John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) Short Interest Up 255.9% in October

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund (NYSE:HEQ) was the target of a large increase in short interest during the month of October. As of October 15th, there was short interest totalling 12,100 shares, an increase of 255.9% from the September 30th total of 3,400 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 24,800 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 0.5 days.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund stock traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $11.00. 16,724 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 33,521. John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund has a twelve month low of $9.20 and a twelve month high of $11.12. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $10.85 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $10.49.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, September 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, September 13th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, September 13th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 9.09%.

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

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 9.1% during the 2nd quarter. B. Riley Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 48,914 shares of the investment management company’s stock valued at $508,000 after buying an additional 4,078 shares during the last quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC lifted its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 8.5% in the 2nd quarter. Logan Stone Capital LLC now owns 68,435 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $711,000 after purchasing an additional 5,335 shares during the last quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC lifted its holdings in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund by 1.7% in the 2nd quarter. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC now owns 138,969 shares of the investment management company’s stock worth $1,444,000 after purchasing an additional 2,358 shares during the last quarter. Vima LLC acquired a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth approximately $449,000. Finally, Advisors Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund in the 1st quarter worth approximately $653,000.

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund Company Profile

John Hancock Hedged Equity & Income Fund is a closed-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by John Hancock Investment Management LLC. The fund is co-managed by Wellington Management Company LLP. It invests in the public equity markets of the United States. The fund seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.