John Hancock Funds III

07/28/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 07/28/2026 13:54

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)

 
August 1, 2026
Summary prospectus
John Hancock U.S. Growth Fund
Before you invest, you may want to review the fund's prospectus, which contains more information about the fund and its risks. You can find the fund's prospectus and other information about the fund, including the Statement of Additional Information and most recent reports, online at www.jhinvestments.com/prospectuses. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 800-225-5291 or by sending an email request to [email protected]. The fund's prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated August 1, 2026, as may be supplemented, and most recent financial highlights information included in the shareholder report, dated March 31, 2026, are incorporated by reference into this summary prospectus. 
Tickers
A: JSGAX
C: JSGCX
I: JSGIX
R2: JSGRX
R4: JHSGX
R6: JSGTX
Investment objective
To seek long-term capital appreciation.
Fees and expenses
This table describes the fees and expenses you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts on Class A shares if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in the John Hancock family of funds. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of front-end sales charge waivers or contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) waivers (See Appendix 1 - Intermediary sales charge waivers, which includes information about specific sales charge waivers applicable to the intermediaries identified therein). More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial professional and beginning on page 24 of the prospectus under "Sales charge reductions and waivers" or page 104 of the fund's Statement of Additional Information under "Sales Charges on Class A and Class C Shares." 
Shareholder fees (%) (fees paid directly from your investment)
A
C
I
R2
R4
R6
Maximum front-end sales charge (load) on purchases, as a % of purchase price
5.00
None
None
None
None
None
Maximum deferred sales charge (load) as a % of purchase or sale price, whichever
is less
1.00
1.00
None
None
None
None
(on certain
purchases,
including those of
$1 million or more)
Small account fee (for fund account balances under $1,000) ($)
20
20
None
None
None
None
 
