John Hancock Alternative Risk Premia Fund Semiannual report 4/30/2020 Beginning on January 1, 2021, as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission, paper copies of the fund’s shareholder reports like this one will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specifically request paper copies of the reports from the fund or from your financial intermediary. Instead, the reports will be made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and provided with a website link to access the report. If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change, and you do not need to take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communications electronically by calling John Hancock Investment Management at 888-972-8696 or by contacting your financial intermediary. You may elect to receive all reports in paper, free of charge, at any time. You can inform John Hancock Investment Management or your financial intermediary that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholder reports by following the instructions listed above. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all funds held with John Hancock Investment Management or your financial intermediary.
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John Hancock Alternative Risk Premia Fund...Ongoing operating expenses, including management fees,distribution and service fees (if applicable),and other fund expenses. We are presenting
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JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 3 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 28E1D126/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
John Hancock
Alternative Risk Premia Fund
Semiannual report 4/30/2020
Beginning on January 1,2021,as permitted by regulations adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission,paper copies of the fund’s shareholder reports like this one will no longer be sent by mail, unless you specificallyrequest paper copies of the reports from the fund or from your financial intermediary. Instead, the reports willbe made available on a website, and you will be notified by mail each time a report is posted and providedwith a website link to access the report.
If you already elected to receive shareholder reports electronically, you will not be affected by this change, andyou do not need to take any action. You may elect to receive shareholder reports and other communicationselectronically by calling John Hancock Investment Management at 888-972-8696 or by contacting your financialintermediary.
You may elect to receive all reports in paper, free of charge, at any time.You can inform John Hancock InvestmentManagement or your financial intermediary that you wish to continue receiving paper copies of your shareholderreports by following the instructions listed above. Your election to receive reports in paper will apply to all fundsheld with John Hancock Investment Management or your financial intermediary.
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 4 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 40D3450F/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
Dear shareholder,
Global financial markets were on pace to deliver strong returns during the 6 months endedApril 30,2020,until heightened fears over the coronavirus (COVID-19) sent markets tumblingduring the latter half of February and early March. In response to the sell-off, governments andbanks in some of the hardest hit areas throughout the world enacted policies and stimulusefforts designed to reignite their respective economies.While these measures helped liftequity and fixed-income markets in the United States during the final six weeks of the period,results were mixed in other areas of the world.
The continued spread of COVID-19, trade disputes, rising unemployment, and othergeopolitical tensions may continue to create uncertainty among businesses and investors.Your financial professional can help position your portfolio so that it’s sufficiently diversified toseek to meet your long-term objectives and to withstand the inevitable bouts of marketvolatility along the way.
On behalf of everyone at John Hancock Investment Management, I’d like to take thisopportunity to welcome new shareholders and thank existing shareholders for the continuedtrust you’ve placed in us.
Sincerely,
Andrew G. ArnottPresident and CEO,John Hancock Investment ManagementHead of Wealth and Asset Management,United States and Europe
This commentary reflects the CEO’s views as of this report’s period end and are subject to change at any time.Diversification does not guarantee investment returns and does not eliminate risk of loss. All investments entail risks,including the possible loss of principal. For more up-to-date information, you can visit our website at jhinvestments.com.
A message to shareholders
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 5 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 78ED93AF/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
John HancockAlternative Risk Premia Fund
Table of contents
2 Portfolio summary
4 Your expenses
6 Consolidated fund’s investments
44 Consolidated financial statements
47 Consolidated financial highlights
49 Notes to consolidated financial statements
61 Evaluation of investment advisory and subadvisory agreements
68 Statement regarding liquidity risk management
71 More information
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 1
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 6 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 42FCD99F/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION AS OF 4/30/2020 (%)
Common stocks
Short-term investments and other
As a percentage of net assets.
19.6
80.4
SECTOR COMPOSITION AS OF 4/30/2020 (%)
Industrials
Financials
Information technology
Consumer discretionary
Health care
Materials
Energy
Real estate
Consumer staples
Communication services
Utilities
Short-term investments and other
As a percentage of net assets.
3.2
2.9
2.8
2.5
1.8
1.6
1.5
1.2
1.1
0.7
0.3
80.4
Portfolio summary
JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT2
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 7 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 4C57639D/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
TOP 10 HOLDINGS AS OF 4/30/2020 (%)
Magna International, Inc. 0.3Imperial Oil, Ltd. 0.3CyberArk Software, Ltd. 0.3NXP Semiconductors NV 0.3ORIX Corp. 0.3Shin-Etsu Chemical Company, Ltd. 0.3LyondellBasell Industries NV,Class A 0.2Brambles, Ltd. 0.2Kinnevik AB,B Shares 0.2Woolworths Group, Ltd. 0.2TOTAL 2.6
As a percentage of net assets.Cash and cash equivalents are not included.
TOP 10 COUNTRIES AS OF 4/30/2020 (%)
United States 10.0Japan 3.1Australia 1.9Canada 1.2United Kingdom 1.2Sweden 0.6Netherlands 0.4Ireland 0.4Israel 0.3Norway 0.2TOTAL 19.3
As a percentage of net assets.Cash and cash equivalents are not included.
A note about risks
The fund may be subject to various risks as described in the fund’s prospectus.A widespread health crisissuch as a global pandemic could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions andclosures, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect fund performance. For example, the novelcoronavirus disease (COVID-19) has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity. Theimpact of a health crisis and other epidemics and pandemics that may arise in the future, could affect theglobal economy in ways that cannot necessarily be foreseen at the present time.A health crisis mayexacerbate other pre-existing political, social, and economic risks.Any such impact could adversely affectthe funds’ performance, resulting in losses to your investment. For more information, please refer to the“Principal risks” section of the prospectus.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 3
These examples are intended to help you understand your ongoing operatingexpenses of investing in the fund so you can compare these costs with the ongoingcosts of investing in other mutual funds.
Understanding fund expensesAs a shareholder of the fund, you incur two types of costs:
▪ Transaction costs, which include sales charges (loads) on purchases orredemptions (varies by share class), minimum account fee charge, etc.
▪ Ongoing operating expenses, including management fees, distribution andservice fees (if applicable), and other fund expenses.
We are presenting only your ongoing operating expenses here.
Actual expenses/actual returnsThe first line of each share class in the table on the following page is intended toprovide information about the fund’s actual ongoing operating expenses, and isbased on the fund’s actual return. It assumes an account value of $1,000.00 onNovember 1, 2019, with the same investment held until April 30, 2020.
Together with the value of your account, you may use this information to estimatethe operating expenses that you paid over the period. Simply divide your accountvalue at April 30, 2020, by $1,000.00, then multiply it by the “expenses paid” foryour share class from the table. For example, for an account value of $8,600.00,the operating expenses should be calculated as follows:
Hypothetical example for comparison purposesThe second line of each share class in the table on the following page allows youto compare the fund’s ongoing operating expenses with those of any other fund. Itprovides an example of the fund’s hypothetical account values and hypotheticalexpenses based on each class’s actual expense ratio and an assumed 5%annualized return before expenses (which is not the class’s actual return). Itassumes an account value of $1,000.00 on November 1, 2019, with the same
Your expenses
4 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
investment held until April 30, 2020. Look in any other fund shareholder report tofind its hypothetical example and you will be able to compare these expenses.Please remember that these hypothetical account values and expenses may not beused to estimate the actual ending account balance or expenses you paid for theperiod.
Remember, these examples do not include any transaction costs, therefore, theseexamples will not help you to determine the relative total costs of owning differentfunds. If transaction costs were included, your expenses would have been higher.See the prospectuses for details regarding transaction costs.
Accountvalue on
11-1-2019
Endingvalue on
4-30-2020
Expensespaid during
period ended4-30-20201
Annualizedexpense
ratio
Class R6 Actual expenses/actual returns $1,000.00 $ 860.30 $4.70 1.37%Hypothetical example2 1,000.00 1,018.10 6.87 1.37%
Class NAV Actual expenses/actual returns 1,000.00 860.30 4.67 1.36%Hypothetical example2 1,000.00 1,018.10 6.82 1.36%
1 The inception date for fund is 12-17-19. Actual Expenses are equal to the fund’s annualized expense ratio,multiplied by the average account value over the period, multiplied by 135/ 366 (to reflect the period).
2 Expenses are equal to the annualized expense ratio, multiplied by the average account value over the period,multiplied by 182/366 (to reflect the one-half year period).
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 5
AS OF 4-30-20 (unaudited)Shares Value
Common stocks 19.6% $25,262,969(Cost $24,732,451)
Australia 1.9% 2,418,782Alumina, Ltd. 200,343 222,230
Aristocrat Leisure, Ltd. 5,308 87,050
BHP Group, Ltd. 2,701 55,139
BlueScope Steel, Ltd. 41,791 272,764
Brambles, Ltd. 42,251 301,991
Caltex Australia, Ltd. 15,454 248,807
CSL, Ltd. 921 183,580
Flight Centre Travel Group, Ltd. 5,876 41,643
Fortescue Metals Group, Ltd. 12,516 95,650
Goodman Group 29,598 252,092
Magellan Financial Group, Ltd. 3,212 105,214
Medibank Pvt., Ltd. 19,435 34,047
Qantas Airways, Ltd. 65,263 162,091
Sonic Healthcare, Ltd. 4,461 78,782
Woolworths Group, Ltd. 12,000 277,702
Bermuda 0.1% 77,004Athene Holding, Ltd., Class A (A) 2,852 77,004
Canada 1.2% 1,610,513Brookfield Asset Management, Inc., Class A 1,470 49,678
CI Financial Corp. 5,076 53,934
Fairfax Financial Holdings, Ltd. 898 243,488
Great-West Lifeco, Inc. 11,613 191,221
Imperial Oil, Ltd. 20,994 339,204
Keyera Corp. 6,077 90,154
Magna International, Inc. 10,098 393,488
National Bank of Canada 1,051 42,389
Power Corp. of Canada 5,208 83,286
PrairieSky Royalty, Ltd. 5,951 43,523
SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust 2,850 43,652
Thomson Reuters Corp. 518 36,496
Hong Kong 0.1% 138,595CK Asset Holdings, Ltd. 21,934 138,595
U.S. Government 14.7% 18,994,643U.S. Treasury Bill 0.078 07-02-20 5,000,000 4,999,150
U.S. Treasury Bill 0.080 06-18-20 7,000,000 6,999,113
U.S. Treasury Bill 0.104 09-24-20 7,000,000 6,996,380
Total investments (Cost $43,773,855) 34.3% $44,314,158
Other assets and liabilities, net 65.7% 84,801,556
Total net assets 100.0% $129,115,714
The percentage shown for each investment category is the total value of the category as a percentage of the net assets of the fund.
