John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) Short Interest Update

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund (NYSE:PDT) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in December. As of December 15th, there was short interest totalling 36,100 shares, a growth of 58.3% from the November 30th total of 22,800 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 120,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.3 days.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE PDT traded up $0.05 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $12.55. 77,022 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 119,154. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $12.82 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.61. John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund has a 52-week low of $10.41 and a 52-week high of $13.55.

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, December 31st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, December 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.0825 per share. This represents a $0.99 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.89%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 12th.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Mercer Global Advisors Inc. ADV purchased a new stake in John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at about $164,000. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund by 7.3% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 17,921 shares of the real estate investment trust’s stock valued at $211,000 after purchasing an additional 1,221 shares during the period. HighTower Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund during the third quarter valued at approximately $212,000. EP Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund in the third quarter worth approximately $229,000. Finally, Safe Harbor Fiduciary LLC purchased a new position in shares of John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund in the third quarter worth $291,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 12.98% of the company’s stock.

About John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund

John Hancock Premium Dividend Fund is a closed ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. It is co-managed by John Hancock Asset Management. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United States. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors, with an emphasis on the utilities sector.