Annual fund operating expenses (%) (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of
the value of your investment)
A
C
I
R2
R4
R6
Management fee
0.54
0.54
0.54
0.54
0.54
0.54
Distribution and service (Rule 12b-1) fees
0.25
1.00
0.00
0.25
0.25
0.00
Other expenses
Service plan fee
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.25
1
0.10
0.00
Additional other expenses
0.16
0.16
0.16
0.06
0.06
0.06
Total other expenses
0.16
0.16
0.16
0.31
0.16
0.06
Total annual fund operating expenses
0.95
1.70
0.70
1.10
0.95
0.60
Contractual expense reimbursement
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.01
2
-0.11
2,3
-0.01
2
Total annual fund operating expenses after expense reimbursements
0.94
1.69
0.69
1.09
0.84
0.59
1
"Service plan fee" has been restated to reflect maximum allowable fees.
2
The advisor contractually agrees to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses for the fund and certain other John Hancock funds according to an asset level breakpoint schedule that is based on the aggregate net assets of all the funds participating in the waiver or reimbursement, including the fund (the participating portfolios). This waiver equals, on an annualized basis, 0.0100% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $75 billion but is less than or equal to $125 billion; 0.0125% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $125 billion but is less than or equal to $150 billion; 0.0150% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $150 billion but is less than or equal to $175 billion; 0.0175% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $175 billion but is less than or equal to $200 billion; 0.0200% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $200 billion but is less than or equal to $225 billion; and 0.0225% of that portion of the aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios that exceeds $225 billion. The amount of the reimbursement is calculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportion to the daily net assets of each participating portfolio. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund's reimbursement amounted to 0.01% of the fund's average daily net assets. This agreement expires on July 31, 2027, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the fund and the advisor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
John Hancock U.S. Growth Fund
3
The distributor contractually agrees to limit its Rule 12b-1 fees for Class R4 shares to 0.15%. This agreement expires on July 31, 2027, unless renewed by mutual agreement of the fund and the distributor based upon a determination that this is appropriate under the circumstances at that time.
Expense example
This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. Please see below a hypothetical example showing the expenses of a $10,000 investment for the time periods indicated and then, except as shown below, assuming you sell all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example assumes a 5% average annual return and that fund expenses will not change over the periods. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions, your costs would be: 
Shares Sold
Shares
Not Sold
Expenses ($)
A
C
I
R2
R4
R6
C
1 year
591
272
70
111
86
60
172
3 years
787
535
223
349
292
191
535
5 years
998
922
389
605
515
334
922
10 years
1,607
1,809
870
1,339
1,156
749
1,809
Portfolio turnover
The fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the fund's performance. During its most recent fiscal year, the fund's portfolio turnover rate was 94% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal investment strategies
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equities of growth companies that are tied economically to the United States. The fund considers an equity investment to be "tied economically" to the United States if, at the time of purchase: (i) its issuer is organized under the laws of the United States or under the laws of a state within the United States or in an issuer that maintains its principal place of business in the United States; (ii) it is traded principally in the United States; or (iii) its issuer derived at least 50% of its revenues or profits from goods produced or sold, investments made, or services performed in the United States, or has at least 50% of its assets in the United States. The manager seeks to achieve the fund's investment objective by investing in equity investments that the manager believes, as a portfolio, will provide higher returns than the Russell 1000 Growth Index.
The manager defines growth companies as those companies that are included within the Russell 1000 Growth Index or that exhibit attractive growth characteristics based on financial metrics, such as sales growth or price-to-earnings ratio or earnings-per-share growth, relative to a broader core, or non-style-specific, investment universe as represented by the Russell 1000 Index.
The manager's investment process begins with the broad universe of equity securities included in US equity indices, along with other ideas that come from a combination of company meetings, investment conferences, field trips and industry analysis. Investments in equity securities include common stocks and other stock-related securities such as preferred stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, exchange-traded funds, and exchange-traded equity real estate investment trusts (REITs). The fund may invest significantly in securities of companies in certain sectors, and may therefore experience greater volatility than funds investing in a broader range of sectors and may be more susceptible to the impact of market, economic, regulatory, and other factors affecting that sector.
The manager focuses on members of the investable universe that exhibit high quality free cash flow margins (i.e., cash generated after expenses to support operations and maintain capital assets), capital return (i.e., dividends and share buybacks), and revenue growth higher than a certain minimum threshold. The manager then monitors and ranks securities based on their relative attractiveness across this universe, based on quality, growth, valuation, capital returns, and earnings revisions. For stocks that compare well in this screening process, further detailed analysis is conducted. Regular meetings and discussions with company management are another input into the portfolio decision making process.
Securities considered for purchase are attractive on a majority of the metrics (quality, growth, valuation, capital returns, and earnings revisions), and have a positive catalyst such as accelerating earnings or revenue growth. Due to its active investment strategy, the fund may buy and sell securities frequently. This may result in higher transaction costs and more capital gains tax liabilities than a fund with a buy and hold strategy.
The fund is a non-diversified fund, which means that it may invest in a smaller number of issuers than a diversified fund and may invest more of its assets in the securities of a single issuer.
Principal risks
An investment in the fund is not a bank deposit and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. Many factors affect performance, and fund shares will fluctuate in price, meaning you could lose money. The fund's investment strategy may not produce the intended results.
The fund's main risks are listed below in alphabetical order, not in order of importance. Before investing, be sure to read the additional descriptions of these risks beginning on page 7 of the prospectus.
Economic and market events risk. Events in the U.S. and global financial markets, including actions taken by the U.S. Federal Reserve or foreign central banks to stimulate or stabilize economic growth, may at times result in unusually high market volatility, which could negatively impact performance. Reduced liquidity in credit and fixed-income markets could adversely affect issuers worldwide. Banks and financial services companies could suffer losses if interest rates rise or economic conditions deteriorate.
2
John Hancock U.S. Growth Fund
Equity securities risk. The price of equity securities may decline due to changes in a company's financial condition or overall market conditions. Growth company securities may fluctuate more in price than other securities because of the greater emphasis on earnings expectations.
Exchange-traded fund (ETF) investment risk. The risks of owning shares of an ETF include the risks of owning the underlying securities the ETF holds. Lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in the ETF being more volatile than its underlying securities. An ETF's shares could trade at a significant premium or discount to its net asset value (NAV). A fund bears ETF fees and expenses indirectly.
Foreign securities risk. Less information may be publicly available regarding foreign issuers, including foreign government issuers. Foreign securities may be subject to foreign taxes and may be more volatile than U.S. securities. Currency fluctuations and political and economic developments may adversely impact the value of foreign securities. Depositary receipts are subject to most of the risks associated with investing in foreign securities directly because the value of a depositary receipt is dependent upon the market price of the underlying foreign equity security. Depositary receipts are also subject to liquidity risk.
High portfolio turnover risk. Trading securities actively and frequently can increase transaction costs (thus lowering performance) and taxable distributions.
Information technology companies risk. Information technology companies can be significantly affected by rapid obsolescence, short product cycles, competition from new market entrants, and heightened cybersecurity risk, among other factors.
Large company risk. Larger companies may grow more slowly than smaller companies or be slower to respond to business developments. Large-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Liquidity risk. The extent (if at all) to which a security may be sold without negatively impacting its market value may be impaired by reduced market activity or participation, legal restrictions, or other economic and market impediments.
Non-diversified risk. Adverse events affecting a particular issuer or group of issuers may magnify losses for non-diversified funds, which may invest a large portion of assets in any one issuer or a small number of issuers.
Operational and cybersecurity risk. Cybersecurity breaches may allow an unauthorized party to gain access to fund assets, customer data, or proprietary information, or cause a fund or its service providers to suffer data corruption or lose operational functionality. Similar incidents affecting issuers of a fund's securities may negatively impact performance. Operational risk may arise from human error, error by third parties, communication errors, or technology failures, among other causes.
Preferred and convertible securities risk. Preferred stock dividends are payable only if declared by the issuer's board. Preferred stock may be subject to redemption provisions. The market values of convertible securities tend to fall as interest rates rise and rise as interest rates fall. Convertible preferred stock's value can depend heavily upon the underlying common stock's value.
Real estate investment trust (REIT) risk. REITs, pooled investment vehicles that typically invest in real estate directly or in loans collateralized by real estate, carry risks associated with owning real estate, including the potential for a decline in value due to economic or market conditions.
Real estate securities risk. Securities of companies in the real estate industry carry risks associated with owning real estate, including the potential for a decline in value due to economic or market conditions.
Sector risk. When a fund focuses its investments in certain sectors of the economy, its performance may be driven largely by sector performance and could fluctuate more widely than if the fund were invested more evenly across sectors.
Small and mid-sized company risk. Small and mid-sized companies are generally less established and may be more volatile than larger companies. Small and/or mid-capitalization securities may underperform the market as a whole.
Past performance
The following information illustrates the variability of the fund's returns and provides some indication of the risks of investing in the fund by showing changes in the fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the fund's average annual returns compared with a broad-based securities market index. Past performance (before and after taxes) does not indicate future results. The Russell 1000 Growth Index shows how the fund's performance compares against the returns of similar investments. All figures assume dividend reinvestment. Performance information is updated daily, monthly, and quarterly and may be obtained at our website, jhinvestments.com, or by calling 800-225-5291, Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., Eastern time.
A note on performance
Prior to the close of business on September 28, 2018, the fund was managed by a different subadvisor pursuant to different investment strategies, and thus, the performance presented prior to this date should not be attributed to the current subadvisor. The fund's performance shown below might have differed materially had the current subadvisor managed the fund prior to the close of business on September 28, 2018.
Please note that after-tax returns (shown for Class A shares only) reflect the highest individual federal marginal income-tax rate in effect as of the date provided and do not reflect any state or local taxes. Your actual after-tax returns may be different. After-tax returns are not relevant to shares held in an IRA, 401(k), or other tax-advantaged investment plan. After-tax returns for other share classes would vary.
3
John Hancock U.S. Growth Fund
Calendar year total returns (%)-Class A (sales charges are not reflected in the bar chart and returns would have been lower if they were)    
Year-to-date total return through:
Q2 2026
5.96%
Best quarter:
Q2 2020
26.11%
Worst quarter:
Q2 2022
-17.96%
 
