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

FORM N-CSR

CERTIFIED SHAREHOLDER REPORT OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES

Investment Company Act file number 811- 4173

John Hancock Investors Trust
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

Salvatore Schiavone
Treasurer

601 Congress Street
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
(Name and address of agent for service)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 617-663-4497

Date of fiscal year end: October 31
  
Date of reporting period: April 30, 2015



ITEM 1. REPORT TO SHAREHOLDERS.






John Hancock

Investors Trust


Ticker: JHI Semiannual report 4/30/15

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A message to shareholders

Dear fellow shareholder,

U.S. economic growth continued, despite recent weakness caused largely by the harsh winter weather. The market expansion that began in 2009 so far remains intact. Positive economic and business news has translated into good news for U.S. investors, with continued solid results for a range of U.S. equity indexes in recent months. Many fixed-income indexes have also seen positive returns in this environment.

Outside of the United States, economies are struggling to replicate the kind of success we have enjoyed at home. Central banks across Europe and Asia have announced dramatic monetary policy measures to promote economic activity—similar to the monetary policy activity of the U.S. Federal Reserve in recent years. As was the case in the United States beginning in 2009, many international markets have rallied in advance of sustained economic progress. China's stock market in particular has delivered extraordinary gains. In fact, our network of asset managers and research firms believes that government and central bank stimulus may prove to be the biggest driver of international market returns in 2015.

While maintaining adequate portfolio diversification is vital in any market environment, we believe it is especially important today given the unprecedented central bank interventions of the past few years and the very real geopolitical risk around the world. The uncertainty of today's global financial markets is one of the reasons we at John Hancock Investments believe it is important for long-term portfolios to have exposure to a diverse range of investments. Now may be a good time to discuss the resilience of your portfolio with your financial advisor.

On behalf of everyone at John Hancock Investments, I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome new shareholders and to thank existing shareholders for the continued trust you've placed in us.

Sincerely,

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Andrew G. Arnott
President and Chief Executive Officer
John Hancock Investments

This commentary reflects the CEO's views as of April 30, 2015. They are subject to change at any time. For more up-to-date information, you can visit our website at jhinvestments.com.


John Hancock
Investors Trust

Table of contents

     
2   Your fund at a glance
4   Discussion of fund performance
8   Fund's investments
20   Financial statements
24   Financial highlights
25   Notes to financial statements
33   Additional information
34   Shareholder meeting
35   More information

1


Your fund at a glance

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVE


The fund seeks to generate income for distribution to its shareholders, with capital appreciation as a secondary objective.

AVERAGE ANNUAL TOTAL RETURNS AS OF 4/30/15 (%)


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The Barclays U.S. Government/Credit Bond Index is an unmanaged index of U.S. government bonds, U.S. corporate bonds, and Yankee bonds.

It is not possible to invest directly in an index.

The fund's most recent performance and current annualized distribution rate can be found at www.jhinvestments.com.

The performance data contained within this material represents past performance, which does not guarantee future results.

2


PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS


High-yield and emerging-market bonds underperformed investment-grade bonds

The sharp downturn in oil prices disrupted the financial markets in late 2014, pressuring the performance of high-yield bonds and emerging-market debt.

Emphasis on higher-yielding securities detracted

The fund held substantial weightings in the credit-sensitive asset classes, which detracted from performance during the six-month period.

Positioning in investment-grade bonds helped

The fund's positioning in the investment-grade segment added value but was not enough to offset the weaker performance in high yield and the emerging markets.

PORTFOLIO COMPOSITION AS OF 4/30/15 (%)


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A note about risks

As is the case with all closed-end funds, shares of this fund may trade at a discount or a premium to the fund's net asset value (NAV). An investment in the fund is subject to investment and market risks, including the possible loss of the entire principal invested. There is no guarantee prior distribution levels will be maintained, and distributions may include a substantial return of capital, which may increase the potential tax gain or reduce the potential tax loss of a subsequent sale of shares of the fund. Fixed-income investments are subject to interest-rate and credit risk; their value will normally decline as interest rates rise or if a creditor, grantor, or counterparty is unable or unwilling to make principal, interest, or settlement payments. Investments in higher-yielding, lower-rated securities include a higher risk of default. An issuer of securities held by the fund may default, have its credit rating downgraded, or otherwise perform poorly, which may affect fund performance. Certain market conditions, including reduced trading volume, heightened volatility, and rising interest rates, may impair liquidity, the ability of the fund to sell securities or close derivative positions at advantageous prices. The fund's use of leverage creates additional risks, including greater volatility of the fund's NAV, market price, and returns. There is no assurance that the fund's leverage strategy will be successful.

3


Discussion of fund performance

An interview with Portfolio Manager Jeffrey N. Given, CFA, John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC

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Jeffrey N. Given, CFA
Portfolio Manager
John Hancock Asset Management

Can you describe the market environment of the past six months?

Investment-grade bonds performed well during the fund's semiannual reporting period, but the more credit-sensitive areas of the market—including high-yield bonds and emerging-market debt—lagged. The primary reason for the shortfall in these areas was the extreme downturn that occurred in November and December. During this time, a sharp decline in the price of oil led to a sell-off in the bonds of companies with energy sector exposure. Coming at a time of low year-end trading volumes, this selling pressure spilled over to the entire high-yield market and led to substantial weakness across the asset class. The emerging markets were also hurt by the downturn in oil, as it muddied the credit outlook for oil-exporting nations.

Market performance stabilized with the onset of the new year, as liquidity conditions returned to normal and the price of oil began a gradual recovery. Investors became more comfortable with the outlook for U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed) policy, as slowing economic growth reduced the likelihood that the Fed would raise rates before autumn. The resulting recovery in the credit-sensitive asset classes enabled them to finish the six-month period with a positive return. Still, high-yield and emerging-market bonds lagged government bonds and investment-grade corporate debt, both of which were supported by the environment of slow growth, low inflation, and expectations of "lower for longer" Fed policy.

What aspects of the fund's positioning helped and hurt relative performance?

The fund delivered a positive return at net asset value but underperformed its comparative index, the Barclays U.S. Government/Credit Bond Index, during the semiannual period.

In managing the portfolio, we emphasize higher-yielding market segments such as high-yield bonds and emerging-market debt, neither of which is represented in the index. The reasoning behind this positioning is twofold. First, we believe the yield advantage of these asset classes can provide a meaningful boost to total return in the current, low-rate environment. At a time in which low bond yields mean that there is lower potential for price appreciation, yield can make a meaningful

4


contribution to total returns. Second, we think these areas of the market—rather than those most sensitive to interest-rate movements—are in the best position to benefit from the backdrop of modest economic expansion.

This strategy worked well during the first half of 2014, as well as in the trailing three- and five-year periods. However, the sell-off in the energy sector in late 2014 weighed on the prices of the fund's investments in bonds issued by companies such as Samson Investment Company, Key Energy Services, Inc., and Permian Holdings, Inc. We sold the position in Key Energy Services during the period. The fund's emerging-market allocation also lagged during this time, pressuring overall performance. Still, our credit analysis showed that the individual issuers to which the fund had exposure remained fundamentally sound. We therefore maintained the fund's substantial allocations to these asset classes, and in some cases we used the sell-off as an opportunity to add modestly to positions where we thought prices had overshot to the downside.

The fund's performance subsequently improved during the January-April period, as the restoration of normal liquidity conditions and the concurrent recovery in investors' risk appetites fueled a rebound in many oversold issues. We believe this validates our long-held view that focusing on the

QUALITY COMPOSITION AS OF 4/30/15 (%)


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5


creditworthiness and fundamentals of individual securities, rather than reacting to short-term market trends, is the optimal way to achieve long-term outperformance. Still, both high-yield and emerging-market bonds finished the period behind the index, so this aspect of our positioning was a net negative for performance over the full period.

The investment-grade portion of the portfolio performed reasonably well, but not to a large enough extent to offset the relative weakness in the higher-yielding asset classes. Still, the fund generated strong performance through our investments in mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds issued by companies in the healthcare and utilities sectors, and several individual securities that performed particularly well due to company-specific developments. Among these were the bonds of Israel Electric Corp., Ltd. and Continental Resources, Inc.

What are some of the reasons behind the fund's current positioning?

We maintained a steady approach during the period, with the most notable shift being our decision to increase credit quality in the fund's high-yield portfolio. We accomplished this by reducing the fund's weighting in bonds rated CCC and adding to those rated BB and B. While this shift led to a modest reduction in the fund's yield, we believe it was prudent given our view that higher credit quality is called for at this stage of the business cycle. In addition, many companies are issuing debt to finance equity buybacks and acquisitions or to increase their dividends, all of which favor equity investors over bondholders. Believing this was a sign of rising risk in the market, we shifted the fund's positioning accordingly.

At the same time, we made a modest addition to the fund's weighting in emerging-market debt. Believing many investment-grade emerging-market corporate bonds offered attractive yields

COUNTRY COMPOSITION AS OF 4/30/15 (%)


   
United States 67.0
Mexico 3.8
Netherlands 3.6
Brazil 3.2
Luxembourg 2.7
Ireland 2.5
United Kingdom 2.5
Canada 2.3
Israel 1.3
Cayman Islands 1.0
Other Countries 10.1
Total 100.0
As a percentage of total investments.  

6


relative to similarly rated bonds in the United States, we rotated a portion of the fund's position in U.S. corporates into countries such as Mexico, Brazil, and Turkey, among others. We also believe that investments in emerging-market corporate debt can help improve overall portfolio diversification. We have been less enthusiastic on domestic investment-grade corporate bonds, which we have seen as being more fully valued. As a result, we used this segment of the portfolio as a source of funds to finance purchases in the emerging markets.

We maintained a duration below that of the comparative index throughout the period. As of April 30, 2015, the fund's duration stood at 4.1 years, which compared with 6.2 years for the index. The fund typically has a shorter duration due to its emphasis on higher-yielding securities, which tend to have shorter durations than lower-yield issues.

We continued to focus on using credit research to identify opportunities among individual securities in the higher-yielding segments of the market. Specifically, we strived to purchase the bonds of companies that demonstrated operational improvement and were effectively executing their business plans, but whose debt was also trading at attractive valuations. We believe this research-based approach is appropriate for the current environment.

MANAGED BY


   
 dennisfmccafferty.jpg Dennis F. McCafferty, CFA
On the fund since 2013
Investing since 1995
 johnfaddeo.jpg John F. Addeo, CFA
On the fund since 2012
Investing since 1984
 jeffreyngiven.jpg Jeffrey N. Given, CFA
On the fund since 2002
Investing since 1993

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The views expressed in this report are exclusively those of Jeffrey N. Given, CFA, John Hancock Asset Management, and are subject to change. They are not meant as investment advice. Please note that the holdings discussed in this report may not have been held by the fund for the entire period. Portfolio composition is subject to review in accordance with the fund's investment strategy and may vary in the future. Current and future portfolio holdings are subject to risk.