^All par values are denominated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Currency Abbreviations
AUD Australian Dollar
Security Abbreviations and Legend
(A) Non-income producing security.
* Yield represents either the annualized yield at the date of purchase, the stated coupon rate or, for floating rate securities, therate at period end.
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATEDFINANCIAL STATEMENTS SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 11
DERIVATIVES
FUTURES
Open contractsNumber ofcontracts Position
Expirationdate
Notionalbasis^
Notionalvalue^
Unrealizedappreciation
(depreciation)
10-Year U.S. Treasury Note Futures 49 Long Jun 2020 $6,766,553 $6,804,875 $38,322
30-Year U.S. Treasury Bond Futures 12 Long Jun 2020 2,167,277 2,165,625 (1,652)
ASX SPI 200 Index Futures 41 Long Jun 2020 3,534,356 3,621,568 87,212
Australian 10-Year Bond Futures 209 Long Jun 2020 20,312,823 20,247,730 (65,093)
British Pound Futures 59 Long Jun 2020 4,565,543 4,644,406 78,863
CAC40 Index Futures 21 Long May 2020 1,020,492 1,040,645 20,153
Canadian 10-Year Bond Futures 16 Long Jun 2020 1,717,618 1,717,418 (200)
Canadian Dollar Futures 69 Long Jun 2020 4,961,248 4,956,270 (4,978)
Euro Currency Futures 64 Long Jun 2020 8,711,910 8,772,000 60,090
Euro-OAT Futures 61 Long Jun 2020 11,195,775 11,283,793 88,018
FTSE MIB Index Futures 6 Long Jun 2020 568,126 573,351 5,225
IBEX 35 Index Futures 11 Long May 2020 826,759 832,843 6,084
New Zealand Dollar Futures 180 Long Jun 2020 10,895,683 11,035,800 140,117
S&P TSX 60 Index Futures 20 Long Jun 2020 2,372,744 2,550,379 177,635
10-Year Japan Government Bond Futures 4 Short Jun 2020 (5,681,379) (5,694,265) (12,886)
Amsterdam Exchanges Index Futures 33 Short May 2020 (3,600,300) (3,670,564) (70,264)
Australian Dollar Futures 83 Short Jun 2020 (5,227,652) (5,409,110) (181,458)
Euro STOXX 50 Index Futures 3 Short Jun 2020 (91,158) (94,715) (3,557)
Euro-BTP Italian Government BondFutures 9 Short Jun 2020 (1,366,059) (1,364,996) 1,063
Euro-Bund Futures 36 Short Jun 2020 (6,839,651) (6,868,771) (29,120)
Euro-Buxl 30-Year Bond Futures 20 Short Jun 2020 (4,691,062) (4,783,624) (92,562)
FTSE 100 Index Futures 13 Short Jun 2020 (956,603) (959,973) (3,370)
FTSE/JSE Top 40 Index Futures 26 Short Jun 2020 (531,083) (649,737) (118,654)
German Stock Index Futures 10 Short Jun 2020 (2,904,275) (2,965,930) (61,655)
Hang Seng China Enterprises IndexFutures 7 Short May 2020 (440,149) (447,158) (7,009)
Hang Seng Index Futures 2 Short May 2020 (310,459) (314,150) (3,691)
Japanese Yen Futures 89 Short Jun 2020 (10,385,108) (10,370,725) 14,383
Long Gilt Futures 2 Short Jun 2020 (344,979) (347,268) (2,289)
Mini MSCI Emerging Markets IndexFutures 13 Short Jun 2020 (532,023) (588,900) (56,877)
NASDAQ 100 Index E-Mini Futures 17 Short Jun 2020 (2,562,845) (3,053,880) (491,035)
Russell 2000 Index Mini Futures 5 Short Jun 2020 (273,338) (326,750) (53,412)
S&P 500 E-Mini Index Futures 5 Short Jun 2020 (645,078) (725,313) (80,235)
Swiss Franc Futures 123 Short Jun 2020 (16,070,464) (15,942,338) 128,126
Tokyo Price Index Futures 6 Short Jun 2020 (791,203) (812,654) (21,451)
$(516,157)
^ Notional basis refers to the contractual amount agreed upon at inception of open contracts; notional value represents thecurrent value of the open contract.
12 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORTSEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
42 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORTSEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
LIBOR London Interbank Offered Rate
NIBOR Norwegian Interbank Offered Rate
OBFR Overnight Bank Funding Rate
OIS Overnight Index Swap
OTC Over-the-counter
SORA Singapore Overnight Rate Average
STIBOR Stockholm Interbank Offered Rate
UBS UBS AG
At 4-30-20, the aggregate cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $44,308,464. Net unrealized appreciationaggregated to $835,595, of which $4,816,985 related to gross unrealized appreciation and $3,981,390 related to grossunrealized depreciation.See Notes to financial statements regarding investment transactions and other derivatives information.
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATEDFINANCIAL STATEMENTS SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 43
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 4-30-20 (unaudited)
AssetsUnaffiliated investments, at value (Cost $43,773,855) $44,314,158Swap contracts, at value (net unamortized upfront payment of $1,505,147) 2,188,735Unrealized appreciation on forward foreign currency contracts 6,502,366Receivable for futures variation margin 776,228Cash 32,355,933Foreign currency, at value (Cost $30,310,806) 30,308,536Collateral held at broker for futures contracts 4,439,516Collateral segregated at custodian for OTC derivative contracts 17,810,573Dividends and interest receivable 206,338Receivable for investments sold 5,740,621Other assets 110,072Total assets 144,753,076LiabilitiesUnrealized depreciation on forward foreign currency contracts 3,727,977Swap contracts, at value (net unamortized upfront payment of $(970,538)) 3,617,066Payable for investments purchased 8,006,419Payable to affiliates
Other liabilities and accrued expenses 279,329Total liabilities 15,637,362Net assets $129,115,714Net assets consist ofPaid-in capital $150,443,438Total distributable earnings (loss) (21,327,724)Net assets $129,115,714
Net asset value per shareBased on net asset value and shares outstanding - the fund has an unlimited number of
shares authorized with no par valueClass R6 ($42,988 ÷ 5,000 shares) $8.60Class NAV ($129,072,726 ÷ 15,012,166 shares) $8.60
Consolidated financial statements
44 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORTSEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS For the period ended 4-30-201 (unaudited)
Investment incomeDividends $416,133Interest 343,006Less foreign taxes withheld (18,417)Total investment income 740,722ExpensesInvestment management fees 520,744Accounting and legal services fees 10,021Transfer agent fees 2Trustees’ fees 832Custodian fees 49,273State registration fees 10,841Printing and postage 6,974Professional fees 89,727Other 24,388Total expenses 712,802Less expense reductions (3,643)Net expenses 709,159Net investment income 31,563Realized and unrealized gain (loss)Net realized gain (loss) onUnaffiliated investments and foreign currency transactions (18,876,635)Futures contracts (14,197,905)Forward foreign currency contracts (2,215,963)Swap contracts 12,930,382
(22,360,121)Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) ofUnaffiliated investments and translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies 761,549Futures contracts (516,157)Forward foreign currency contracts 2,774,389Swap contracts (1,962,940)
1,056,841Net realized and unrealized loss (21,303,280)Decrease in net assets from operations $(21,271,717)
1 Period from 12-17-19 (commencement of operations) to 4-30-20.
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATEDFINANCIAL STATEMENTS SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 45
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
Period ended4-30-201
(unaudited)Increase (decrease) in net assetsFrom operationsNet investment income $31,563Net realized loss (22,360,121)Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) 1,056,841Decrease in net assets resulting from operations (21,271,717)Distributions to shareholdersFrom earningsClass R6 (18)Class NAV (55,989)Total distributions (56,007)From fund share transactions 150,443,438Total increase 129,115,714Net assetsBeginning of period —End of period $129,115,714
1Period from 12-17-19 (commencement of operations) to 4-30-20.
46 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORTSEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
CLASS R6 SHARESPeriod ended
4-30-201
Per share operating performanceNet asset value, beginning of period $10.00Net investment income2 —3
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (1.40)Total from investment operations (1.40)Less distributionsFrom net investment income —3
Net asset value, end of period $8.60Total return (%)4 (13.97)5
Ratios and supplemental dataNet assets, end of period (in millions) $—6
Ratios (as a percentage of average net assets):Expenses before reductions 1.387
Expenses including reductions 1.377
Net investment loss (0.41)7
Portfolio turnover (%) 136
1 Period from 12-17-19 (commencement of operations) to 4-30-20. Unaudited.2 Based on average daily shares outstanding.3 Less than $0.005 per share.4 Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced during the period.5 Not annualized.6 Less than $500,000.7 Annualized.
SEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATEDFINANCIAL STATEMENTS SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 47
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (continued)
CLASS NAV SHARESPeriod ended
4-30-201
Per share operating performanceNet asset value, beginning of period $10.00Net investment income2 —3
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments (1.40)Total from investment operations (1.40)Less distributionsFrom net investment income —3
Net asset value, end of period $8.60Total return (%)4 (13.97)5
Ratios and supplemental dataNet assets, end of period (in millions) $129Ratios (as a percentage of average net assets):
Expenses before reductions 1.376
Expenses including reductions 1.366
Net investment loss (0.39)6
Portfolio turnover (%) 136
1 Period from 12-17-19 (commencement of operations) to 4-30-20. Unaudited.2 Based on average daily shares outstanding.3 Less than $0.005 per share.4 Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced during the period.5 Not annualized.6 Annualized.
48 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORTSEE NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
Note 1 — Organization
John Hancock Alternative Risk Premia Fund (the fund) is a series of John Hancock Investment Trust (the Trust), anopen-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust and registered underthe Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act). The investment objective of the fund is to seeklong-term positive absolute returns.