Average annual total returns (%)-as of 12/31/2025
1 year
5 year
10 year
Class A (before tax)
13.92
13.53
15.86
after tax on distributions
11.41
10.82
13.22
after tax on distributions, with sale
9.74
9.99
12.22
Class C
18.01
13.84
15.59
Class I
20.24
14.99
16.76
Class R2
19.73
14.55
16.31
Class R4
20.06
14.88
16.62
Class R6
20.31
15.10
16.88
Russell 1000 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
17.37
13.59
14.59
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
18.56
15.32
18.13
Investment management
Investment advisor John Hancock Investment Management LLC
Subadvisor Wellington Management Company LLP
Portfolio management
The following individual is primarily responsible for the day-to-day management of the fund's portfolio. 
Timothy N. Manning
Senior Managing Director and Equity Portfolio Manager
Managed the fund since 2022
Purchase and sale of fund shares
The minimum initial investment requirement for Class A and Class C shares is $1,000 ($250 for group investments), except that there is no minimum for certain group retirement plans, certain fee-based or wrap accounts, or certain other eligible investment product platforms. The minimum initial investment requirement for Class I shares is $250,000, except that the fund may waive the minimum for any category of investors at the fund's sole discretion. There are no minimum initial investment requirements for Class R2 or Class R4 shares. The minimum initial investment requirement for Class R6 shares is $1 million, except that there is no minimum for: qualified and nonqualified plan investors; certain eligible qualifying investment product platforms; Trustees, employees of the advisor or its affiliates, employees of the subadvisor, members of the fund's portfolio management team and the spouses and children (under age 21) of the aforementioned. There are no subsequent minimum investment requirements.
Class A, Class C, Class I, and Class R6 shares may be redeemed on any business day by mail: John Hancock Signature Services, Inc., P.O. Box 219909, Kansas City, MO 64121-9909; or for most account types through our website: jhinvestments.com; or by telephone: 800-225-5291. Class R2 and Class R4 shares may be redeemed on any business day by contacting your retirement plan administrator or recordkeeper.
Taxes
The fund's distributions are taxable, and will be taxed as ordinary income and/or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account. Withdrawals from such tax-deferred arrangements may be subject to tax at a later date.
4
John Hancock U.S. Growth Fund
Payments to broker-dealers and other financial intermediaries
If you purchase the fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank, registered investment advisor, financial planner, or retirement plan administrator), the fund and its related companies may pay the broker-dealer or other intermediary for the sale of fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the fund over another investment. These payments are not applicable to Class R6 shares. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.
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© 2026 John Hancock Investment Management Distributors LLC, Member FINRA, SIPC
200 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA 02116
800-225-5291, jhinvestments.com
Manulife, Manulife Investments, Stylized M Design, and Manulife Investments & Stylized M Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and John Hancock, and the Stylized John Hancock Design are trademarks of John Hancock Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.). Each are used by it and by its affiliates under license.
SEC file number: 811-21777
3930SP 8/1/26
John Hancock Funds III published this content on July 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on July 28, 2026 at 19:54 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]