BOSTON, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- At an adjourned session of their annual meeting on May 18, 2009, shareholders of John Hancock Investors Trust (NYSE: JHI) and John Hancock Income Securities Trust (NYSE: JHS), two John Hancock closed-end funds, elected James F. Carlin, William H. Cunningham, Deborah C. Jackson, Charles L. Ladner, Stanley Martin, Patti McGill Peterson, John A. Moore, Steven R. Pruchansky, Gregory A. Russo, James R. Boyle and John G. Vrysen to serve as Trustees of each fund. Shareholders of each fund also approved a new form of investment advisory agreement with the funds' adviser, John Hancock Advisers, LLC. The new form of investment advisory agreement will not result in any change in either fund's advisory fee rate or the level or quality of advisory services provided to the funds. A proposal to amend the Declaration of Trust of each fund did not receive sufficient votes from the funds' shareholders. Results of the shareholder meeting will be included in the funds' shareholder reports covering this period.

About John Hancock Funds

The Boston-based mutual fund business unit of John Hancock Financial, John Hancock Funds manages more than $35.8 billion in open-end funds, closed-end funds, private accounts, retirement plans and related party assets for individual and institutional investors at March 31, 2009.

About John Hancock Financial and Manulife Financial Corporation

John Hancock Financial is a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (the Company), a leading Canadian-based financial services group serving millions of customers in 19 countries and territories worldwide. Operating as Manulife Financial in Canada and in most of Asia, and primarily as 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$405 billion (US$322 billion) at March 31, 2009.

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 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, fixed and variable 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 Advisers, LLC