ETF Evaluator:
JHancock Core Bond ETF ()
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(as of Aug 26)
Best Performing in Intermediate Core Bond Over the Last Year
| 7.3% | Aptus Enhanced Yield ETF (JUCY) |
| 6.6% | SGI Enhanced Core ETF (USDX) |
| 5.9% | Hartford Schroders Tax-Aware Bond ETF (HTAB) |
| 5.1% | Overlay Shares Core Bond ETF (OVB) |
| 4.8% | NEOS Enhanced Income Aggregate Bond ETF (BNDI) |
Risk
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Risk
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ETF Details
JHancock Core Bond ETF Overview
JHancock Core Bond ETF (JHCR) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core Bond exchange-traded fund (ETF). John Hancock launched the ETF in 2024.
The investment seeks a high level of current income consistent with preservation of capital and maintenance of liquidity.
Under normal market conditions, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets in investment-grade bonds (securities rated from AAA to BBB by S&P Global Ratings (S&P) and Fitch Ratings, Inc. (Fitch Ratings) and Aaa to Baa by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (Moody’s), or equivalent by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO) or their unrated equivalents as determined to be of comparable credit quality by the fund’s manager).
About JHancock Core Bond ETF (JHCR)
There are 5 members of the management team with an average tenure of 1.55 years: Pranay Sonalkar (2024), Connor Minnaar (2024), Spencer Godfrey (2025), Jeffrey Given (2024) and Howard Greene (2024). Management tenure is more important for actively managed ETFs than passive index ETFs.
JHancock Core Bond ETF has 988 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 11.6% of the ETF’s assets. The ETF meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The ETF is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
JHancock Core Bond ETF is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond ETF group. JHancock Core Bond ETF has 1.0% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.0% There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.4% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 98.0% (97.1% domestic bond, 1.0% foreign bond and 0.2% convertible bond). JHancock Core Bond ETF has 1.4% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $2 billion in total assets, which is below the $6 billion average for the Intermediate Core Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
JHCR Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The JHancock Core Bond ETF expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category. JHancock Core Bond ETF has an expense ratio of 0.29%, which is 9% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a C. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. JHancock Core Bond ETF has a portfolio turnover rate of 118%, which indicates that it holds its assets around / 0.0 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 95% for the Intermediate Core Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, JHancock Core Bond ETF returned -1.3%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Intermediate Core Bond category had an average return of -1.2%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all ETFs in that category.
JHancock Core Bond ETF has a trailing yield of 4.28%, which is below the 4.44% category average.
The fund normally distributes its income monthly and its capital gains annually.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
JHancock Core Bond ETF Grades
Year to date, the ETF has returned -0.5%, 0.2 percentage points worse than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 3.2% over the past year (grade of A).
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JHCR Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| JHCR Return (NAV) | -1.3% | -0.8% | 3.2% | na | na | na |
| JHCR Return (Price) | -1.2% | -0.5% | 3.2% | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Return | -0.135% | -0.268% | -0.025% | na | na | na |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -1.2% | -0.7% | 3.0% | 4.0% | -0.3% | 1.5% |
| JHCR Grade (NAV) | D | C | A | na | na | na |
| +/- Category (NAV) | -0.1% | -0.1% | 0.2% | na | na | na |
| JHCR Tax-Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.7% | na | na | na |
JHCR Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| JHCR Return (NAV) | -0.5% | 7.8% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| JHCR Return (Price) | -0.4% | 7.3% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| NAV +/- Price Ret | -0.209% | -0.073% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -0.4% | 7.1% | 1.9% | 6.0% | -13.2% | -1.5% | 7.6% | 9.1% | -0.5% | 3.7% | 3.0% |
| JHCR Grade (NAV) | C | A | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| +/- Category | -0.2% | 0.7% | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na | na |
| Risk Measures | |
| Beta: | na |
| R-Squared: | na |
| Standard Deviation: | na |
| Category Risk Index: | na |
| Category Risk Rating: | |
| Total Risk Index: | na |
| Total Risk Rating: | |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Yield: | 4.3% |
| Total Assets: | $ 2,460 Mil |
| Share Class Assets: | $ 2,460 Mil |
| Turnover: | 118.0% |
| Expense Ratio: | 0.29% |
| Index Fund: | No |
| Index Tracked: | N/A |
| Index Weighting: | 100% |
| Leveraged: | No |
| Socially Responsible Fund: | No |
| Capital Gains Distribution Frequency: | Annually |
| Income Distribution Frequency: | Monthly |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 5 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 1.6 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 1.6 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Sonalkar Pranay (2024), Minnaar Connor (2024), Given Jeffrey (2024), Greene Howard (2024), Godfrey Spencer (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 7/31/26)
| # of Holdings: | 988 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 11.6% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 1.0% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.0% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.4% |
| Domestic Bond: | 97.1% |
| Foreign Bond: | 1.0% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.2% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | 1.4% |
Purchase Information
| Legal Structure: | Open Ended Investment Company |
| Fund Family: | John Hancock |
| Phone Number: | 800-225-6020 |
| Website: | www.jhfunds.com |
| Inception Date: | December 18, 2024 |
Expenses and Fees
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.29% (Rating: Below Avg) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.32% |
