the fund's Statement of Additional Information under "Sales Charges on Class A and Class C Shares." 
Shareholder fees (%) (fees paid directly from your investment)
A
C
I
R2
R6
Maximum front-end sales charge (load) on purchases, as a % of purchase price
5.00
None
None
None
None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) as a % of purchase or sale price, whichever is less
1.00
1.00
None
None
None
(on certain
purchases,
including those of
$1 million or more)
Small account fee (for fund account balances under $1,000) ($)
20
20
None
None
None
 
Annual fund operating expenses (%) (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of
your investment)
A
C
I
R2
R6
Management fee
1.03
1.03
1.03
1.03
1.03
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees
0.30
1.00
0.00
0.25
0.00
Other expenses
Service plan fee
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.25
1
0.00
Additional other expenses
0.29
0.29
0.29
0.18
0.18
Total other expenses
0.29
0.29
0.29
0.43
0.18
Total annual fund operating expenses
1.62
2.32
1.32
1.71
1.21
Contractual expense reimbursement
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursements
1.61
2.31
1.31
1.70
1.20
1
"Service plan fee" has been restated to reflect maximum allowable fees.
2
The advisor contractually agrees to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses for the fund and certain other John Hancock funds according to an asset level breakpoint schedule that is based on the aggregate net assets of all the funds participating in the waiver or reimbursement, including the fund (the participating portfolios). This waiver equals, on an annualized basis, 0.0100% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $75 billion but is less than or equal to $125 billion; 0.0125% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $125 billion but is less than or equal to $150 billion; 0.0150% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $150 billion but is less than or equal to $175 billion; 0.0175% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $175 billion but is less than or equal to $200 billion; 0.0200% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $200 billion but is less than or equal to $225 billion; and 0.0225% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $225 billion. The amount of the reimbursement is calculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportion to the daily net assets of each participating portfolio. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund's reimbursement amounted to 0.01% of the fund's average daily net assets. This agreement expires on July 31, 2026, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the fund and the advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
 
John Hancock Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund
Expense example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. Please see below a hypothetical example showing the expenses of a $10,000 investment for the time periods indicated and then, except as shown below, assuming you sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example assumes a 5% average annual return and that fund expenses will not change over the periods. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be: 
Shares Sold
Shares
Not Sold
Expenses ($)
A
C
I
R2
R6
C
1 year
656
334
133
173
122
234
3 years
985
723
417
538
383
723
5 years
1,336
1,239
723
927
664
1,239
10 years
2,325
2,480
1,589
2,019
1,465
2,480
Portfolio turnover
The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 47% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
The fund may use an extensive range of investment strategies and invest in a wide spectrum of equity and fixed-income securities, as well as derivative instruments, in pursuing its investment objective.
The fund may invest in equity securities of U.S. and foreign companies of various market capitalizations and fixed-income securities of companies and government and supranational entities around the world, including in emerging and developed markets. The fund is not subject to any maturity, market capitalization, or credit quality restrictions and may invest in high-yield below-investment-grade bonds (junk bonds) without limitation. The fund may invest significantly in particular economic sectors.
The fund also may invest extensively in derivative instruments, which may relate to equity securities, fixed-income securities, interest rates, total return rates, currencies or currency exchange rates, or indexes. Derivatives, including futures, options, swaps (including credit default and variance swaps), and foreign currency forward contracts, may be used for both investment and hedging purposes.
The manager seeks to maximize risk-adjusted absolute return by using multiple strategies across listed equity, equity-related, and debt securities, derivatives, or other instruments as part of a diversified portfolio. These strategies aim to exploit market cyclicality and a diverse array of inefficiencies across and within markets.
The manager manages the fund's investment strategies dynamically over time and will actively modify investment strategies and develop new strategies in response to additional research, changing market conditions, or other factors. The fund also may hold cash or invest its cash balances in cash equivalents and short-term investments, including money market funds.
Principal risks
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Many factors affect performance, and fund shares will fluctuate in price, meaning you could lose money. In addition, although the manager aims to maximize absolute return, there is no guarantee that the fund will generate positive returns. The fund's investment strategy may not produce the intended results.
The fund's main risks are listed below in alphabetical order, not in order of importance. Before investing, be sure to read the additional descriptions of these risks beginning on page 6 of the prospectus.
