John Hancock Mortgage Backed Securities ETF (JHMB) is an actively managed exchange-traded fund that seeks a high level of current income while aiming to outperform its benchmark over a market cycle by investing primarily in investment-grade mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and private entities; these include residential mortgage-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, and to-be-announced mortgage contracts, with no specific maturity limitations and at least 80% of net assets allocated to such instruments under normal market conditions. The fund, subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, an affiliate of the issuer, features a net expense ratio of 0.39%, total net assets of approximately $144-163 million, and a dividend yield around 4.5%, with holdings diversified across roughly 383 positions where mortgage-backed securities comprise about 65-97% of assets, supplemented by cash equivalents and minor non-U.S. bond exposure. JHMB trades on U.S. exchanges including the NYSE Arca and targets investors seeking fixed-income diversification in the broad market asset-backed segment, particularly intermediate core-plus bond strategies focused on broad credit and maturities.
Launched on August 18, 2021, by John Hancock Investment Management LLC, a division of Manulife John Hancock Investments based in Boston, Massachusetts, the ETF operates within the U.S. fixed-income market with primary exposure to domestic bonds and serves institutional and retail investors pursuing income generation and risk-adjusted returns in securitized credit. Geographically, its portfolio is concentrated in U.S.-issued securities, with no significant international operations beyond the fund's domicile in the United States.
In recent developments, Manulife John Hancock Investments has continued to evolve its ETF offerings, including the launch of a new active ETF targeting select value opportunities and brand evolutions to reflect broader capabilities within Manulife's global wealth and asset management platform as of 2025; additionally, ongoing portfolio management emphasizes a bottom-up approach to identify attractive securities amid mortgage-backed market dynamics, with updated investor fact sheets and promotional materials highlighting performance, holdings, and differentiation from benchmarks released quarterly through mid-2025. No major acquisitions, funding rounds, or structural reorganizations specific to JHMB have been reported in the last 1-2 years, though the fund maintains steady asset growth and dividend distributions.