BOSTON, March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC and subadvised by Manulife Investment Management (US) LLC, announced today sources of its monthly distribution of $0.0825 per share paid to all shareholders of record as of March 12, 2026, pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan. This press release is issued as required by an exemptive order granted to the Fund by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Notification of Sources of Distribution

This notice provides shareholders of the John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) with important information concerning the distribution declared on March 2, 2026, and payable on March 31, 2026. No action is required on your part.

Distribution Period:	March 2026
Distribution Amount Per Common Share:	$0.0825

The following table sets forth the estimated sources of the current distribution, payable March 31, 2026, and the cumulative distributions paid this fiscal year to date from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short term capital gains; net realized long term capital gains; and return of capital or other capital source. All amounts are expressed on a per common share basis and as a percentage of the distribution amount.

	For the period 03/01/2026-03/31/2026		For the fiscal year-to-date period 11/01/2025-03/31/2026 ¹
Source	Current Distribution ($)	% Breakdown of the Current Distribution	Total Cumulative Distributions ($)	% Breakdown of the Total Cumulative Distributions
Net Investment Income	0.0789	96 %	0.3199	78 %
Net Realized Short- Term Capital Gains	0.0000	0 %	0.0140	3 %
Net Realized Long- Term Capital Gains	0.0011	1 %	0.0786	19 %
Return of Capital or Other Capital Source	0.0025	3 %	0.0000	0 %
Total per common share	0.0825	100 %	0.4125	100 %

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¹The Fund's current fiscal year began on November 1, 2025 and will end on October 31, 2026.

Average annual total return (in relation to NAV) for the 5 years ended on February 28, 2026				11.55 %

Annualized current distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of February 28, 2026				6.55 %

Cumulative total return (in relation to NAV) for the fiscal year through February 28, 2026				10.75 %

Cumulative fiscal year-to-date distribution rate expressed as a percentage of NAV as of February 28, 2026				2.73 %

You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of this distribution or from the terms of the Fund's managed distribution plan.

The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and net realized capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur, for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income."

The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this Notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.

The Fund has declared the March 2026 distribution pursuant to the Fund's managed distribution plan (the "Plan"). Under the Plan, the Fund makes fixed monthly distributions in the amount of $0.0825 per share, which will continue to be paid monthly until further notice.

If you have questions or need additional information, please contact your financial professional or call the Manulife John Hancock Closed-End Fund Information Line at 1-800-843-0090, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined by the United States securities laws. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Fund's control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

An investor should consider a Fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing.

About Manulife John Hancock Investments

We serve investors through a unique multimanager approach, complementing our extensive in-house capabilities with an unrivaled network of specialized asset managers, backed by some of the most rigorous investment oversight in the industry. The result is a diverse lineup of time-tested investments from a premier asset manager with a heritage of financial stewardship.

About Manulife Wealth & Asset Management

As part of Manulife Financial Corporation, Manulife Wealth & Asset Management provides global investment, financial advice, and retirement plan services to 19 million individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. Our mission is to make decisions easier and lives better by empowering people today to invest for a better tomorrow. As a committed partner to our clients and as a responsible steward of investor capital, we offer a heritage of risk management, deep expertise across public and private markets, and comprehensive retirement plan services. We seek to provide better investment and impact outcomes and to help people confidently save and invest for a more secure financial future. Not all offerings are available in all jurisdictions. For additional information, please visit manulife.com.

Media Contact:	Gordon Haight (617) 572-0034
Investor Contact:	(800) 843-0090

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SOURCE John Hancock Investment Management

JOHN HANCOCK PREMIUM DIVIDEND FUND NOTICE TO SHAREHOLDERS - SOURCES OF DISTRIBUTION UNDER SECTION 19(a)