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

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the target of a large decline in short interest during the month of September. As of September 15th, there was short interest totaling 4,010 shares, a decline of 62.1% from the August 31st total of 10,574 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 22,398 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 0.2 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fifth Third Bancorp bought a new stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the first quarter valued at approximately $47,000. 1607 Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 6.1% in the fourth 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 during the period. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. bought a new position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the first quarter worth $109,000. Advisory Solutions Group LLC acquired a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund during the second quarter worth $119,000. Finally, Bank of America Corp DE boosted its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 4.1% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 304,521 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $3,307,000 after buying an additional 11,907 shares in the last quarter.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

HEQ traded up $0.01 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $11.20. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 14,349 shares, compared to its average volume of 38,050. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $11.42. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a twelve month low of $10.46 and a twelve month high of $12.00.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 11th will be given a $0.25 dividend. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 8.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, September 11th.

About John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE: HEQ) is a closed-end investment company managed by John Hancock Investment Management. The fund seeks to provide a high level of current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of equity and income-producing securities.

The fund uses hedging strategies in an effort to manage equity-market risk and may employ options and other derivative instruments as part of its investment approach. Its portfolio may include common stocks, preferred stocks, convertible securities, corporate bonds and other debt instruments, with allocations adjusted according to market conditions and the portfolio managers’ outlook.

HEQ is designed for investors seeking exposure to both equity and fixed-income markets through a professionally managed portfolio.