The fund may offer multiple classes of shares. The shares currently outstanding are detailed in the Consolidatedstatement of assets and liabilities. Class R6 shares are only available to certain retirement plans, institutions andother investors. Class NAV shares are offered to John Hancock affiliated funds of funds, retirement plans foremployees of John Hancock and/or Manulife Financial Corporation, and certain 529 plans. Shareholders of eachclass have exclusive voting rights to matters that affect that class. The distribution and service fees, if any, andtransfer agent fees for each class may differ.
Basis of consolidation. The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of JohnHancock Alternative Risk Premia Offshore Subsidiary Fund, Ltd. (the subsidiary), a Cayman Islands exemptedcompany which was incorporated on January 4, 2019, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the fund. The fund and itssubsidiary are advised by Unigestion (UK) Limited, (the subadvisor), under the supervision of John HancockInvestment Management LLC (the Advisor). The fund may gain exposure to the commodities markets by investingup to 25% of its total assets in the subsidiary. The subsidiary acts as an investment vehicle for the fund to enablethe fund to obtain its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments. As of April 30,2020, the net assets of the subsidiary were $28,050,999 representing 21.7% of the fund’s consolidated netassets. Intercompany accounts and transactions, if any, have been eliminated. The Consolidated Fund’s investmentsincludes positions of the fund and the subsidiary.
The subsidiary primarily obtains its commodity exposure by investing in commodity-linked derivative instruments,which may include but are not limited to total return swaps, commodity (U.S. or foreign) futures andcommodity-linked notes. Neither the fund nor the subsidiary intends to invest directly in physical commodities. Thesubsidiary may also invest in other instruments, including fixed-income securities, either as investments or to serveas margin or collateral for its swap positions, and foreign currency transactions (including forward contracts).
The fund commenced operations on December 17, 2019.
Note 2 — Significant accounting policies
The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generallyaccepted in the United States of America (US GAAP), which require management to make certain estimates andassumptions as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from thoseestimates and those differences could be significant. The fund qualifies as an investment company under Topic 946of Accounting Standards Codification of US GAAP.
Events or transactions occurring after the end of the fiscal period through the date that the consolidated financialstatements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the consolidated financial statements. Thefollowing summarizes the significant accounting policies of the fund:
Security valuation. Investments are stated at value as of the scheduled close of regular trading on the New YorkStock Exchange (NYSE), normally at 4:00 P.M., Eastern Time. In case of emergency or other disruption resulting inthe NYSE not opening for trading or the NYSE closing at a time other than the regularly scheduled close, the netasset value (NAV) may be determined as of the regularly scheduled close of the NYSE pursuant to the fund’sValuation Policies and Procedures.
In order to value the securities, the fund uses the following valuation techniques: Equity securities, includingexchange-traded or closed-end funds, are typically valued at the last sale price or official closing price on theexchange or principal market where the security trades. In the event there were no sales during the day or closingprices are not available, the securities are valued using the last available bid price. Debt obligations are typically
Notes to consolidated financial statements (unaudited)
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 49
valued based on evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing vendor. Independent pricing vendors utilizematrix pricing, which takes into account factors such as institutional-size trading in similar groups of securities,yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics and other market data, as well as brokersupplied prices. Futures contracts are typically valued at the last traded price on the exchange on which they trade.Swaps are generally valued using evaluated prices obtained from an independent pricing vendor. Forward foreigncurrency contracts are valued at the prevailing forward rates which are based on foreign currency exchange spotrates and forward points supplied by an independent pricing vendor. Foreign securities and currencies are valued inU.S. dollars based on foreign currency exchange rates supplied by an independent pricing vendor.
In certain instances, the Pricing Committee may determine to value equity securities using prices obtained fromanother exchange or market if trading on the exchange or market on which prices are typically obtained did notopen for trading as scheduled, or if trading closed earlier than scheduled, and trading occurred as normal onanother exchange or market.
Other portfolio securities and assets, for which reliable market quotations are not readily available, are valued atfair value as determined in good faith by the Fund’s Pricing Committee following procedures established by theBoard of Trustees. The frequency with which these fair valuation procedures are used cannot be predicted and fairvalue of securities may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a ready market for suchsecurities existed. Trading in foreign securities may be completed before the scheduled daily close of trading on theNYSE. Significant events at the issuer or market level may affect the values of securities between the time whenthe valuation of the securities is generally determined and the close of the NYSE. If a significant event occurs,these securities may be fair valued, as determined in good faith by the fund’s Pricing Committee, followingprocedures established by the Board of Trustees. The fund uses fair value adjustment factors provided by anindependent pricing vendor to value certain foreign securities in order to adjust for events that may occur betweenthe close of foreign exchanges or markets and the close of the NYSE.
The fund uses a three-tier hierarchy to prioritize the pricing assumptions, referred to as inputs, used in valuationtechniques to measure fair value. Level 1 includes securities valued using quoted prices in active markets foridentical securities, including registered investment companies. Level 2 includes securities valued using othersignificant observable inputs. Observable inputs may include quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates,prepayment speeds and credit risk. Prices for securities valued using these inputs are received from independentpricing vendors and brokers and are based on an evaluation of the inputs described. Level 3 includes securitiesvalued using significant unobservable inputs when market prices are not readily available or reliable, including thefund’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Factors used in determining value mayinclude market or issuer specific events or trends, changes in interest rates and credit quality. The inputs ormethodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing inthose securities. Changes in valuation techniques and related inputs may result in transfers into or out of anassigned level within the disclosure hierarchy.
The following is a summary of the values by input classification of the Consolidated Fund’s investments as ofApril 30, 2020, by major security category or type:
Totalvalue at4-30-20
Level 1quoted
price
Level 2significantobservable
inputs
Level 3significant
unobservableinputs
Investments in securities:
Assets
Common stocks
Australia $2,418,782 — $2,418,782 —
Bermuda 77,004 $77,004 — —
Canada 1,610,513 1,610,513 — —
50 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
Totalvalue at4-30-20
Level 1quoted
price
Level 2significantobservable
inputs
Level 3significant
unobservableinputs
Hong Kong $138,595 — $138,595 —
Ireland 458,615 $368,318 90,297 —
Israel 337,463 337,463 — —
Japan 4,055,569 — 4,055,569 —
Netherlands 512,686 337,244 175,442 —
New Zealand 28,435 — 28,435 —
Norway 229,370 — 229,370 —
Singapore 113,213 — 113,213 —
Sweden 789,431 — 789,431 —
United Kingdom 1,577,765 159,774 1,417,991 —
United States 12,915,528 12,915,528 — —
Preferred securities 45,368 — 45,368 —
Rights 11,178 — 11,178 —
Short-term investments 18,994,643 — 18,994,643 —
Total investments in securities $44,314,158 $15,805,844 $28,508,314 —
Security transactions and related investment income. Investment security transactions are accounted foron a trade date plus one basis for daily NAV calculations. However, for financial reporting purposes, investmenttransactions are reported on trade date. Interest income is accrued as earned. Interest income includes couponinterest and amortization/accretion of premiums/discounts on debt securities. Debt obligations may be placed in anon-accrual status and related interest income may be reduced by stopping current accruals and writing offinterest receivable when the collection of all or a portion of interest has become doubtful. Dividend income isrecorded on the ex-date, except for dividends of certain foreign securities where the dividend may not be knownuntil after the ex-date. In those cases, dividend income, net of withholding taxes, is recorded when the fundbecomes aware of the dividends. Non-cash dividends, if any, are recorded at the fair market value of the securitiesreceived. Gains and losses on securities sold are determined on the basis of identified cost and may includeproceeds from litigation.
Real estate investment trusts. The fund may invest in real estate investment trusts (REITs). Distributions fromREITs may be recorded as income and subsequently characterized by the REIT at the end of the fiscal year as areduction of cost of investments and/or as a realized gain. As a result, the fund will estimate the components ofdistributions from these securities. Such estimates are revised when the actual components of the distributions areknown.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 51
Foreign investing. Assets, including investments, and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies are translatedinto U.S. dollar values each day at the prevailing exchange rate. Purchases and sales of securities, income andexpenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of the transaction. The effectof changes in foreign currency exchange rates on the value of securities is reflected as a component of the realizedand unrealized gains (losses) on investments. Foreign investments are subject to a decline in the value of a foreigncurrency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that currency.
Funds that invest internationally generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. securities. Risks canresult from differences in economic and political conditions, regulations, market practices (including highertransaction costs), accounting standards and other factors.
Foreign taxes. The fund may be subject to withholding tax on income, capital gains or repatriation taxesimposed by certain countries, a portion of which may be recoverable. Foreign taxes are accrued based upon thefund’s understanding of the tax rules and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which it invests. Taxes areaccrued based on gains realized by the fund as a result of certain foreign security sales. In certain circumstances,estimated taxes are accrued based on unrealized appreciation of such securities. Investment income is recordednet of foreign withholding taxes.
Overdraft. The fund may have the ability to borrow from banks for temporary or emergency purposes, includingmeeting redemption requests that otherwise might require the untimely sale of securities. Pursuant to the fund’scustodian agreement, the custodian may loan money to the fund to make properly authorized payments. The fundis obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any related costs or expenses. The custodian mayhave a lien, security interest or security entitlement in any fund property that is not otherwise segregated orpledged, to the extent of any overdraft, and to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Line of credit. The fund and other affiliated funds have entered into a syndicated line of credit agreement withCitibank, N.A. as the administrative agent that enables them to participate in a $750 million unsecured committedline of credit. Excluding commitments designated for a certain fund and subject to the needs of all other affiliatedfunds, the fund can borrow up to an aggregate commitment amount of $500 million, subject to asset coverageand other limitations as specified in the agreement. A commitment fee payable at the end of each calendarquarter, based on the average daily unused portion of the line of credit, is charged to each participating fundbased on a combination of fixed and asset based allocations and is reflected in Other expenses on theConsolidated statement of operations. For the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund had no borrowings under theline of credit. Commitment fees for the period ended April 30, 2020 were $601.
Expenses. Within the John Hancock group of funds complex, expenses that are directly attributable to anindividual fund are allocated to such fund. Expenses that are not readily attributable to a specific fund areallocated among all funds in an equitable manner, taking into consideration, among other things, the nature andtype of expense and the fund’s relative net assets. Expense estimates are accrued in the period to which theyrelate and adjustments are made when actual amounts are known.
