Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ:FUND) Sees Significant Growth in Short Interest

Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (NASDAQ:FUND) saw a large growth in short interest during the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 5,330 shares, a growth of 178.9% from the December 15th total of 1,911 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 24,379 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Approximately 0.0% of the shares of the stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 24,379 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Sprott Focus Trust Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ FUND traded up $0.08 on Thursday, hitting $9.17. 22,619 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 28,312. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $8.57 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $8.24. Sprott Focus Trust has a 52-week low of $6.21 and a 52-week high of $9.23.

Sprott Focus Trust Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 29th. Investors of record on Friday, December 12th were given a dividend of $0.1911 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, December 12th. This is a positive change from Sprott Focus Trust’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.76 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.3%.

Insider Activity at Sprott Focus Trust

In other news, Portfolio Manager W Whitney George sold 17,700 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, January 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $8.85, for a total transaction of $156,645.00. Following the completion of the sale, the portfolio manager directly owned 306,805 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,715,224.25. This trade represents a 5.45% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In the last three months, insiders acquired 272,022 shares of company stock worth $2,339,907. 52.93% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Sprott Focus Trust

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hara Capital LLC grew its position in Sprott Focus Trust by 2.1% during the second quarter. Hara Capital LLC now owns 69,126 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $517,000 after purchasing an additional 1,430 shares in the last quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Sprott Focus Trust by 79.5% in the third quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 4,025 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $33,000 after acquiring an additional 1,783 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sprott Focus Trust by 20.5% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 13,500 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $100,000 after acquiring an additional 2,300 shares in the last quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC raised its holdings in shares of Sprott Focus Trust by 3.2% during the third quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 474,364 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $3,942,000 after acquiring an additional 14,663 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. boosted its position in Sprott Focus Trust by 126.7% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 45,493 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $378,000 after purchasing an additional 25,425 shares during the last quarter. 12.63% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Sprott Focus Trust

Sprott Focus Trust, Inc is a closed‐end management investment company trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker FUND. Externally managed by Sprott Asset Management LP, the trust offers investors targeted exposure to publicly traded companies that generate revenue through precious metals royalty and streaming agreements. By focusing on this segment, the trust provides a specialized approach to gaining potential income and capital appreciation tied to gold, silver and other base metal production.

The investment strategy centers on assembling a diversified portfolio of royalty and streaming firms with long‐life assets, stable cash flow profiles and strong growth outlooks.