a_bankandthrift.htm
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D.C. 20549 
 
FORM N-Q 
 
QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED 
MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANIES 
 
Investment Company Act file number 811- 8568 
 
John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund 
(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 
 
601 Congress Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210 
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code) 
 
Alfred P. Ouellette, Senior Counsel & Assistant Secretary 
 
601 Congress Street 
 
Boston, Massachusetts 02210 
(Name and address of agent for service) 
    
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 617-663-4324
 
  Date of fiscal year end:   October 31 
   
 
  Date of reporting period:   January 31, 2009 

ITEM 1. SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS




John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund

Securities owned by the Fund on January 31, 2009 (Unaudited)

  Interest  Maturity  Credit  Par value   
Issuer, description  rate  date  rating (A)  (000)  Value 
 
Bonds 0.40%            $1,087,389 
(Cost $1,976,575)            
 
Regional Banks 0.40%          1,087,389 
CBG Florida REIT Corp. (S)  7.11%  05/29/49  CCC  2,100  378,279 
Webster Capital Trust IV (P)  7.65  06/15/37  BB+  1,725  709,110 
 
Issuer        Shares  Value 
 
Common stocks 88.90%           $243,980,091 
(Cost $341,133,023)            
 
Asset Management & Custody Banks 7.54%          20,691,142 
Bank of New York Mellon Corp.        426,946  10,989,590 
Northern Trust Corp.        78,712  4,527,514 
State Street Corp.        222,348  5,174,038 
 
Diversified Banks 6.82%          18,717,073 
Comerica, Inc.        248,691  4,143,192 
U.S. Bancorp        538,204  7,986,947 
Wells Fargo & Co.        348,515  6,586,934 
 
Diversified Financial Services 5.07%          13,904,458 
Bank of America Corp.        790,188  5,199,437 
Citigroup, Inc.        166,286  590,315 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.        318,099  8,114,706 
 
Regional Banks 56.06%          153,855,265 
Avenue Bank (B)        300,000  930,000 
Bank of Marin Bancorp        14,868  295,724 
Bank of the Ozarks, Inc.        72,064  1,635,132 
BB&T Corp.        299,215  5,921,465 
Beverly National Corp.        97,500  1,369,875 
Boston Private Financial Holdings, Inc.        163,143  768,404 
Bridge Capital Holdings        150,564  775,405 
Camden National Corp.        89,218  2,078,779 
Capital City Bank Group, Inc.        60,743  973,103 
City Holding Co.        41,459  1,065,911 
CoBiz Financial, Inc.        294,268  1,397,773 
Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.        301,389  13,191,796 
DNB Financial Corp.        78,515  404,352 
Eastern Virginia Bankshares, Inc.        100,000  983,000 
ECB Bancorp, Inc.        27,504  438,689 
F.N.B. Corp.        527,981  4,176,330 
Fifth Third Bancorp        336,089  803,253 
First Bancorp, Inc.        146,499  2,333,729 
First Horizon National Corp.        146,988  1,399,326 
First Midwest Bancorp, Inc.        19,790  197,900 
Hancock Holding Co.        232,176  6,354,657 
Harleysville National Corp.        151,897  1,414,161 
Heritage Financial Corp.        92,940  1,136,656 
Heritage Oaks Bancorp        19,950  99,750 
Huntington Bancshares, Inc.        577,809  1,664,090 
IBERIABANK Corp.        96,772  4,102,165 
International Bancshares Corp.        166,029  3,025,048 
Investors Bancorp, Inc. (I)        45,534  486,303 
KeyCorp        536,780  3,907,758 

Page 1 


John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund
Securities owned by the Fund on
January 31, 2009 (Unaudited)