Class allocations. Income, common expenses and realized and unrealized gains (losses) are determined at thefund level and allocated daily to each class of shares based on the net assets of the class. Class-specific expenses,such as distribution and service fees, if any, and transfer agent fees, for all classes, are charged daily at the classlevel based on the net assets of each class and the specific expense rates applicable to each class.
Federal income taxes. The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by complyingwith the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to federal income tax ontaxable income that is distributed to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.
The fund’s federal tax returns will be subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of threeyears.
52 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
Distribution of income and gains. Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realizedgains, if any, are recorded on the ex-date. The fund generally declares and pays dividends annually. Capital gaindistributions, if any, are typically distributed annually.
Distributions paid by the fund with respect to each class of shares are calculated in the same manner, at the sametime and in the same amount, except for the effect of class level expenses that may be applied differently to eachclass.
Such distributions, on a tax basis, are determined in conformity with income tax regulations, which may differ fromUS GAAP. Distributions in excess of tax basis earnings and profits, if any, are reported in the fund’s consolidatedfinancial statements as a return of capital. The final determination of tax characteristics of the fund’s distributionwill occur at the end of the year and will subsequently be reported to shareholders.
Capital accounts within the consolidated financial statements are adjusted for permanent book-tax differences.These adjustments have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary book-tax differences, ifany, will reverse in a subsequent period. The fund had no material book-tax differences at October 31, 2019.
Note 3 — Derivative instruments
The fund or its subsidiary may invest in derivatives in order to meet its investment objective. Derivatives include avariety of different instruments that may be traded in the over-the-counter (OTC) market, on a regulated exchangeor through a clearing facility. The risks in using derivatives vary depending upon the structure of the instruments,including the use of leverage, optionality, the liquidity or lack of liquidity of the contract, the creditworthiness ofthe counterparty or clearing organization and the volatility of the position. Some derivatives involve risks that arepotentially greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the referenced securities or other referencedunderlying instrument. Specifically, the fund is exposed to the risk that the counterparty to an OTC derivativescontract will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. OTCderivatives transactions typically can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.
Derivatives which are typically traded through the OTC market are regulated by the Commodity Futures TradingCommission (the CFTC). Derivative counterparty risk is managed through an ongoing evaluation of thecreditworthiness of all potential counterparties and, if applicable, designated clearing organizations. The fundattempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty risk for derivatives traded in the OTC market, whenever possible,by entering into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement with each of its OTCcounterparties. The ISDA gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under theagreement if there is certain deterioration in the credit quality or contractual default of the other party, as definedin the ISDA. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA, the non-defaulting party has the right to closeout all transactions and to net amounts owed.
As defined by the ISDA, the fund or its subsidiary may have collateral agreements with certain counterparties tomitigate counterparty risk on OTC derivatives. Subject to established minimum levels, collateral for OTCtransactions is generally determined based on the net aggregate unrealized gain or loss on contracts with aparticular counterparty. Collateral pledged to the fund, if any, is held in a segregated account by a third-partyagent or held by the custodian bank for the benefit of the fund and can be in the form of cash or debt securitiesissued by the U.S. government or related agencies; collateral posted by the fund, if any, for OTC transactions isheld in a segregated account at the fund’s custodian and is noted in the accompanying Consolidated Fund’sinvestments, or if cash is posted, on the Consolidated statement of assets and liabilities. The fund’s risk of loss dueto counterparty risk is equal to the asset value of outstanding contracts offset by collateral received.
Certain derivatives are traded or cleared on an exchange or central clearinghouse. Exchange-traded orcentrally-cleared transactions generally present less counterparty risk to a fund than OTC transactions. Theexchange or clearinghouse stands between the fund and the broker to the contract and therefore, credit risk isgenerally limited to the failure of the exchange or clearinghouse and the clearing member.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 53
Futures. A futures contract is a contractual agreement to buy or sell a particular currency or financial instrumentat a pre-determined price in the future. Futures are traded on an exchange and cleared through a centralclearinghouse. Risks related to the use of futures contracts include possible illiquidity of the futures markets andcontract prices that can be highly volatile and imperfectly correlated to movements in the underlying financialinstrument and potential losses in excess of the amounts recognized on the Consolidated statement of assets andliabilities. Use of long futures contracts subjects the fund to the risk of loss up to the notional value of the futurescontracts. Use of short futures contracts subjects the fund to unlimited risk of loss.
Upon entering into a futures contract, the fund or the subsidiary is required to deposit initial margin with thebroker in the form of cash or securities. The amount of required margin is set by the broker and is generally basedon a percentage of the contract value. The margin deposit must then be maintained at the established level overthe life of the contract. Cash that has been pledged by the fund or the subsidiary is detailed in the Consolidatedstatement of assets and liabilities as Collateral held at broker for futures contracts. Securities pledged by the fund,if any, are identified in the Consolidated Fund’s investments. Subsequent payments, referred to as variationmargin, are made or received by the fund periodically and are based on changes in the market value of openfutures contracts. Futures contracts are marked-to-market daily and unrealized gain or loss is recorded by the fund.When the contract is closed, the fund records a realized gain or loss equal to the difference between the value ofthe contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed.
During the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund or the subsidiary used futures contracts to gain exposure totreasuries market, foreign bond market, foreign currency, certain securities markets and as a temporary substitutefor securities purchase (or to be purchased) The fund and its subsidiary held futures contracts with USD notionalvalues ranging from $145.6 million to $249.0 million, as measured at each quarter end.
Forward foreign currency contracts. A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between twoparties to buy and sell specific currencies at a price that is set on the date of the contract. The forward contractcalls for delivery of the currencies on a future date that is specified in the contract. Forwards are typically tradedOTC. Risks related to the use of forwards include the possible failure of counterparties to meet the terms of theforward agreement, the failure of the counterparties to timely post collateral if applicable, and the risk thatcurrency movements will not favor the fund thereby reducing the fund’s total return, and the potential for losses inexcess of the amounts recognized on the Consolidated statement of assets and liabilities.
The market value of a forward foreign currency contract fluctuates with changes in foreign currency exchangerates. Forward foreign currency contracts are marked-to-market daily and the change in value is recorded by thefund as an unrealized gain or loss. Realized gains or losses, equal to the difference between the value of thecontract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed, are recorded upon delivery or receipt ofthe currency or settlement with the counterparty.
During the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund used forward foreign currency contracts to gain exposure tocurrencies The fund held forward foreign currency contracts with USD notional values ranging from $167.2 millionto $337.6 million, as measured at each quarter end.
Swaps. Swap agreements are agreements between the fund and a counterparty to exchange cash flows, assets,foreign currencies or market-linked returns at specified intervals. Swap agreements are privately negotiated in theOTC market (OTC swaps) or may be executed on a registered commodities exchange (centrally cleared swaps).Swaps are marked-to-market daily and the change in value is recorded as a component of unrealizedappreciation/depreciation of swap contracts. The value of the swap will typically impose collateral postingobligations on the party that is considered out-of-the-money on the swap.
Upfront payments made/received by the fund, if any, are amortized/accreted for financial reporting purposes, withthe unamortized/unaccreted portion included in the Consolidated statement of assets and liabilities. A terminationpayment by the counterparty or the fund is recorded as realized gain or loss, as well as the net periodic paymentsreceived or paid by the fund.
54 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
Entering into swap agreements involves, to varying degrees, elements of credit, market and documentation riskthat may provide outcomes that are in excess of the amounts recognized on the Consolidated statement of assetsand liabilities. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for the swap, or that acounterparty may default on its obligation or delay payment under the swap terms. The counterparty may disagreeor contest the terms of the swap. In addition to interest rate risk, market risks may also impact the swap. The fundmay also suffer losses if it is unable to terminate or assign outstanding swaps or reduce its exposure throughoffsetting transactions.
Credit default swaps. Credit default swaps (CDS) involve the exchange of a fixed rate premium (paid by theBuyer), for protection against the loss in value of an underlying debt instrument, referenced entity or index, in theevent of a defined credit event (such as payment default or bankruptcy). Under the terms of the swap, one partyacts as a “guarantor” (the Seller), receiving the premium and agreeing to contingent payments that are specifiedwithin the credit default agreement. The fund may enter into CDS in which it may act as either Buyer or Seller. Byacting as the Seller, the fund may incur economic leverage since it would be obligated to pay the Buyer thenotional amount of the contract in the event of a default. The amount of loss in such case could be significant, butwould typically be reduced by any recovery value on the underlying credit.
Credit default swaps — Buyer
During the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund used credit default swap contracts as a buyer to gain exposureto security or credit index. The fund held credit default swaps with total USD notional amounts ranging up to$64.1 million, as measured at each quarter end.
Credit default swaps — Seller
Implied credit spreads are utilized in determining the market value of CDS agreements in which the fund is theSeller at period end. The implied credit spread generally represents the yield of the instrument above a credit-riskfree rate, such as the U.S. Treasury Bond Yield, and may include upfront payments required to be made to enterinto the agreement. It also serves as an indicator of the current status of the payment/performance risk andrepresents the likelihood or risk of default for the credit derivative. Wider credit spreads represent a deteriorationof the referenced entity’s creditworthiness and an increased risk of default or other credit event occurring asdefined under the terms of the agreement.
For CDS agreements where implied credit spreads are not reported or available, the average credit rating on theunderlying index is shown. A deterioration of the referenced entity’s creditworthiness would indicate a greaterlikelihood of a credit event occurring and result in increasing market values, in absolute terms when compared tothe notional amount of the swap. The maximum potential amount of future payments (undiscounted) that the fundas the Seller could be required to make under any CDS agreement equals the notional amount of the agreement.
During the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund used credit default swap contracts as a seller to gain exposure tosecurity or credit index. The fund held credit default swaps with total USD notional amounts ranging from$14.2 million to $61.6 million, as measured at each quarter end.
