JOHN HANCOCK TECHNOLOGY FUND'S MARC KLEE RECOGNIZED AS CNN's STOCK-PICKING "WIZARD" OF THE YEAR
Klee's picks on CNN Marketwatch earned highest average returns
BOSTON, October 24, 2000 - Marc Klee, portfolio manager for the $2.6 billion
John Hancock Technology Fund, has been designated the top stock-picking
"wizard" for 2000 by CNN's weekend Marketwatch program. In the show's
first-annual stock-picking contest, Mr. Klee's selections earned the highest
average returns of all the picks made by other market strategists, fund
managers and analysts who have appeared on the show over the past year.
"I consider this an honor for our entire team," said Mr. Klee, whose winning
picks included BEA Systems, Inc. and Integrated Device Technology, Inc.
Marc Klee, Barry Gordon and Alan Loewenstein have managed the John Hancock
Technology Fund since its inception in January 1983, giving them one of the
longest tenures among technology fund managers.1 The Technology Fund is
also highly-ranked by Morningstar, receiving an overall rating of 5 stars as
of September 30, 2000.
"Marc and his team have an excellent track record managing money,"
said Will Braman, chief investment officer of John Hancock Funds. "This
latest achievement is particularly notable considering the volatility the
technology sector has witnessed this year. We are pleased and proud that
CNN Marketwatch has recognized his abilities," he added.
John Hancock Funds, a global investment management firm, manages
more than $30 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts,
variable annuities and retirement plans for individual and institutional
investors.
John Hancock Funds is a subsidiary of John Hancock Life Insurance Company,
which is wholly owned by John Hancock Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: JHF).
John Hancock and its affiliated companies provide a broad array of insurance
and investment products and services to retail and institutional customers.
As of June 30, 2000, John Hancock and its subsidiaries had total assets
under management of $126.9 billion.
Source: Lipper, Inc.
Morningstar proprietary ratings reflect historical risk-adjusted
performance as of 9/30/00. The ratings are subject to change every month.
Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Morningstar ratings are
calculated from the fund's 3-, 5- and 10-year average annual returns (if
applicable) in excess of the 90-day Treasury bill returns with appropriate
fee adjustments and a risk factor that reflects fund performance below
90-day T-bill returns. The John Hancock Technology Fund Class A shares
received 5 stars, 4 stars and 5 stars for the three-, five-, and ten-year
periods, respectively. The top 10% of the funds in a broad asset class
receive five stars, the next 22.5% receive four stars, the next 35% receive
three stars, the next 22.5% receive two stars and the bottom 10% receive one
star. The funds were rated among 3,876, 2,419 and 796 domestic equity funds
for the three-, five- and ten-year periods, respectively.
Investments concentrated in one sector may fluctuate more widely than
investments diversified across sectors. For more complete information on
any John Hancock fund, including charges and expenses, please call
1-800-225-5291 for a complete prospectus. Please read it carefully before
you invest or send money.
John Hancock Funds, Inc., Boston, MA 02199. Member NASD.
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