Cash and cash equivalents risk. Under certain market conditions, such as during a rising stock market, rising interest rate or rising credit spread markets, the use of cash and/or cash equivalents, including money market instruments, could have a negative effect on the fund's ability to achieve its investment objective and may negatively impact the fund's performance.
Credit and counterparty risk. The issuer or guarantor of a fixed-income security, the counterparty to an over-the-counter derivatives contract, or a borrower of fund securities may not make timely payments or otherwise honor its obligations. U.S. government securities are subject to varying degrees of credit risk depending upon the nature of their support. A downgrade or default affecting any of the fund's securities could affect the fund's performance.
Economic and market events risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates rise or economic conditions deteriorate.
Equity securities risk. The price of equity securities may decline due to changes in a company's financial condition or overall market conditions. Growth company securities may fluctuate more in price than other securities because of the greater emphasis on earnings expectations. Securities the manager believes are undervalued may never realize their full potential value, and in certain markets value stocks may underperform the market as a whole.
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John Hancock Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund
Fixed-income securities risk. A rise in interest rates typically causes bond prices to fall. The longer the average maturity or duration of the bonds held by a fund, the more sensitive it will likely be to interest-rate fluctuations. An issuer may not make all interest payments or repay all or any of the principal borrowed. Changes in a security's credit quality may adversely affect fund performance.
Foreign securities risk. Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers, including foreign government issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. The risks of investing in foreign securities are magnified in emerging markets.
Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions risk. Hedging, derivatives, and other strategic transactions may increase a fund's volatility and could produce disproportionate losses, potentially more than the fund's principal investment. Risks of these transactions are different from and possibly greater than risks of investing directly in securities and other traditional instruments. Under certain market conditions, derivatives could become harder to value or sell and may become subject to liquidity risk (i.e., the inability to enter into closing transactions). Derivatives and other strategic transactions that the fund intends to utilize include: credit default swaps, variance swaps, foreign currency forward contracts, futures contracts, options, and swaps. Foreign currency forward contracts, futures contracts, options, and swaps generally are subject to counterparty risk. In addition, swaps may be subject to interest-rate and settlement risk, and the risk of default of the underlying reference obligation. Derivatives associated with foreign currency transactions are subject to currency risk.
Information technology companies risk. Information technology companies can be significantly affected by rapid obsolescence, short product cycles, competition from new market entrants, and heightened cybersecurity risk, among other factors.
Large company risk. Larger companies may grow more slowly than smaller companies or be slower to respond to business developments. Large-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Liquidity risk. The extent (if at all) to which a security may be sold or a derivative position closed without negatively impacting its market value may be impaired by reduced market activity or participation, legal restrictions, or other economic and market impediments. Liquidity risk may be magnified in rising interest rate environments due to higher than normal redemption rates. Widespread selling of fixed-income securities to satisfy redemptions during periods of reduced demand may adversely impact the price or salability of such securities. Periods of heavy redemption could cause the fund to sell assets at a loss or depressed value, which could negatively affect performance. Redemption risk is heightened during periods of declining or illiquid markets.
Lower-rated and high-yield fixed-income securities risk. Lower-rated and high-yield fixed-income securities (junk bonds) are subject to greater credit quality risk, risk of default, and price volatility than higher-rated fixed-income securities, may be considered speculative, and can be difficult to resell.
Operational and cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting issuers of a fund's securities may negatively impact performance. Operational risk may arise from human error, error by third parties, communication errors, or technology failures, among other causes.
Sector risk. When a fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
Small and mid-sized company risk. Small and mid-sized companies are generally less established and may be more volatile than larger companies. Small and/or mid-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
U.S. government agency obligations risk. U.S. government-sponsored entities such as Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal Home Loan Banks, although chartered or sponsored by Congress, are not funded by congressional appropriations and the debt securities that they issue are neither guaranteed nor issued by the U.S. government. Such debt securities are subject to the risk of default on the payment of interest and/or principal, similar to the debt securities of private issuers. The maximum potential liability of the issuers of some U.S. government obligations may greatly exceed their current resources, including any legal right to support from the U.S. government. Although the U.S. government has provided financial support to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in the past, there can be no assurance that it will support these or other government-sponsored entities in the future.
