BOSTON, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield Fund (NYSE: HTY) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund advised by John Hancock Advisers, LLC, announced that a Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund will be held on June 27, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., Eastern Time, at 601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Shareholders of record of the Fund as of the close of business on April 25, 2013 are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Special Meeting and at any adjournment thereof.
The Special Meeting will be held for the purpose of approving a new subadvisory agreement with Epoch Investment Partners, Inc. ("Epoch"), which is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Fund's portfolio investments, other than the Fund's options strategy.
As previously announced by Epoch's parent company, Epoch Holding Corporation, and The Toronto Dominion Bank ("TD"), Epoch Holding Corporation will be acquired by TD. This acquisition under the Investment Company Act of 1940 would have the effect of terminating the current subadvisory agreement with Epoch.
This press release does not constitute the solicitation of a proxy for approval of the new subadvisory agreement or any other matter, which can only be made by means of a proxy statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A proxy statement will be mailed to shareholders prior to the Special Meeting. When a proxy statement becomes available, shareholders are advised to read it because it contains important information. The proxy statement, when available, will be available for free at the Commission's website www.sec.gov.
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.
An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.
About John Hancock Funds
The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds, manages more than $79.8 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, college savings assets, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at December 31, 2012.
About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation
John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation, a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 22 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States, Manulife Financial Corporation 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$532 billion (US$535 billion) at December 31, 2012.
Manulife Financial Corporation trades as 'MFC' on the TSX, NYSE and PSE, and under '945' on the SEHK. Manulife Financial can be found on the Internet at www.manulife.com.
The John Hancock unit, through its insurance companies, comprises one of the largest life insurers in the United States. John Hancock offers a broad range of financial products and services, including life insurance, annuities, fixed products, mutual funds, 401(k) plans, long-term care insurance, college savings, and other forms of business insurance. Additional information about John Hancock may be found at www.johnhancock.com.
SOURCE John Hancock Funds