Short Interest in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Grows By 142.1%

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 10,194 shares, an increase of 142.1% from the January 15th total of 4,210 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 44,655 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily volume of 44,655 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.2 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Up 0.2%

HEQ stock traded up $0.02 on Thursday, hitting $11.37. 44,660 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 47,743. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $10.95 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.77. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 12-month low of $9.23 and a 12-month high of $11.40.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Stockholders of record on Thursday, December 11th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.8%.

Institutional Trading of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. acquired a new position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $168,000. Kovack Advisors Inc. lifted its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.2% during the 2nd quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 18,895 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $200,000 after acquiring an additional 1,908 shares during the period. Verition Fund Management LLC purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the 3rd quarter valued at about $283,000. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the fourth quarter valued at about $365,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada raised its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 24.7% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 43,140 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $449,000 after purchasing an additional 8,558 shares during the last quarter.

About John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

The John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) is a closed-end management investment company that seeks to provide shareholders with a high level of income coupled with the potential for capital appreciation. Listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the fund is managed by John Hancock Investment Management, a subsidiary of Manulife Financial. The fund’s investment objective emphasizes total return, balancing dividend and option premium income with equity market participation.

The fund pursues its goal by investing primarily in a diversified portfolio of U.S.