JOHN HANCOCK PFD INC. III

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the fixed income markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in securities of companies operating across diversified sectors. The fund primarily invests in preferred securities or other fixed-income securities rated investment grade or higher by Moody's or Standard & Poor's. It benchmarks the performance of its portfolio against the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Hybrid Preferred Securities Index and Barclays U.S. Aggregate Bond Index. John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III was formed on June 19, 2003 and is domiciled in the United States.