7


Fund's investments

 



                                                           
  As of 4-30-15 (unaudited)  
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Corporate bonds 130.2% (86.1% of Total investments)     $215,473,353  
  (Cost $216,475,684)  
  Consumer discretionary 16.0%     26,482,379  
  Auto components 2.7%  
  American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. (Z)     6.250     03-15-21           1,000,000     1,052,500  
  Lear Corp. (Z)     5.250     01-15-25           2,000,000     2,042,500  
  The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company (Z)     7.000     05-15-22           1,200,000     1,314,000  
  Automobiles 2.1%  
  FCA US LLC (Z)     8.000     06-15-19           1,900,000     1,990,345  
  Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (S)     5.250     04-15-23           700,000     706,125  
  General Motors Financial Company, Inc.     3.450     04-10-22           750,000     745,090  
  Hotels, restaurants and leisure 1.6%  
  Grupo Posadas SAB de CV (S)(Z)     7.875     11-30-17           600,000     598,500  
  International Game Technology PLC (S)     6.500     02-15-25           1,525,000     1,479,250  
  Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority     9.750     09-01-21           540,000     576,450  
  Waterford Gaming LLC (H)(S)     8.625     09-15-49           377,791     0  
  Household durables 1.7%  
  Argos Merger Sub, Inc. (S)(Z)     7.125     03-15-23           1,285,000     1,349,250  
  Standard Pacific Corp. (Z)     8.375     05-15-18           140,000     160,825  
  William Lyon Homes, Inc. (Z)     5.750     04-15-19           1,300,000     1,316,250  
  Internet and catalog retail 0.6%  
  QVC, Inc. (Z)     5.950     03-15-43           1,000,000     995,471  
  Media 6.0%  
  AMC Entertainment, Inc. (Z)     5.875     02-15-22           960,000     996,000  
  Cablevision Systems Corp. (Z)     7.750     04-15-18           450,000     505,125  
  CCO Holdings LLC     5.125     02-15-23           650,000     642,493  
  Cinemark USA, Inc. (Z)     7.375     06-15-21           365,000     390,550  
  DIRECTV Holdings LLC (Z)     4.450     04-01-24           355,000     374,810  
  DISH DBS Corp. (Z)     6.750     06-01-21           425,000     450,003  
  iHeartCommunications, Inc. (Z)     11.250     03-01-21           500,000     510,000  
  iHeartCommunications, Inc., PIK     14.000     02-01-21           451,602     362,411  
  Myriad International Holdings BV (S)(Z)     6.000     07-18-20           440,000     486,200  
  Numericable Group SA (S)(Z)     6.250     05-15-24           200,000     205,502  
  Outfront Media Capital LLC (Z)     5.250     02-15-22           900,000     931,500  
  Outfront Media Capital LLC (Z)     5.625     02-15-24           900,000     937,125  
  Radio One, Inc. (S)     7.375     04-15-22           945,000     954,450  
  Sinclair Television Group, Inc.     6.375     11-01-21           830,000     877,725  
  Time Warner Cable, Inc. (Z)     8.250     04-01-19           375,000     440,434  
  WMG Acquisition Corp. (S)(Z)     6.000     01-15-21           868,000     891,870  
  Multiline retail 0.4%  
  Family Tree Escrow LLC (S)(Z)     5.750     03-01-23           610,000     640,500  

8SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Consumer discretionary  (continued)        
  Specialty retail 0.9%  
  Jo-Ann Stores Holdings, Inc., PIK (S)     9.750     10-15-19           500,000     $482,500  
  L Brands, Inc. (Z)     6.950     03-01-33           990,000     1,076,625  
  Consumer staples 4.5%     7,424,159  
  Beverages 1.4%  
  Corporacion Lindley SA (S)(Z)     4.625     04-12-23           1,000,000     975,000  
  Cott Beverages, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.375     07-01-22           500,000     481,875  
  SABMiller Holdings, Inc. (S)(Z)     3.750     01-15-22           750,000     790,826  
  Food and staples retailing 0.7%  
  Aramark Services, Inc. (Z)     5.750     03-15-20           170,000     177,650  
  Office Depot de Mexico SA de CV (S)(Z)     6.875     09-20-20           610,000     655,750  
  Tops Holding Corp. (Z)     8.875     12-15-17           400,000     420,500  
  Food products 1.1%  
  HJ Heinz Company (S)     4.875     02-15-25           1,125,000     1,228,500  
  Marfrig Holding Europe BV (S)(Z)     8.375     05-09-18           600,000     583,380  
  Household products 0.8%  
  Reynolds Group Issuer, Inc. (Z)     5.750     10-15-20           1,205,000     1,259,225  
  Tobacco 0.5%  
  Lorillard Tobacco Company (Z)     6.875     05-01-20           720,000     851,453  
  Energy 14.7%     24,408,773  
  Energy equipment and services 2.0%  
  Chaparral Energy, Inc. (Z)     7.625     11-15-22           785,000     618,188  
  EDC Finance, Ltd. (S)(Z)     4.875     04-17-20           1,000,000     890,000  
  Nostrum Oil & Gas Finance BV (S)(Z)     6.375     02-14-19           1,000,000     952,500  
  Permian Holdings, Inc. (S)(Z)     10.500     01-15-18           700,000     399,000  
  RKI Exploration & Production LLC (S)(Z)     8.500     08-01-21           565,000     559,350  
  Oil, gas and consumable fuels 12.7%  
  American Energy-Permian Basin LLC (S)     7.125     11-01-20           500,000     367,500  
  California Resources Corp.     6.000     11-15-24           522,000     491,333  
  Chesapeake Energy Corp. (Z)     5.750     03-15-23           940,000     902,400  
  Clayton Williams Energy, Inc. (Z)     7.750     04-01-19           1,070,000     1,024,525  
  CNOOC Finance 2012, Ltd. (S)(Z)     5.000     05-02-42           1,000,000     1,082,124  
  Continental Resources, Inc. (Z)     4.500     04-15-23           1,305,000     1,314,268  
  EP Energy LLC (Z)     9.375     05-01-20           1,250,000     1,337,500  
  Freeport-McMoran Oil & Gas LLC (Z)     6.875     02-15-23           1,050,000     1,128,750  
  Global Partners LP     6.250     07-15-22           790,000     778,150  
  Indo Energy Finance II BV (S)     6.375     01-24-23           300,000     196,500  
  KazMunayGas National Company (S)(Z)     4.875     05-07-25           1,435,000     1,355,358  
  Linn Energy LLC (Z)     6.500     09-15-21           1,320,000     1,075,800  
  Lukoil International Finance BV (S)(Z)     4.563     04-24-23           1,000,000     890,000  
  MarkWest Energy Partners LP (Z)     4.875     12-01-24           800,000     827,520  
  MarkWest Energy Partners LP (Z)     6.500     08-15-21           725,000     761,250  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS9

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Energy  (continued)        
  Oil, gas and consumable fuels  (continued)  
  Pacific Rubiales Energy Corp. (S)     5.125     03-28-23           705,000     $498,788  
  Pan American Energy LLC (S)(Z)     7.875     05-07-21           1,100,000     1,149,500  
  Petrobras Global Finance BV     3.500     02-06-17           1,000,000     987,500  
  Petroleos Mexicanos     5.500     01-21-21           755,000     828,613  
  Rex Energy Corp. (S)     6.250     08-01-22           630,000     478,800  
  Samson Investment Company (Z)     9.750     02-15-20           1,385,000     167,931  
  Tullow Oil PLC (S)(Z)     6.000     11-01-20           1,750,000     1,610,000  
  Tullow Oil PLC (S)(Z)     6.250     04-15-22           500,000     457,500  
  Valero Energy Corp. (Z)     6.125     02-01-20           205,000     237,648  
  Williams Partners LP (Z)     4.875     03-15-24           1,015,000     1,040,477  
  Financials 27.1%     44,795,585  
  Banks 9.4%  
  Banco Bradesco SA (S)(Z)     5.750     03-01-22           500,000     527,800  
  Banco BTG Pactual SA (S)     5.750     09-28-22           960,000     876,000  
  Banco Regional S.A.E.C.A. (S)(Z)     8.125     01-24-19           400,000     430,000  
  Barclays Bank PLC (S)(Z)     10.179     06-12-21           195,000     263,210  
  CIT Group, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.500     02-15-19           800,000     834,504  
  CorpGroup Banking SA (S)(Z)     6.750     03-15-23           1,000,000     992,061  
  Credit Agricole SA (7.875% to 1-23-24, then 5 year U.S. Swap Rate + 4.898%) (Q)(S)(Z)     7.875     01-23-24           1,100,000     1,176,261  
  GTB Finance B.V. (S)(Z)     7.500     05-19-16           285,000     290,700  
  JPMorgan Chase & Co. (Z)     3.450     03-01-16           2,000,000     2,044,260  
  JPMorgan Chase & Co. (6.750% to 2-1-24, then 3 month LIBOR + 3.780%) (Q)     6.750     02-01-24           2,300,000     2,512,290  
  National City Bank of Indiana (Z)     4.250     07-01-18           2,000,000     2,145,014  
  Sberbank of Russia (S)(Z)     6.125     02-07-22           1,000,000     967,000  
  State Bank of India (S)(Z)     4.500     07-27-15           500,000     503,730  
  Wells Fargo & Company (5.900% to 6-15-24, then 3 month LIBOR + 3.110%) (Q)(Z)     5.900     06-15-24           1,860,000     1,948,350  
  Capital markets 3.8%  
  Morgan Stanley (Z)     3.800     04-29-16           1,000,000     1,029,227  
  Morgan Stanley (Z)     5.750     01-25-21           1,000,000     1,160,030  
  Morgan Stanley (5.450% to 7-15-19, then 3 month LIBOR + 3.610%) (Q)(Z)     5.450     07-15-19           505,000     508,788  
  Morgan Stanley (5.550% to 7-15-20, then 3 month LIBOR + 3.810%) (Q)     5.550     07-15-20           660,000     663,300  
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Z)     5.250     07-27-21           990,000     1,120,676  
  The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (Z)     6.250     09-01-17           1,000,000     1,105,158  
  Walter Investment Management Corp. (Z)     7.875     12-15-21           875,000     783,125  
  Consumer finance 2.7%  
  American Express Company (4.900% to 3-15-20, then 3 month LIBOR + 3.285%) (Q)     4.900     03-15-20           1,895,000     1,871,313  
  Credit Acceptance Corp. (Z)     6.125     02-15-21           565,000     553,700  

10SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Financials  (continued)        
  Consumer finance  (continued)  
  Enova International, Inc.     9.750     06-01-21           665,000     $651,700  
  Springleaf Finance Corp. (Z)     6.900     12-15-17           750,000     796,875  
  Springleaf Finance Corp.     8.250     10-01-23           500,000     570,000  
  Diversified financial services 4.6%  
  Citigroup, Inc. (5.875% to 3-27-20, then 3 month LIBOR + 4.059%) (Q)     5.875     03-27-20           545,000     548,406  
  Corporacion Andina de Fomento (Z)     3.750     01-15-16           690,000     707,250  
  Denali Borrower LLC (S)(Z)     5.625     10-15-20           1,075,000     1,148,906  
  GrupoSura Finance (S)(Z)     5.700     05-18-21           440,000     480,150  
  ING Groep NV (P)(Q)     6.000     04-16-20           1,660,000     1,660,000  
  ING Groep NV (P)(Q)     6.500     04-16-25           700,000     696,500  
  Leucadia National Corp. (Z)     5.500     10-18-23           1,000,000     1,025,853  
  Nationstar Mortgage LLC (Z)     7.875     10-01-20           505,000     520,150  
  Nielsen Finance LLC (S)(Z)     5.000     04-15-22           800,000     804,400  
  Insurance 2.5%  
  Aquarius + Investments PLC (6.375% to 9-1-19, then 5 Year U.S. Swap Rate + 5.210%)     6.375     09-01-24           1,000,000     1,068,207  
  CNA Financial Corp. (Z)     7.350     11-15-19           655,000     783,739  
  Lincoln National Corp. (7.000% to 5-17-16, then 3 month LIBOR + 2.358%) (Z)     7.000     05-17-66           370,000     354,275  
  MetLife, Inc. (Z)     6.817     08-15-18           1,000,000     1,166,161  
  Symetra Financial Corp. (8.300% to 10-15-17, then 3 month LIBOR + 4.177%) (S)(Z)     8.300     10-15-37           520,000     535,600  
  Willis North America, Inc. (Z)     7.000     09-29-19           215,000     250,812  
  Real estate investment trusts 3.3%  
  Algeco Scotsman Global Finance PLC (S)     10.750     10-15-19           920,000     735,425  
  Crown Castle Towers LLC (S)(Z)     4.883     08-15-40           750,000     821,212  
  DuPont Fabros Technology LP     5.875     09-15-21           835,000     865,269  
  Plum Creek Timberlands LP (Z)     5.875     11-15-15           345,000     353,885  
  Trust F/1401 (S)     5.250     12-15-24           2,475,000     2,623,500  
  Real estate management and development 0.2%  
  General Shopping Investments, Ltd. (12.000% to 3-20-17, then 5 Year USGG + 11.052%) (Q)(S)     12.000     03-20-17           500,000     402,750  
  Thrifts and mortgage finance 0.6%  
  Stearns Holdings, Inc. (S)     9.375     08-15-20           925,000     918,063  
  Health care 9.0%     14,981,888  
  Health care providers and services 4.9%  
  Community Health Systems, Inc. (Z)     5.125     08-01-21           200,000     207,500  
  Community Health Systems, Inc. (Z)     6.875     02-01-22           900,000     955,125  
  Covenant Surgical Partners, Inc. (S)(Z)     8.750     08-01-19           250,000     252,813  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS11

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Health care  (continued)        
  Health care providers and services  (continued)  
  DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc.     5.000     05-01-25           1,085,000     $1,085,000  
  DaVita HealthCare Partners, Inc. (Z)     5.125     07-15-24           1,395,000     1,419,587  
  HCA, Inc. (Z)     5.250     04-15-25           1,300,000     1,408,875  
  HCA, Inc. (Z)     5.375     02-01-25           330,000     346,500  
  HCA, Inc. (Z)     7.500     02-15-22           130,000     152,100  
  Select Medical Corp. (Z)     6.375     06-01-21           1,255,000     1,245,588  
  Tenet Healthcare Corp. (Z)     6.000     10-01-20           1,005,000     1,072,838  
  Pharmaceuticals 4.1%  
  Endo Finance LLC (S)(Z)     6.000     02-01-25           490,000     501,638  
  Endo Finance LLC (S)(Z)     7.250     01-15-22           1,345,000     1,422,338  
  Grifols Worldwide Operations, Ltd. (S)(Z)     5.250     04-01-22           1,235,000     1,262,788  
  Mallinckrodt International Finance SA (S)     4.875     04-15-20           500,000     508,125  
  Mallinckrodt International Finance SA (S)     5.500     04-15-25           300,000     306,000  
  Mallinckrodt International Finance SA (S)(Z)     5.750     08-01-22           710,000     734,850  
  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.500     03-01-23           250,000     252,500  
  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.625     12-01-21           990,000     1,013,513  
  Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (S)     6.125     04-15-25           806,000     834,210  
  Industrials 17.1%     28,378,893  
  Aerospace and defense 2.8%  
  Ducommun, Inc. (Z)     9.750     07-15-18           160,000     169,600  
  Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.000     12-15-21           740,000     764,975  
  LMI Aerospace, Inc. (S)(Z)     7.375     07-15-19           1,910,000     1,933,875  
  Textron Financial Corp. (6.000% to 2-15-17, then 3 month LIBOR + 1.735%) (S)     6.000     02-15-67           925,000     827,875  
  TransDigm, Inc.     6.500     07-15-24           1,000,000     1,014,850  
  Airlines 4.5%  
  AerCap Ireland Capital, Ltd. (S)(Z)     4.500     05-15-21           1,250,000     1,315,625  
  Air Canada (S)(Z)     8.750     04-01-20           1,445,000     1,605,756  
  Air Canada 2013-1 Class C Pass Through Trust (S)(Z)     6.625     05-15-18           1,000,000     1,061,900  
  American Airlines 2013-2 Class B Pass Through Trust (S)(Z)     5.600     01-15-22           432,194     453,242  
  Continental Airlines 1999-1 Class A Pass Through Trust (Z)     6.545     08-02-20           156,160     170,605  
  Continental Airlines 2000-2 Class B Pass Through Trust (Z)     8.307     10-02-19           51,849     56,905  
  Delta Air Lines 2007-1 Class A Pass Through Trust (Z)     6.821     02-10-24           562,765     663,331  
  TAM Capital 3, Inc. (S)(Z)     8.375     06-03-21           505,000     515,100  
  TAM Capital, Inc. (Z)     7.375     04-25-17           1,000,000     1,050,000  
  UAL 2009-1 Pass Through Trust (Z)     10.400     05-01-18           113,255     123,448  

12SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Industrials  (continued)        
  Airlines  (continued)  
  UAL 2009-2A Pass Through Trust (Z)     9.750     07-15-18           339,538     $372,642  
  Building products 1.0%  
  Associated Materials LLC (Z)     9.125     11-01-17           1,000,000     850,000  
  Masco Corp.     4.450     04-01-25           750,000     772,500  
  Commercial services and supplies 0.1%  
  Garda World Security Corp. (S)(Z)     7.250     11-15-21           220,000     218,900  
  Construction and engineering 0.6%  
  Evolution Escrow Issuer LLC (S)(Z)     7.500     03-15-22           925,000     936,563  
  Electrical equipment 0.5%  
  EnerSys (S)     5.000     04-30-23           910,000     921,375  
  Industrial conglomerates 1.7%  
  Odebrecht Finance, Ltd. (S)(Z)     8.250     04-25-18         BRL 2,250,000     575,018  
  Odebrecht Offshore Drilling Finance, Ltd. (S)     6.750     10-01-23           930,100     802,490  
  Tenedora Nemak SA de CV (S)     5.500     02-28-23           1,350,000     1,417,635  
  Machinery 0.8%  
  Trinity Industries, Inc. (Z)     4.550     10-01-24           1,295,000     1,278,329  
  Marine 1.2%  
  Global Ship Lease, Inc. (S)(Z)     10.000     04-01-19           350,000     367,500  
  Navios Maritime Holdings, Inc. (S)(Z)     7.375     01-15-22           870,000     800,400  
  Navios South American Logistics, Inc. (S)(Z)     7.250     05-01-22           805,000     780,850  
  Oil, gas and consumable fuels 0.6%  
  Teekay Offshore Partners LP     6.000     07-30-19           1,085,000     973,788  
  Road and rail 0.6%  
  The Hertz Corp. (Z)     6.250     10-15-22           1,000,000     1,035,000  
  Trading companies and distributors 2.3%  
  Ahern Rentals, Inc.     7.375     05-15-23           925,000     925,000  
  Aircastle, Ltd. (Z)     5.125     03-15-21           1,420,000     1,489,154  
  United Rentals North America, Inc. (Z)     4.625     07-15-23           350,000     354,375  
  United Rentals North America, Inc.     5.500     07-15-25           1,075,000     1,089,029  
  Transportation infrastructure 0.4%  
  CHC Helicopter SA (Z)     9.250     10-15-20           792,000     691,258  
  Information technology 4.0%     6,542,588  
  Electronic equipment, instruments and components 0.7%  
  Viasystems, Inc. (S)(Z)     7.875     05-01-19           1,000,000     1,052,500  
  Internet software and services 0.8%  
  Ancestry.com Holdings LLC, PIK (S)     9.625     10-15-18           220,000     225,500  
  IAC/InterActiveCorp (Z)     4.875     11-30-18           615,000     636,525  
  VeriSign, Inc. (S)     5.250     04-01-25           500,000     516,850  
  IT services 1.0%  
  Sixsigma Networks Mexico SA de CV (S)(Z)     8.250     11-07-21           1,500,000     1,582,500  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS13

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Information technology  (continued)        
  Semiconductors and semiconductor equipment 0.9%  
  Micron Technology, Inc. (S)     5.250     01-15-24           500,000     $495,000  
  Micron Technology, Inc. (S)(Z)     5.500     02-01-25           1,000,000     995,000  
  Software 0.6%  
  First Data Corp.     11.750     08-15-21           650,000     745,875  
  Infor US, Inc. (S)     6.500     05-15-22           285,000     292,838  
  Materials 17.3%     28,623,038  
  Building materials 0.8%  
  Building Materials Corp. of America (S)(Z)     5.375     11-15-24           1,220,000     1,250,500  
  Chemicals 4.2%  
  Ashland, Inc. (Z)     6.875     05-15-43           1,000,000     1,080,000  
  Braskem Finance, Ltd. (Z)     6.450     02-03-24           1,295,000     1,302,705  
  Huntsman International LLC (S)(Z)     5.125     11-15-22           1,210,000     1,222,856  
  Platform Specialty Products Corp. (S)(Z)     6.500     02-01-22           1,210,000     1,264,450  
  Rentech Nitrogen Partners LP (S)     6.500     04-15-21           430,000     427,850  
  Rockwood Specialties Group, Inc. (Z)     4.625     10-15-20           1,525,000     1,587,906  
  Construction materials 2.6%  
  Cementos Progreso Trust (S)(Z)     7.125     11-06-23           1,195,000     1,290,600  
  Cemex Finance LLC (S)(Z)     6.000     04-01-24           700,000     717,920  
  Cemex SAB de CV (S)     6.125     05-05-25           625,000     641,375  
  Magnesita Finance, Ltd. (Q)(S)     8.625     04-15-17           1,000,000     810,000  
  Norbord, Inc. (S)     6.250     04-15-23           735,000     737,761  
  Vulcan Materials Company (Z)     7.500     06-15-21           120,000     142,500  
  Containers and packaging 1.1%  
  AEP Industries, Inc. (Z)     8.250     04-15-19           355,000     359,438  
  Ardagh Finance Holdings SA, PIK (S)     8.625     06-15-19           563,675     601,723  
  Graphic Packaging International, Inc.     4.875     11-15-22           650,000     672,750  
  Tekni-Plex, Inc. (S)(Z)     9.750     06-01-19           171,000     183,398  
  Metals and mining 7.4%  
  AngloGold Ashanti Holdings PLC (Z)     5.125     08-01-22           1,000,000     964,152  
  AngloGold Ashanti Holdings PLC (Z)     8.500     07-30-20           1,175,000     1,292,500  
  BlueScope Steel, Ltd. (S)(Z)     7.125     05-01-18           500,000     519,938  
  CSN Islands XI Corp. (S)(Z)     6.875     09-21-19           250,000     233,125  
  Evraz Group SA (S)(Z)     6.500     04-22-20           1,000,000     900,000  
  FMG Resources August 2006 Pty, Ltd. (S)(Z)     6.875     04-01-22           1,035,000     777,544  
  MMC Norilsk Nickel OJSC (S)(Z)     5.550     10-28-20           1,850,000     1,817,736  
  Rain CLL Carbon LLC (S)(Z)     8.000     12-01-18           945,000     878,850  
  Rio Oil Finance Trust Series 2014-1 (S)(Z)     6.250     07-06-24           1,250,000     1,239,841  
  Rio Tinto Finance USA, Ltd. (Z)     7.125     07-15-28           710,000     936,517  
  Severstal OAO (S)     4.450     03-19-18           1,000,000     949,140  
  Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc. (Z)     7.375     06-01-18           945,000     817,425  
  Thompson Creek Metals Company, Inc.     12.500     05-01-19           1,000,000     960,000  

14SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Materials  (continued)        
  Paper and forest products 1.2%  
  Fibria Overseas Finance, Ltd.     5.250     05-12-24           755,000     $779,538  
  Sappi Papier Holding GmbH (S)(Z)     7.750     07-15-17           600,000     651,000  
  Tembec Industries, Inc. (S)(Z)     9.000     12-15-19           600,000     612,000  
  Telecommunication services 14.1%     23,287,712  
  Diversified telecommunication services 7.6%  
  Frontier Communications Corp. (Z)     7.125     03-15-19           530,000     577,700  
  GCI, Inc. (S)     6.875     04-15-25           655,000     671,375  
  GTP Acquisition Partners I LLC (S)(Z)     7.628     06-15-41           620,000     654,658  
  Inmarsat Finance PLC (S)(Z)     4.875     05-15-22           1,275,000     1,281,375  
  Intelsat Luxembourg SA     8.125     06-01-23           1,000,000     901,875  
  Level 3 Financing, Inc. (S)     5.625     02-01-23           880,000     902,000  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.125     01-15-22           250,000     257,813  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.250     04-01-21           800,000     836,000  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.375     03-01-25           700,000     718,893  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.625     04-01-23           245,000     254,359  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.731     04-28-22           805,000     848,269  
  T-Mobile USA, Inc. (Z)     6.836     04-28-23           855,000     904,163  
  Telecom Italia Capital SA     6.000     09-30-34           720,000     752,400  
  Telecom Italia Capital SA (Z)     7.175     06-18-19           550,000     632,500  
  Wind Acquisition Finance SA (S)     7.375     04-23-21           1,000,000     1,023,750  
  Windstream Corp. (Z)     7.500     06-01-22           1,375,000     1,309,688  
  Wireless telecommunication services 6.5%  
  Bharti Airtel International Netherlands BV (S)     5.125     03-11-23           600,000     649,820  
  Colombia Telecomunicaciones SA ESP (S)(Z)     5.375     09-27-22           1,000,000     1,019,700  
  Digicel, Ltd. (S)     6.000     04-15-21           1,405,000     1,370,578  
  SBA Communications Corp. (S)(Z)     4.875     07-15-22           1,135,000     1,122,231  
  SBA Tower Trust (S)(Z)     2.933     12-15-42           380,000     386,435  
  SBA Tower Trust (S)(Z)     5.101     04-15-42           580,000     603,255  
  Sprint Communications, Inc. (Z)     6.000     11-15-22           2,000,000     1,882,500  
  Sprint Corp. (Z)     7.250     09-15-21           700,000     702,625  
  Telefonica Celular del Paraguay SA (S)     6.750     12-13-22           1,000,000     1,043,750  
  VimpelCom Holdings BV (S)     7.504     03-01-22           2,000,000     1,980,000  
  Utilities 6.4%     10,548,338  
  Electric utilities 4.6%  
  Beaver Valley II Funding Corp. (Z)     9.000     06-01-17           60,000     64,800  
  BVPS II Funding Corp. (Z)     8.890     06-01-17           194,000     204,415  
  CE Generation LLC (Z)     7.416     12-15-18           307,300     305,764  
  Empresa Electrica Angamos SA (S)(Z)     4.875     05-25-29           1,250,000     1,264,063  
  FPL Energy National Wind LLC (S)(Z)     5.608     03-10-24           66,569     66,569  
  Israel Electric Corp., Ltd. (S)     5.000     11-12-24           2,000,000     2,122,500  
  Israel Electric Corp., Ltd. (S)(Z)     6.700     02-10-17           1,000,000     1,072,500  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS15

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  Utilities  (continued)        
  Electric utilities  (continued)  
  NRG Yield Operating LLC (S)(Z)     5.375     08-15-24           660,000     $684,750  
  Perusahaan Listrik Negara PT (S)     5.500     11-22-21           1,500,000     1,627,500  
  PNPP II Funding Corp. (Z)     9.120     05-30-16           55,000     56,133  
  W3A Funding Corp. (Z)     8.090     01-02-17           184,495     184,564  
  Independent power and renewable electricity producers 1.0%  
  Dynegy, Inc. (S)     7.375     11-01-22           690,000     734,850  
  Dynegy, Inc. (S)     7.625     11-01-24           865,000     929,875  
  Multi-utilities 0.8%  
  Dominion Resources, Inc. (Z)     2.500     12-01-19           1,210,000     1,230,055  
  Convertible bonds 1.2% (0.8% of Total investments)     $2,044,547  
  (Cost $2,136,162)  
  Industrials 1.2%     2,044,547  
  Machinery 1.2%  
  Trinity Industries, Inc. (Z)     3.875     06-01-36           1,575,000     2,044,547  
  Term loans (M) 0.0% (0.0% of Total investments)     $0  
  (Cost $248,529)  
  Industrials 0.0%     0  
  Airlines 0.0%  
  Global Aviation Holdings, Inc. (H)           07-13-17     51,038     0  
  Global Aviation Holdings, Inc. (H)           02-13-18     514,063     0  
  Capital preferred securities (a) 1.6% (1.0% of Total investments)     $2,582,956  
  (Cost $2,472,695)  
  Financials 1.6%     2,582,956  
  Banks 0.7%  
  HSBC Finance Capital Trust IX (5.911% to 11-30-15, then 3 month LIBOR + 1.926%) (Z)     5.911     11-30-35     700,000     712,390  
  Mellon Capital IV (P)(Q)(Z)     4.000     06-01-15     400,000     342,000  
  Capital markets 0.9%  
  The Goldman Sachs Capital II (P)(Q)(Z)     4.000     06-01-15     983,000     764,283  
  The Goldman Sachs Capital III (P)(Q)(Z)     4.000     06-01-15     983,000     764,283  
  U.S. Government agency obligations 10.3% (6.8% of Total investments)     $17,068,261  
  (Cost $16,558,991)  
  U.S. Government Agency 10.3%     17,068,261  
  Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.
30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)
    5.000     03-01-41     1,131,841     1,266,131  
  Federal National Mortgage Association  
        15 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.000     12-01-24     1,378,169     1,477,667  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.000     12-01-40     3,136,647     3,412,329  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.000     09-01-41     3,212,357     3,457,551  

16SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  U.S. Government Agency  (continued)        
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.000     10-01-41     1,671,664     $1,803,960  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.000     01-01-42     826,004     892,020  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     4.500     10-01-40     2,319,877     2,544,225  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     5.000     04-01-41     543,171     617,836  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     5.500     06-01-38     524,681     593,076  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     5.500     08-01-40     174,871     198,541  
        30 Yr Pass Thru (Z)     6.500     01-01-39     696,755     804,925  
  Foreign government
obligations 0.9% (0.6% of Total investments)
    $1,474,456  
  (Cost $1,446,950)  
  Mexico 0.8%     1,267,500  
  Government of Mexico (Z)     3.600     01-30-25           1,250,000     1,267,500  
  South Korea 0.1%     206,956  
  Korea Development Bank (Z)     4.375     08-10-15           205,000     206,956  
  Collateralized mortgage
obligations 3.8% (2.5% of Total investments)
    $6,302,263  
  (Cost $5,227,612)  
  Commercial and residential 2.4%     3,967,920  
  American Home Mortgage Assets Trust
Series 2006-6, Class XP IO
    2.046     12-25-46           4,439,181     414,118  
  Bear Stearns Adjustable Rate Mortgage Trust
Series 2005-2, Class A1 (P)
    2.680     03-25-35           334,976     338,308  
  Bear Stearns Asset Backed Securities Trust
Series 2004-AC5, Class A1 (P)
    5.750     10-25-34           285,715     291,534  
  Deutsche Mortgage Securities, Inc. Mortgage Loan Trust
Series 2004-4, Class 2AR1 (P)
    0.451     06-25-34           422,501     399,679  
  Extended Stay America Trust
Series 2013-ESFL, Class DFL (P) (S)
    3.318     12-05-31           475,000     474,516  
  HarborView Mortgage Loan Trust  
        Series 2005-8, Class 1X IO     2.091     09-19-35           2,544,971     132,303  
        Series 2007-3, Class ES IO (S)     0.350     05-19-47           5,670,433     60,248  
        Series 2007-4, Class ES IO     0.350     07-19-47           5,927,671     59,277  
        Series 2007-6, Class ES IO (S)     0.340     08-19-37           4,645,257     49,356  
  Hilton USA Trust
Series 2013-HLF, Class EFL (P) (S)
    3.923     11-05-30           827,791     827,523  
  IndyMac Index Mortgage Loan Trust  
        Series 2005-AR18, Class 1X IO     2.125     10-25-36           7,484,721     663,773  
        Series 2005-AR18, Class 2X IO     1.798     10-25-36           6,487,274     257,285  
  U.S. Government Agency 1.4%     2,334,343  
  Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.  
        Series 290, Class IO     3.500     11-15-32           2,930,844     543,021  
        Series 3830, Class NI IO     4.500     01-15-36           2,227,352     182,915  
        Series K017, Class X1 IO     1.576     12-25-21           2,804,263     212,507  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS17

                                                           
        Rate (%)     Maturity date     Par value^     Value  
  U.S. Government Agency  (continued)        
        Series K709, Class X1 IO     1.665     03-25-19           3,189,920     $164,437  
        Series K710, Class X1 IO     1.907     05-25-19           3,287,606     201,116  
  Federal National Mortgage Association  
        Series 2012-118, Class IB IO     3.500     11-25-42           1,225,031     265,057  
        Series 402, Class 3 IO     4.000     11-25-39           360,724     59,138  
        Series 402, Class 4 IO     4.000     10-25-39           557,597     91,854  
        Series 407, Class 15 IO     5.000     01-25-40           572,314     111,690  
        Series 407, Class 21 IO     5.000     01-25-39           264,107     51,287  
        Series 407, Class 7 IO     5.000     03-25-41           498,838     100,766  
        Series 407, Class 8 IO     5.000     03-25-41           131,790     25,960  
        Series 407, Class C6 IO     5.500     01-25-40           899,291     183,581  
  Government National Mortgage Association
Series 2012-114, Class IO
    0.974     01-16-53           1,780,750     141,014  
  Asset backed securities 0.4% (0.3% of Total investments)     $691,575  
  (Cost $668,425)  
  ContiMortgage Home Equity Loan Trust
Series 1995-2, Class A5
    8.100     08-15-25           25,264     24,159  
  Sonic Capital LLC
Series 2011-1A, Class A2 (S)
    5.438     05-20-41           397,062     421,473  
  Westgate Resorts LLC
Series 2012-2A, Class B (S)
    4.500     01-20-25           244,339     245,943  
        Shares     Value  
  Common stocks 0.0% (0.0% of Total investments)     $0  
  (Cost $593,666)  
  Consumer discretionary 0.0%     0  
  Media 0.0%  
  Vertis Holdings, Inc. (I)     34,014     0  
  Industrials 0.0%     0  
  Airlines 0.0%  
  Global Aviation Holdings, Inc., Class A (I)     82,159     0  
  Preferred securities (b) 2.1% (1.4% of Total investments)     $3,532,679  
  (Cost $3,520,036)  
  Consumer staples 0.3%     598,888  
  Food products 0.3%  
  Tyson Foods, Inc., 4.750%           12,175     598,888  
  Financials 1.5%     2,458,582  
  Consumer finance 1.1%  
  Ally Financial, Inc., 7.000% (S)           1,794     1,827,862  
  Diversified financial services 0.4%  
  GMAC Capital Trust I (8.125% to 2-15-16, then 3 month LIBOR + 5.785%)           24,000     630,720  

18SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

                                                           
        Shares     Value  
  Utilities 0.3%     $475,209  
  Electric utilities 0.3%  
  Exelon Corp., 6.500% (Z)           9,645     475,209  
              Par value     Value  
  Short-term investments 0.8% (0.5% of Total investments)     $1,276,000  
  (Cost $1,276,000)  
  Repurchase agreement 0.8%     1,276,000  
  Repurchase Agreement with State Street Corp. dated 4-30-15 at 0.000% to be repurchased at $1,276,000 on 5-1-15, collateralized by $1,300,000 Federal National Mortgage Association, 1.670% due 2-10-20 (valued at $1,303,247, including interest)           1,276,000     1,276,000  
  Total investments (Cost $250,624,750)† 151.3%     $250,446,090  
  Other assets and liabilities, net (51.3%)     ($84,874,876 )
  Total net assets 100.0%     $165,571,214  

                   
The percentage shown for each investment category is the total value of that category as a percentage of the net assets of the fund.
^All par values are denominated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise indicated.
Key to Currency Abbreviations
BRL Brazilian Real
Key to Security Abbreviations and Legend
IO Interest Only Security — (Interest Tranche of Stripped Mortgage Pool). Rate shown is the effective yield at period end.
LIBOR London Interbank Offered Rate
PIK Payment-in-kind
USGG U.S. Generic Government Yield Index
(a) Includes hybrid securities with characteristics of both equity and debt that trade with, and pay, interest income.
(b) Includes preferred stocks and hybrid securities with characteristics of both equity and debt that pay dividends on a periodic basis.
(H) Non-income producing - Issuer is in default.
(I) Non-income producing security.
(M) Term loans are variable rate obligations. The coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.
(P) Variable rate obligation. The coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.
(Q) Perpetual bonds have no stated maturity date. Date shown as maturity date is next call date.
(S) These securities are exempt from registration under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Such securities may be resold, normally to qualified institutional buyers, in transactions exempt from registration. Rule 144A securities amounted to $109,121,774 or 65.9% of the fund's net assets as of 4-30-15.
(Z) All or a portion of this security is segregated as collateral pursuant to the Credit Facility Agreement. Total collateral value at 4-30-15 was $173,018,887.
At 4-30-15, the aggregate cost of investment securities for federal income tax purposes was $251,391,740. Net unrealized depreciation aggregated $945,650, of which $7,569,249 related to appreciated investment securities and $8,514,899 related to depreciated investment securities.

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS19

Financial statements

STATEMENT OF ASSETS AND LIABILITIES 4-30-15 (unaudited)


                 
   
   
  Assets              
  Investments, at value (Cost $250,624,750)           $250,446,090  
  Cash           144  
  Cash segregated at custodian for swap contracts           540,000  
  Receivable for investments sold           1,176,763  
  Dividends and interest receivable           3,708,242  
  Other receivables and prepaid expenses           254,688  
  Total assets           256,125,927  
  Liabilities              
  Credit facility agreement payable           86,900,000  
  Payable for investments purchased           2,902,628  
  Swap contracts, at value           515,143  
  Interest payable           63,784  
  Payable to affiliates              
  Trustees' fees           347  
  Investment management fees           72,385  
  Other liabilities and accrued expenses           100,426  
  Total liabilities           90,554,713  
  Net assets           $165,571,214  
  Net assets consist of              
  Paid-in capital           $178,170,475  
  Undistributed net investment income           972,482  
  Accumulated net realized gain (loss) on investments, foreign currency transactions and swap agreements           (12,877,917 )
  Net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) on investments, translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies and swap agreements           (693,826 )
  Net assets           $165,571,214  
                 
  Net asset value per share              
  Based on 8,791,425 shares of beneficial interest outstanding — unlimited number of shares authorized with no par value           $18.83  

20SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS  For the six months ended 4-30-15 (unaudited)


                                   
   
   
                             
  Investment income                    
  Interest                 $7,459,043  
  Dividends                 165,481  
  Total investment income                 7,624,524  
  Expenses                    
  Investment management fees                 665,807  
  Accounting and legal services fees                 12,286  
  Transfer agent fees                 28,589  
  Trustees' fees                 14,310  
  Printing and postage                 30,907  
  Professional fees                 49,804  
  Custodian fees                 11,893  
  Stock exchange listing fees                 12,050  
  Interest expense                 348,827  
  Other                 20,264  
  Total expenses                 1,194,737  
  Less expense reductions                 (9,473 )
  Net expenses                 1,185,264  
  Net investment income                 6,439,260  
  Realized and unrealized gain (loss)                    
  Net realized gain (loss) on                    
  Investments and foreign currency transactions                 (5,174,168 )
  Swap contracts                 (226,273 )
                    (5,400,441 )
  Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of                    
  Investments and translation of assets and liabilities in foreign currencies                 (640,421 )
  Swap contracts                 50,020  
                    (590,401 )
  Net realized and unrealized loss                 (5,990,842 )
  Increase in net assets from operations                 $448,418  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS21

STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS 

   
                       
                    Six months ended 4-30-15                       Year ended 10-31-14        
                    (unaudited)                                
  Increase (decrease) in net assets                                      
  From operations                                      
  Net investment income                 $6,439,260                 $13,865,331  
  Net realized gain (loss)                 (5,400,441 )               4,176,014  
  Change in net unrealized appreciation (depreciation)                 (590,401 )               (5,434,171 )
  Increase in net assets resulting from operations                 448,418                 12,607,174  
  Distributions to shareholders                                      
  From net investment income                 (6,823,905 )               (14,364,537 )
  From fund share transactions                                      
  Issued in shelf offering                                 319,029  
  Issued pursuant to Dividend Reinvestment Plan                                 505,005  
  Total from fund share transactions                                 824,034  
  Total decrease                 (6,375,487 )               (933,329 )
  Net assets                                      
  Beginning of period                 171,946,701                 172,880,030  
  End of period                 $165,571,214                 $171,946,701  
  Undistributed net investment income                 $972,482                 $1,357,127  
  Share activity                                      
  Shares outstanding                                      
  Beginning of period                 8,791,425                 8,750,917  
  Issued in shelf offering                                 15,386  
  Issued pursuant to Dividend Reinvestment Plan                                 25,122  
  End of period                 8,791,425                 8,791,425  

22SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS For the six months ended 4-30-15 (unaudited)


           
           
  Cash flows from operating activities        
  Net increase in net assets from operations     $448,418  
  Adjustments to reconcile net increase in net assets from operations to net cash provided by operating activities:  
  Long-term investments purchased     (92,096,227)  
  Long-term investments sold     90,738,425  
  Decrease in short-term investments     7,779,000  
  Net amortization of premium (discount)     773,852  
  Decrease in foreign currency     74,912  
  Decrease in dividends and interest receivable     162,536  
  Decrease in receivable for investments sold     4,681,927  
  Increase in cash segregated at custodian for swap contracts     (260,000)  
  Decrease in unrealized appreciation for forward foreign currency exchange contracts     4,970  
  Increase in other receivables and prepaid assets     (94,597)  
  Decrease in payable for investments purchased     (11,257,235)  
  Decrease in unrealized depreciation of swap contracts     (50,020)  
  Increase in payable to affiliates     70,078  
  Increase in interest payable     15,775  
  Decrease in other liabilities and accrued expenses     (17,461)  
  Net change in unrealized (appreciation) depreciation on investments     636,734  
  Net realized loss on investments     5,175,285  
  Net cash provided by operating activities     $6,786,372  
  Cash flows from financing activities        
  Cash distributions to common shareholders     (6,823,905)  
  Net cash used in financing activities     ($6,823,905 )
  Net decrease in cash     ($37,533 )
  Cash at beginning of period     37,677  
  Cash at end of period     $144  
  Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information        
  Cash paid for interest     $333,052  

SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS23

Financial highlights

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
         
         
         
  COMMON SHARES Period Ended     4-30-151           10-31-14           10-31-13           10-31-12           10-31-11           10-31-10  
  Per share operating performance                                                                                                                    
  Net asset value, beginning of period                       $19.56                 $19.76                 $20.44                 $19.19                 $20.11                 $18.03  
  Net investment income2                       0.73                 1.58                 1.61                 1.88                 1.93                 2.15  
  Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments                       (0.68 )               (0.14 )               (0.59 )               1.30                 (0.88 )               2.00  
  Total from investment operations                       0.05                 1.44                 1.02                 3.18                 1.05                 4.15  
  Less distributions to common shareholders                                                                                                                    
  From net investment income                       (0.78 )               (1.64 )               (1.71 )               (1.94 )               (1.97 )               (2.07 )
  Anti-dilutive impact of shelf offering                                        3               0.01                 0.01                                  
  Net asset value, end of period                       $18.83                 $19.56                 $19.76                 $20.44                 $19.19                 $20.11  
  Per share market value, end of period                       $17.84                 $19.06                 $19.30                 $22.24                 $21.82                 $21.13  
  Total return at net asset value (%)4,5                       0.54  6               7.65                 5.09                 16.14                 4.90                 23.81  
  Total return at market value (%)5                       (2.24 ) 6               7.40                 (5.66 )               11.13                 13.52                 32.29  
  Ratios and supplemental data                                                                                                                    
  Net assets applicable to common shares, end of period (in millions)                       $166                 $172                 $173                 $176                 $164                 $171  
  Ratios (as a percentage of average net assets):                                                                                                                        
        Expenses before reductions                       1.46  7               1.38                 1.41                 1.57                 1.62                 1.93  
        Expenses including reductions8                       1.45  7               1.37                 1.41                 1.57                 1.62                 1.93  
        Net investment income                       7.89  7               7.94                 8.00                 9.65                 9.63                 11.33  
  Portfolio turnover (%)                       37                 71                 61                 56                 45                 71  
  Senior securities                                                                                                                    
  Total debt outstanding end of period (in millions)                       $87                 $87                 $86                 $86                 $88                 $80  
  Asset coverage per $1,000 of debt9                       $2,905                 $2,979                 $3,013                 $3,054                 $2,871                 $3,136  

                                                       
1 Six months ended 4-30-15. Unaudited.    
2 Based on average daily shares outstanding.    
3 Less than $0.005 per share.    
4 Total returns would have been lower had certain expenses not been reduced during the applicable periods.    
5 Total return based on net asset value reflects changes in the fund's net asset value during each period. Total return based on market value reflects changes in market value. Each figure assumes that dividend and capital gain distributions, if any, were reinvested. These figures will differ depending upon the level of any discount from or premium to net asset value at which the fund's shares traded during the period.    
6 Not annualized.    
7 Annualized.    
8 Expenses including reductions excluding interest expense were 1.02%, 1.05%, 1.07%, 1.07%,1.04% and 1.12% for the periods ended 4-31-15, 10-31-14, 10-31-13, 10-31-12, 10-31-11 and 10-31-10, respectively.    
9 Asset coverage equals the total net assets plus borrowings divided by the borrowings of the fund outstanding at period end (Note 7). As debt outstanding changes, level of invested assets may change accordingly. Asset coverage ratio provides a measure of leverage.    