Total Return Swaps. The fund may enter into total return swap contracts to obtain synthetic exposure to aspecific reference asset or index without owning, taking physical custody of, or short selling the underlying assets.Total return swaps are commitments where one party pays a fixed or variable rate premium (the Buyer) inexchange for a market-linked return (the Seller). The Seller pays the total return of a specific reference asset orindex and in return receives interest payments from the Buyer. To the extent the total return of the underlying assetor index exceeds or falls short of the offsetting interest rate obligation, the Buyer will receive or make a paymentto the Seller. A fund may enter into total return swaps in which it may act as either the Buyer or the Seller. Totalreturn swap contracts are subject to the risk associated with the investment in the underlying reference asset orindex. The risk in the case of short total return swap contracts is unlimited based on the potential for unlimitedincreases in the market value of the underlying reference asset or index.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 55
During the period ended April 30, 2020, the fund used total return swaps to gain exposure to underlying asset.The fund held total return swaps with total USD notional amounts ranging from $43.2 million to $64.3 million, asmeasured at each quarter end.
Fair value of derivative instruments by risk category
The table below summarizes the fair value of derivatives held by the fund and its subsidiary at April 30, 2020 byrisk category:
Risk
Consolidated statement of assetsand liabilitieslocation
Financialinstrumentslocation
Assetsderivatives
fair value
Liabilitiesderivatives
fair value
Interest rate Receivable/payable for futures variation margin Futures $127,403 $(203,802)
Currency Receivable/payable for futures variation margin Futures 421,579 (186,436)
Equity Receivable/payable for futures variation margin Futures 296,309 (971,210)
CurrencyUnrealized appreciation / depreciation on forwardforeign currency contracts
Credit Swap contracts, at valueCredit defaultswaps 1,233,456 (1,167,941)
Equity Swap contracts, at valueTotal returnswaps 955,279 (2,449,125)
$9,536,392 $(8,706,491)
For financial reporting purposes, the fund and its subsidiary do not offset OTC derivative assets or liabilities thatare subject to master netting arrangements, as defined by the ISDAs, in the Consolidated statement of assets andliabilities. In the event of default by the counterparty or a termination of the agreement, the ISDA allows an offsetof amounts across the various transactions between the fund and the applicable counterparty. The tables belowreflect the fund’s exposure to OTC derivative transactions and exposure to counterparties subject to an ISDA:
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. 1,977,229 — 2,450,000 $4,427,229
UBS AG (490,439) — 490,439 —
Totals $1,346,058 — $3,081,171 $4,427,229
56 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
Effect of derivative instruments on the Consolidated statement of operations
The table below summarizes the net realized gain (loss) included in the net increase (decrease) in net assets fromoperations, classified by derivative instrument and risk category, for the period ended April 30, 2020:
Consolidated statement of operations location - Net realized gain (loss) on:
Risk Futures contractsForward foreign
currency contracts Swap contracts Total
Interest rate $(5,334,571) — — $(5,334,571)
Currency (2,659,925) $(2,215,963) — (4,875,888)
Credit — — $8,012 8,012
Equity (6,203,409) — 12,922,370 6,718,961
Total $(14,197,905) $(2,215,963) $12,930,382 $(3,483,486)
The table below summarizes the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in the net increase(decrease) in net assets from operations, classified by derivative instrument and risk category, for the period endedApril 30, 2020:
Consolidated statement of operations location - Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of:
Risk Futures contractsForward foreign
currency contracts Swap contracts Total
Interest rate $(76,399) — — $(76,399)
Currency 235,143 $2,774,389 — 3,009,532
Credit — — $(469,094) (469,094)
Equity (674,901) — (1,493,846) (2,168,747)
Total $(516,157) $2,774,389 $(1,962,940) $295,292
Note 4 — Guarantees and indemnifications
Under the Trust’s organizational documents, its Officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liabilitiesarising out of the performance of their duties to the Trust, including the fund. Additionally, in the normal course ofbusiness, the fund enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. Thefund’s maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may bemade against the fund that have not yet occurred. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.
Note 5 — Fees and transactions with affiliates
The Advisor serves as investment advisor for the fund. John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC(the Distributor), an affiliate of the Advisor, serves as principal underwriter of the fund. The Advisor and theDistributor are indirect, wholly owned subsidiaries of Manulife Financial Corporation.
Management fee. The fund has an investment management agreement with the Advisor under which the fundpays a daily management fee to the Advisor equivalent on an annual basis to the sum of: 1.000% of the first$500 million of the fund’s average daily net assets, 0.950% of the next $500 million of the fund’s average dailynet assets, 0.900% of the next $500 million of the fund’s average daily net assets and when average net assetsexceed $1.5 billion on any day, the annual rate of advisory fee for that day is 0.900% on all net assets. TheAdvisor has a subadvisory agreement with the subadvisor. The fund is not responsible for payment of thesubadvisory fees.
The Advisor provides investment management and other services to the subsidiary. The Advisor does not receiveseparate compensation from the subsidiary for providing investment management or administrative services.However, the fund pays the Advisor based on the fund’s net assets, which include the assets of the subsidiary.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 57
The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses forcertain funds of the John Hancock group of funds complex, including the fund (the participating portfolios). Thiswaiver is based upon aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios. The amount of the reimbursement iscalculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportion to the daily net assets of eachfund. During the period ended April 30, 2020, this waiver amounted to 0.01% of the fund’s average daily netassets, on an annualized basis. This arrangement expires on July 31, 2021, unless renewed by mutual agreementof the fund and the Advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at thattime.
For the period ended April 30, 2020, the expense reductions described above amounted to the following:
Class Expense reduction
Class R6 $1Class NAV 3,642Total $3,643
Expenses waived or reimbursed in the current fiscal period are not subject to recapture in future fiscal periods.
The investment management fees, including the impact of the waivers and reimbursements as described above,incurred for the period ended April 30, 2020, were equivalent to a net annual effective rate of 0.99% of the fund’saverage daily net assets.
Accounting and legal services. Pursuant to a service agreement, the fund reimburses the Advisor for allexpenses associated with providing the administrative, financial, legal, compliance, accounting and recordkeepingservices to the fund, including the preparation of all tax returns, periodic reports to shareholders and regulatoryreports, among other services. These expenses are allocated to each share class based on its relative net assets atthe time the expense was incurred. These accounting and legal services fees incurred for the period endedApril 30, 2020 amounted to an annual rate of 0.02% of the fund’s average daily net assets.
Transfer agent fees. The John Hancock group of funds has a complex-wide transfer agent agreement with JohnHancock Signature Services, Inc. (Signature Services), an affiliate of the Advisor. The transfer agent fees paid toSignature Services are determined based on the cost to Signature Services (Signature Services Cost) of providingrecordkeeping services. It also includes out-of-pocket expenses, including payments made to third-parties forrecordkeeping services provided to their clients who invest in one or more John Hancock funds. In addition,Signature Services Cost may be reduced by certain fees that Signature Services receives in connection withretirement and small accounts. Signature Services Cost is calculated monthly and allocated, as applicable, to fivecategories of share classes: Retail Share and Institutional Share Classes of Non-Municipal Bond Funds, Class R6Shares, Retirement Share Classes and Municipal Bond Share Classes. Within each of these categories, theapplicable costs are allocated to the affected John Hancock affiliated funds and/or classes, based on the relativeaverage daily net assets.
Class level expenses. Class level expenses for the period ended April 30, 2020 were as follows:
Class Transfer agent fees
Class R6 $2
Trustee expenses. The fund compensates each Trustee who is not an employee of the Advisor or its affiliates. Thecosts of paying Trustee compensation and expenses are allocated to the fund based on its net assets relative toother funds within the John Hancock group of funds complex.
58 JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND | SEMIANNUAL REPORT
Note 6 — Fund share transactions
Transactions in fund shares for the period ended April 30, 2020 were as follows:
Period ended 4-30-201
Shares Amount
Class R6 shares
Sold 5,000 $50,000
Net increase 5,000 $50,000
Class NAV shares
Sold 15,795,999 $157,435,890
Distributions reinvested 5,627 55,989
Repurchased (789,460) (7,098,441)
Net increase 15,012,166 $150,393,438
Total net increase 15,017,166 $150,443,438
1 Period from 12-17-19 (commencement of operations) to 4-30-20.
Affiliates of the fund owned 100% and 100% of shares of Class R6 and Class NAV, respectively, on April 30,2020. Such concentration of shareholders’ capital could have a material effect on the fund if such shareholdersredeem from the fund.
Note 7 — Purchase and sale of securities
Purchases and sales of securities, other than short-term investments, amounted to $106,461,277 and$65,001,445, respectively, for the period ended April 30, 2020.
Note 8 — Investment by affiliated funds
Certain investors in the fund are affiliated funds that are managed by the Advisor and its affiliates. The affiliatedfunds do not invest in the fund for the purpose of exercising management or control; however, this investmentmay represent a significant portion of the fund’s net assets. At April 30, 2020, funds within the John Hancockgroup of funds complex held 100.0% of the fund’s net assets. The following fund(s) had an affiliate ownership of5% or more of the fund’s net assets:
Portfolio Affiliated Concentration
John Hancock Funds II Alternative Asset Allocation 21.7%John Hancock Funds II Multimanager Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio 21.1%John Hancock Funds II Multimanager Lifestyle Moderate Portfolio 20.3%John Hancock Funds II Multimanager 2025 Lifetime Portfolio 6.9%John Hancock Funds II Multimanager 2030 Lifetime Portfolio 6.7%John Hancock Funds II Multimanager 2035 Lifetime Portfolio 5.2%
Note 9 — LIBOR discontinuation risk
LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) is a measure of the average interest rate at which major global banks canborrow from one another. Following allegations of rate manipulation and concerns regarding its thin liquidity, inJuly 2017, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, announced that it will stop encouragingbanks to provide the quotations needed to sustain LIBOR after 2021. This event will likely cause LIBOR to cease to
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 59
be published. Before then, it is expected that market participants will transition to the use of different reference orbenchmark rates. However, although regulators have suggested alternative rates, there is currently no definitiveinformation regarding the future utilization of LIBOR or of any replacement rate.
It is uncertain what impact the discontinuation of LIBOR will have on the use of LIBOR as a reference rate forsecurities in which the fund invests. It is expected that market participants will amend financial instrumentsreferencing LIBOR to include fallback provisions and other measures that contemplate the discontinuation ofLIBOR or other similar market disruption events, but neither the effect of the transition process nor the viability ofsuch measures is known. In addition, there are obstacles to converting certain longer term securities andtransactions to a new benchmark or benchmarks and the effectiveness of one alternative reference rate versusmultiple alternative reference rates in new or existing financial instruments and products has not beendetermined. As market participants transition away from LIBOR, LIBOR’s usefulness may deteriorate, which couldoccur prior to the end of 2021. The transition process may lead to increased volatility and illiquidity in markets thatcurrently rely on LIBOR to determine interest rates. LIBOR’s deterioration may adversely affect the liquidity and/ormarket value of securities that use LIBOR as a benchmark interest rate.
