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

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest during the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 10,194 shares, an increase of 142.1% from the January 15th total of 4,210 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,655 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 44,655 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.2 days.

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

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bulldog Investors LLP acquired a new position in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $4,104,000. Bank of America Corp DE raised its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 11.7% in the 2nd 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. Shaker Financial Services LLC lifted its stake in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. Shaker Financial Services LLC now owns 247,175 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $2,632,000 after purchasing an additional 22,211 shares during the period. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 3.3% during the third quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 138,049 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,470,000 after purchasing an additional 4,356 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 22.6% during the fourth quarter. Blue Bell Private Wealth Management LLC now owns 97,987 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,053,000 after purchasing an additional 18,067 shares during the last quarter.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE HEQ traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, reaching $11.41. The company had a trading volume of 40,381 shares, compared to its average volume of 47,496. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a twelve month low of $9.23 and a twelve month high of $11.42. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $10.96 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.78.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The company 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. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, December 11th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 8.8%.

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.