John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Short Interest Update

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) saw a significant increase in short interest during the month of February. As of February 27th, there was short interest totaling 2,473 shares, an increase of 89.8% from the February 12th total of 1,303 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 54,786 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 54,786 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.0 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

Shares of HEQ traded down $0.28 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $10.91. 42,161 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 51,920. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $11.18 and its 200-day simple moving average is $10.89. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 52-week low of $9.23 and a 52-week high of $11.58.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.2%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HEQ. Invesco Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 28.9% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 119,455 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $1,284,000 after buying an additional 26,747 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd purchased a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the fourth quarter worth about $144,000. Saba Capital Management L.P. increased its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.0% in the 4th quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P. now owns 281,328 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $3,024,000 after acquiring an additional 27,958 shares during the period. 1607 Capital Partners LLC increased its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. 1607 Capital Partners LLC now owns 129,782 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $1,395,000 after acquiring an additional 7,442 shares during the period. Finally, Kovack Advisors Inc. raised its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 130.9% during the 4th quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 53,236 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $572,000 after acquiring an additional 30,176 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.