Director Kenneth Phelan buys HPS (HPS) shares in open-market purchase

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III director reports open-market share purchase. Director Kenneth J. Phelan bought 682.662 common shares of beneficial interest in John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III on January 26, 2026, in a transaction coded "P" for purchase. The reported price per share is $14.65, and following this transaction he beneficially owns 682.662 shares in direct form. The filing notes that these figures are approximate because, given the timing of the fund’s net asset value determination, the exact price per share and corresponding share amount cannot be finalized at the time of the report.

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Phelan Kenneth J

(Last) (First) (Middle)

C/O JOHN HANCOCK

200 BERKELEY STREET

(Street)

BOSTON MA 02116

(City) (State) (Zip)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
JOHN HANCOCK PREFERRED INCOME FUND III [ HPS ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director		10% Owner
	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
01/26/2026

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Shares of Beneficial Interest(1)	01/26/2026		P		682.662(1)	A	$14.65(1)	682.662(1)	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. This figure is approximate. Due to the timing of the Fund's determination of its net asset value, the price per share, and the number of shares of the Fund that corresponds to, or held as a result of, the purchase cannot be determined at the time of this filing.

	Thomas W. Dee, by Power of Attorney	01/27/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.

FAQ

What insider transaction did HPS report for Kenneth J. Phelan?

John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) reported that director Kenneth J. Phelan purchased 682.662 common shares of beneficial interest on January 26, 2026 in an open-market transaction coded "P".

At what price did the HPS director purchase shares on January 26, 2026?

The transaction for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) is reported at a price of $14.65 per share, with a footnote stating that the price and share amount are approximate due to the timing of the fund’s net asset value determination.

How many HPS shares does Kenneth J. Phelan own after this Form 4 transaction?

After the reported transaction, director Kenneth J. Phelan beneficially owns 682.662 John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) common shares of beneficial interest, held in direct ownership.

What does the transaction code "P" mean in the HPS Form 4 filing?

In the Form 4 for John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS), the transaction code "P" indicates an open-market or private purchase of the security by the reporting person.

Is the reported HPS share and price information exact or estimated?

The Form 4 includes a footnote stating that the 682.662 shares and the $14.65 price per share are approximate because the fund’s net asset value, and thus the precise price and corresponding share amount, cannot be determined at the time of the filing.

Does Kenneth J. Phelan hold HPS shares directly or indirectly?

The Form 4 shows that the 682.662 John Hancock Preferred Income Fund III (HPS) shares are held in direct (D) ownership by Kenneth J. Phelan, with no indirect ownership relationship noted.