Manulife Introduces New Products - Analyst Blog

John Hancock Financial, a unit of Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC) has introduced two Lifecycle portfolios, enabling its investors to have a choice in asset allocation options to match their 401(k) needs.

John Hancock's new Retirement Choices+ is made up of index funds and features a lower amount of equities near retirement. Retirement Choices+ target-date portfolios are designed to accommodate investors "to" retirement and accommodate the participant who wishes to select another investment strategy at the time of retirement.

Retirement Choices will be a part of John Hancock Retirement Plan Services' original Lifecycle suite, which was introduced in 2006 and has been renamed Retirement Living. The Retirement Living Lifecycle Portfolios allow investors to remain in the same portfolio through their retirement years. The portfolios are designed to deliver higher growth by maintaining higher overall exposure to equities.

Besides Retirement Choices Portfolios, John Hancock also offers the risk-based Lifestyle Portfolios (with nearly $60 billion in asset under management and the age-based Retirement Living, under 401(k) platform. Over the past 15 years, John Hancock has been offering asset allocation portfolios to help investors save for retirement.

Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, Manulife Financial through its subsidiaries operates as a life insurance company. The company also offers reinsurance services. The company operates as Manulife Financial in Canada and Asia and primarily as John Hancock in the United States.

We currently maintain a "Neutral" recommendation on Manulife Financial. The quantitative Zacks #4 Rank (short-term Sell rating) for the company indicates downward directional pressure on the shares over the near term.