Stock fact sheet · data as of
John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II (HPF): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Financial Services · Asset Management - Income · United States · High Growth
Is HPF undervalued?
HPF has a margin of safety of 48%: the stock closed at 12.98 on 16 Oct 2026 against a GLS average fair value of 24.81. 7 of the 8 valuation models that produced a number sit above the price. Our screens treat a discount this large as a strong starting point for a cash-secured put, not as a verdict - the fair value is a model output, and a wide gap can mean the models are missing something the market knows.
The 8 models disagree widely: EPV gives 6.67 while Payback Time gives 46.30. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files HPF under High Growth: revenue and earnings growing fast enough that the growth-based models carry the valuation.
Nine valuation models for HPF
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | 14.23 | +10% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 34.35 | +165% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 15.01 | +16% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 36.76 | +183% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 23.39 | +80% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 46.30 | +257% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 21.81 | +68% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 6.67 | -49% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -9.35 | -172% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - HPF passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is low at 1.9 out of 10, which says the ten-year record of revenue, earnings, margins and returns on capital has been inconsistent - growth and shocks rather than steady compounding.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 2.4%, ROE 4.0%, ROA 2.4% - with debt at 0.64 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 9.0%.
The dividend yield is high at 11.42% (payout ratio 239%) - a payout above 100% of earnings, which is not covered by profits. A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual.
Institutional ownership scores 1/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 2.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 1.9 / 10 | ROE | 4.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.64 | ROA | 2.4% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 9.0% | Payout ratio | 239% |
| Institutions | 1 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 39: No options
HPF has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business; the Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options" (39 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at 123k shares a day on a market cap of $281M, with a beta of 0.66 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 7 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 25 / 25 | 48% margin of safety | |
| Health | 13 / 20 | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Moat | 3 / 15 | moat 1.9/10 | |
| Premium | 0 / 20 | no option data | |
| Stability | 7 / 20 | 123k shares/day, $281M cap, beta 0.66 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for HPF in the nightly calendar.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Asset Management - Income
The 12 companies below are the closest to John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II by market cap within the Asset Management - Income industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EFT Eaton Vance Floating-Rate Income Trust | 10.63 | 12.80 | +17% | 39No options | $283M |
| PFCOX PFG American Funds Cons Inc Strat R | 9.80 | 11.76 | +17% | 39No options | $278M |
| XFLT XAI Octagon Floating Rate & Alternative Income Term Trust | 18.74 | 41.78 | +55% | 39No options | $285M |
| AIHAX Horizon Active Income Fund - Advisor Class | 7.73 | 4.89 | -58% | 17No options | $286M |
| OIA Invesco Municipal Income Opportunities Trust | 5.76 | 4.97 | -16% | 30No options | $275M |
| JRI Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund | 10.48 | 30.40 | +66% | 39No options | $288M |
| TEI Templeton Emerging Markets Income Fund | 6.15 | 36.59 | +83% | 39No options | $290M |
| NCZ Virtus Convertible & Income Fund II | 13.97 | 108.62 | +87% | 39No options | $266M |
| TSI TCW Strategic Income Fund, Inc. | 4.16 | 5.47 | +24% | 39No options | $264M |
| JGH Nuveen Global High Income Fund | 11.38 | 30.66 | +63% | 39No options | $264M |
| BRW Saba Capital Income & Opportunities Fund | 5.91 | 18.88 | +69% | 39No options | $301M |
| BGT BlackRock Floating Rate Income Trust | 10.09 | 25.67 | +61% | 39No options | $301M |
⚖ Compare HPF with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
Screen the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about HPF
Is HPF undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 12.98 the stock is 48% below the average fair value of 24.81 (data as of 16 Oct 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of HPF and what does it mean?
HPF has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; its Wheel Score is capped at 39 and shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for HPF?
24.81 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does John Hancock Preferred Income Fund II report earnings next?
No upcoming earnings date is recorded for HPF in our calendar as of 16 Oct 2026; the Calendars page is refreshed every morning.
Does HPF have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on HPF, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score is capped at 39.