Issuer    Shares  Value 
 
Regional Banks (continued)           
Lakeland Financial Corp.    144,802  $2,982,921 
M&T Bank Corp.    219,416  8,537,477 
MB Financial, Inc.    156,100  2,550,674 
Northrim Bancorp, Inc.    77,232  776,954 
Pacific Continental Corp.    242,191  2,810,020 
Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. (I)    50,917  1,203,169 
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.    305,689  9,941,006 
Prosperity Bancshares, Inc.    316,300  8,555,915 
S&T Bancorp, Inc.    154,700  3,934,021 
S.Y. Bancorp, Inc.    28,933  659,094 
SCBT Financial Corp.    110,389  2,965,049 
Signature Bank (I)    354,832  9,115,634 
Smithtown Bancorp, Inc.    49,500  682,110 
Southcoast Financial Corp.    64,413  196,460 
Sterling Bancshares, Inc.    303,988  1,690,173 
SunTrust Banks, Inc.    188,771  2,314,332 
SVB Financial Group (I)    338,489  7,030,416 
Synovus Financial Corp.    517,302  2,048,516 
TCF Financial Corp.    393,166  4,871,327 
Texas Capital Bancshares, Inc. (I)    282,880  3,193,715 
Univest Corp.    168,906  3,867,947 
Valley National Bancorp    110,530  1,439,101 
Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.    198,110  3,241,080 
WestAmerica Bancorp    30,499  1,303,222 
Zions Bancorp    309,276  4,614,398 
 
Thrifts & Mortgage Finance 13.41%          36,812,153 
Abington Bancorp, Inc.    133,448  940,808 
Beneficial Mutual Bancorp, Inc. (I)    7,497  71,821 
Benjamin Franklin Bancorp, Inc.    39,776  430,376 
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.    348,903  8,206,199 
Danvers Bancorp, Inc.    18,389  231,518 
Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.    138,688  1,393,815 
ESSA Bancorp, Inc.    86,295  1,151,175 
Flushing Financial Corp.    137,059  1,085,507 
Hingham Institution for Savings    80,000  2,008,000 
Hudson City Bancorp, Inc.    292,810  3,396,596 
LSB Corp.    65,000  509,600 
Northwest Bancorp, Inc.    97,108  1,802,325 
Parkvale Financial Corp.    17,600  215,952 
People's United Financial, Inc.    733,167  11,994,612 
United Financial Bancorp, Inc.    140,000  1,919,400 
WSFS Financial Corp.    56,374  1,454,449 
  Credit     
Issuer, description  rating (A)  Shares  Value 
 
Preferred Stocks 1.58%            $4,325,675 
(Cost $5,165,160)       
 
Diversified Banks 0.14%           391,063 
Wells Fargo & Co., 8.00%  A+  21,487  391,063 

Page 2 


John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund
Securities owned by the Fund on
January 31, 2009 (Unaudited)

  Credit     
Issuer, description  rating (A)  Shares  Value 
 
Diversified Financial Services 1.25%          $3,418,927 
Bank of America Corp., 8.20%   A-  31,891  450,620 
Bank of America Corp., 8.625%   A-  100,540  1,385,441 
Citigroup, Inc., 8.50%, Depositary Shares, Ser F   BB  178,653  1,582,866 
 
Regional Banks 0.19%          515,685 
Fifth Third Capital Trust V, 7.25%   BBB  17,781  215,150 
Fifth Third Capital Trust VI, 7.25%   BBB  17,781  215,506 
Fifth Third Capital Trust VII, 8.875%   BBB  6,039  85,029 
 
Issuer, description        Shares  Value 
 
Convertible preferred stocks 0.50%            $1,376,240 
(Cost $4,002,250)       
 
Regional Banks 0.50%          1,376,240 
South Financial Group, Inc., 10.00%  BB  2,638  765,020 
South Financial Group, Inc., 10.00%  BB  793  229,970 
Webster Financial Corp., 8.50%  BB+  1,000  381,250 
    Par value   
Issuer, description, maturity date        (000)  Value 
 
Capital Preferred Securities 0.00%             $600 
(Cost $5,733,189)       
 
Diversified Financial Services 0.00%           600 
Preferred Term Securities XXV, Ltd., Zero Coupon, 6-22-37    3,000  300 
Preferred Term Securities XXVII, Ltd., Zero Coupon, 3-22-38    3,000  300 

