John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Shares Shorted: Short Interest Up 540.8% in September

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) saw a large increase in short interest in the month of September. As of September 30th, there was short interest totaling 25,696 shares, an increase of 540.8% from the September 15th total of 4,010 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 23,980 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 1.1 days.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Advisory Solutions Group LLC bought a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 2nd quarter valued at $119,000. Bank of America Corp DE lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 4.1% during the 1st quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 304,521 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $3,307,000 after acquiring an additional 11,907 shares during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $109,000. Fifth Third Bancorp acquired a new stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the 1st quarter valued at about $47,000. Finally, Bulldog Investors LLP increased its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 46.2% in the first quarter. Bulldog Investors LLP now owns 558,291 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $6,063,000 after acquiring an additional 176,527 shares during the period.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Up 2.0%

Shares of NYSE HEQ traded up $0.22 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $11.30. The company had a trading volume of 50,080 shares, compared to its average volume of 37,659. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 12 month low of $10.46 and a 12 month high of $12.00. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $11.51 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.43.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 11th.

About John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) is a closed-end investment company managed by John Hancock Investment Management. The fund seeks to provide a high level of current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of equity and income-producing securities.

The fund uses hedging strategies in an effort to manage equity-market risk and may employ options and other derivative instruments as part of its investment approach. Its portfolio may include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, corporate bonds and other debt instruments, with allocations adjusted according to market conditions and the portfolio managers’ outlook.

HEQ is designed for investors seeking exposure to both equity and fixed-income markets through a professionally managed portfolio.