Note 10 — Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
The novel COVID-19 disease has resulted in significant disruptions to global business activity. A widespread healthcrisis such as a global pandemic could cause substantial market volatility, exchange trading suspensions andclosures, impact the ability to complete redemptions, and affect fund performance.
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EVALUATION OF ADVISORY AND SUBADVISORY AGREEMENTS BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Approval of Advisory and Subadvisory Agreements
At an in-person meeting held on June 24-26,2019, the Board of Trustees (the Board) of John Hancock InvestmentTrust (the Trust), including all of the Trustees who are not parties to any Agreement or considered to be interestedpersons of the Trust under the Investment Company Act of 1940,as amended (the 1940 Act) (the IndependentTrustees), approved the establishment of John Hancock Alternative Risk Premia Fund (the New Fund).
This section describes the evaluation by the Board of:
(a) an amendment to the advisory agreement between the Trust and John Hancock Investment ManagementLLC (the Advisor, formerly John Hancock Advisers, LLC) (the Advisory Agreement); and
(b) a subadvisory agreement between the Advisor and Unigestion (UK) Limited (the Subadvisor) with respectto the New Fund (the Subadvisory Agreement).
In considering the Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement with respect to the New Fund, the Boardreceived in advance of the meeting a variety of materials relating to the New Fund, the Advisor and the Subadvisor,including comparative performance, fee and expense information for a peer group of similar funds, performanceinformation for an applicable benchmark index; and,with respect to the Subadvisor, comparative performanceinformation for comparatively managed accounts, as applicable, and other information provided by the Advisor andthe Subadvisor regarding the nature, extent, and quality of services to be provided by the Advisor and the Subadvisorunder their respective Agreements, as well as information regarding the Advisor’s anticipated revenues and costs ofproviding services to the New Fund and any compensation paid to affiliates of the Advisor. The Board also took intoaccount discussions with management and information provided to the Board (including its various committees) atprior meetings with respect to the services provided by the Advisor to the John Hancock Funds (the Funds), includingquarterly performance reports prepared by management containing reviews of investment results. The informationreceived and considered by the Board in connection with the June meeting and throughout the year was both writtenand oral. The Board also considered the nature, quality, and extent of the non-advisory services, if any, to be providedto the New Fund by the Advisor’s affiliates, including distribution services. The Board also took into accountinformation with respect to the New Fund presented at its December 11-13,2018 in-person meeting. The Boardconsidered the Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement separately in the course of its review. In doing so,the Board noted the respective roles of the Advisor and Subadvisor in providing services to the New Fund.
Throughout the process, the Board asked questions of and were afforded the opportunity to request additionalinformation from management. The Board is assisted by counsel for the Trust and the Independent Trustees are alsoseparately assisted by independent legal counsel throughout the process. The Independent Trustees also received amemorandum from their independent legal counsel discussing the legal standards for their consideration of theproposed Advisory Agreement and Subadvisory Agreement and discussed the proposed Advisory Agreement andSubadvisory Agreement in private sessions with their independent legal counsel at which no representatives ofmanagement were present.
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Approval of Advisory Agreement
In approving the Advisory Agreement with respect to the New Fund, the Board, including the Independent Trustees,considered a variety of factors, including those discussed below.The Board also considered other factors (includingconditions and trends prevailing generally in the economy, the securities markets and the industry) and did not treatany single factor as determinative, and each Trustee may have attributed different weights to different factors.
The Board’s conclusions may have been based in part on its consideration of the advisory and subadvisoryarrangements for other Funds in prior years.
Nature, extent, and quality of services. Among the information received by the Board from the Advisor relating to thenature, extent and quality of services to be provided to the New Fund, the Board reviewed information provided by theAdvisor relating to its operations and personnel, descriptions of its organizational and management structure, andinformation regarding the Advisor’s compliance and regulatory history, including its Form ADV.The Board also notedthat on a regular basis it receives and reviews information from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) regardingthe Funds’ compliance policies and procedures established pursuant to Rule 38a-1 under the 1940 Act. The Boardobserved that the scope of services provided by the Advisor, and of the undertakings required of the Advisor inconnection with those services, including maintaining and monitoring its own and the New Fund’s complianceprograms, risk management programs, liquidity risk management programs and cybersecurity programs,hadexpanded over time as a result of regulatory,market and other developments. The Board considered that the Advisorwould be responsible for the management of the day-to-day operations of the New Fund, including,but not limited to,general supervision and coordination of the services to be provided by the Subadvisor, and also would be responsiblefor monitoring and reviewing the activities of the Subadvisor and other third-party service providers. The Board alsoconsidered the significant risks assumed by the Advisor in connection with the services to be provided to the NewFund including entrepreneurial risk in sponsoring new funds and ongoing risks including investment, operational,enterprise, litigation, regulatory and compliance risks with respect to all funds.
In considering the nature, extent and quality of the services to be provided by the Advisor, the Trustees also took intoaccount their knowledge of the Advisor’s management of other Funds and the quality of the performance of theAdvisor’s duties with respect to other Funds, through Board meetings, discussions and reports during the precedingyear and through each Trustee’s experience as a Trustee of the Trust and of the other trusts in the John Hancock groupof funds complex (the John Hancock Fund Complex).
In the course of their deliberations regarding the Advisory Agreement, the Board considered, among other things:
(a) the skills and competency with which the Advisor has in the past managed the Trust’s affairs and itssubadvisory relationships, the Advisor’s oversight and monitoring of the subadvisors’ investmentperformance and compliance programs, such as the subadvisors’ compliance with fund policies andobjectives; review of brokerage matters, including with respect to trade allocation and bestexecution; and the Advisor’s timeliness in responding to performance issues;
(b) the background,qualifications, and skills of the Advisor’s personnel;
(c) the Advisor’s compliance policies and procedures and its responsiveness to regulatory changes andfund industry developments;
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(d) the Advisor’s administrative capabilities, including its ability to supervise the other service providersfor the New Fund,as well as the Advisor’s oversight of any securities lending activity, its monitoringof class action litigation and collection of class action settlements on behalf of the New Fund,andbringing loss recovery actions on behalf of the New Fund;
(e) the financial condition of the Advisor and whether it has the financial wherewithal to provide a highlevel and quality of services to the New Fund;
(f) the Advisor’s initiatives intended to improve various aspects of the Trust’s operations and investorexperience with the New Fund;and
(g) the Advisor’s reputation and experience in serving as an investment advisor to the Trust, and thebenefit to shareholders of investing in funds that are part of a family of funds offering a variety ofinvestments.
The Board concluded that the Advisor may reasonably be expected to provide a high quality of services under theAdvisory Agreement with respect to the New Fund.
Investment performance. In connection with its consideration of the Advisory Agreement, the Board considered, atthis and at prior meetings, the performance of other comparable funds or accounts, if any,managed by the Advisorand the performance of their respective benchmarks and/or peer groups. The Board reviewed the performance of acomposite of comparable accounts managed by the Subadvisor and the performance of an applicable benchmark andpeer group of comparable funds over various time periods. The Board took into account the relatively shortperformance history of the composite. The Board also noted that it reviews at its regularly scheduled meetingsinformation about the performance of other John Hancock Funds managed by the Advisor.
Fees and Expenses. The Board reviewed comparative information including, among other data, the New Fund’santicipated management fees and net total expenses as compared to similarly situated investment companiesdeemed to be comparable to the New Fund. The Board noted that the New Fund’s anticipated management fees,which include both advisory and administrative costs,were lower than the peer group median and the peer groupaverage. The Board also noted that the New Fund’s anticipated net total expenses were higher than the peer groupmedian and lower than the peer group average for Class A and Class R6 shares. The Board took into accountmanagement’s discussion of the New Fund’s anticipated expenses. The Board reviewed information provided by theAdvisor concerning investment advisory fees charged to other clients (including other funds in the complex) havingsimilar investment mandates, if any. The Board considered any differences between the Advisor’s and Subadvisor’sservices to the New Fund and the services they provide to other such comparable clients or funds.
The Board also took into account management’s discussion with respect to the proposed management fee and thefees of the Subadvisor, including the amount of the advisory fee to be retained by the Advisor after payment of thesubadvisory fee, in each case in light of the services rendered for those amounts and the risks undertaken by theAdvisor. The Board also noted that the Advisor, and not the New Fund,would be responsible for paying thesubadvisory fees and that such fees are negotiated at arm’s length with respect to the Subadvisor. The Board also tookinto account that management has agreed to implement an overall fee waiver across a number of funds in thecomplex, including the New Fund,which is discussed further below.The Board also noted that the New Fund hasbreakpoints in its contractual management fee schedule that reduces the New Fund’s management fees as its assetsincrease.
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The Board concluded that the advisory fees to be paid by the New Fund are reasonable in light of the nature, extentand quality of the services expected to be provided to the New Fund under the Advisory Agreement.
Profitability/Fall Out Benefits. In considering the costs of the services to be provided and the profits to be realized bythe Advisor and its affiliates from the Advisor’s relationship with the New Fund, the Board:
(a) reviewed financial information of the Advisor;
(b) reviewed and considered information presented by the Advisor regarding the anticipated netprofitability to the Advisor and its affiliates with respect to the New Fund;
(c) received and reviewed profitability information with respect to the John Hancock Fund Complex asa whole;
(d) received information with respect to the Advisor’s allocation methodologies used in preparing theprofitability data;
(e) considered that the John Hancock insurance companies that are affiliates of the Advisor, asshareholders of the Trust directly or through their separate accounts, receive certain tax credits ordeductions relating to foreign taxes paid and dividends received by certain funds of the Trust andnoted that these tax benefits,which are not available to participants in qualified retirement plansunder applicable income tax law,are reflected in the profitability information reviewed by theBoard;
(f) considered that the Advisor will also provide administrative services to the New Fund on a cost basispursuant to an administrative services agreement;
(g) noted that affiliates of the Advisor will provide transfer agency services and distribution services tothe fund, and that the fund’s distributor also receives Rule 12b-1 payments to support distributionof the fund;
(h) noted that the Advisor will derive reputational and other indirect benefits from providing advisoryservices to the New Fund;
(i) noted that the subadvisory fee for the New Fund will be paid by Advisor and is negotiated at arm’slength; and
(j) considered that the Advisor should be entitled to earn a reasonable level of profits in exchange forthe level of services it will provide to the New Fund and the risks that it assumes as Advisor,including entrepreneurial, operational, reputational, litigation and regulatory risk.