  Interest  Maturity  Par value   
Issuer, description  rate  date  (000)  Value 
 
Short-term investments 7.79%        $21,394,264 
(Cost $21,399,852)         
 
Certificates of Deposit 0.02%        71,379 
Country Bank for Savings  2.960%  08/31/10  $2  1,785 
First Bank Richmond  3.690  12/05/10  17  17,016 
First Bank System, Inc.  2.862  05/01/09  4  4,455 
First Federal Savings Bank of Louisiana  2.980  12/07/09  3  2,847 
Framingham Cooperative Bank  4.500  09/10/09  3  3,401 
Home Bank  4.150  12/04/10  16  16,275 
Hudson Savings Bank  4.800  04/20/09  2  1,785 
Machias Savings Bank  3.540  05/24/09  2  1,672 
Midstate Federal Savings and Loan  3.200  05/27/09  2  1,811 
Milford Bank  3.400  05/27/09  2  1,666 
Milford Federal Savings and Loan Assn.  3.150  02/28/10  2  1,836 
Mount McKinley Savings Bank  4.030  12/03/09  2  1,564 
Mt. Washington Bank  3.040  05/31/09  2  1,881 
Natick Savings Bank  1.580  08/31/09  2  1,832 
Newburyport Bank  2.750  10/21/10  2  1,904 
Newtown Savings Bank  3.750  05/30/09  2  1,674 
OBA Federal Savings and Loan  4.600  06/15/09  1  1,145 
Plymouth Savings Bank  3.590  04/21/09  2  1,730 
Randolph Savings Bank  4.000  09/13/09  2  1,714 
Salem Five Bank  1.490  12/17/09  2  1,694 
Sunshine Federal Savings and Loan Assn.  5.000  05/10/09  2  1,692 

Page 3 


John Hancock Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund
Securities owned by the Fund on
January 31, 2009 (Unaudited)

  Interest  Maturity     Par value   
Issuer, description  rate  date               (000)  Value 
 
U.S. Government Agency 7.77%        $21,322,885 
U.S. Treasury Bill  Zero  06/11/09   8,345  8,337,289 
U.S. Treasury Bill  Zero  06/25/09  13,000  12,985,596 
 
Total investments (Cost $379,410,049)† 99.17%      $272,164,259 
 
Other assets and liabilities, net 0.83%        $2,290,968 
 
Total net assets 100.00%       $274,455,227 

The percentage shown for each investment category is the total value of the category as a percentage of the net assets of the Fund.

(A) Credit ratings are unaudited and are rated by Moody’s Investors Service where Standard & Poor’s ratings are not available unless indicated otherwise.

(B) This security is fair valued in good faith under procedures established by the Board of Trustees. This security amounted to $930,000 or 0.340% of the Fund's net assets as of January 31, 2009.

(I) Non-income producing security.

(P) Variable rate obligation. The coupon rate shown represents the rate at period end.

(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.

† At January 31, 2009, the aggregate cost of investment securities for federal income tax purposes was $379,431,625. Net unrealized depreciation aggregated $107,267,366, of which $19,919,702 related to appreciated investment securities and $127,187,068 related to depreciated investment securities.

Page 4 


Notes to portfolio of investments

Security valuation
Investments are stated at value as of the close of the regular trading on New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), normally at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Time. Equity securities held by the Fund are valued at the last sale price or official closing price (closing bid price or last evaluated price if no sale has occurred) as of the close of business on the principal securities exchange (domestic or foreign) on which they trade. Debt obligations are valued based on the evaluated prices provided by an independent pricing service, which utilizes both dealer-supplied and electronic data processing techniques, which take 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. Foreign securities and currencies are valued in U.S. dollars, based on foreign currency exchange rates supplied by an independent pricing service. Securities traded only in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last bid price quoted by brokers making markets in the securities at the close of trading. Equity and debt obligations, for which there are no prices available from an independent pricing service, are value based on broker quotes or fair valued as described below. Short-term debt investments that have a remaining maturity of 60 days or less are valued at amortized cost, and thereafter assume a constant amortization to maturity of any discount or premium, which approximates market value.

