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John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III Declares NEW Monthly
Dividend
BOSTON, Dec. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- John Hancock Preferred Income Fund
III (NYSE:HPS) declared a new monthly dividend as follows:
Declaration Date: December 1, 2004
Ex Date: December 9, 2004
Record Date: December 13, 2004
Payment Date: December 31, 2004
Dividend Amount: $0.159
This dividend equates to an annualized yield of 7.90 percent, based on the
fund's closing market price as of November 30, 2004. The yield represented by
the new dividend level remains attractive relative to other investment grade
income oriented securities.
In keeping with management's approach of only paying income earned, the Fund's
dividend has been reduced. A number of higher-yielding preferred securities in
the Fund's portfolio have been refinanced or called, forcing the Fund to
reinvest at lower yields. Although the Fund actively employs hedging
techniques, rising short-term interest rates since the Fund's launch in June
2003 have increased borrowing costs, putting added pressure on the Fund's
dividend. Management believes an amendment is necessary in order to set the
dividend at a level that will increase its sustainability over the long-term.
John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III is a diversified, closed-end fund. The
Fund's primary investment objective is to provide a high level of current
income, consistent with preservation of capital. The Fund's secondary
objective is to provide growth of capital to the extent consistent with its
primary investment objective. The Fund invests at least 80% of its total
assets in preferred securities and other fixed income securities which are
rated investment grade.
John Hancock Funds, a premier investment management company, managed
approximately $29 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private
accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and
institutional investors as of September 30, 2004. Additional information about
the company can be found on the website: http://www.jhfunds.com/.
John Hancock Funds is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Financial
Services, Inc., a subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation. Founded in
1862, John Hancock Financial Services and its subsidiaries today offer a broad
range of financial products and services, including whole, term, variable, and
universal life insurance, as well as college savings products, mutual funds,
fixed and variable annuities, long-term care insurance and various forms of
business insurance.
Manulife Financial is a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving
millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as
Manulife Financial in Canada and most of Asia, and primarily through John
Hancock in the United States, the Company offers clients a diverse range of
financial protection products and wealth management services through its
extensive network of employees, agents and distribution partners. Funds under
management by Manulife Financial and its subsidiaries were Cdn$346 billion
(US$274 billion) as at September 30, 2004.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and
under '0945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at
http://www.manulife.com/.
DATASOURCE: John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III
CONTACT:
Web Site: http://www.manulife.com/
http://www.jhfunds.com/