John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Sees Large Increase in Short Interest

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the recipient of a significant increase in short interest in November. As of November 30th, there was short interest totalling 13,200 shares, an increase of 247.4% from the November 15th total of 3,800 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 22,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.6 days.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Kovack Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 23.0% during the 3rd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 13,227 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $145,000 after purchasing an additional 2,471 shares during the last quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. raised its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 9.1% in the second quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48,914 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $508,000 after purchasing an additional 4,078 shares during the last quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 8.5% in the second quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC now owns 68,435 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $711,000 after purchasing an additional 5,335 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Commonwealth Equity Services LLC boosted its position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 1.7% during the second quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 138,969 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $1,444,000 after buying an additional 2,358 shares during the last quarter.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

HEQ stock traded up $0.05 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $10.99. 42,192 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 32,337. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $10.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $10.66. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 52 week low of $9.57 and a 52 week high of $11.12.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.10%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 12th.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Wellington Management Company LLP. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.