February 4, 2025
Navigating 2025: cautious steps in a dynamic market
With slower Fed rate cuts and the U.S. dollar's recent rally, is prudence the right approach for 2025?
Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund
Core, value, growth? It’s not about being bound by factor bets or style-related biases, but about different pieces of the puzzle coming together as one. Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund is powered by a style-agnostic, bottom-up approach that handpicks compelling investment ideas from across the world’s most dynamic equity market.
Invest with fewer restrictions
Hear from Michael J. Scanlon, Jr., CFA, co-head of the Manulife Capital Appreciation Team and portfolio manager of Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund. By emphasizing individual company analysis over factor bets, Michael talks about putting together a stock pickers' portfolio with a total-return focus.
Why invest in Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund?
Broaden your horizons with a portfolio that puts in-depth company analysis at the forefront. Strive for long-term value with an outcome-driven strategy that scours the U.S. market for attractive total-return opportunities.
High-conviction portfolio. Built from the ground up.
Prioritize attractively valued names with the fund’s long-standing margin of safety approach. Target quality companies with distinct competitive advantages, proven management teams and company-specific catalysts that unlock value. Benefit from a multifaceted approach that invests across styles, market capitalizations, and much more.
Why U.S. equities?
Despite recent volatility, the U.S. equity market continues to offer comparative strength against other regions. Including U.S. stocks in your portfolio has potential to offer greater upside compared to a portfolio composed solely of Canadian equities.
U.S. equities present robust long-term growth potential driven by the S&P 500 Index’s historical outperformance.1
The market’s substantial size and depth could offer abundant investment options and high liquidity to help ensure smooth transaction execution.
Gaining exposure to some of the largest global companies with diversification across sectors and market capitalization can help strike a better balance.
Access to U.S. companies with attractive business models trading at discounts to their intrinsic values can help capture upside potential.
Boldly standing the test of time
In market ups and downs, evoking a strong sense of stability is paramount. Despite recent volatility south of the border, the S&P 500 Index has historically demonstrated a pattern of long-term growth, resiliency, and recovery—particularly in the aftermath of geopolitical and economic disruptions. How can we be sure we’re fully harnessing the strength of some of the world’s most influential companies?
Despite a slew of headwinds, U.S. equities have powered through over time
Tracking the growth of the S&P 500 Index amid historical events spanning nearly five decades
Exhibiting breadth and depth
Crafting a well-rounded portfolio involves exploring diverse cross-border investment opportunities. U.S. equities represent a sizable share of the global equity market—a testament to their prominence and relevance on the world stage. Tap into a wide range of companies varying according to market capitalization, sector of activity, and more.
U.S. equities are a formidable force on the world stage
Highlighting the breakdown of the MSCI World Index by country
Also available with a covered call option
For investors considering U.S. equity exposure but aiming for a more balanced approach to volatility, Manulife Covered Call U.S. Equity Fund/Class offers healthy participation in up markets with downside protection in falling markets.
Smooth out volatility and enhance risk mitigation with the help of an options overlay.
Aim to benefit from a potentially shorter recovery time after market disruptions, thanks to a lower volatility profile and downside protection.
Target consistent risk-adjusted returns throughout a full market cycle with an outcome-oriented approach.
U.S. equities with added protection
With the addition of calls and puts for downside protection, Manulife Covered Call U.S. Equity Fund/Class can be thought of as a low beta equity mandate with a track record similar to that of a balanced fund. Find out how we complement our U.S. equity portfolio with derivatives.
Alpha potential. Downside protection.
Manulife Covered Call U.S. Equity Fund/Class is a high-conviction portfolio composed of roughly 50 names with multiple sources of total return. Designed to capture alpha and limit downside risks, it relies on derivatives to employ single-stock overwriting and an opportunistic put-spread strategy.
Alpha potential stems from stock selection, while downside protection is derived through an opportunistic put-spread strategy combined with income generated from a single stock overwriting strategy. The end result—a combination of call and put positions that can act as a potential source of beta reduction and downside protection.
Learn more about the funds
About the team
Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund and Manulife Covered Call U.S. Equity Fund/Class are led by the Manulife Capital Appreciation Team headquartered in Boston. With an average of 23 years of investment experience, the 17-member team oversees a diverse range of global sector strategies and manages $26.6 billion in assets.²
Learn more about the team
Strengthen your portfolio by getting down to the core
Discover our new global multimanager solution, which includes the likes of Manulife U.S. Opportunities Fund and some of our other top-tier funds.
Related viewpoints
March 5, 2025
Episode 104: Navigating tariffs, policy and Canada-U.S. trade tensions
Rising tensions, evolving trade policies, and potential tariffs have sparked widespread discussions—even going as far as rallying hockey fans on both sides of the Canada-US border. Are these policies merely a negotiation tactic, or do they signal a shift in North American trade dynamics?
Resources
Important disclosures
Important disclosures
1 Dow Jones, MSCI, as of May 31, 2025. 2 As of March 31, 2025, shown in Canadian dollars.
© 2025 Manulife Investment Management.
Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently, and past performance may not be repeated.
This media reflects the views of the subadvisor of Manulife Investment Management Limited. These views are subject to change as market and other conditions warrant. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals to ensure that any action taken with respect to this information is appropriate to their specific situation. The commentary does not constitute an offer or an invitation by or on behalf of Manulife Investment Management to any person to buy or sell any security or investment product. This material should not be revised as a current or past recommendation or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell investment products or to adopt any investment strategy. Manulife Investment Management is not responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
Manulife Funds are managed by Manulife Investment Management Limited. Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of Manulife Investment Management Limited. Mawer Investment Management is portfolio sub-advisor to certain funds offered and managed by Manulife Investment Management Limited.
The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company (Manulife) is the issuer of insurance contracts containing Manulife segregated funds and the guarantor of any guarantee provisions therein. Manulife Investment Management is a trade name of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company. Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with segregated fund investments. Please read the Information Folder, Contract and Fund Facts before investing.
Manulife, Manulife Investment Management, Stylized M Design, and Manulife Investment Management & Stylized M Design are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.
4597337