John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Short Interest Up 89.8% in February

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the target of a significant increase in short interest in 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 NYSE:HEQ traded down $0.16 on Friday, hitting $10.74. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 59,819 shares, compared to its average volume of 52,080. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.89. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a 1 year low of $9.23 and a 1 year 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 9.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 12th.

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

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of HEQ. Bulldog Investors LLP bought a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 4th quarter worth $4,104,000. Sax Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the fourth quarter worth $365,000. Kovack Advisors Inc. grew its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 130.9% in the fourth quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 53,236 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $543,000 after acquiring an additional 30,176 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE increased its stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.7% in the second quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 288,281 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $3,050,000 after acquiring an additional 30,102 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Saba Capital Management L.P. raised its position in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.0% during the fourth quarter. Saba Capital Management L.P. now owns 281,328 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $3,024,000 after purchasing an additional 27,958 shares in 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.