Past performance
The following information illustrates the variability of the fund's returns and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the fund's average annual returns compared with a broad-based securities market index. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate future results. The ICE BofA 0-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index and the 30% MSCI All Country World Index/70% Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (USD Hedged) show how the fund's performance compares against the returns of similar investments. All figures assume dividend reinvestment. Performance information is updated daily, monthly, and quarterly and may be obtained at our website, jhinvestments.com, or by calling 800-225-5291 (Class A and Class C), Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Eastern time, or 888-972-8696 (Class I, Class R2, and Class R6) between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Eastern time, on most business days.
A note on performance
Prior to August 28, 2019, the fund was managed by a different subadvisor pursuant to different investment strategies, and thus, the performance presented prior to this date should not be attributed to the current subadvisor. The fund's performance shown below might have differed materially had the current subadvisor managed the fund prior to August 28, 2019.
Please note that after-tax returns (shown for Class A shares only) reflect the highest individual federal marginal income-tax rate in effect as of the date provided and do not reflect any state or local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns may be different. After-tax returns are not relevant to shares held in an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-advantaged investment plan. After-tax returns for other share classes would vary.
3
John Hancock Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund
Calendar year total returns (%)-Class A (sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart and returns would have been lower if they were)     
Year-to-date total return through:
Q3 2024
5.45%
Best quarter:
Q4 2022
5.55%
Worst quarter:
Q1 2020
-4.03%
 
Average annual total returns (%)-as of 12/31/2023
1 year
5 year
10 year
Class A (before tax)
-0.70
3.02
1.49
after tax on distributions
-0.70
1.56
0.32
after tax on distributions, with sale
-0.42
1.72
0.65
Class C
2.82
3.35
1.31
Class I
4.88
4.40
2.33
Class R2
4.56
4.04
1.91
Class R6
4.86
4.48
2.43
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)1
5.53
1.10
1.81
ICE BofA 0-3 Month U.S. Treasury Bill Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
5.10
1.87
1.23
30% MSCI All Country World Index/70% Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index (USD Hedged) (reflects no deduction for fees,
expenses, or taxes, except foreign withholding taxes on dividends)
11.60
4.67
4.25
1
The fund has designated the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index as its new broad-based securities market index in accordance with the revised definition for such an index.
Investment management
Investment advisor John Hancock Investment Management LLC
Subadvisor Nordea Investment Management North America, Inc.
Portfolio management
The following individuals are jointly and primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund's portfolio. 
Dr. Asbjørn Trolle Hansen
Dr. Claus Vorm
Kurt Kongsted
Head of Multi Assets Team
Managed the fund since 2019
Deputy Head of Multi Assets Team
Managed the fund since 2019
Head of Strategic Asset Allocation
Managed the fund since 2019
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The minimum initial investment requirement for Class A and Class C shares is $1,000 ($250 for group investments), except that there is no minimum for certain group retirement plans, certain fee-based or wrap accounts, or certain other eligible investment product platforms. The minimum initial investment requirement for Class I shares is $250,000, except that the fund may waive the minimum for any category of investors at the fund's sole discretion. There are no minimum initial investment requirements for Class R2 shares. The minimum initial investment requirement for Class R6 shares is $1 million, except that there is no minimum for: qualified and nonqualified plan investors; certain eligible qualifying investment product platforms; Trustees, employees of the advisor or its affiliates, employees of the subadvisor, members of the fund's portfolio management team and the spouses and children (under age 21) of the aforementioned. There are no subsequent minimum investment requirements.
Class A, Class C, Class I, and Class R6 shares may be redeemed on any business day by mail: John Hancock Signature Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219909, Kansas City, MO 64121-9909; or for most account types through our website: jhinvestments.com; or by telephone: 800-225-5291 (Class A and Class C); 888-972-8696 (Class I and Class R6). Class R2 shares may be redeemed on any business day by contacting your retirement plan administrator or recordkeeper.
4
John Hancock Multi-Asset Absolute Return Fund
Taxes
The fund's distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Withdrawals from such tax-deferred arrangements may be subject to tax at a later date.
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries
If you purchase the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank, registered investment advisor, financial planner, or retirement plan administrator), the fund and its related companies may pay the broker-dealer or other intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. These payments are not applicable to Class R6 shares. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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© 2024 John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, Member FINRA, SIPC
200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
800-225-5291, jhinvestments.com
Manulife, Manulife Investment Management, Stylized M Design, and Manulife Investment Management & Stylized M Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by its affiliates under license.   
SEC file number: 811-21779
3950SP 12/1/24