What this ETF is trying to do

The John Hancock Income Securities Trust (JHS) is an ETF designed to provide investors with income. It focuses on paying out distributions to people who want regular cash payments from their investments.

What the numbers show

As of October 9, 2026, the share price of JHS is $10.17.

When looking at performance, it is important to distinguish between price return (the change in the share price) and total return (which includes the share price change plus distributions).

• Year-to-Date (YTD): The price return is -13.19%, while the total return is -9.58%.

• One Year: The price return is -14.65%, while the total return is -9.68%.

• Three Year: The price return is 0.54%, while the total return is 17.22%.

• Five Year: The total return is -14.81%.

An estimated price from roughly one year ago was $11.91. For example, if an investor had put $10,000 into the share price alone one year ago, the price-only decline of -14.65% would mean the value of those shares is now approximately $8,535.

Income and distribution explanation

JHS usually pays distributions quarterly. Over the last 12 months, it has made 4 payouts totaling $0.63 per share. This results in a distribution yield of approximately 6.19%.

It is important for beginners to remember that a high distribution yield alone can be misleading. A yield tells you how much cash is being paid out relative to the price, but it does not guarantee that the investor is making a profit overall.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" happens when the underlying value of an ETF's assets declines over time. StockValueFinder uses an erosion-risk score to measure this. JHS has an erosion score of 75, which is labeled as "Mild price erosion." This is a measurement of risk rather than a guarantee that the fund's value has collapsed.

Pros

• Regular Income: The fund provides quarterly cash distributions.

• Positive Long-Term Total Return: Over a three-year period, the total return was 17.22%.

Cons

• Recent Price Decline: The share price has fallen over the last year and year-to-date.

• Negative Five-Year Return: The total return over five years is -14.81%.

• Erosion Risk: The fund has a "mild" erosion-risk label.

Beginner takeaway

JHS is an income-focused ETF. While it pays a distribution yield of about 6.19%, the share price has declined recently. Income investors generally care about "principal stability," which means they want the original amount they invested to stay steady even while they collect cash payments. In this case, the total return is higher than the price return because the distributions helped offset some of the share-price decline.