Based upon its review, the Board concluded that the anticipated level of profitability, if any, of the Advisor and itsaffiliates from their relationship with the New Fund is reasonable and not excessive.
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Economies of Scale. In considering the extent to which economies of scale would be realized if the New Fund growsand whether fee levels reflect these economies of scale for the benefit of fund shareholders, the Board:
(a) considered that the Advisor has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee forcertain funds of the John Hancock Fund Complex, including the New Fund (the participatingportfolios) or otherwise reimburse the expenses of the participating portfolios (the reimbursement).This waiver is based upon aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios. The amount of thereimbursement is calculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportionto the daily net assets of each fund;
(b) reviewed the proposed advisory fee structure for the New Fund and concluded that: (i) the NewFund’s fee structure contains breakpoints at the subadvisory fee level and that such breakpoints arereflected as breakpoints in the advisory fees for the New Fund;and (ii) although economies of scalecannot be measured with precision, these arrangements will permit shareholders of the New Fundto benefit from economies of scale if the New Fund grows. The Board also took into accountmanagement’s discussion of the New Fund’s advisory fee structure; and
(c) the Board also considered the potential effect of the New Fund’s future growth in size on itsperformance and fees. The Board also noted that if the New Fund’s assets increase over time, theNew Fund may realize other economies of scale.
Approval of Subadvisory Agreement
In making its determination with respect to approval of the Subadvisory Agreement, the Board reviewed:
(a) information relating to the Subadvisor’s business;
(b) the performance of comparable funds, as applicable,managed by the New Fund’s Subadvisor;
(c) the proposed subadvisory fee for the New Fund, including any breakpoints; and
(d) Information relating to the nature and scope of any material relationships and their significance tothe Trust’s Advisor and Subadvisor.
Nature, Extent, and Quality of Services. With respect to the services to be provided by the Subadvisor, the Boardreceived and reviewed information provided to the Board by the Subadvisor, including the Subadvisor’s Form ADV.TheBoard considered the Subadvisor’s current level of staffing and its overall resources, as well as considered informationrelating to the Subadvisor’s compensation program.The Board reviewed the Subadvisor’s history and investmentexperience, as well as information regarding the qualifications, background, and responsibilities of the Subadvisor’sinvestment and compliance personnel who will provide services to the New Fund. The Board considered, among otherthings, the Subadvisor’s compliance program and any disciplinary history. The Board also considered the Subadvisor’srisk assessment and monitoring process. The Board reviewed the Subadvisor’s regulatory history, including whether itwas involved in any regulatory actions or investigations as well as material litigation, and any settlements andamelioratory actions undertaken, as appropriate. The Board noted that the Advisor conducts regular periodic reviewsof the Subadvisor and its operations in regard to the Funds, including regarding investment processes andorganizational and staffing matters. The Board also noted that the Trust’s CCO and his staff conduct regular, periodiccompliance reviews with the Subadvisor and present reports to the Independent Trustees regarding the same,whichincludes evaluating the regulatory compliance systems of the Subadvisor and procedures reasonably designed to
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assure compliance with the federal securities laws. The Board also took into account the financial condition of theSubadvisor.
The Board considered the Subadvisor’s investment process and philosophy. The Board took into account that theSubadvisor’s responsibilities will include the development and maintenance of an investment program for the NewFund that is consistent with the New Fund’s investment objective, the selection of investment securities and theplacement of orders for the purchase and sale of such securities, as well as the implementation of compliance controlsrelated to performance of these services. The Board also received information with respect to the Subadvisor’sbrokerage policies and practices, including with respect to best execution and soft dollars.
Subadvisor compensation. In considering the cost of services to be provided by the Subadvisor and the profitability tothe Subadvisor of its relationship with the New Fund, the Board noted that the fees under the Subadvisory Agreementwill be paid by the Advisor and not the New Fund.
The Board also relied on the ability of the Advisor to negotiate the Subadvisory Agreement with the Subadvisor,whichis not affiliated with the Advisor, and the fees thereunder at arm’s length.As a result, the costs of the services to beprovided and the profits to be realized by the Subadvisor from its relationship with the Trust were not a factor in theBoard’s consideration of the Subadvisory Agreement.
The Board also received information regarding the nature and scope (including their significance to the Advisor and itsaffiliates and to the Subadvisor) of any material relationships with respect to the Subadvisor,which includearrangements in which the Subadvisor or its affiliates provide advisory, distribution, or management services inconnection with financial products sponsored by the Advisor or its affiliates, and may include other registeredinvestment companies, a 529 education savings plan,managed separate accounts and exempt group annuitycontracts sold to qualified plans. The Board also received information and took into account any other potentialconflicts of interest the Advisor might have in connection with the Subadvisory Agreement.
In addition, the Board considered other potential indirect benefits that the Subadvisor and its affiliates may receivefrom the Subadvisor’s relationship with the New Fund, such as the opportunity to provide advisory services toadditional funds in the John Hancock Fund Complex and reputational benefits.
Subadvisory fees. The Board considered that the New Fund will pay an advisory fee to the Advisor and that, in turn, theAdvisor will pay a subadvisory fee to the Subadvisor.As noted above, the Board also considered the New Fund’ssubadvisory fee as compared to similarly situated investment companies deemed to be comparable to the New Fund,as applicable. The Board noted that the New Fund’s anticipated subadvisory fees were lower than the peer groupmedian and equal to the peer group average.
Subadvisor performance. As noted above, the Board considered performance results of comparable funds managedby the Subadvisor against an applicable benchmark. The Board also noted that it reviews at its regularly scheduledmeetings information about the performance of other John Hancock Funds managed by the Advisor. The Board notedthe Advisor’s expertise and resources in monitoring the performance, investment style and risk-adjusted performanceof the Subadvisor. The Board was mindful of the Advisor’s focus on the Subadvisor’s performance. The Board alsonoted the Subadvisor’s long-term performance record for similar accounts, as applicable.
The Board’s decision to approve the Subadvisory Agreement was based on a number of determinations, including thefollowing:
(1) the Subadvisor has extensive experience and demonstrated skills as a manager, and may reasonably beexpected to provide a high quality of investment management services to the New Fund;
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(2) the Subadvisor provided performance information for a composite of comparable accounts over varioustime periods;
(3) the proposed subadvisory fees are reasonable in relation to the level and quality of services to be providedunder the Subadvisory Agreement; and
(4) that the subadvisory fees will be paid by the Advisor not the New Fund and that the subadvisory feebreakpoints are reflected as breakpoints in the advisory fees for the New Fund in order to permitshareholders to benefit from economies of scale if the New Fund grows.
* * *
Based on the Board’s evaluation of all factors that the Board deemed to be material, including those factors describedabove, and assisted by the advice of independent legal counsel, the Board, including the Independent Trustees,concluded that approval of the Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement would be in the best interest ofthe New Fund and its shareholders.Accordingly, the Board, and the Independent Trustees voting separately, approvedthe amendment to the Advisory Agreement and the Subadvisory Agreement.
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STATEMENT REGARDING LIQUIDITY RISK MANAGEMENT
Operation of the Liquidity Risk Management Program
This section describes operation and effectiveness of the Liquidity Risk Management Program (LRMP) established inaccordance with Rule 22e-4 under the Investment Company Act of 1940,as amended (the Liquidity Rule). The Boardof Trustees (the Board) of each Fund in the John Hancock Group of Funds (each a Fund and collectively, the Funds) thatis subject to the requirements of the Liquidity Rule has appointed John Hancock Investment Management LLC andJohn Hancock Variable Trust Advisers LLC (together, the Advisor) to serve as Administrator of the LRMP with respect toeach of the Funds, including John Hancock Alternative Risk Premia Fund, subject to the oversight of the Board. Inorder to provide a mechanism and process to perform the functions necessary to administer the LRMP, the Advisorestablished the Liquidity Risk Management Committee (the Committee). The Fund’s subadvisor,Unigestion (UK)Limited (the Subadvisor) executes the day-to-day investment management and security-level activities of the Fund inaccordance with the requirements of the LRMP, subject to the supervision of the Advisor and the Board.
The Committee holds monthly meetings to: (1) review the day-to-day operations of the LRMP; (2) review and approvemonth end liquidity classifications; (3) review quarterly testing and determinations, as applicable; and (4) review otherLRMP related material. The Committee also conducts daily,monthly, quarterly, and annual quantitative andqualitative assessments of each subadvisor to a Fund that is subject to the requirements of the Liquidity Rule and is apart of the LRMP to monitor investment performance issues, risks and trends. In addition, the Committee may conductad-hoc reviews and meetings with subadvisors as issues and trends are identified, including potential liquidity andvaluation issues.
The Committee provided the Board at a meeting held on March 15-17,2020 with a written report which addressedthe Committee’s assessment of the adequacy and effectiveness of the implementation and operation of the LRMP andany material changes to the LRMP.The report,which covered the period December 1,2018 through December 31,2019, included an assessment of important aspects of the LRMP including,but not limited to:
• Operation of the Fund’s Redemption-In-Kind Procedures;
The report also covered material liquidity matters which occurred or were reported during this period applicable to theFund, if any, and the Committee’s actions to address such matters.
Redemption-In-Kind Procedures
Rule 22e-4 requires any fund that engages in or reserves the right to engage in in-kind redemptions to adopt andimplement written policies and procedures regarding in-kind redemptions as part of the management of its liquidityrisk. These procedures address the process for redeeming in kind, as well as the circumstances under which the Fundwould consider redeeming in kind.Anticipated large redemption activity will be evaluated to identify situations whereredeeming in securities instead of cash may be appropriate.
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As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed the implementation and operation of theRedemption-In-Kind Procedures and determined they are operating in a manner that such procedures are adequateand effective to manage in-kind redemptions on behalf of the Fund as part of the LRMP.
