Short Interest in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Increases By 734.6%

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 20,639 shares, an increase of 734.6% from the February 26th total of 2,473 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 63,478 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days. Based on an average daily volume of 63,478 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

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

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

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

NYSE HEQ opened at $10.73 on Wednesday. The company’s fifty day moving average is $11.16 and its two-hundred day 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 business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Investors of record on Thursday, March 12th will be paid a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.3%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 12th.

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.