- Issuer
- John Hancock
- Inception Date
- May 1, 2005
- Category
- Small Cap Growth Equities
- Min. Investment
- $0
- Distribution Policy
- Distributing
- Asset Class
- Equity
- Asset Class Size
- Small-Cap
- Asset Class Style
- Growth
Share Price Chart
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Performance
JESGX Performance Chart
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust (JESGX) is up 10.0% since the beginning of the year. JESGX is currently trading at $8 per share. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of JESGX shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $1,139.
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Returns By Period
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust (JESGX) has returned 9.95% so far this year and 28.60% over the past 12 months.
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust
- 1D
- 0.37%
- 1M
- 3.73%
- YTD
- 9.95%
- 6M
- 9.05%
- 1Y
- 28.60%
- 3Y*
- 14.93%
- 5Y*
- 2.63%
- 10Y*
- —
Benchmark (S&P 500 Index)
- 1D
- -0.74%
- 1M
- 4.90%
- YTD
- 10.35%
- 6M
- 10.28%
- 1Y
- 26.52%
- 3Y*
- 20.83%
- 5Y*
- 12.30%
- 10Y*
- 13.66%
JESGX Monthly Returns History
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Feb 1, 2017, JESGX's average daily return is +0.06%, while the average monthly return is +1.09%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 5.3 years.
Historically, 62% of months were positive and 38% were negative. The best month was Apr 2020 with a return of +16.5%, while the worst month was Mar 2020 at -19.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 12 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.
On a daily basis, JESGX closed higher 51% of trading days. The best single day was Mar 24, 2020 with a return of +9.4%, while the worst single day was Mar 16, 2020 at -13.9%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.09% | -0.54% | -5.69% | 11.21% | 5.30% | -0.98% | 9.95% | ||||||
| 2025 | 6.75% | -10.78% | -4.19% | -0.84% | 3.90% | 4.73% | 1.56% | 3.53% | 1.93% | 2.55% | 4.40% | -0.27% | 12.66% |
| 2024 | -2.05% | 5.94% | 3.14% | -7.36% | 5.35% | -0.16% | 6.08% | 0.46% | 1.23% | -1.98% | 10.09% | -8.04% | 11.64% |
| 2023 | 6.96% | -1.30% | -3.01% | -0.58% | -0.39% | 8.43% | 2.17% | -3.54% | -4.59% | -7.50% | 9.36% | 11.03% | 16.10% |
| 2022 | -13.65% | 1.47% | -0.33% | -11.94% | -5.45% | -8.71% | 11.75% | -3.02% | -7.72% | 9.69% | 2.85% | -7.02% | -30.38% |
| 2021 | 1.93% | 3.13% | -2.87% | 3.86% | -5.62% | 4.44% | -1.44% | 1.55% | -4.81% | 4.58% | -5.11% | 2.40% | 1.18% |
Benchmark Metrics
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust has an annualized alpha of -3.12%, beta of 1.12, and R2 of 0.72 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since February 02, 2017.
- This fund participated in 112.55% of S&P 500 Index downside but only 100.92% of its upside - more exposed to losses than it benefited from rallies.
- This fund had an annualized alpha of -3.12% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering less than market exposure alone would predict.
- With beta of 1.12 and R2 of 0.72, this fund moves broadly in line with S&P 500 Index - much of its variation is explained by market exposure rather than independent behavior.
- Alpha
- -3.12%
- Beta
- 1.12
- R²
- 0.72
- Upside Capture
- 100.92%
- Downside Capture
- 112.55%
Expense Ratio
JESGX has a high expense ratio of 1.12%, indicating above-average management fees.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
JESGX ranks 41 for risk / return — on par with similar mutual funds. You're getting a typical balance of risk and reward. Not a standout, but not a red flag either — a reasonable choice if other factors align with your goals.
Return / Risk — by metrics
The table below present risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust (JESGX) and compare them to S&P 500 Index.
| JESGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.41 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.38 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.32 | 1.41 | -0.09 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 2.52 | 2.93 | -0.41 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 9.55 | 13.52 | -3.97 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
Dividends
Dividend History
John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust provided a 0.06% dividend yield over the last twelve months, with an annual payout of $0.01 per share.
| Period | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend | $0.01 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.09 | $1.84 | $1.27 | $3.36 | $0.66 |
Dividend yield | 0.06% | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 41.46% | 17.95% | 10.63% | 37.80% | 7.24% |
Monthly Dividends
The table displays the monthly dividend distributions for John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust. The dividends shown in the table have been adjusted to account for any splits that may have occurred.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | ||||||
| 2025 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.01 |
| 2024 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2023 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| 2022 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.09 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $2.09 |
| 2021 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.84 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1.84 |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust was 42.87%, occurring on Jun 16, 2022. Recovery took 954 trading sessions.
The current John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust Small Cap Stock Trust drawdown is 0.98%.
Related event | Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bear market2022 | -42.87%Jun 2022 | 1y 4mo | 3y 11mo | 5y 3moFeb 2021 - May 2026 |
COVID crash2020 | -38.66%Mar 2020 | 27d | 3mo 22d | 4mo 19dFeb 2020 - Jul 2020 |
Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 | -28.29%Dec 2018 | 3mo 8d | 5mo 28d | 9mo 6dSep 2018 - Jun 2019 |
2019 pullback2019 | -9.76%Oct 2019 | 2mo 11d | 1mo 8d | 3mo 19dJul 2019 - Nov 2019 |
2018 pullback2018 | -8.53%Feb 2018 | 10d | 27d | 1mo 7dJan 2018 - Mar 2018 |
Drawdown Indicators
| JESGX | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -42.87% | -56.78% | +13.91% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -13.84% | -9.10% | -4.74% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -26.97% | -18.90% | -8.07% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -41.18% | -25.43% | -15.75% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | — | -33.92% | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -0.98% | -0.74% | -0.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.86% | -10.72% | -4.14% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 3.46% | 1.97% | +1.49% |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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