Highly Liquid Investment Minimum determination
The Committee uses an HLIM model to determine a Fund’s HLIM.This process incorporates the Fund’s investmentstrategy, historical redemptions, liquidity classification rollup percentages and cash balances, redemption policy,access to funding sources, distribution channels and client concentrations. If the Fund falls below its established HLIMfor a period greater than 7 consecutive calendar days, the Committee prepares a report to the Board within onebusiness day following the seventh consecutive calendar day with an explanation of how the Fund plans to restore itsHLIM within a reasonable period of time.
Based on the HLIM model, the Committee has determined that the Fund qualifies as a Primarily Highly Liquid Fund(PHLF). It is therefore not required to establish a HLIM.The Fund is tested quarterly to confirm its PHLF status.
As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed the policies and procedures in place withrespect to HLIM and PHLF determinations, and determined that such policies and procedures are operating in amanner that is adequate and effective as part of the LRMP.
Compliance with the 15% limit on illiquid investments
Rule 22e-4 sets an aggregate illiquid investment limit of 15% for a fund. Funds are prohibited from acquiring anilliquid investment if this results in greater than 15% of its net assets being classified as illiquid.When applying thislimit, the Committee defines “illiquid investment” to mean any investment that the Fund reasonably expects cannotbe sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or dispositionsignificantly changing the market value of the investment. If a 15% illiquid investment limit breach occurs for longerthan 1 business day, the Fund is required to notify the Board and provide a plan on how to bring illiquid investmentswithin the 15% threshold, and after 7 days confidentially notify the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC).
In February 2019,as a result of extended security markets closures in connection with the Chinese New Year in certaincountries, the SEC released guidance, and the Committee approved and adopted an Extended Market Holiday Policyto plan for and monitor known Extended Market Holidays (defined as all expected market holiday closures spanningfour or more calendar days).
As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed the policies and procedures in place withrespect to the 15% illiquid investment limit and determined such policies and procedures are operating in a mannerthat is adequate and effective as part of the LMRP.
Reasonably Anticipated Trade Size determination
In order to assess the liquidity risk of a Fund, the Committee considers the impact on the Fund that redemptions of aRATS would have under both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions.Modelling the Fund’s RATSrequires quantifying cash flow volatility and analyzing distribution channel concentration and redemption risk. Themodel is designed to estimate the amount of assets that the Fund could reasonably anticipate trading on a given day,during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions, to satisfy redemption requests.
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As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed the policies and procedures in place withrespect to RATS determinations and determined that such policies and procedures are operating in a manner that isadequate and effective at making RATS determinations as part of the LRMP.
Security-level liquidity classifications
When classifying the liquidity of portfolio securities, the Fund adheres to the liquidity classification proceduresestablished by the Advisor. In assigning a liquidity classification to Fund portfolio holdings, the following key inputs,among others, are considered: the Fund’s RATS, feedback from the applicable Subadvisor on market-, trading- andinvestment-specific considerations, an assessment of current market conditions and fund portfolio holdings, and avalue impact standard. The Subadvisor also provides position-level data to the Committee for use in monthlyclassification reconciliation in order to identify any classifications that may need to be changed as a result of the aboveconsiderations.
As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed the policies and procedures in place withrespect to security-level liquidity classifications and determined that such policies and procedures are operating in amanner that is adequate and effective as part of the LRMP.
Liquidity risk assessment
The Committee periodically reviews and assesses, the Fund’s liquidity risk, including its investment strategy andliquidity of portfolio investments during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions (includingwhether the investment strategy is appropriate for an open-end fund, the extent to which the strategy involves arelatively concentrated portfolio or large positions in particular issuers, and the use of borrowings for investmentpurposes and derivatives), cash flow analysis during both normal and reasonably foreseeable stressed conditions, andholdings of cash and cash equivalents, as well as borrowing arrangements and other funding sources.
The Committee also monitors global events, such as the COVID-19 Coronavirus, that could impact the markets andliquidity of portfolio investments and their classifications.
As part of its annual assessment of the LRMP, the Committee reviewed Fund-Level Liquidity Risk Assessment Reportsfor each of the Funds and determined that the investment strategy for each Fund continues to be appropriate for anopen-ended structure.
Adequacy and Effectiveness
Based on the review and assessment conducted by the Committee, the Committee has determined that the LRMP hasbeen implemented, and is operating in a manner that is adequate and effective at assessing and managing theliquidity risk of each Fund.
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TrusteesHassell H. McClellan, ChairpersonSteven R. Pruchansky, Vice ChairpersonAndrew G. Arnott†
Charles L. Bardelis*James R. BoylePeter S. Burgess*William H. CunninghamGrace K. FeyMarianne Harrison†
Deborah C. JacksonJames M. Oates*Gregory A. Russo
OfficersAndrew G. ArnottPresidentFrancis V. Knox, Jr.Chief Compliance OfficerCharles A. RizzoChief Financial OfficerSalvatore SchiavoneTreasurerChristopher (Kit) SechlerSecretary and Chief Legal Officer
Principal distributorJohn Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC
CustodianCitibank, N.A.
Transfer agentJohn Hancock Signature Services, Inc.
Legal counselK&L Gates LLP
* Member of the Audit Committee† Non-Independent Trustee
The fund’s proxy voting policies and procedures, as well as the fund proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30,are available free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) websiteat sec.gov or on our website.
All of the fund’s holdings as of the end of the third month of every fiscal quarter are filed with the SEC on Form N-PORTwithin 60 days of the end of the fiscal quarter. The fund’s Form N-PORT filings are available on our website and theSEC’s website, sec.gov.
We make this information on your fund, as well as monthly portfolio holdings, and other fund details available onour website at jhinvestments.com or by calling 800-225-5291.
SEMIANNUAL REPORT | JOHN HANCOCK ALTERNATIVE RISK PREMIA FUND 71
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Not part of the semiannual report
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 20 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: A1CD19F6/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
DOMESTIC EQUITY FUNDS
Blue Chip Growth
Classic Value
Disciplined Value
Disciplined Value Mid Cap
Equity Income
Financial Industries
Fundamental All Cap Core
Fundamental Large Cap Core
New Opportunities
Regional Bank
Small Cap Core
Small Cap Growth
Small Cap Value
U.S.Global Leaders Growth
U.S.Quality Growth
GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUNDS
Disciplined Value International
Emerging Markets
Emerging Markets Equity
Fundamental Global Franchise
Global Equity
Global Shareholder Yield
Global Thematic Opportunities
International Dynamic Growth
International Growth
International Small Company
INCOME FUNDS
Bond
California Tax-Free Income
Emerging Markets Debt
Floating Rate Income
Government Income
High Yield
High Yield Municipal Bond
Income
Investment Grade Bond
Money Market
Short Duration Bond
Short Duration Credit Opportunities
Strategic Income Opportunities
Tax-Free Bond
ALTERNATIVE AND SPECIALTY FUNDS
Absolute Return Currency
Alternative Asset Allocation
Alternative Risk Premia
Diversified Macro
Infrastructure
Multi-Asset Absolute Return
Seaport Long/Short
A fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses should be considered carefully beforeinvesting. The prospectus contains this and other important information about the fund. To obtain aprospectus, contact your financial professional, call John Hancock Investment Management at 800-225-5291, or visit our website at jhinvestments.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investingor sending money.
John Hancock family of funds
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 21 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 9C3C8A55/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
ASSET ALLOCATION
Balanced
Multi-Asset High Income
Multi-Index Lifetime Portfolios
Multi-Index Preservation Portfolios
Multimanager Lifestyle Portfolios
Multimanager Lifetime Portfolios
Retirement Income 2040
EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS
John Hancock Multifactor Consumer Discretionary ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Consumer Staples ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Developed International ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Emerging Markets ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Energy ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Financials ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Healthcare ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Industrials ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Large Cap ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Materials ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Media andCommunications ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Mid Cap ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Small Cap ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Technology ETF
John Hancock Multifactor Utilities ETF
ENVIRONMENTAL,SOCIAL,ANDGOVERNANCE FUNDS
ESG All Cap Core
ESG Core Bond
ESG International Equity
ESG Large Cap Core
CLOSED-END FUNDS
Financial Opportunities
Hedged Equity & Income
Income Securities Trust
Investors Trust
Preferred Income
Preferred Income II
Preferred Income III
Premium Dividend
Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income
Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield
John Hancock Multifactor ETF shares are bought and sold at market price (not NAV),and are not individually redeemedfrom the fund.Brokerage commissions will reduce returns.
John Hancock ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services,LLC,and are subadvised by Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.Foreside is not affiliated with John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC or Dimensional Fund Advisors LP.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP receives compensation from John Hancock in connection with licensing rights to theJohn Hancock Dimensional indexes.Dimensional Fund Advisors LP does not sponsor,endorse,or sell,and makes norepresentation as to the advisability of investing in,John Hancock Multifactor ETFs.
JOBNAME: No Job Name PAGE: 22 SESS: 32 OUTPUT: Fri Jun 12 19:43:29 2020 SUM: 4AC6B91E/qaJobz/JohnHancock/shareholder_2015/JH475AlternativeRiskPremiaFund/JH475_Alternative_Risk_Premia_Fund
John Hancock Investment Management
A trusted brand
John Hancock Investment Management is a premier asset managerrepresenting one of America’s most trusted brands, with a heritage offinancial stewardship dating back to 1862. Helping our shareholderspursue their financial goals is at the core of everything we do. It’s whywe support the role of professional financial advice and operate withthe highest standards of conduct and integrity.
A better way to invest
We serve investors globally through a unique multimanager approach:We search the world to find proven portfolio teams with specializedexpertise for every strategy we offer, then we apply robust investmentoversight to ensure they continue to meet our uncompromisingstandards and serve the best interests of our shareholders.
Results for investors
Our unique approach to asset management enables us to providea diverse set of investments backed by some of the world’s bestmanagers, along with strong risk-adjusted returns across asset classes.
John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC n Member FINRA, SIPC200 Berkeley Street n Boston, MA 02116-5010 n 800-225-5291 n jhinvestments.com
This report is for the information of the shareholders of John Hancock Alternative Risk PremiaFund. It is not authorized for distribution to prospective investors unless preceded oraccompanied by a prospectus.