HPS vs. JFIVX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) and John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust (JFIVX).

HPS is managed by John Hancock. It was launched on Jun 19, 2003. JFIVX is managed by John Hancock. It was launched on Nov 4, 2012.

Performance

HPS vs. JFIVX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) and John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust (JFIVX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

HPS vs. JFIVX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
HPS John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III	1.08%	4.86%	15.65%	7.66%	-16.56%	16.44%	-3.00%	31.43%	-8.37%	9.72%
JFIVX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust	-7.14%	17.54%	24.61%	25.92%	-18.30%	28.31%	18.03%	31.05%	-5.00%	17.27%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, HPS achieves a 1.08% return, which is significantly higher than JFIVX's -7.14% return.

HPS

• 1D: 2.96%
• 1M: -2.92%
• YTD: 1.08%
• 6M: -3.58%
• 1Y: 3.89%
• 3Y*: 8.40%
• 5Y*: 3.44%
• 10Y*: 5.59%

JFIVX

• 1D: -0.40%
• 1M: -7.72%
• YTD: -7.14%
• 6M: -4.72%
• 1Y: 14.13%
• 3Y*: 16.82%
• 5Y*: 11.10%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

HPS vs. JFIVX - Expense Ratio Comparison

HPS has a 0.01% expense ratio, which is lower than JFIVX's 0.30% expense ratio.

JFIVX

John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust

HPS

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III

Return for Risk

HPS vs. JFIVX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

HPS

HPS Risk / Return Rank: 11
HPS Sharpe Ratio Rank: 12
HPS Sortino Ratio Rank: 10
HPS Omega Ratio Rank: 11
HPS Calmar Ratio Rank: 13
HPS Martin Ratio Rank: 11

JFIVX

JFIVX Risk / Return Rank: 42
JFIVX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 48
JFIVX Sortino Ratio Rank: 44
JFIVX Omega Ratio Rank: 49
JFIVX Calmar Ratio Rank: 31
JFIVX Martin Ratio Rank: 38

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

HPS vs. JFIVX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) and John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust (JFIVX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	HPS	JFIVX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.31	0.92	-0.62
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	0.49	1.31	-0.82
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.07	1.20	-0.13
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.35	0.85	-0.51
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	0.93	3.97	-3.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

HPS vs. JFIVX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current HPS Sharpe Ratio is 0.31, which is lower than the JFIVX Sharpe Ratio of 0.92. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of HPS and JFIVX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	HPS	JFIVX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.31	0.92	-0.62
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22	0.68	-0.46
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.26	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.24	0.72	-0.47

Correlation

The correlation between HPS and JFIVX is 0.42, which is considered to be moderate. This suggests that the two assets have some degree of positive relationship in their price movements. Moderate correlation can be acceptable for portfolio diversification, offering a balance between risk and potential returns.

Dividends

HPS vs. JFIVX - Dividend Comparison

HPS's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.27%, more than JFIVX's 2.75% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
HPS John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III	9.27%	9.16%	8.78%	9.34%	9.15%	7.04%	7.63%	7.41%	9.26%	7.82%	8.27%	7.53%
JFIVX John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust	2.75%	2.56%	2.19%	2.44%	5.19%	5.17%	3.38%	2.97%	2.90%	1.27%	0.00%	0.00%

Drawdowns

HPS vs. JFIVX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum HPS drawdown since its inception was -70.04%, which is greater than JFIVX's maximum drawdown of -33.81%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for HPS and JFIVX.

Drawdown Indicators

	HPS	JFIVX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-70.04%	-33.81%	-36.23%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-10.04%	-12.13%	+2.09%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-29.39%	-24.67%	-4.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-52.12%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-5.69%	-8.94%	+3.25%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-8.41%	-4.69%	-3.72%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	3.76%	2.73%	+1.03%

Volatility

HPS vs. JFIVX - Volatility Comparison

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) has a higher volatility of 5.07% compared to John Hancock Variable Insurance Trust 500 Index Trust (JFIVX) at 4.23%. This indicates that HPS's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than JFIVX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	HPS	JFIVX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	5.07%	4.23%	+0.84%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	7.61%	9.09%	-1.48%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.67%	16.20%	-3.53%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.68%	16.50%	-0.82%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.46%	18.42%	+3.04%