24SEE NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Notes to financial statements (unaudited)

Note 1 — Organization

John Hancock Investors Trust (the fund) is a closed-end management investment company organized as a Massachusetts business trust and registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the 1940 Act).

In 2012 and 2015, the fund filed registration statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, registering an additional 1,000,000 and 1,000,000 common shares, respectively, through equity shelf offering programs. Under these programs, the fund, subject to market conditions, may raise additional equity capital from time to time by offering new common shares at a price equal to or above the fund's net asset value per common share.

Note 2 — Significant accounting policies

The financial statements have been prepared in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (US GAAP), which require management to make certain estimates and assumptions as of the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates and those differences could be significant. The fund qualifies as an investment company under Topic 946 of Accounting Standards Codification of US GAAP.

Events or transactions occurring after the end of the fiscal period through the date that the financial statements were issued have been evaluated in the preparation of the financial statements. The following summarizes the significant accounting policies of the fund:

Security valuation. Investments are stated at value as of the close of regular trading on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. In order to value the securities, the fund uses the following valuation techniques: Equity securities held by the fund are valued at the last sale price or official closing price on the exchange where the security was acquired or most likely will be sold. In the event there were no sales during the day or closing prices are not available, the securities are valued using the last available bid price. Debt obligations are valued based on the evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing vendor or from broker-dealers. Independent pricing vendors utilize matrix pricing which takes into account factors such as institutional-size trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics and other market data, as well as broker supplied prices. Swaps are valued using evaluated prices obtained from an independent pricing vendor. Foreign securities are valued in U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rates supplied by an independent pricing vendor. Securities that trade only in the over-the-counter (OTC) market are valued using bid prices. Other portfolio securities and assets, for which reliable market quotations are not readily available, are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the fund's Pricing Committee following procedures established by the Board of Trustees. The frequency with which these fair valuation procedures are used cannot be predicted and fair value of securities may differ significantly from the value that would have been used had a ready market for such securities existed.

The fund uses a three-tier hierarchy to prioritize the pricing assumptions, referred to as inputs, used in valuation techniques to measure fair value. Level 1 includes securities valued using quoted prices in active markets for identical securities. Level 2 includes securities valued using other significant observable inputs. Observable inputs may include quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds and credit risk. Prices for securities valued using these inputs are received from independent pricing vendors and brokers and are based on an evaluation of the inputs described. Level 3 includes securities valued using significant unobservable inputs when market prices are not readily available or reliable, including the fund's own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments. Factors used in determining value may include market or issuer specific events or trends, changes in interest rates and credit quality. The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risks associated with investing in those securities. Changes in valuation techniques may result in transfers into or out of an assigned level within the disclosure hierarchy.

25


The following is a summary of the values by input classification of the fund's investments as of April 30, 2015, by major security category or type:

                             
        Total
market value
at 4-30-15
    Level 1
quoted price
    Level 2
significant
observable
inputs
    Level 3
significant
unobservable
inputs
 
  Corporate bonds     $215,473,353         $215,473,353      
  Convertible bonds     2,044,547         2,044,547      
  Capital preferred securities     2,582,956         2,582,956      
  U.S. Government and Agency obligations     17,068,261         17,068,261      
  Foreign government obligations     1,474,456         1,474,456      
  Collateralized mortgage obligations     6,302,263         6,133,382     $168,881  
  Asset backed securities     691,575         691,575      
  Preferred securities     3,532,679     $1,704,817     1,827,862      
  Short-term investments     1,276,000         1,276,000      
  Total investments in securities     $250,446,090     $1,704,817     $248,572,392     $168,881  
  Other Financial Instruments                          
  Interest Rate Swaps     ($515,143 )       ($515,143 )    

Repurchase agreements. The fund may enter into repurchase agreements. When the fund enters into a repurchase agreement, it receives collateral that is held in a segregated account by the fund's custodian. The collateral amount is marked-to-market and monitored on a daily basis to ensure that the collateral held is in an amount not less than the principal amount of the repurchase agreement plus any accrued interest. Collateral received by the fund for repurchase agreements is disclosed in the Fund's investments as part of the caption related to the repurchase agreement.

Repurchase agreements are typically governed by the terms and conditions of the Master Repurchase Agreement and/or Global Master Repurchase Agreement (collectively, MRA). Upon an event of default, the non-defaulting party may close out all transactions traded under the MRA and net amounts owed. Absent an event of default, assets and liabilities resulting from repurchase agreements are not offset in the Statement of assets and liabilities. In the event of a default by the counterparty, realization of the collateral proceeds could be delayed, during which time the collateral value may decline or the counterparty may have insufficient assets to pay back claims resulting from close-out of the transactions.

Security transactions and related investment income. Investment security transactions are accounted for on a trade date plus one basis for daily net asset value calculations. However, for financial reporting purposes, investment transactions are reported on trade date. Interest income is accrued as earned. Interest income includes coupon interest and amortization/accretion of premiums/discounts on debt securities. Debt obligations may be placed in a non-accrual status and related interest income may be reduced by stopping current accruals and writing off interest receivable when the collection of all or a portion of interest has become doubtful. Dividend income is recorded on the ex-date, except for dividends of foreign securities where the dividend may not be known until after the ex-date. In those cases, dividend income, net of withholding taxes, is recorded when the fund becomes aware of the dividends. Distributions received on securities that represent a return of capital or capital gain are recorded as a reduction of cost of investments and/or as a realized gain if amounts are estimable. Foreign taxes are provided for based on the fund's understanding of the tax rules and rates that exist in the foreign markets in which it invests. Gains and losses on securities sold are determined on the basis of identified cost and may include proceeds from litigation.

Foreign currency translation. Assets, including investments and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies, are translated into U.S. dollar values each day at the prevailing exchange rate. Purchases and sales of securities, income and expenses are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rate on the date of the transaction. The effect of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on the value of securities is reflected as a component of the realized and unrealized gains (losses) on investments.

26


Funds that invest internationally generally carry more risk than funds that invest strictly in U.S. securities. These risks are heightened for investments in emerging markets. Risks can result from differences in economic and political conditions, regulations, market practices (including higher transaction costs), accounting standards and other factors. Foreign investments are also subject to a decline in the value of a foreign currency versus the U.S. dollar, which reduces the dollar value of securities denominated in that currency.

Stripped securities. Stripped securities are financial instruments structured to separate principal and interest cash flows so that one class receives principal payments from the underlying assets (PO or principal only), while the other class receives the interest cash flows (IO or interest only). Both PO and IO investments represent an interest in the cash flows of an underlying stripped security. If the underlying assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, the fund may fail to fully recover its initial investment in an IO security. The market value of these securities can be extremely volatile in response to changes in interest rates or prepayments on the underlying securities. In addition, these securities present additional credit risk such that the fund may not receive all or part of its principal or interest payments because the borrower or issuer has defaulted on its obligation.

Overdrafts. Pursuant to the custodian agreement, the fund's custodian may, in its discretion, advance funds to the fund to make properly authorized payments. When such payments result in an overdraft, the fund is obligated to repay the custodian for any overdraft, including any costs or expenses associated with the overdraft. The custodian may have a lien, security interest or security entitlement in any fund property that is not otherwise segregated or pledged, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to the extent of any overdraft.

Expenses. Within the John Hancock group of funds complex, expenses that are directly attributable to an individual fund are allocated to such fund. Expenses that are not readily attributable to a specific fund are allocated among all funds in an equitable manner, taking into consideration, among other things, the nature and type of expense and the fund's relative net assets. Expense estimates are accrued in the period to which they relate and adjustments are made when actual amounts are known.

Federal income taxes. The fund intends to continue to qualify as a regulated investment company by complying with the applicable provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and will not be subject to federal income tax on taxable income that is distributed to shareholders. Therefore, no federal income tax provision is required.

Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010, the fund is permitted to carry forward capital losses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 22, 2010 for an unlimited period. Any losses incurred during those taxable years will be required to be utilized prior to the losses incurred in pre-enactment taxable years. As a result of this ordering rule, pre-enactment capital loss carryforwards may be more likely to expire unused. Additionally, post-enactment capital losses that are carried forward will retain their character as either short-term or long-term capital losses rather than being considered all short-term as under previous law.

For federal income tax purposes, as of October 31, 2014, the fund had a capital loss carryforward of $6,936,994 available to offset future net realized capital gains. The following table details the capital loss carryforward available:

       
Capital loss carryforward expiring at October 31
2015 2016 2017 2019
$1,304,634 $912,660 $2,675,603 $2,044,097

As of October 31, 2014, the fund had no uncertain tax positions that would require financial statement recognition, derecognition or disclosure. The fund's federal tax returns are subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service for a period of three years.

Distribution of income and gains. Distributions to shareholders from net investment income and net realized gains, if any, are recorded on the ex-date. The fund generally declares and pays dividends quarterly and capital gain distributions, if any, annually.

27


Such distributions, on a tax basis, are determined in conformity with income tax regulations, which may differ from US GAAP. The final determination of tax characteristics of the fund's distribution will occur at the end of the fiscal year and will subsequently be reported to shareholders.

Capital accounts within the financial statements are adjusted for permanent book-tax differences. These adjustments have no impact on net assets or the results of operations. Temporary book-tax differences, if any, will reverse in a subsequent period. Book-tax differences are primarily attributable to derivative transactions and amortization and accretion on debt securities.

Statement of cash flows. Information on financial transactions that have been settled through the receipt and disbursement of cash is presented in the Statement of cash flows. The cash amount shown in the Statement of cash flows is the amount included in the fund's Statement of assets and liabilities and represents the cash on hand at the fund's custodian and does not include any short-term investments or cash segregated at the custodian for swap contracts.

Note 3 — Derivative instruments

The fund may invest in derivatives in order to meet its investment objectives. Derivatives include a variety of different instruments that may be traded in the OTC market, on a regulated exchange or through a clearing facility. The risks in using derivatives vary depending upon the structure of the instruments, including the use of leverage, optionality, the liquidity or lack of liquidity of the contract, the creditworthiness of the counterparty or clearing organization and the volatility of the position. Some derivatives involve risks that are potentially greater than the risks associated with investing directly in the referenced securities or other referenced underlying instrument. Specifically, the fund is exposed to the risk that the counterparty to an OTC derivatives contract will be unable or unwilling to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations. OTC derivatives transactions typically can only be closed out with the other party to the transaction.

Forward foreign currency contracts and certain swaps are typically traded through the OTC market and may be regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Derivative counterparty risk is managed through an ongoing evaluation of the creditworthiness of all potential counterparties and, if applicable, designated clearing organizations. The fund attempts to reduce its exposure to counterparty risk for derivatives traded in the OTC market, whenever possible, by entering into an International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement with each of its OTC counterparties. The ISDA gives each party to the agreement the right to terminate all transactions traded under the agreement if there is certain deterioration in the credit quality or contractual default of the other party, as defined in the ISDA. Upon an event of default or a termination of the ISDA, the non-defaulting party has the right to close out all transactions and to net amounts owed.