Other portfolio securities and assets for which market quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Trust’s Pricing Committee, in accordance with procedures adopted by the Board of Trustees. Generally, trading in non-U.S. securities is substantially completed each day at various times prior to the close of trading on the NYSE. The values of such securities used in computing the net asset value of the Fund’s shares are generally determined as of such times. Occasionally, significant events that affect the values of such securities may occur between the times at which such values are generally determined and the close of the NYSE. Upon such an occurrence, these securities will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith under consistently applied procedures established by and under the general supervision of the Board of Trustees. Debt securities whose prices cannot be provided by an independent pricing service are valued at prices provided by broker-dealers.

Valuations change in response to many factors, including the historical and prospective earnings of the issuer, the value of the issuer’s assets, general economic conditions, interest rates, investor perceptions and market liquidity.

The Fund is subject to the provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 157 (FAS 157). FAS 157 established a three-tier hierarchy to prioritize the assumptions, referred to as inputs, used in valuation techniques to measure fair value. The three-tier hierarchy of inputs is summarized in the three broad levels listed below:

Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical securities.

Level 2 – Prices determined using other significant observable inputs. Observable inputs are inputs that other market participants would use in pricing a security. These may include quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, prepayment speeds, credit risk and others.

Level 3 – Prices determined using significant unobservable inputs. In situations where quoted prices or observable inputs are unavailable, such as when there is little or no market activity for an investment, unobservable inputs may be used. Unobservable inputs reflect the Fund’s own assumptions about the factors that market participants would use in pricing an investment and would be based on the best information available.

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities.

5 


The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Fund’s net assets as of January 31, 2009:

  Investments in Other Financial 
Valuation Inputs       Securities Instruments* 
 
Level 1 – Quoted Prices  $245,478,551                                               - 
Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs  24,760,418                                               - 
Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs  1,925,290                                               - 
Total  $272,164,259                                               - 

* Other financial instruments are derivative instruments not reflected in the Fund of Investments, such as futures, forwards and swap contracts, which are valued at the unrealized appreciation/depreciation on the instrument.

The following is a reconciliation of Level 3 assets for which significant unobservable inputs were used to determine fair value:

    Investments in    Other Financial
     Securities Instruments
Balance as of October 31, 2008  $8,745,400                                           - 
Accrued discounts/premiums  -                                           - 
Realized gain (loss)  -                                           - 
Change in unrealized appreciation  (3,270,510)                                           - 
(depreciation)     
Net purchases (sales)  -                                           - 
Transfers in and/or out of Level 3  (3,549,600)                                           - 
Balance as of January 31, 2009  $1,925,290                                           - 

Risk and uncertainties
Small and medium size company risk
Stocks of small and medium-size companies tend to be more volatile than those of large companies, and may underperform stocks of large companies. Small and medium-size companies may have limited product lines or markets, less access to financial resources or less operating experience, or may depend on a few key employees. Given this, small and medium-size stocks may be thinly traded, leading to additional liquidity risk due to the inability to trade in large volume.

Sector risk — financial industry
Fund performance will be closely tied to a single sector of the economy, which may underperform other sectors over any given period of time. Financial services companies can be hurt by economic declines, changes in interest rates, regulatory and market impacts. Accordingly, the concentration may make the Fund’s value more volatile and investment values may rise and fall more rapidly.

6 




ITEM 2. 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-Q, the registrant's principal executive officer and principal accounting 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 last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

ITEM 3. EXHIBITS.

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


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 Bank and Thrift Opportunity Fund

By: /s/ Keith F. Hartstein
-------------------------------------
Keith F. Hartstein
President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 20, 2009

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/ Keith F. Hartstein
-------------------------------------
Keith F. Hartstein
President and Chief Executive Officer

Date: March 20, 2009

By: /s/ Charles A. Rizzo
-------------------------------------
Charles A. Rizzo
Chief Financial Officer

Date: March 20, 2009