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

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the recipient of a large drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,210 shares, a drop of 56.4% from the December 31st total of 9,660 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 60,218 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days. Based on an average daily volume of 60,218 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.1 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Price Performance

NYSE:HEQ traded up $0.06 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $11.12. 32,543 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 51,518. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 52 week low of $9.23 and a 52 week high of $11.13. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $10.88 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.73.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, December 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, December 11th were paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 11th.

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

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HEQ. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 2nd quarter worth about $168,000. Kovack Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.2% in the second quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 18,895 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $200,000 after purchasing an additional 1,908 shares during the last quarter. Verition Fund Management LLC bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the third quarter valued at about $283,000. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the 4th quarter valued at about $365,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada grew its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 24.7% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 43,140 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $449,000 after acquiring an additional 8,558 shares during the last quarter.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile

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.