As defined by the ISDA, the fund may have collateral agreements with certain counterparties to mitigate counterparty risk on OTC derivatives. Subject to established minimum levels, collateral for OTC transactions is generally determined based on the net aggregate unrealized gain or loss on contracts with a particular counterparty. Collateral pledged to the fund is held in a segregated account by a third-party agent or held by the custodian bank for the benefit of the fund and can be in the form of cash or debt securities issued by the U.S. government or related agencies; collateral posted by the fund for OTC transactions is held in a segregated account at the fund's custodian and is noted in the accompanying Fund's investments, or if cash is posted, on the Statement of assets and liabilities. The fund's maximum risk of loss due to counterparty risk is equal to the asset value of outstanding contracts offset by collateral received.

Forward foreign currency contracts. A forward foreign currency contract is an agreement between two parties to buy and sell specific currencies at a price that is set on the date of the contract. The forward contract calls for delivery of the currencies on a future date that is specified in the contract. Risks related to the use of forwards include the possible failure of counterparties to meet the terms of the forward agreement, the failure of the counterparties to timely post collateral if applicable, the risk that currency movements will not favor the fund thereby reducing the fund's total return, and the potential for losses in excess of the amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

The market value of a forward foreign currency contract fluctuates with changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Forward foreign currency contracts are marked-to-market daily and the change in value is recorded by the fund as an unrealized gain

28


or loss. Realized gains or losses, equal to the difference between the value of the contract at the time it was opened and the value at the time it was closed, are recorded upon delivery or receipt of the currency or settlement with the counterparty.

During the six months ended April 30, 2015, the fund used forward foreign currency contracts to manage against anticipated changes in currency exchange rates. During the six months ended April 30, 2015, the fund held forward foreign currency contracts with U.S. dollar notional values ranging up to $679,100 as measured at each quarter end. There were no open forward foreign currency contracts at April 30, 2015.

Interest rate swaps. Interest rate swaps represent an agreement between the fund and counterparty to exchange cash flows based on the difference between two interest rates applied to a notional amount. The payment flows are usually netted against each other, with the difference being paid by one party to the other. The fund settles accrued net interest receivable or payable under the swap contracts at specified, future intervals. Swap agreements are privately negotiated in the OTC market or may be executed on a registered commodities exchange (centrally cleared swaps). Swaps are marked-to-market daily and the change in value is recorded as unrealized appreciation/depreciation of swap contracts. A termination payment by the counterparty or the fund is recorded as realized gain or loss, as well as the net periodic payments received or paid by the fund. The value of the swap will typically impose collateral posting obligations on the party that is considered out-of-the-money on the swap.

Entering into swap agreements involves, to varying degrees, elements of credit, market and documentation risk that may amount to values that are in excess of the amounts recognized on the Statement of assets and liabilities. Such risks involve the possibility that there will be no liquid market for the swap, or that counterparty may default on its obligation or delay payment under the swap terms. The counterparty may disagree or contest the terms of the swap. Market risks may also accompany the swap, including interest rate risk. The fund may also suffer losses if it is unable to terminate or assign outstanding swaps or reduce its exposure through offsetting transactions.

During the six months ended April 30, 2015, the fund used interest rate swaps in anticipation of rising interest rates. The following table summarizes the interest rate swap contracts held as of April 30, 2015.

                                   
  Counterparty     USD notional
amount
    Payments made
by fund
    Payments received
by fund
    Maturity
date
    Market value  
  Morgan Stanley Capital Services     $22,000,000     Fixed 1.442500%     3 Month LIBOR (a)     Aug 2016     ($305,505 )
  Morgan Stanley Capital Services     22,000,000     Fixed 1.093750%     3 Month LIBOR (a)     May 2017     (209,638 )
  Total     $44,000,000                       ($515,143 )

(a) At 4-30-15, the 3-month LIBOR rate was 0.27875%

No interest rate swap positions were entered into or closed during the six months ended April 30, 2015.

Fair value of derivative instruments by risk category

The table below summarizes the fair value of derivatives held by the fund at April 30, 2015 by risk category:

                             
  Risk     Statement of assets and
liabilities location
    Financial
instruments location
    Asset
derivatives
fair value
    Liabilities
derivative
fair value
 
  Interest rate contracts     Swap contracts, at value     Interest rate swaps         (515,143 )
  Total                     ($515,143 )

29


Effect of derivative instruments on the Statement of operations

The table below summarizes the net realized gain (loss) included in the net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations, classified by derivative instrument and risk category, for the six months ended April 30, 2015:

                             
  Risk     Statement of
operations location
    Swap contracts     Investments and foreign
currency transactions*
    Total  
  Interest rate contracts     Net realized gain (loss)     ($226,273 )       ($226,273 )
  Foreign currency contracts     Net realized gain (loss)         $4,970     4,970  
  Total           ($226,273 )   $4,970     ($221,303 )

* Realized gain/loss associated with forward foreign currency contracts is included in the caption on the Statement of operations.

The table below summarizes the net change in unrealized appreciation (depreciation) included in the net increase (decrease) in net assets from operations, classified by derivative instrument and risk category, for the six months ended April 30, 2015:

                             
  Risk     Statement of
operations location
    Swap contracts     Investments and transactions
of assets and liabilities
in foreign currencies*
    Total  
  Interest rate contracts     Change in unrealized
appreciation (depreciation)
    $50,020         $50,020  
  Foreign currency contracts     Change in unrealized
appreciation (depreciation)
        ($4,970 )   ($4,970 )
  Total           $50,020     ($4,970 )   $45,050  

* Change in unrealized appreciation/depreciation associated with forward foreign currency contracts is included in this caption on the Statements of operations.

Note 4 — Guarantees and indemnifications

Under the fund's organizational documents, its Officers and Trustees are indemnified against certain liabilities arising out of the performance of their duties to the fund. Additionally, in the normal course of business, the fund enters into contracts with service providers that contain general indemnification clauses. The fund's maximum exposure under these arrangements is unknown, as this would involve future claims that may be made against the fund that have not yet occurred. The risk of material loss from such claims is considered remote.

Note 5 — Fees and transactions with affiliates

John Hancock Advisers, LLC (the Advisor) serves as investment advisor for the fund. John Hancock Funds, LLC (the Distributor), an affiliate of the Advisor, serves as distributor for the common shares offered through the equity shelf offering. The Advisor is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation (MFC).

Management fee. The fund has an investment advisory agreement with the Advisor under which the fund pays a daily management fee to the Advisor, on an annual basis, equal to the sum of (a) 0.650% of the first $150 million of the fund's average daily managed assets (net assets plus borrowings under the Credit Facility Agreement) (see Note 7); (b) 0.375% of the next $50 million of the fund's average daily managed assets; (c) 0.350% of the next $100 million of the fund's average daily managed assets; and (d) 0.300% of the fund's average daily managed assets in excess of $300 million. The Advisor has a subadvisory agreement with John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC, an indirectly owned subsidiary of MFC and an affiliate of the Advisor. The fund is not responsible for payment of the subadvisory fees.

The Advisor has contractually agreed to waive a portion of its management fee and/or reimburse expenses for certain funds of the John Hancock complex, including the fund (the participating portfolios). This waiver is based upon aggregate net assets of all the participating portfolios. The amount of the reimbursement is calculated daily and allocated among all the participating portfolios in proportion to the daily net assets of each fund. During the six months ended April 30, 2015, this waiver amounted to 0.01% of the fund's average net assets on an annualized basis. This arrangement may be amended or terminated at any time by the Advisor upon notice to the fund and with the approval of the Board of Trustees.

30


The expense reductions described above amounted to $9,473 for the six months ended April 30, 2015.

The investment management fees, including the impact of the waivers and reimbursements as described above, incurred for the six months ended April 30, 2015 were equivalent to a net annual effective rate of 0.53% of the fund's average daily managed assets.

Accounting and legal services. Pursuant to a service agreement, the fund reimburses the Advisor for all expenses associated with providing the administrative, financial, legal, accounting and recordkeeping services to the fund, including the preparation of all tax returns, periodic reports to shareholders and regulatory reports, among other services. These accounting and legal services fees incurred for the six months ended April 30, 2015 amounted to an annual rate of 0.01% of the fund's average daily managed assets.

Distributor. The fund will compensate the Distributor with respect to sales of the common shares offered through the equity shelf offering at a commission rate of 1% of the gross proceeds of the sale of common shares, a portion of which is allocated to the selling dealers. During the six months ended April 30, 2015, compensation to the Distributor amounted to $0. The Distributor has an agreement with a sub-placement agent in the sale of common shares. The fund is not responsible for payment of commissions to the sub-placement agent.

Trustee expenses. The fund compensates each Trustee who is not an employee of the Advisor or its affiliates. Each independent Trustee receives from the fund and the other John Hancock closed-end funds an annual retainer. In addition, Trustee out-of-pocket expenses are allocated to each fund based on its net assets relative to other funds within the John Hancock group of funds complex.

Note 6 — Leverage risk

The fund utilizes a Credit Facility Agreement (CFA) to increase its assets available for investment. When the fund leverages its assets, common shareholders bear the fees associated with the CFA and have the potential to benefit or be disadvantaged from the use of leverage. The Advisor's fee is also increased in dollar terms from the use of leverage. Consequently, the fund and the Advisor may have differing interests in determining whether to leverage the fund's assets. Leverage creates risks that may adversely affect the return for the holders of common shares, including:

the likelihood of greater volatility of net asset value and market price of common shares;
fluctuations in the interest rate paid for the use of the credit facility;
increased operating costs, which may reduce the fund's total return;
the potential for a decline in the value of an investment acquired through leverage, while the fund's obligations under such leverage remains fixed; and
the fund is more likely to have to sell securities in a volatile market in order to meet asset coverage or other debt compliance requirements.

To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with funds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the fund's return will be greater than if leverage had not been used, conversely, returns would be lower if the cost of the leverage exceeds the income or capital appreciation derived.

In addition to the risks created by the fund's use of leverage, the fund is subject to the risk that it would be unable to timely, or at all, obtain replacement financing if the CFA is terminated. Were this to happen, the fund would be required to de-leverage, selling securities at a potentially inopportune time and incurring tax consequences. Further, the fund's ability to generate income from the use of leverage would be adversely affected.

Note 7 — Credit Facility Agreement

The fund has entered into a CFA with Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC (CSSU), pursuant to which the fund borrows money to increase its assets available for investment. In accordance with the 1940 Act, the fund's borrowings under the CFA will not exceed 33 1/3% of the fund's managed assets (net assets plus borrowings) at the time of any borrowing.

31


The fund pledges a portion of its assets as collateral to secure borrowings under the CFA. Such pledged assets are held in a special custody account with the fund's custodian. The amount of assets required to be pledged by the fund is determined in accordance with the CFA. The fund retains the benefits of ownership of assets pledged to secure borrowings under the CFA. Interest charged is at the rate of one month LIBOR (London Interbank Offered Rate) plus 0.70% and is payable monthly. Prior to January 1, 2015, the interest rate charged under the CFA was three month LIBOR plus 0.41% (paid monthly). As of April 30, 2015, the fund had borrowings of $86,900,000, at an interest rate of 0.88%, which is reflected in the Credit facility agreement payable on the Statement of assets and liabilities. During the six months ended April 30, 2015, the average borrowings under the CFA and the effective average interest rate were $86,900,000 and 0.81%, respectively.

The fund may terminate the CFA with CSSU at any time. If certain asset coverage and collateral requirements or other covenants are not met, the CFA could be deemed in default and result in termination. Absent a default or facility termination event, CSSU generally is required to provide the fund with 270 calendar days' notice prior to terminating or amending the CFA.

Note 8 — Fund share transactions

Transactions in common shares for the six months ended April 30, 2015 and the year ended October 31, 2014 are presented on the Statement of changes in net assets. Proceeds received in connection with the shelf offering are net of commissions and offering costs. Total offering costs of $266,941 have been prepaid by the fund. These costs are deducted from proceeds as shares are issued. To date, $21,863 has been deducted from proceeds of shares issued and the remaining $245,078 is included in Other receivables and prepaid expenses on the Statement of assets and liabilities.

Note 9 — Purchase and sale of securities

Purchases and sales of securities, other than short-term investments and U.S. Treasury obligations, amounted to $90,853,877 and $83,559,234, respectively, for the six months ended April 30, 2015. Purchases and sales of U.S. Treasury obligations aggregated $1,242,350 and $7,179,191, respectively, for the six months ended April 30, 2015.

32


ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


Unaudited

Investment objective and policy

The fund is a diversified, closed-end, management investment company, common shares of which were initially offered to the public in January 1971. The fund's primary investment objective is to generate income for distribution to its shareholders, with capital appreciation as a secondary objective. The preponderance of the fund's assets are invested in a diversified portfolio of debt securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations and governments, some of which may carry equity features. Up to 50% of the value of the fund's assets may be invested in restricted securities acquired through private placements. The fund may also invest in repurchase agreements. The fund utilizes a credit facility agreement to increase its assets available for investments.

Effective March 20, 2013, the Board of Trustees approved a revision to the fund's investment policy regarding the amount of the fund's securities that is rated investment grade to provide that the fund will invest at least 30% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities that are rated, at the time of acquisition, investment grade (i.e., at least "Baa" by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's) or "BBB" by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services (S&P)), or in unrated securities determined by the fund's investment advisor or subadvisor to be of comparable credit quality, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, or its agencies and instrumentalities and cash and cash equivalents. Under the prior investment policy, the fund was required to invest at least 30% of its total assets in such securities. The new investment policy also provides that the fund may invest up to 70% of its net assets (plus borrowings for investment purposes) in debt securities that are rated, at the time of acquisition, below investment grade (junk bonds) (i.e., rated "Ba" or lower by Moody's or "BB" or lower by S&P), or in unrated securities determined by the fund's advisor or subadvisor to be of comparable quality.

Dividends and distributions

During the six months ended April 30, 2015, distributions from net investment income totaling $0.7762 per share were paid to shareholders. The dates of payments and the amounts per share were as follows:

   
Payment date Income distributions
December 31, 2014 $0.4097
March 31, 2015 $0.3665
Total $0.7762

33


Shareholder meeting


The fund held its Annual Meeting of Shareholders on January 26, 2015. The following proposal was considered by the shareholders:

Proposal: Election of twelve (12) Trustees to serve for a three-year term ending at the 2018 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Each Trustee was re-elected by the fund's shareholders and the votes cast with respect to each Trustee are set forth below.

     
  Total votes
for the nominee
Total votes withheld
from the nominee
Independent Trustees    
Charles L. Bardelis 6,291,924.251 217,889.178
Peter S. Burgess 6,289,885.082 219,928.347
William H. Cunningham 6,274,887.055 234,926.374
Grace K. Fey 6,276,472.215 223,341.214
Theron S. Hoffman 6,286,547.055 223,266.374
Deborah C. Jackson 6,257,275.215 252,538.214
Hassell H. McClennan 6,293,677.224 216,136.205
James M. Oates 6,274,936.055 234,877.374
Steven R. Pruchansky 6,277,784.885 232,028.544
Gregory A. Russo 6,294,763.055 215,050.374
Non-Independent Trustee    
Craig Bromley 6,290,451.224 219,362.205
Warren A. Thomson 6,279,621.224 230,192.205

Mr. James R. Boyle was not up for election; the Board appointed Mr. Boyle to serve as a Non-Independent Trustee on March 10, 2015.

34


More information

   

Trustees

James M. Oates, Chairperson
Steven R. Pruchansky, Vice Chairperson
Charles L. Bardelis*
James R. Boyle†#
Craig Bromley†
Peter S. Burgess*
William H. Cunningham
Grace K. Fey
Theron S. Hoffman*
Deborah C. Jackson
Hassell H. McClellan
Gregory A. Russo
Warren A. Thomson†

Officers

Andrew G. Arnott
President

John J. Danello
Senior Vice President, Secretary,
and Chief Legal Officer

Francis V. Knox, Jr.
Chief Compliance Officer

Charles A. Rizzo
Chief Financial Officer

Salvatore Schiavone
Treasurer

Investment advisor

John Hancock Advisers, LLC

Subadvisor

John Hancock Asset Management a division of Manulife Asset Management (US) LLC

Custodian

State Street Bank and Trust Company

Transfer agent

Computershare Shareowner Services, LLC

Legal counsel

K&L Gates LLP

Stock symbol

Listed New York Stock Exchange: JHI

*Member of the Audit Committee
†Non-Independent Trustee
#Effective 3-10-15

       
  You can also contact us:
    800-852-0218
jhinvestments.com

Regular mail:

Computershare
P.O. Box 30170
College Station, TX 77842-3170

The fund's proxy voting policies and procedures, as well as the fund's proxy voting record for the most recent twelve-month period ended June 30, are available free of charge on the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) website at sec.gov or on our website.

The fund's complete list of portfolio holdings, for the first and third fiscal quarters, is filed with the SEC on Form N-Q. The fund's Form N-Q is available on our website and the SEC's website, sec.gov, and can be reviewed and copied (for a fee) at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, DC. Call 800-SEC-0330 to receive information on the operation of the SEC's Public Reference Room.

We make this information on your fund, as well as monthly portfolio holdings, and other fund details available on our website at jhinvestments.com or by calling 800-852-0218.



The report is certified under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which requires closed-end funds and other public companies to affirm that, to the best of their knowledge, the information in their financial reports is fairly and accurately stated in all material respects.

35


Family of funds

     

DOMESTIC EQUITY FUNDS



Balanced

Blue Chip Growth

Classic Value

Disciplined Value

Disciplined Value Mid Cap

Equity-Income

Fundamental All Cap Core

Fundamental Large Cap Core

Fundamental Large Cap Value

Large Cap Equity

New Opportunities

Select Growth

Small Cap Equity

Small Cap Value

Small Company

Strategic Growth

U.S. Equity

U.S. Global Leaders Growth

Value Equity

GLOBAL AND INTERNATIONAL EQUITY FUNDS



Disciplined Value International

Emerging Markets

Emerging Markets Equity

Global Equity

Global Opportunities

Global Shareholder Yield

Greater China Opportunities

International Core

International Growth

International Small Company

International Value Equity

INCOME FUNDS



Bond

California Tax-Free Income

Core High Yield

Emerging Markets Debt

Floating Rate Income

Focused High Yield

Global Income

Government Income

High Yield Municipal Bond

 

INCOME FUNDS (continued)



Income

Investment Grade Bond

Money Market

Short Duration Credit Opportunities

Spectrum Income

Strategic Income Opportunities

Tax-Free Bond

ALTERNATIVE AND SPECIALTY FUNDS



Absolute Return Currency

Alternative Asset Allocation

Enduring Equity

Financial Industries

Global Absolute Return Strategies

Global Conservative Absolute Return

Natural Resources

Redwood

Regional Bank

Seaport

Technical Opportunities

ASSET ALLOCATION



Income Allocation Fund

Lifestyle Aggressive Portfolio

Lifestyle Balanced Portfolio

Lifestyle Conservative Portfolio

Lifestyle Growth Portfolio

Lifestyle Moderate Portfolio

Retirement Choices Portfolios (2010-2055)

Retirement Living Portfolios (2010-2055)

Retirement Living II Portfolios (2010-2055)

CLOSED-END FUNDS



Financial Opportunities

Hedged Equity & Income

Income Securities Trust

Investors Trust

Preferred Income

Preferred Income II

Preferred Income III

Premium Dividend

Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income

Tax-Advantaged Global Shareholder Yield

The fund's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses are included in the prospectus and should be considered carefully before investing. For a prospectus, contact your financial professional, call John Hancock Investments at 800-852-0218, or visit the fund's website at jhinvestments.com. Please read the prospectus carefully before investing or sending money.


John Hancock Investments

A trusted brand

John Hancock has helped individuals and institutions build and
protect wealth since 1862. Today, we are one of America's strongest
and most-recognized brands.

A better way to invest

As a manager of managers, we search the world to find proven
portfolio teams with specialized expertise for every fund we offer,
then apply vigorous investment oversight to ensure they continue
to meet our uncompromising standards.

Results for investors

Our unique approach to asset management has led to a diverse set
of investments deeply rooted in investor needs, along with strong
risk-adjusted returns across asset classes.

jhsocialmedialogo.jpg

     
 
jhbclogo.jpg
John Hancock Advisers, LLC
601 Congress Street n Boston, MA 02210-2805
800-843-0090 n jhinvestments.com
  MF230737 P5SA 4/15
6/15



ITEM 2. CODE OF ETHICS.

Not applicable.

ITEM 3. AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT.

Not applicable at this time.

ITEM 4. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES.

Not applicable at this time.

ITEM 5. AUDIT COMMITTEE OF LISTED REGISTRANTS.

Not applicable at this time.

ITEM 6. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS.

(a) Not applicable.
(b) Not applicable.

ITEM 7. DISCLOSURE OF PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable.

ITEM 8. PORTFOLIO MANAGERS OF CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES.

Not applicable.

ITEM 9. PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY CLOSED-END MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS.

Not applicable.

ITEM 10. SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS.

The registrant has adopted procedures by which shareholders may recommend nominees to the registrant’s Board of Trustees. A copy of the procedures is filed as an exhibit to this Form N-CSR. See attached “John Hancock Funds – Nominating, Governance and Administration Committee Charter.”

ITEM 11. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

(a) Based upon their evaluation of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures as conducted within 90 days of the filing date of this Form N-CSR, the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that those disclosure controls and procedures provide reasonable assurance that the material information required to be disclosed by the registrant on this report is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission's rules and forms.

(b) There were no changes in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal half-year (the registrant's second fiscal half-year in the case of an annual report) that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

 


 

ITEM 12. EXHIBITS.

(a) Separate certifications for the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached.

(b) Separate certifications for the registrant's principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as required by 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and Rule 30a-2(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940, are attached. The certifications furnished pursuant to this paragraph are not deemed to be "filed" for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liability of that section. Such certifications are not deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent that the Registrant specifically incorporates them by reference.

(c)(1) Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders is attached. See attached “John Hancock Funds – Nominating, Governance and Administration Committee Charter.”

(c)(2) Contact person at the registrant.

 


 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

John Hancock Investors Trust

By: /s/ Andrew Arnott  
Andrew Arnott
President
 
Date:       June 23, 2015


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

By: /s/ Andrew Arnott  
Andrew Arnott
President
 
Date:       June 23, 2015
 
 
By: /s/ Charles A. Rizzo  
Charles A. Rizzo
Chief Financial Officer
 
Date: June 23, 2015